Sexual assault allegations on cruises rose in 2025, data show
USA TODAY
There were a total of 131 sex crimes reported on ships embarking and disembarking in the U.S. in 2025, up from 120 the year before.
Allegations of sexual assault on cruises rose last year, according to Department of Transportation data.
There were a total of 131 sex crimes reported on ships embarking and disembarking in the U.S. in 2025, up from 120 the year before. Those included 51 sexual assaults and 80 rapes.
The overall numbers were on par with 2023 levels when there were 131 reports of sex crimes, including 52 instances of sexual assault and 79 cases of rape. There were 87 alleged sexual assaults in 2022, and 101 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the industry down and cruising resumed in mid-2021, per DOT incident reports. Available DOT data for those two years did not distinguish between sexual assault and rape.
The actual numbers may be higher. Just one out of every three victims reports sexual assault to law enforcement, according to RAINN.
Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry’s leading trade organization, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
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