WASHINGTON D.C. – Sen. John Kerry announced today that he will write legislation that would force cruise ship lines to immediately notify the FBI if there is a serious crime on their ship, and force them to develop a better plan for collecting evidence. The announcement came after Kerry met today with Ken Carver, whose daughter, Merrian Carver of Cambridge, disappeared during a Celebrity Cruise ship in 2004.

 
“This legislation is a matter of common sense,” Kerry said. “We can’t undo the past or bring Mr. Carver’s daughter back, but we can act to prevent tragedy in the future. We need clear rules for all cruise ships so that we can improve security for the millions of Americans each year who take cruises. There are some simple steps that the industry can take to deal with crime on the high seas, but voluntary steps aren’t enough. I am working on legislation with Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) which will create clear rules for cruise lines.”

 
Carver is President of the International Cruise Victims Association (ICVA). Mr. Carver founded ICVA because Celebrity Cruise never alerted authorities of Merrian’s disappearance.  A ship-hand simply took her belongings and put them in a locker. It cost Carver $75,000 in legal fees and several months of effort to get basic information related to his daughter’s disappearance because Celebrity was unwilling to share basic information.

 
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