By: Dave Terry

Because regional gambling laws don’t apply in international waters, cruise ships are a hugely popular choice for high stakes casinos. In fact there are a number of vessels that operate almost soley for this purpose, offering gambling cruises which can last anything from a few hours to a matter of weeks. While there is a certain amount of security inherent in the offshore nature of cruise ships (nobody is going to be able to run away from the boat when it’s in the middle of the sea) there aren’t usually too many police around either. So, if you’re on a hot streak, be sure to cash in a proportion of your chips every now and then and put them in the ship’s safe. When you have a big win, resist the urge to celebrate there and then, and ask a member of ship security to escort you to the safe. For the same reason, don’t flash your money about or buy huge rounds of ostentatious drinks after a big win – just keep your celebrations as low-key as you can muster.

Keep an eye out for crew members. Although most crew members on board cruise ships are honest to a fault, it’s not wise to assume they all fall into this category. Keep in mind that many members of a ship’s crew will be used to a far lower standard of living than most cruise ship passengers enjoy. It is fair to say that many of them would have a valid motive for stealing from you, so don’t provide them with an opportunity. Apart from security concerns, it is pretty poor form to be showing off your wealth in front of people from poorer backgrounds. Don’t leave any valuables lying about in your room, as these can be easily stolen while you are out. On most ships, the crew aren’t allowed to socialise with the guests beyond the call of duty, with the exception of the senior members of the crew. Never accept an invitation to go to an area designated as being for crew members, as this may be a ploy to make sure that you aren’t in your cabin when someone else is.

Stay vigilant when you are onshore. The cruise operators organise shore trips as they are a good moeny-spinner for them. One advantage of them is that you get some guarantees of safety and quality, but of course you lack the freedom – not to mention money-saving – of exploring solo. However, you also need to stay that much more alert if you go down this route. If you get a taxi on one of these sojourns, make sure you agree a fare in advance, or you could end up paying through the nose, or worse, not being able to pay at all.

Though it may seem that there are far fewer staff than there are passengers, the reality may well be the reverse, as the majority of crew members work out of sight of the passengers and are forbidden from talking to the passengers. The more senior members of the crew will be looking out for your safety, but they cannot look out for everyone at once. Don’t let all this put you off though. In reality, a cruise ship is one of the safest places to be from a crime perspective, and most of this advice would apply equally or even more so in almost any other civilian situation. In some ways, the apparent safety of a cruise ship is the reason why people often let their guard down a little too far on board.

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