Cruise ship executives are to review their security procedures after an international blitz on drug smuggling snared a gang of crew members.

And Miami-based officials at Celebrity Cruise Lines, who operate the Zenith and Horizon , said their own investigation would centre on the ships' kitchens -- as four of those arrested worked in dining rooms.

Thirteen Jamaicans, including eight cruise ship workers, are awaiting trial in New York after the two-year Operation Bermuda Triangle exposed a plot to flood Bermuda with millions of dollars worth of drugs.

The other four accused crew members worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines, who run the Norwegian Crown and the Norwegian Majesty to Bermuda.

Richard Steck, spokesman for Celebrity, said the firm would continue to hire Jamaicans but would tighten its screening procedures.

He added: "Our security and screening procedures will certainly be reviewed.

"We make every effort to review the current status and history of all our job applicants. And if anything untoward shows up, like jail or arrest records, it would have a very strong effect on whether or not we would hire them.

"But provided our information shows that for all practical purposes they are clean, they would have every chance of a job.

"However, we are aware that any person can succumb to temptation, even if they start out as Sunday school teachers. That's why we are always reviewing our policies.'' Mr. Steck added that any crew member caught with drugs was fired on the spot.

Others accused of offences are suspended until proven guilty in court, then fired.

"We have done everything we can to co-operate with this investigation, both in Bermuda and the US,'' he added.

"We are anxious to ensure this kind of trade does not take place on our ships.'' Bermuda Police and Customs, who helped co-ordinate undercover surveillance, said their own operations to track drug traffickers stretched to several major ports and airports in the US, UK and Canada.

Another Jamaican is already in Bermuda Police cells in connection with a $200,000 cannabis and cocaine seizure from the Norwegian Majesty in St.

George's last week.

Norwegian Cruise Lines' public relations director, Fran Sevcik, said the firm would also continue to employ Jamaican crew.

But she said senior officials would look again at security policies, which are constantly reviewed and updated.

She added: "We obviously have security measures that are in place concerning passengers and crew but we do not elaborate on what the details of those policies are.

"However, those procedures are constantly reviewed and updated. I can't really be any more specific than that except to say that we are looking again at our security measures.

"With regard to employing Jamaicans, NCL is an equal opportunities employer.

"We hire crew members from all over the world and we work with a lot of agencies for employment screening -- so we will continue to employ Jamaicans.

"We don't discriminate. And we would like to point out we have been co-operating fully with all the authorities involved in this operation, both in the US and Bermuda.''