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River cruise passengers could see the
introduction of airport-style security scanners following the Paris bombings.
 They
are among increased safety measures being discussed by river lines in Europe
following the attacks in Paris and subsequent police investigations in Belgium.
(Viking Longboat - click to enlarge)
The United States State Department issued a worldwide travel alert, cautioning
citizens to be vigilant when they go overseas because of terrorist activity from
ISIS, al-Qaida and other radical groups. The German government has announced
that increased security will be put in place as a precaution at public
buildings, at major events and Christmas Markets, which are popular on river
cruise itineraries.
However, river cruise lines will continue to offer calls at Christmas markets
this winter. We reached out to Viking River Cruises for the following statement
"At this point we have not altered any sailings in Germany out of security
concerns, but we are continuing to monitor the situation closely. Should any
itinerary modifications become necessary for upcoming departures we will notify
those guests directly."
Talking to Cruise Critic at last weekend's Cruise Lines International
Association U.K. and Ireland River Cruise Convention in Amsterdam, various lines
stressed rigorous safety procedures were already in place to safeguard
passengers, but there was no room for complacency.
The organization's chair, Lucia Rowe, who is also a member of the European
Tourism Association, said, "On our line, A-Rosa, we have security around the
clock. Not only is our reception continually manned, but our nautical staff are
also trained to patrol the vessel and notice who is going on and off.
"We take security very seriously, and as an industry we need to address it. This
could mean discussing whether we need additional security such as luggage
checks. People expect this in airports and on ocean ships, so possibly it is
something we should adopt."
Kathryn Beadle, U.K. managing director of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
Collection, said the company was not planning to alter itineraries or withdraw
from cities like Paris following the attacks. She added that river vessels are
exceptionally secure environments.
"Of course we monitor every situation, as we have done in the past with other
destinations, such as Egypt and Russia," she said. "However, river ships are
extremely safe and they are not like hotels where anyone can wander in and out.
There is one entrance, we carry a small number of passengers, whom the crew get
to know very quickly, and everyone has to check in and out at reception with a
card so we always know exactly who is onboard."
Steve Spivak, Tauck's vice president of global sales, said CLIA -- which has 18
river cruise line members -- should lead by example and pave the way for a
uniform code of safety.
"We are confident about our safety measures and constantly evaluate the safety
and security of our passengers, particularly in the light of recent events, but
we are only as good as the vessel that might be moored alongside one of our
ships," he said. "We all have a shared responsibility to work together and
develop an organizational standard."
During the terrorist attacks and subsequent lockdown, river cruise lines such as
Viking changed excursion schedules and disembarkation locations. Lines including
Viking and Avalon have posted updates on their websites and social media, and
they have given passengers the option to rebook planned cruises in the affected
regions without penalty.
On the Cruise Critic boards, while some members have said they are nervous about
traveling to Europe or have cancelled planned cruises later this year and in
2016, others say they will not bow to the actions of terrorists.
"They will be super vigilant now, so soon after the attacks. It is when people
start getting lax is when we need to worry," wrote Got2Cruise. Hydrokitty added,
"I think you're probably safer on a river cruise than anywhere else because
you're not as high profile." |
