Due to the increased number of crew members who joined cruise lines with the intent of jumping ship and stay in the USA illegally, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) imposed new restrictions. The new temporary restrictions regarding shore leave in the ports in New York (Brooklyn and Manhattan) and New Jersey (Cape Liberty) states that only crew members with completed five contracts can go ashore. This is industry-wide and affects all cruise ships entering these ports.

Customs and Border Protection officials arrested a former Carnival Cruise Line crew member after he allegedly tried to smuggle himself out of the United States.

Following November 17, drug bust in Port Miami when seven MSC Seaside crew members were arrested for smuggling cocaine, Law-enforcement officers boarded the Seaside for the second time on November 24th. During the raids many crew members were traumatized after they were interrogated by Customs and Border Protection officers, and some fired from the company.

A big raid on the cruise ship MSC Seaside has left many crew members traumatized after they were held at a gunpoint and interrogated. Some crew members were handcuffed by Law-enforcement officers, says one crew member. The Authorities conducted the raid in the early morning hours on November 24th shortly after MSC Seaside docked in the Port Miami. Crew members say that Law-enforcement officers searched crew cabins and left them looking like hell and that the crew were taken ashore for interrogation.

Seven crew members were arrested in the port of Miami for smuggling cocaine reports Cruise Law News. The drug bust happened last week while the cruise ship MSC Seaside was in the port says Jim Walker, who was contacted by a crew member wishing to remain anonymous.

A Crew Member was captured at Atlanta Amtrak Train station by Federal agents after deserting cruise ship. Gentian Kurdina, age 21 from Albania who was working as Aquatic Attendant on Carnival Triumph has deserted the cruise ship while it was docked in New Orleans.