Royal Caribbean Receives Indictment

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has received an indictment from a grand jury in Los Angeles for presenting false oil record books on Nordic Prince in 1994. The company said in a statement it pled guilty to, and apologized for, similar charges covering the same time period in a settlement last year involving Nordic Prince and other Royal Caribbean ships. At that time, Royal Caribbean paid a nine million dollar fine to the government. In June 1998, Royal Caribbean and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a plea agreement in Florida and Puerto Rico to settle charges of "false statements to the USCG by presenting false and fictitious oil record books," involving several of the company's ships, including Nordic Prince, the company said. The charges in Los Angeles are for the same practice during the same 1994 time period. The practice has since been terminated, the statement said. The cruise ship operator has taken steps to improve its environmental program with the development and installation of a new, advanced bilge-water cleaning system on every ship which allows the company to discharge bilge water at least three times as pure as legally allowed.