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W5 show in Canada about safety on cruiseship


vickie_bernie

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From what I understood of the show, I may be wrong but, the girl was led away from her group (the teen group, that did have counselors, staff etc.) By a uniformed officer.

 

He promised to take her to a special area to see a pod of dolphins playing in the wake of the ship. Now while the girl should not have gone, it is quite easy to see how a 12 year old would go off. After all, he was in uniform, and she was told if there ever was trouble she should go find someone just like him. That he was the guy to find if she needed help.

 

As to her parents, they felt completely safe entrusting her to the organized, supervised teenage activities. They didn't even imagine a cruise member, would lure away and assault their daughter.

 

Once she was back with her group she was upset and the counselor asked her what was wrong. She only admitted that he inappropriately touched her, she withheld the info on the actual rape for years.

 

I totally missed that part and it is horrible!!!

 

But I started thinking why did the teen club staff let her go?? That is NOT the experience We had with the supervised Princess teen staff.

 

What cruise line was it?? Especially a 12 year old being taken away by a stranger.....How could that have happened?? Where was the staff?? I am sorry but if I was a Teen Crew member and a co-worker appeared and took away a 12 year old cruiser I'd have my red flags raised and noway she'e be going with him (or her) unless I had the parents written permission. Didn't she have to be signed out??

 

Also as a mother doing my families laundry I would think there would have been evidence that she had been raped.....trying to be delicate here....but wouldn't a 12 year old who had been raped be torn or bleeding or his DNA would have been there??

 

Not that I examine my families laundry like that BUT if a son or daughter had admitted to being inappropriately touched I think I would be concerned enough to check??

 

Something about the story doesn't add up.

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I totally missed that part and it is horrible!!!

 

But I started thinking why did the teen club staff let her go?? That is NOT the experience We had with the supervised Princess teen staff. She was actually around the pool and had left to go to her cabin when she encountered this staff member in the elevator.

 

What cruise line was it?? Especially a 12 year old being taken away by a stranger.....How could that have happened?? Where was the staff?? I am sorry but if I was a Teen Crew member and a co-worker appeared and took away a 12 year old cruiser I'd have my red flags raised and noway she'e be going with him (or her) unless I had the parents written permission. Didn't she have to be signed out?? She wasn't with the staff she was on her way back to her cabin.

 

Also as a mother doing my families laundry I would think there would have been evidence that she had been raped.....trying to be delicate here....but wouldn't a 12 year old who had been raped be torn or bleeding or his DNA would have been there?? The girl/victim was told by the assalant that if she said anything he would come after her family. She did talk but did not say that she was raped until later when she got home. She was scared and the security from the ship were very accusitory when interviewing here about the incident.

 

Not that I examine my families laundry like that BUT if a son or daughter had admitted to being inappropriately touched I think I would be concerned enough to check??

 

Something about the story doesn't add up.

 

Again this girl was made to feel bad for reporting the incident by the ships security. The cruiselines even settled out of court and said that they know this happens.

 

Why are we as citizens allowing large corporations to no be goverened under any laws. If I travel to Cuba I know that any incident will be investigaget by Cuban authorities. But there is no such thing when on a ship.

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Again this girl was made to feel bad for reporting the incident by the ships security. The cruiselines even settled out of court and said that they know this happens.

 

Why are we as citizens allowing large corporations to no be goverened under any laws. If I travel to Cuba I know that any incident will be investigaget by Cuban authorities. But there is no such thing when on a ship.

 

 

 

Changes are happening..Read on..

 

 

http://internationalcruisevictims.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=102842&p=3&topicID=11494029

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When officers entertained passengers.

We as passengers called them Penguins.

Before I get smacked I sailed on three 30+ voyages in the 70's.

I watched the show and again felt sorry for the young girl.

Shocked at the stats of 9 million US cruisers. WOW no wonder cruise lines hide things!!!!

 

Just be aware and watch booze!

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Changes are happening..Read on..

Don't ever fall victim to the idea that any new regulations will be made "for the common good". This is nothing but yet another way for politicians to pay off their legal-profession cronies by creating yet another avenue to file lawsuits.

 

Given the hysteria that one awful, but isolated incident can create, I don't see this turning out well.

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The media scaring the public.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Isn't that what the media is about these days?:rolleyes:

 

I just hope that out of this show women will remember when they are on vacation they must be careful whether it be on a cruise ship or at a resort or wherever they are vacationing.

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The program clearly (but briefly) stated that the young girl's parents had gone ashore without her and that she was in the "teen" program. On every single cruise line that I've researched, once a youngster moves up into the "teen" group there is absolutely no control on when they come and go. Unlike the close supervision of the younger children, the youth staff have absolutely no mandate to monitor the whereabouts or well being of the kids if they choose to disengage from the group activity.

 

My impression of the family in the W5 piece was that they really didn't understand this and were unaware that they had basically left their child alone - unsupervised and unprotected. Who's fault is this? It's a hard call; in our experience with the children's clubs on both RCCL and NCL, the rules are clearly spelled out to all parents. That said, maybe they really were confused and made a COSTLY mistake. FYI, even at my kid's age (9 - 11 group) there is an option to have your child sign him/herself in and out of the club independently and some parents do allow it; NOT IN THIS LIFETIME for our son.

 

Happy (and safe!) Sails,

 

Annette

 

P.S. I found it interesting that W5, a Canadian news magazine show that was so obviously trying to point out the legal vulnerability of Canadians at sea (vis a vis no protection under US legislation) couldn't manage to find a example of a incident involving a Canadian...(both cases profiled were of young ladies from California).

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I am in no way condoning what happened to the two females shown on the W5 show, however two things stuck in my mind.

 

1. Why would parents leave their child alone on the ship while they went ashore? I don't care that she was supposedly in the "safe" confines of the teen club.

 

2. Why would anyone (male or female) open their door in the middle of the night without first checking who was knocking on it? Particularily when she had been harassed and followed already.

 

A cruise ship is a floating city, crime happens and there is no FBI, Mounties or CSI unit onboard to take control of the situation.

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The show also mentioned that one of the things that the industry is doing is to have peep holes put in the cabin doors? I have pretty much stuck to newer ships, but I don't recall noticing that there we no peep holes on the doors? I was certain there were. I thought the show had it's merits, but now I am having to endure calls from in-laws and friends warning me about the dangers of traveling on the high seas, not to mention my normally slightly paranoid wife is now terrified! This discussion is good and I am going to make sure she reads it in hope that common sense will prevail.

I am curious that it was repeated on the show that crew members knew details about the passengers like the dogs name etc...I would think that would be creepy not endearing. As for Canadian victims? Wasn't that woman that disappeared and the father interviewed a Canadian? Also I was surprised they didn't mention the fallen overboard incidents too. Perhaps a future show?

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The show also mentioned that one of the things that the industry is doing is to have peep holes put in the cabin doors? I have pretty much stuck to newer ships, but I don't recall noticing that there we no peep holes on the doors? I was certain there were. quote]

 

Hi cruisegeek8, I think that we´ll find that this is not yet an industry standard, RCI recently stated that it was intending to instal these on their ships..

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Why are we as citizens allowing large corporations to no be goverened under any laws. If I travel to Cuba I know that any incident will be investigaget by Cuban authorities. But there is no such thing when on a ship.

 

 

Do you REALLY think that if an incident happened in Cuba involving, say, a Cuban cabinet official or army officer (someone of equivalent standing of a ships' officer), the incident would be investigated by Cuban authorities?

 

Well, I take that back -- it might be "investigated" but I'm pretty sure nothing would come of it.

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If you believed everything you saw on TV or read in the papers, you would barricade your house and never step out of it. I am 50 and my mother doesn't want me going on any more cruises since she saw that show. :D There are creeps and perverts just about everywhere, including cruise ships unfortunately. Use common sense and you will be fine. Parents, keep an eye on your teenagers and if you leave them with someone else, make sure you ask questions. I still believe that cruising is one of safest way to travel and will continue doing so, by myself or with others.

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  • 1 year later...

 

A cruise ship is a floating city, crime happens and there is no FBI, Mounties or CSI unit onboard to take control of the situation.

 

-----------------------------------

Heck, they don't even enforce evening dress codes in the dining rooms anymore, so why would they police their own staff and their activities?

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It can happen anywhere,I think parents should arm their kids with walkie-talkies,so that they can caLL quickly if needed,at least if it were my child,they would have them,might deter them if they think your daughter can call for help,just a thought,you should never let your guard down anywhere,BE SMART!!;)

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