Cruise operator fined nearly $500 for allowing guests to play pickleball on ship deck in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay
A cruise ship operator has been fined VND12.5 million (US$484) for allowing tourists to play pickleball on the vessel’s deck in Ha Long Bay, located in northern Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province, which resulted in a passenger jumping overboard without a life jacket.
The Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism confirmed on Wednesday that it had imposed the fine on the operator of the Black Pearl Cruise, registered under number QN-6699, after a video of the incident went viral online.
The video shows two tourists playing pickleball on the ship’s upper deck when one of them abruptly leaps into the water, apparently in an effort to retrieve the ball.
No life-saving equipment was visible, and the act took place in front of several by-standers, including children.
A screenshot from a video clip shows a tourist playing pickleball on the deck of a cruise ship in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam.
The incident has sparked public concern about safety standards on tourist cruises and the absence of visible rescue gear.
In addition to the financial penalty, the cruise operator was ordered to dismantle the surface setup that had been used as a makeshift pickleball court on the deck.
Minh Duy - Tien Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News