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Privacy policy

Introduction

Cruising Earth (“we,” “our,” “us”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you use our Service, including the Cruising Earth website, community forums, ship tracking tools, and associated features and functionalities (collectively, the “Service”). If you have questions about your personal data or this Privacy Policy, please contact us.

Definitions

  • Personal Data: Information that identifies or can be used to identify you, such as your name, email address, or IP address.
  • Service: The Cruising Earth website, community forums, ship tracking tools, and all associated features and functionalities.
  • User: Any individual or entity accessing or using the Service.

Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data to provide and improve the Service. The types of data we collect depend on how you interact with the Service:

  • Data You Provide:
    • Registration: When you register as a member, we collect your username, email address, and any additional information you provide in your profile (e.g., display name, location, or preferences).
    • Contact Forms: If you fill out our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and any message content you provide.
    • Profile Fields: Optional information you add to your profile, such as bio, interests, or social media links.
  • Data Collected Automatically:
    • IP Address: Recorded when you perform actions on the Service (e.g., posting, browsing). Your IP address is not publicly visible.
    • Device and Browser Information: Technical details like browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution, collected for analytics and site optimization.
    • Browsing Activity: Information about pages visited, links clicked, and time spent on the Service, collected via cookies and similar technologies (see “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” below).
  • Data from Other Sources: We may receive data from third-party services (e.g., analytics providers like Google Analytics or advertising services like Google AdSense) to enhance the Service, such as aggregated usage statistics.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes, based on lawful bases such as your consent, our legitimate interests, or contractual necessity:

  • Service Operation:
    • To register you as a member and enable you to contribute content (e.g., forum posts, reviews).
    • To personalize your experience, such as displaying your username or profile information.
    • To manage your account and provide customer support.
  • Communication:
    • To send you notifications about activity on the Service (e.g., replies to your posts, site updates). You can opt out of non-essential notifications in your profile settings.
    • To send newsletters, announcements, or promotional emails about Cruising Earth or our trusted partners’ products and services. You can opt in or out of these communications in your profile.
  • Analytics and Improvement:
    • To analyze usage patterns and improve the Service’s functionality, performance, and user experience.
    • To conduct research on the effectiveness of our marketing, advertising, and sales efforts.
  • Advertising:
    • To deliver personalized ads through Google AdSense based on your browsing activity and interests, where you have provided consent (e.g., via our cookie consent tool for EU users).
    • To measure ad performance and prevent fraud in advertising campaigns.
  • Security and Compliance:
    • To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents (e.g., using IP addresses to identify unauthorized access).
    • To comply with legal obligations, such as responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data in the following circumstances:

  • Trusted Partners:
    • With affiliates, independent contractors, and business partners who provide services like analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) or advertising (e.g., Google AdSense), solely for the purposes outlined above. These partners are bound by confidentiality and data protection agreements.
    • Aggregated or anonymized data may be shared with investors or potential partners for business purposes.
  • Legal Requirements:
    • When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes (e.g., search warrants, subpoenas, court orders).
    • To protect our rights, interests, or property, or the personal safety of users or others.
  • Business Transfers:
    • In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of Cruising Earth’s assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to this Privacy Policy.
  • Third-Party Verification:
    • Content you submit may be sent to third-party services (e.g., spam prevention tools) to ensure compliance with our Terms and Rules. We are not responsible for the actions of these services.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixel tags) to enhance your experience on the Service. We use Google Analytics to track and analyze user behavior and Google AdSense to deliver personalized advertisements.

  • Google Analytics:
    • Data Collected: Google Analytics collects data such as IP addresses, cookie identifiers (e.g., _ga cookie, lasting 2 years), device and browser information (e.g., browser type, operating system), and browsing activity (e.g., pages visited, time spent, links clicked). This data is used to generate reports on site usage and user demographics without personally identifying individual visitors. For more information, see Google’s privacy information at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.
    • Purpose: We use Google Analytics to understand how users interact with the Service, optimize content, and improve user experience. Google, as a data processor, processes this data on our behalf under its own privacy policies.
    • Opt-Out Options: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout) or managing cookie settings in your browser. Disabling cookies may limit some Service features.
  • Google AdSense:
    • Data Collected: Google AdSense collects data such as IP addresses, cookie identifiers (e.g., _gads, _gac cookies), device and browser information, and browsing activity across our Service and other websites to serve personalized ads. For more information, see Google’s privacy information at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.
    • Purpose: We use Google AdSense to deliver relevant advertisements based on your interests and browsing history, measure ad performance, and prevent fraud. Google, as a data processor, processes this data on our behalf under its own privacy policies.
    • Opt-Out Options: You can opt out of personalized ads by visiting Google’s Ads Settings (https://adssettings.google.com/) or the Network Advertising Initiative’s opt-out page (https://optout.networkadvertising.org/). You can also manage cookie settings in your browser. Disabling cookies may result in non-personalized ads and may limit some Service features.
  • Other Cookies:
    • Essential Cookies: Enable core functionality, such as logging in or remembering your preferences.
    • Analytics Cookies: Track site usage (e.g., pages visited, time spent) to improve performance, including via Google Analytics.
    • Advertising Cookies: Deliver personalized ads via Google AdSense based on your interests, if you opt in.
    • Managing Cookies: You can control cookies via your browser settings or our cookie consent tool. For EU users, we obtain informed, specific, and voluntary consent before setting non-essential cookies (e.g., Google Analytics and Google AdSense cookies), and you can withdraw consent at any time via the cookie settings link on our site. For details, see our Cookie Policy at https://www.cruisingearth.com/community/help/cookies/.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • Encryption of sensitive data (e.g., during transmission via HTTPS).
  • Access controls to limit data access to authorized personnel.
  • Regular security audits and monitoring to detect vulnerabilities.

Despite these measures, no online system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data but strive to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure.

Your Data Protection Rights

on your location, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Ask us to correct incomplete or inaccurate data.
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal obligations (e.g., record-keeping requirements).
  • Restriction: Request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.
  • Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format for transfer to another service.
  • Objection: Object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including for direct marketing.
  • Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights (e.g., by denying access to the Service).

To exercise these rights, contact us. We will respond within the timeframes required by law (e.g., 30 days for GDPR, 45 days for CCPA). You may also lodge a complaint with a data protection authority (e.g., in the EU or California).

International Data Transfers

If you access the Service from outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where our servers are located. We ensure such transfers comply with applicable laws, such as GDPR’s standard contractual clauses for EU users. Google Analytics and Google AdSense data is processed by Google under its Data Processing Terms, which include standard contractual clauses for EU data transfers (see https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/).

Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. For example:

  • Account data is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after deletion, unless you request erasure.
  • Analytics data, including Google Analytics data, is retained in anonymized form for statistical purposes. Google Analytics’ _ga cookie lasts 2 years, after which data is no longer associated with your device unless refreshed.
  • Advertising data, including Google AdSense data, is retained as needed to deliver ads and measure performance. AdSense cookies (e.g., _gads, _gac) typically last up to 13 months.
  • IP addresses from site actions are retained for security purposes, typically for a limited period (e.g., 12 months).

Children’s Privacy

The Service is not intended for users under 13 years of age, in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you are under 18, you must obtain parental or guardian consent to use the Service. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If we become aware of such data, we will delete it promptly.

Accessibility

We strive to make this Privacy Policy and the Service accessible to all users, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The policy is presented in legible sans-serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Open Sans) with a minimum size of 16px and a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, per Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. If you encounter accessibility issues, contact us.

Acceptance of This Policy

By using the Service, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. When registering, we may request your explicit consent to this policy.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy at our discretion. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days’ notice via email to registered users or a prominent notification on the Service. Non-material changes take effect immediately upon posting. Continued use of the Service after changes signifies your acceptance of the updated policy. For questions about changes, contact us.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us.

Adopted: November 6, 2011
Last Updated: July 23, 2025

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