Employees of Norwegian Cruise Lines were recently notified without warning or explanation that they would no longer have access to emergency contraceptives—for free or for purchase—unless they had been raped or sexually assaulted. The change went into effect on November 1.
One male Norwegian Cruise Lines employee sent Jezebel a November recording of a meeting with a ship doctor informing employees of the change, which actually seems to have been a rare attempt at transparency. In the recording, it is evident that the doctor seems to have little idea about why the change was enacted:
Employee: “Is there a reason for that change?”
Doctor: “I don’t know. We asked the office if they could revise it and they said no.”
Employee: “Did they give you a reason?”
Doctor: “They did not.”
Employee: “Is there someone that we can talk to about that? Like can we call the office?”
Doctor: “You can talk to the office about that but marine operations has been consulted. They say that if you want the emergency contraception you have to buy it yourself.”
Employee: “What if we’re at sea?”
Doctor: “I already talked to them about that. They still said.”
Employee: “Do you know where that policy is coming from?”
Doctor: “It’s on SMS so you can read it on the SMS.”
Employee: “Is it coming all the way—is this from the top?”
Doctor: “Yes.”
(SMS refers to a database the ship uses to share policies, operations, job descriptions, and other information.)
Another Norwegian Cruise Line employee (who spoke under the condition of anonymity because of a policy prohibiting its employees from speaking negatively about the company) told Jezebel that there was no company memo or meeting with a physician announcing the change; rather, women began to be turned away from the health center when requesting the contraception toward the end of 2015.
Employees have attributed the new policy to a recent change in management—in January of 2015, Frank Del Rio took over as president and CEO of the company. Under his guidance, ship minutiae such as flatware, carpets, and linens have been examined and replaced.
“You have to spend a little money on some areas to be able to facilitate the onboard experience,” Del Rio said in an interview with the Miami Herald. “Perhaps there was some underspending in prior years that we’re playing some catch-up on.”
Since the new healthcare policy was put into place, at least one woman has been denied Plan B. Weeks later, multiple ship employees have told Jezebel, she found out she was pregnant.
“We do not have access to a CVS or Walgreens while we are out to sea for months at a time,” one employee wrote in an email. “Often crew members are limited as to when they can and cannot get off the ship. For example, non U.S. citizens are not allowed off the ship in New York City.”
Still, sexual healthcare available on cruise ships is questionable to begin with—even for guests. According to The Telegraph, only six of the biggest cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MCS Cruises, Holland America, Disney, and Crystal Cruises) out of the 12 competitive cruise lines make condoms available to their guests, and even fewer provide emergency contraception.