One of the strongest feelings you get when you cruise is an overwhelming sense of safety and security. There is, after all, very little to no crime on board, so not many other environments offer this type of serenity and peace.
Yet, put a few humans together, add a bit of alcohol to the mix, and subtract all the inhibitions they left the moment they stepped on the gangway, and you may encounter situations that may go from annoying, all the way to infuriating. Which is why Cruise Lines employ the services of Security Guards who constantly patrol every area of the ship in order to make sure everyone is enjoying their cruise safely and respectfully.
While they don’t carry guns, don’t be fooled by their politeness, or even their size. These men and women have gone through extensive training and know just how to twist your wrist to get you to beg for forgiveness within seconds.
A large majority of them, you’ll notice, come from Nepal, with the Philippines and India being close behind. They have, in most cases, served in the military service in their country, and many of them have served as guards for the royal forces, as part of their military duties.
Security Guards are employed directly by the Cruise Line, and their duties are far from limited to keeping brawls from happening. They play a huge part in maintaining the safety of the ship, attending to calls of all kinds, like family disputes, missing people and, of course, public intoxication. They, along with the entire crew, also keep an open eye to any suspicious activity involving the security of the ship, like guests trespassing into crew areas, theft, or even assisting in emergency situations.
Most of the time, however, you’ll see them at the gangway, in charge of swiping (or more recently, tapping) you in and out of the ship. They are the only crew members ACTUALLY allowed to speak in a foreign language in front of guests, which allows them to warn of any impression of wrongdoing without accusing anyone out loud.
While sailing, Security Guards conduct regular rounds, which are tightly controlled by scanning some kind of device in different zones of the ship as they walk, thus proving they were there. They are managed by a Security Supervisor and a Security Officer, who, aside from leading the team, will issue incident reports, documenting and informing the Staff Captain, ultimately in charge of all Security on board, of any situations of note.
Additionally, they are in charge of issuing and closely monitoring all key (physical and otherwise) access to the different areas each crew member will be granted to, with regular audits being conducted.
Finally, don’t be surprised, or take it personally, if some of them are less than friendly at times. Their job as keepers of good conduct is a lot more focused on keeping everyone on their best behavior rather than provide a service and extend a smile. – ThatGuy (onboard)
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