Complaints of sexual assault on cruise ships have nearly doubled in five years in the US. 131 sexual assaults reported on ships in 2023, according to FBI data.
About 79 of those complaints were about rape. The popularity of cruises and the easy availability of alcohol on board are the factors that have contributed to the rise in sex crime at sea. All cruise lines operating cruises to and from US ports are required to submit to the FBI serious incident reports of assaults, suspicious deaths, missing persons and theft of property.