Welcome to Travel Safety Authority — Here’s How to Get the Most Out of This Blog
My name is Rick Hayes and this is Travel Safety Authority — a travel safety blog built on real law enforcement experience. I’m a retired NYPD officer who spent years working uniformed and plainclothes with the Anti-Terrorism Unit and Transit Special Operations Division — protecting tourists in Times Square, Penn Station, and the New York City subway system.
I’m also a cruise travel agent based in Central Florida, minutes from Port Canaveral and Port Tampa Bay.
That combination — real operational law enforcement experience in the world’s busiest tourist environments, federal-level certifications in behavioral observation and threat detection, and hands-on cruise industry knowledge — is what makes this site different from anything else you’ll find online.
This isn’t just a travel safety blog. It’s a complete cruise resource built on expertise most travel writers simply don’t have.
What You’ll Find on This Travel Safety Blog
Travel Safety Authority covers three things: helping you cruise better, travel smarter, and stay safe wherever you go.
Every article is written from direct professional experience — not recycled tips from other travel blogs, not generic advice that applies to nobody in particular. Real operational knowledge and real cruise industry expertise, translated into practical guidance you can use on your next trip.
The site is organized into three main areas:
Cruise Life — Dining, Nightlife, Luxury & Destinations
Not every cruise resource is written by someone who actually knows cruise ships from the inside. As an active cruise travel agent I’ve booked and sailed on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and MSC — and I bring that hands-on knowledge to every Cruise Life article on this site.
Here you’ll find:
- Specialty restaurant reviews — which ones are worth the upcharge and which ones to skip
- Bar crawl and nightlife guides — the best ships for a night out, venue by venue
- Luxury and suite guides — The Haven by Norwegian, MSC Yacht Club, Royal Caribbean Suite Class, and every ship-within-a-ship experience worth knowing about
- Destination guides — private islands, beach clubs, and port guides from both a cruise agent and law enforcement perspective
Start here for Cruise Life content:
👉 The Haven by Norwegian: Is It Worth It? A Complete Guide
👉 Best Cruise Ships for a Bar Crawl: Icon of the Seas, Norwegian Escape, and MSC World America
👉 Perfect Day at CocoCay: The Complete Guide
Cruise Safety — Tips, Procedures & Destination Briefings
This is the content no other cruise or travel blogger can write — built on years of operational law enforcement experience in the exact crowd environments your vacation destinations will look like, combined with federal-level certifications that no other travel writer holds.
My specialized training includes Behavioral Observation and Suspicious Activity Recognition (BOSAR), Hostile Surveillance Detection, Counterterrorism Personal Radiation Detection, Advanced Explosive Trace Detection, Certified Basic Plainclothes Operations, COBRA Cohort Response Training, and federal emergency management certification through CIMS and NIMS.
I didn’t learn about tourist safety by reading other travel blogs. I learned it by working plainclothes in Times Square watching pickpocket crews operate. By running surveillance operations in the NYC subway. By responding to threats at Penn Station and Lower Manhattan’s tourist corridors.
Here you’ll find:
- Practical safety tips — straightforward, plain-language guidance built on real operational experience
- Safety procedure guides — muster drills, emergency signals, lifeboat procedures, and what actually happens when something goes wrong at sea
- Destination safety briefings — honest, law-enforcement-backed assessments of cruise ports and vacation destinations
Start here for Cruise Safety content:
👉 10 Cruise Port Safety Tips From a Retired NYPD Officer
👉 Is Nassau Bahamas Safe for Cruise Passengers? A Law Enforcement Perspective
👉 Cruise Ship Emergency Procedures: What Every Passenger Needs to Know
Cruise Gear — Recommended Products for Cruise Travelers
Every product on the Recommended Gear page is something I would bring on a cruise myself or recommend to my own clients — RFID money belts, cruise-approved power strips, luggage tag holders, portable chargers, motion sickness remedies, and more.
No filler. No products I haven’t vetted. Just the gear that makes a real difference before you board and in port.
👉 Browse the Recommended Gear Page
How to Navigate This Travel Safety Blog
- Want cruise dining, nightlife, or luxury suite guides? → Browse Cruise Life
- Planning a specific destination or private island visit? → Browse Destinations
- Looking for practical cruise safety tips? → Browse Cruise Safety
- Want gear recommendations? → Browse the Gear Page
- Not sure where to start? → Read the 10 Cruise Port Safety Tips post first — it covers the most important fundamentals in one place
Work With Rick Directly
Beyond the Travel safety blog I offer one-on-one cruise planning consultations and written PDF guides — personalized expert guidance on ship selection, itinerary planning, port safety, and everything in between.
One thing worth knowing: while I am a licensed cruise travel agent, I do not take on new booking clients. That means every consultation and every piece of advice I give is completely unbiased — I have no financial stake in your decisions, no commission riding on which cruise line or ship you choose, and no incentive to steer you anywhere other than toward the best option for your specific situation. The advice you get from me is the same advice I’d give a close friend. Nothing more, nothing less.
👉 See all consulting and product options on the Work With Rick page
Stay Connected With Travel Safety Blog Updates
If you find this content useful — share it with your travel group. The people cruising with you will benefit from it too.
Have a question about a specific destination, ship, or safety situation? Use the contact form — I read every message personally.
Welcome aboard. Travel safe. Enjoy every moment.
— Rick Hayes Retired NYPD · Cruise Travel Agent Travel Safety Authority
The information in this article is provided for general educational purposes only and reflects the personal experience and professional background of the author. It is not a substitute for professional security consultation or official government travel guidance. Safety conditions at any destination can change rapidly — always verify current advisories at travel.state.gov before your trip. Reliance on any information in this article is at your own risk. This site may contain affiliate links; see the full Disclaimer for details.