The project was initiated in 2009 and new regulations may come into effect this year, but at the latest during the spring of 2013.
"The biggest reason for the project was the considerable number of rapes that took place onboard ferries in 2009. Alcohol was involved in most of these cases. The Stockholm police investigated more than 40 and we around 20," explains Inspector Bengt Lagerroos of the Varsinais-Suomi police.
One aim is to implement the same rules on alcohol sales to passengers regardless of what flag a ship flies.
"Of course, the ship lines have their own rules and regulations, but rarely do people know what they are. The goal is to have a common policy for the Tallink Silja Line, the Viking Line and the Eckerö Line," says Lagerroos.
This, it is hoped, will also ease problems of jurisdiction.
"Now, it may be that something happens to a Finish citizen in the territorial waters of the Åland Islands on a ferry flying the Swedish flag. There is a legal problem about who investigates, what is investigated and where it is investigated. We are aiming at cooperation with prosecutors so that a case can be investigated where it is most practical to do so."
Some improvement
Police statistics in Turku for shipboard incidents look better now than they did a few years ago.
"Serious crime onboard has been in decline over the past few years. The ferries arriving here in the morning, however, keep us busy as it's not unusual that a dozen young people who left Stockholm the evening before are taken into custody," Lagerroos notes.
The project's aim is not only safer travel, but also a more pleasant experience for all travellers.
"The goal of the ship lines and of the authorities is a return to the onboard culture of past decades when people travelled by ship to enjoy the cruise, to eat well and to drink with moderation."
