Leaked audio: Crew stuck for weeks onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ship threatened with 'prosecution by shoreside authorities' if they leak information

• Crew members on the Norwegian Epic were told that leaking information about ship operations "might lead to dismissal from the ship or even prosecution by shoreside authorities."
• This warning comes as around 2,500 crew members stuck on the ship remain stranded onboard thanks to the coronavirus.
• Many of these crew members are no longer receiving pay as they await the chance to return home.
• Norwegian Cruise Line did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Crew stuck on the MS Norwegian Epic have been warned against leaking out information from the ship, according to leaked audo Business Insider obtained from a crew member onboard.

In an "important announcement" broadcast ship-wide on Wednesday, a member of the Epic's leadership team reminded crew that "the communication of written, verbal, photographic, video, or computer material regarding company, guest, employees' activities, operations, or business without permission of the company is prohibited."

The member of the ship's leadership team said "such offenses might lead to dismissal from the ship or even prosecution by shoreside authorities." The announcer added that the policy was both "effective immediately" and had "always been in place" for "the protection of our crew." He also said that anyone taking pictures should always "ask permission" of their fellow crew beforehand.

The announcement comes weeks into what has been a months-long ordeal for many cruise line crew members around the world. Prevented from disembarking over coronavirus fears around the world, thousands of cruise line crew members have remained stuck on vessels for months. Many have had their pay slashed, or have had their contracts terminated altogether.

At first, some crew members took to social platforms like Tik Tok to create more lighthearted content about their situations. But now, Norwegian appears to be attempting to plug the the flow of information from and between its vessels. When two crew members died onboard the Norwegian Gem in April, news spread through informal employee whisper networks rather than official cruise line channels.

Norwegian Criuse Line did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. A different crew member on the Epic told Business Insider that the company has "started to give warnings to anyone who posts anything on social media."

"They don't want any communication with the outside world," the crew member said.

On the Norwegian Jade, a member of the ship's crew said that a similar announcement had gone out. However, they said that it was "nothing more than a polite warning to stop posting stuff" and a request to avoid "posting anything you shouldn't" about the ship's operations.

"The captain mentioned in his announcement yesterday that when we signed a contract, we signed up for the social media policy," the crew member said.

As of now, a crew member onboard the Epic told Business Insider that employees on the ship are still permitted to have their phones in public areas, but photos and videos have been discouraged. The crew member said that they have also been asked to stop bringing portable speakers and projectors to the crew bar area, "to eliminate large groups congregating around tables."

In the Wednesday announcement regarding Norwegian's policy on dealing with leakers, the member of the Epic's ship leadership team signed off with a film quote of the day for crew members: "May the odds be ever in your favor."

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