Clark Howard's Tips

January 23, 2007

The L.A. Times recently published a story about violence on cruise ships and it's unbelievable! Cruise lines are not required by law to report crimes. That includes murders, sexual assaults and disappearances.

So the Times dug into testimony given on Capitol Hill and found out that cruise officials flat-out lied. The story cites the lack of action taken by one cruise line even after a woman was raped and positively identified her attacker to cruise officials.

Clark doesn't understand why there is no uniform reporting protocol when it comes to crimes. It would be much smarter for business and safety reasons. But instead, cruise officials try to cover up what's happening because they are not bound by the law.

So just remember that when you're taking a cruise the term 'Lost at Sea' really does apply.

In other cruise news, you don't need a passport to take a cruise — YET.

If you're arriving by land or sea to the U.S. you won't need a passport until sometime in 2008. But all air travel passengers must have one, starting today.

That includes infants, too. You will need to know your parents' birthdates, and you need to apply sooner rather than later.

People who often travel to the Caribbean or Mexico and have never needed a passport now do, so there will be a lot of people trying to get them. For more information, check out travel.state.gov.

Consumer advice courtesy of