Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Richard Blumenthal
Introduced
Summary
Would create a new Office of Maritime Consumer Protection inside the Department of Transportation to enforce cruise passenger rights, safety, transparency, and victim support. It centralizes complaint handling, incident reporting, vessel standards, and stronger enforcement for cruise and small passenger vessels.
Show full summary
- Passengers and victims: U.S. passengers would get clearer passage-contract summaries before terms bind and a Director of Victim Support Services plus a free 24/7 toll-free hotline for counseling and case help.
- Vessel owners and operators: Owners would have to publish contract summaries, incident-data links, and security guides, meet new medical, training, and design standards, and implement key standards within 180 days. They must also retain surveillance records for up to 1 year.
- Regulators and enforcement: DOT would gain inspection, complaint-handling, and rulemaking powers, must notify the FBI within 4 hours of incidents, and could impose civil penalties up to $25,000 per day and criminal penalties for willful violations.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
More medical staff and repatriation
If enacted, ships would need enough qualified medical staff under rules made by the Secretary with HHS. Every crew member must get basic life support and CPR training. Passenger-facing crew on vessels leaving from or en route to U.S. ports must meet basic English listening and speaking standards or an equivalent. If a U.S. citizen dies on board, next of kin could ask to return the body to the United States and, when permitted, the owner would normally pay transport costs. These rules would take effect 180 days after enactment.
Safer cabin doors and decks
If enacted, the bill would set new ship design rules. Each exterior deck must meet a height rule unless it blocks lifesaving gear. Stateroom and crew-cabin doors must have a peep hole or other way to see outside, with privacy covers allowed. The Secretary can grant waivers, but each waiver and its reason must be recorded. These design changes would take effect 180 days after enactment.
Clear contract summaries and ban
If enacted, the Secretary would make rules for a short, clear contract summary for cruise bookings. The summary must state the statute of limitations, which cannot be shorter than 3 years. Owners must give the summary before terms become binding and post a clear link on booking sites and in ads starting 180 days after standards are set. The bill would also make pre-dispute arbitration clauses and class-action waivers unenforceable for covered contracts entered or renewed on or after enactment. Arbitration could occur only if all parties agree in writing after a dispute begins.
New maritime consumer office
If enacted, DOT would create an Office of Maritime Consumer Protection. An interim director would be named within 30 days and a final director and outreach within 180 days. The office would run a 24/7 victim hotline and a consumer complaint line. It would keep a website with monthly incident and complaint statistics by cruise line and vessel. Cruise lines would need to link to these help and data resources on booking sites, boarding papers, and brochures.
Faster crime reports and cameras
If enacted, cruise lines would have strict crime-reporting and video rules. Owners must notify the FBI within 4 hours after crew learn of certain incidents and tell the U.S. consulate within 4 hours after arrival if a U.S. citizen is involved. Ships must keep logs and give records to investigators and state fusion centers. Video placement would be based on outside risk reviews and investigators would have broader access to footage. Some voyage video must be kept for one year after the voyage, and other retention rules would change (including a 4-to-5 year extension for one period). Overboard detectors must get independent certification. The Commandant must issue interim standards in 180 days and final standards in one year.
Higher fines and port denial powers
If enacted, DOT could fine vessel owners up to $25,000 for each day a rule is broken. Willful violations could bring criminal fines up to $250,000, jail up to one year, or both. The Secretary of Homeland Security could withhold or revoke a vessel's clearance for penalizable acts or unpaid penalties. The Coast Guard could deny a vessel entry if notified of such acts or unpaid penalties.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 8/1/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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