The Cruise Ship Business is Booming

Online, May 11, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Carnival Cruise Lines is getting record-breaking business this year. From the beginning of 2010 to Feb. 21, bookings were the highest they've ever been. The cruise industry's highest priority now is to ensure the safety and security of its passengers, crew and vessels which is why top cruise lines are implementing on board security measures to deter unauthorized entry and illegal activity.

Cruise ships, are tempting targets, and not just for the ransom the pirates might get if they could hijack one on the open seas. Just the amount of money and jewelry they could get from holding up the passengers is tempting. When they see a cruise ship, in their mind, it's just one big cash register. Radio Zeeland DMP Americas Inc. (RZDMPA) is a company that provides Global Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions. Their Maritime Early Detection System (MEDS) is an integrated system to detect intrusion from multiple quadrants in advance, thereby alerting a ship's crew or port to be armed and/or prepared to take action. It is the least expensive solution that can dramatically decrease the potential of any act of piracy and is a must have for cruise ships in today's times.

Gone are the days when The Seaborn Spirit used water hoses and the crew on the Balmoral brandished fake wooden rifles to try and scare off the pirates. When another cruise ship the MSC Melody was attacked by pirates last year, their first line of defense was the vacationing passengers' throwing deck chairs at the gun-wielding Somali pirates who were climbing up the side of the cruise ship. Today a video surveillance camera system alone is not going to prevent pirates from boarding a ship, but an integrated security system incorporating radar, thermal imaging, communications and defensive countermeasures will protect passengers. Many vessels have quickly realized this and have requested the services of Radio Zeeland DMP a company, which since it was founded in 1970, has expanded worldwide to become one of the market leaders in the field of navigation, maritime automation equipment and Global Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions.

A demand for higher security measures has been evident for some time and with the increase of attacks at sea there is a greater possibility of future port-based attacks. These floating cities carry anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 passengers, making security an utmost concern. Radio Zealand's state-of-the-art early detection system is just one of their cutting-edge solutions to preserve the lives of passengers and crew members on vessels. If a ship-wide network crashes, it could bring down all integrated systems, leaving the ship with no communications, security or life safety. Radio Zeeland prevents this risk by providing subsystems to have stand-alone functionality, should the network go down.

To meet demand, cruise lines are ramping up production. At least 15 vessels will launch in 2010, each worth about $250 million to $1 billion, making cruise tourism a multibillion-dollar industry. The boom in cruises is accompanied by increased regulation. Mandates, such as the Safety of Life at Sea Convention for ships, ports and government agencies, require them to "detect security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities. Cruise ships are making an enormous impact on tourism. With beefed up security measures many passengers feel cruises are safer than flying which will only contribute to further incredible growth in cruise ship vacationing.