Cruise Ship Skeet Shooting: How "Speed 2: Cruise Control" Showed Why It Was Banned

"SPEED 2" SKEET SHOOTING SCENE VIDEO BELOW ARTICLE:

When I started working on cruise ships two plus decades ago my knowledge of ships came from films like Titanic and Speed 2: Cruise Control, and the Ryan Gosling TV show Breaker High where the students had cabins the size of an apartment. Mind my surprise when I saw my first cabin which was the size of a car with no windows.

Believe it or not, skeet shooting was once a staple onboard activity for cruise passengers — firing shotguns off the back of ships into the open ocean. But by the early 1990s, cruise lines began banning it entirely.

The reasons? A mix of environmental, safety, and noise concerns. As awareness of marine pollution grew, so did scrutiny of clay targets and lead pellets ending up in the sea. But even more pressing was the danger to passengers. Firing live ammunition on a crowded leisure vessel raised serious safety issues. There was always the risk of accidental injury — or worse — if someone wandered into the wrong area. Not to mention, the loud gunfire disrupted the relaxing atmosphere cruise lines were selling.

Despite the real-world ban, 1997’s Speed 2: Cruise Control featured a scene where Jason Patric casually skeet shoots off the deck of a luxury ship. By then, the practice was already phased out — making the scene feel more Hollywood than high seas. The choice was likely for dramatic setup: give the hero a shotgun before chaos ensues. But it also served as a reminder of how out-of-touch the film was with actual cruise operations.

Today, you'll still find high-end amenities on ships — just not ones involving live ammo.

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Source: Dan Lalonde

Photo Credit: Paramount