Safty on cruiseships

[rcicruiser]

Ok here is a poll

 

With the congressional hearings tomorrow about safty on cruiseships would you not cruise any more or not feel safe on a ship.

 

I will start NO WAY. Most people do not do things on a cruise that put themselves in danger.

 

In 2005 1 out of 155.000 passengers where victims of a crime

 

699 out of 155.00 people on land where victims of crime.

 

Safer at sea. Where I rather be.

[scottishflower]

They should have congressional hearings on being struck by lightening... our tax dollars at work.

[Dockman123]

I would like to know who is gonna save us from congress.

[Pattis61]

I agree!!! Doesn't our government have anything better to do? It seems like they are sticking their noses in anything and everything. We don't need congressional hearings on cruise ship safety.

[Alexis]

Maybe this is just an excuse for them to take cruises, at our expense, so that they can see for themselves if it is safe or not. :mad:

I wonder how many they will have to take before they decide. ;)

[starq1]

I have never felt so safe on a vacation! Yes, somethings do happen. But as one poster mentioned a lighning strike, one would have a better chance at that.

 

As far as the congressional hearing, they need to have one for every tiny town that ever sees a crime being comitted. They would never stop meeting. I think they are trying to maybe regulate something they can't control on their home turf.

[springtxbill]

It is a chance for them to grandstand and then impose some kind of fees on the ships (passengers) so they can collect more money to use on pork barrel projects.

[Murphy]

Agree, agree, agree! Unfortunately, I'm organizing a cruise for this fall and 4 of our group have never cruised before and all this hoopla gets them nervous! On a positive note, if people are afraid to cruise, maybe the prices will come down to compensate for lower bookings! :)

[cruzinjr]

I'm sure I'll get some flamage here...although I usually do not agree with politicians, you also have to remember many of the issues they bring up for legislation are brought to their attention by us the taxpayers! They in turn spend a ton of money making decisions that are usually cut & dry! But as useless as they may seem , we elected them, they are (or at least act like) they are looking at our best interests! And maybe, just maybe...some good will come out of it. I'm for anything that can make any of my travels safer.

-Jennifer

START THROWING THE FLAMES!!!!!

[Gypsea]

I'm with RCIcruiser in that some people who have been found missing do put themselves in danger. In any setting being obviously drunk will be a red flag for anyone out there looking for a target. I'm thinking, though, about the young man who simply got up and went to the bathroom when at the disco (on a Carnival ship) and was never seen again. Did you hear about the latest bit in this case? What happened after the Primetime "Lost at Sea" program aired? This is what scared me. A woman reported her phone rang in her cabin the morning after he disappeared and when she answered it a man said "Help me, I can't get out of here" Then she heard furniture being thrown and a scuffle (or what she thought was furniture being thrown). Who knows if this person is telling the truth or not but the fact remains that this man has vanished and did nothing but go to the mens room alone.

 

I am taking my 13th cruise in a few weeks and I am traveling alone for a seminar which I have never done. I gotta tell you I will be more aware of my surroundings this trip. As Murphy says it does make people nervous and I'm afraid I'm one. But I realize I just need to be cautious and not do anything stupid. I am fully aware of the rare instances that this occurs but even before this I was always wary walking around at 1 or 2 am after leaving my nickel slots. Just my thoughts... Of course, my paranoia stems from incidents heard about everyday on land too.

 

Jennifer has good points too. The polititians have to listen to those families (taxpayers) that have suffered a loss and been dealt with unfairly. You must admit the cruiselines have dropped the ball on some of these investigations in a big way.

 

Flame away.

 

Good thread to raise awareness and perspective.

[Nliedel]

I have never had a problem but if I did I probably would chalk it up to experience. Truly people get so carried away sometimes I am surprised that they leave home at all.

[rcicruiser]

We all now that things happen on cruiseships but they happen in resorts too. A couple from Canada was murdered in their hotel room in Cancun. Natalie Hollaway went missing in Aruba. A young girl was found murdered in New York City. Crime happens, but if you do something stupid on a cruise than something happens who is to blame. You.

 

I doubt that they are going to have anyone who has been on a cruise and feels safe testify. They should. They are just hearing the victims side. Not very fair.

[Gypsea]

rcicruiser is right. The victims testify and on tv the cruise lines are asked to comment (they never come off too well) but the unharmed customer is avoided with exception of the woman in the moo-moo and sponge rollers who "feared for her life". I know we haven't heard from her yet but we will (okay maybe not). Maybe I watch too much stand-up?

[cruzinjr]

I was glad to see a positive reply...thought for sure I'd get hung! You brought up some great points also!

 

Yes everyone, no matter where they are (land or sea, resort or own neighborhood) needs to be aware of their surroundings, and always use caution, including their own actions (drop down drunk isn't too safe).

 

I work in the law enforcement field, so I know a little about prsonal safety :) ...everyone out there:

 

"BE CAREFUL!!! BE SAFE!!!!

 

-Jennifer

[cruzinjr]

Nliedel,

I agree...some people are pretty paranoid...but as a parent aren't you always worried whenever your child leaves the house? I'm not obsessive, but in a very small corner of my mind, I worry about my children (will the bus make it to school okay? Is there a bully at school? Will my child rmember to look both ways when crossing the street? And even if she does, what idiot might be driving home from the bar at that same moment?)

By no means are all people afraid to leave their homes, it's just the higher awareness of certain & recent occurences, tends to get people thinking a little more "what ifs?" Maybe I'm a little more guarded because of my profession and am aware of the wierdos and scum of the earth that are really out there. But I'm still lookng forward to my 1st cruise with my family, and could be the 1 st of many cruises.

 

-Jennifer

[Don Pedro]

I think some really good points have been made. But, let me make three observations.

 

A lot of the flack being taken by the cruise industry is caused by people who were careless or foolish. We all need to be aware of our surroundings and that task involves having a mental acuity that is not completely obliterated by drugs or alcohol. We also have a moral responsibility to help others if we realize they are in precarious situations.

 

Secondly, the news media has a tendancy to blow things out of proportion. With several stations presenting news 24/7 they are starving for anything meaningful report. And, when in doubt, they always error of the side of sensationalism. Often what they broadcast seems just plain stupid to anyone with even a little knowldege of the subject.

 

Thirdly, Congress has a history of conducting public debates of minor issues when they are unable to solve the real concerns of this country

[Cloudmaster]

I feel much safer on the cruiseship then at any other time. There are some parts of some islands I haven't felt too safe on, but never on a cruiseship. Dont do anything stupid, and you shouldn't have a problem.

[dan40]

Jennifer,

If you want the government to hold our hands from the cradle to the grave, 2 things will happen.

1. They will let go when we need them the most.

2. We won't be able to afford the cradle or the grave and anything in between.

Governments should worry about important issues and not try to pick the fly poop out of the pepper.

Cruising is 700 times safer than staying home. Shouldn't they be wasting/er,,spending dollars on home crime and not even a penny on cruise crime?

 

Dan

[cruzinjr]

dan40-

Think you misunderstood...I'm all for freedom (going on Freedom of the Seas 2/07)and not having the government hold our hands (or better yet trying to tie them!) I'm just saying the people who are making the decisions in Washington were elected..by you, me, ccruiser, noncruisers...TAXPAYERS! I can't stand the politics and the way they seem to spend useful dollars on useless issues, but in a sense who deems an issue useless? What's useless to you & I may be useful to someone else! Unfortunately many things politicians are in control of, we can't do much about except at election tie and even then nothing rally changes anyway!

Just MO on th subject...everyone complaining about government getting involved in our lives...well change it! Elect someone else, run for office yourself or move to another country where you can't get an ounce of the freedom that we have! I sure don't need anyone holding my hands, but in regards to safety (on sea and land) there has to some guidelines...mostly your own personal awareness to you and your surroundings.

-Jennifer

[Inshape]

Love to cruise. Safety issues are in all areas of life and you have to be responsible and sensible.

[captNcrunch]

Love to cruise. Safety issues are in all areas of life and you have to be responsible and sensible.

 

As my mother always said ... I could walk out the door tomorrow and get hit by a bus!

[rcicruiser]

Does anyone wish they could be at the hearings to tell them what they think?