What you need to know about cruise ship security
Charline Mandigo, who worked for the FBI for 27 years, has revealed what it is like to work be in charge of fleet security for Holland America.
As head of fleet security, Mandigo is responsible for overseeing efforts both onboard and at corporate headquarters for Holland America.
In the headquarters of the liner he’s responsible for "compliance with all security directives by governments and other regulatory agencies as to terminal, ship, crew, and passenger security practices and procedures."
The ultimate objective of his job is to try and protect people from harm and in an interview with Cruise Critic, he gave a glimpse into his work.
Despite cruises being one of the safest methods of travel, Mandigo warns passengers to stay observant while enjoying the holiday.
“Our ships have great security in place and passengers should feel comfortable with that. Given the numbers of varied guests onboard a typical cruise, passengers should take the normal precautions like any other vacation or hotel stay. Look for unusual behaviour and report it -- don't let it go! By its very nature, cruise travel is very secure -- where would the criminals go?”
When asked about cruising post 9/11, Mandigo assured cruisers that there is layered security in place for protection.
“I think cruise travel has always been one of the safest travel segments out there. The record is quite good if you look at the numbers, thanks to the layered security -- especially since 9/11. Ships are much less of a target for catastrophic events versus, say, planes.”
Mandigo highlighted the importance in-port security during a cruise.
“What goes on in the terminal is very important to us, in that it reduces the threat before anything gets to us. If security in the terminal fails, we're certainly more vulnerable. The terminal provides an outer shell of protection.”
Mandigo advised cruisers to be prepared for US ports extra security precautions.
“U.S. ports have obviously become more intense, with increased customs and border control concerns. It's amazingly varied between ports. It can make you a bit schizophrenic as far as standards when we go to a particular port -- especially when it's a first-time or occasional port call.”