Cruise ship Passenger murdered

[hulamoon]

Not to scare anyone, and surely you are safer in a group.

 

But if you read the article not all of the murders were because vacationers went off by themselves. There was a honeymoon murder, meaning two people at the same time. And a fellow with his wife and daughter who was killed.

[iancal]

DW and I have travelled extensively for the past 35 years. We travel together, almost never in a group and have had few issues.. But, we keep very aware of our surroundings, we don't flash money about, we wear our travelling jewelry, ie no chains, bracelets..only a $15 watch, we don't speak loudly in stores or on the street, and we stay away from dark streets. We purposely use our mismatched 'experienced luggage' vs shiny new bags. We have only had a few issues - once, in Rio where the police waved us out of a park area that we walked into and again when we were followed after exchanging money in a jewelry store (just went back to our hotel for 1/2 hour). I think that you have to be smart, know your surroundings (where you are and where you intend to go next), be discreet, and don't wear items of obvious value...a gold bracelet or pendant can translate into a month's wages in some places. Another time I got ripped off for 35E and my company amex by a pickpocket in naples....no real harm done. It was my fault, I thought it was going to happen and I was distracted. So I think it is down to presence of mind and luck. We live what most would call a safe North American city. We have multiple murders....domestic, gang, senseless robbery..the usual. Some of these folk were just in the wrong place at the wrong time in our 'very safe community'. And we have our share of robberies, car theft, the lot. I guess my point is that it is as likely to happen two blocks from home, on vacation in some other American city, as it is on vacation in a foreign land.....

[Sailkeywest]

hehe about ALASKA 'seceding from the union.' :P What I meant was that I think (don't know for sure) that HAL is not owned by an American company. I will google it now :)

[Sailkeywest]

Wikipedia: 'Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL, LSE: CCL, and NYSE: CUK), a British-American-Panamanian .' That is confusing, but ok :P

[Steelydam]

Since when did Alaska secede from the Union? Last I heard Alaska was still in the U.S. & her former Governor ran for President of the United States..

 

 

 

Please stop.... the hair on the back of my neck is sticking straight up:eek:

[airlink diva]

Sadly, this is the reason that we have chosen to spend our vacations in the USA each year over the last 5 years. We simply want to spend our vacation dollars on American soil in semi-familiar surroundings. I even feel guilty taking a cruise to Alaska instead of booking a hotel/cabin/condo here in the US.

 

This is a personal opinion, but I think that if they want to live like savages, let them rot.

 

First of all I'm sorry about the loss of life. This young lady was cruising with family and friends celebrating a sister wedding. A paradise turned to horror for her.

But murder happens in all 50 states here. Yes it's more familiar, but murder can (and do) happen here also. Do that mean that you won't leave out of your house if a murder happens in your city?

I've found "savages" everywhere,not just outside the US. I guess since murders happens in the US everyday (recall a while back when foreign tourist were murdered in Florida), that make us "savages" also and prehaps their families want us to rot also.

[Copper10-8]

Some of you here (AirLinkDiva for one) might remember the series of attacks on foreign (mostly European) tourists in the Miami, Fl area. It involved tourists being followed and stopped after picking up their very easily identifiable rental cars. There were homicides involved in some of those incidents.

Closer to my neck of the woods, a German tourist couple being robbed within walking distance of their hotel in Santa Monica and the husband being killed when he couldn't understand the gangbanger's demands. That was Santa Monica, not Compton, Inglewood or South Central L.A.

[DFD1]

I, personally, believe Antigua is a bit rougher and perhaps more dangerous than the other islands in that part of the Caribbean, but those pointing out that there is danger everywhere are right....and those giving good suggestions about how to avoid danger should be read and taken seriously.

 

For a cruise passenger, especially a young to middle age woman, to go off alone in a distant port is really risky. We had that happen in November on a port call to Bonaire when a young woman in our party took a taxi tour by herself and did not return until late in the afternoon. We were frantic by the time she reappeared and she got a dressing down from other members of the group.

 

My heart goes out to this family and their loss is heartbreaking, but this likely could have been prevented had she been more cautious.

 

Even an old guy like me, I will be more careful after reading this thread.

 

Thanks to all.

[Sailkeywest]

I just have to ask, is Miami still part of the United States?

 

I really don't want to get into a debate about when, where, if, maybe someplace is safer than another. I work in a busy urban emergency room and have seen more than my fair share of both the good and bad in people.

 

I am fully aware that crime can happen anywhere, but of the vacations that hubby and I have taken outside of the US, I felt unsafe to take even 2 steps off the properties of the places we were staying in (exception of this was Costa Rica, maybe I was naive, but felt very safe there). Even when staying within property limits, drug dealers would pull up on their jet ski's and harass us in the water. Never had that happen here.

 

Just speaking from my personal experiences, not those of any others.

[Nowisthetime1]

There are no quarantees anywhere one goes in life. BUT, one has to always be aware of the surroundings and NEVER go off on your own in any strange park, area, etc.. A woman was murdered last summer in our state park, Ohio, in the middle of the day, walking alone. Life is scary and there ARE ALOT of bad people in the world. We were in Antiqua a few years ago on a cruise and had a wonderful time on our tour. The island was beautiful and the people were great to us. Always go on tours with the ships or one's you have investigated. Never go off on your own. My nephew was murdered and robbed coming out of a restaurant at 6PM in Nashville, TN with his girlfriend. One is never totally safe and to give up traveling for fear is totally un-necessary. Also, to put all people in the same category,of an island or city, is wrong. There ARE good and BAD people in this world everywhere. America is beautiful, but the rest of the world is interesting also.

 

Sadly, this is the reason that we have chosen to spend our vacations in the USA each year over the last 5 years. We simply want to spend our vacation dollars on American soil in semi-familiar surroundings. I even feel guilty taking a cruise to Alaska instead of booking a hotel/cabin/condo here in the US.

 

This is a personal opinion, but I think that if they want to live like savages, let them rot.

[IRL_Joanie]

A passenger from Star Clippers cruises was murdered.

 

Story here:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=16218.blog

 

Everyone calm down please. This is an old news story. The young lady was on the cruise with her family for a wedding and wandered off by herself. This happened on 19 January 2010 and she was laid to rest in Taos, New Mexico on 30 January 2010

 

http://www.taosnews.com/articles/2010/01/30/news/doc4b63389a32ed3472596738.txt

We discussed it at length, I believe, during the 1st week of February and the conclusion was that you should never go anywhere by yourself or standout as an American tourist.

 

Joanie

[SwissMyst]

A passenger from Star Clippers cruises was murdered.

 

Story here:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=16218.blog

 

I was gone when this was first posted. I have to add I was robbed in Antigua two blocks from the ship. Two other passenger robberies were reported that same day on another ship that was in the same day.

 

We had a very nice ship excursion to Nelson's Harbor on the other side of the island and had several hours before departure to explore the city. There is a lovely church on the hill in town and all was pleasant until we got close to the ship and walked into what was obviously going to be an ambush.

 

Later reading about Antigua I learned it is a key transit stop in the drug trade between South America and the US.

 

There was much to like about Antigua, but unescorted touring is not one of them --- two blocks from the ship. In broad daylight and in sight of other ship passengers who witnessed this happening and could do nothing to help.

 

A code of silence exists that supports this type of crime in Antigua. Several teenagers were also direct witnesses and the police did not even bother to interview them. They knew even though they were right across the street that they saw "nothing".

 

It is always hard when relatively affluent passengers arrive in relatively impoverished ports, but when those ports have little else going for them (besides the drug trade) perhaps encouraging port stops should be a little higher on the agenda of the population rather than ensuring they lose this revenue too.

 

The police and port people were helpful and you could tell those directly involved with tourism wanted to put their best foot forward about this country.

 

But drug traffic rules and the decks are stacked against legitimate economic development for non-drug trade activities in these countries. And that is the choice of those who live there that let this happen. I can feel only so sorry for the continued impoverishment they inflict upon themselves.

[Mary Ellen]

Everyone calm down please. This is an old news story.

That is why the original date of this thread was February 1st, 2010. There is only one new post before yours (asking folks to calm down). This is the thread "We discussed it at length, I believe, during the 1st week of February" :rolleyes:

[Himself]

Somehow I did not get in on this discussion. I wish I had. However I do know a lady whose son went into the marines at 18 and at 19 was sent to Filosia (sp?) in Iraq. Before the young men went over, they were told that it was no more dangerous than the South Side of Chicago. I would feel a lot safer on a cruise ship than I would driving through the Englewood section of Chicago's South Side or Austin on Chicago's far West Side. When you are in unfamiliar territory it is always wise to be careful. They even warn you about that on embarkation day in a video they show in the staterooms.

[sevenseasnomad]

Sadly, this is the reason that we have chosen to spend our vacations in the USA each year over the last 5 years. We simply want to spend our vacation dollars on American soil in semi-familiar surroundings. I even feel guilty taking a cruise to Alaska instead of booking a hotel/cabin/condo here in the US.

 

This is a personal opinion, but I think that if they want to live like savages, let them rot.

 

Alaska is American soil, has been a state for 50+ years!

[topspot]

Since when did Alaska secede from the Union? Last I heard Alaska was still in the U.S. & her former Governor ran for President of the United States..

 

 

Last I heard, the former Governor of Alaska ran for Vice President.

[jtl513]

Alaska is American soil, has been a state for 50+ years!

And a possession for 140+. The post you were responding to made me think of a time on St Thomas when a shipmate wondered out loud "what kind of money they use here"! :eek:

[Typhoon1]

Here we go again.

[IRL_Joanie]

That is why the original date of this thread was February 1st, 2010. There is only one new post before yours (asking folks to calm down). This is the thread "We discussed it at length, I believe, during the 1st week of February" :rolleyes:

 

Mary Ellen, I realized after my post that it was severly dated. But left the post anyway in the hopes that people will stay calm and not freak the way they all did originally.

 

Thank you for pointing out my foibles, even though they are now fewer and farther between.:)

 

Joanie

[Copper10-8]

Somehow I did not get in on this discussion. I wish I had. However I do know a lady whose son went into the marines at 18 and at 19 was sent to Filosia (sp?) in Iraq. ...........

 

Fallujah, Sir;)