No ship will ever use the term “jail” but you will hear them speak of a brig.ĭo Cruise Ships Have Other Security Measures? On modern ships, the brig just refers to the jails which are used for temporary custody. These ships were incredibly common until the late 19th century, with the introduction of steamship technology. The word brig comes from the longer word brigantine, which means a small, two-masted ship. Why Are The Jails On The Ship Called Brigs? Having said this, there are still some ships, albeit much older ships, that do not have a brig on board. In such circumstances, a guard might be posted outside the cabin to make sure the passenger stays put.Īlthough in theory, someone could be confined to a jail or cabin for the remainder of the cruise, it’s more likely that the passenger will be forcibly disembarked at the next port and turned over to local authorities. The crew would prefer to employ a cabin arrest arrangement, where if a passenger was being a nuisance but not a danger, for example, being very drunk, they might be confined to their cabin until further notice as to when they can come back out. However, if they must be used – the crew can hold the person or persons for a short or long period of time, depending on the need. These jails are an absolute last resort and the crew would prefer not to use them at all. These small jails are on board for the most serious incidents that might occur onboard the ship by passengers that are suspected of breaking the law or causing a dangerous problem. They are managed by the cruise ship’s security team and guests cannot access this area unless moved there.īecause of this, it’s no surprise that some people do not know that the brig is even there.
However, these facilities are not managed by law enforcement. Do Cruise Ships Have Other Security Measures?ĭo Cruise Ships Have Jails For Passengers?īecause of the sheer number of passengers and guests on the cruise ships, jail cells – otherwise known as brigs – are a necessary requirement onboard for security reasons.