.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

Safe Cruise

Project Safe Cruise Press Release: See www.projectsafecruise.blogspot.com & details below. Leave a message if you have experienced incidents involving poor security & safety practices of cruise lines. Hearings are scheduled; we will provide them to Congress. We must act to insure passenger safety. The current lack of safety & security is not acceptable especially after 9/11. On 5/12/05, we were on the Carnival Destiny near Aruba when an elderly couple disappeared without a trace.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Michigan, United States

Government could save $50 billion per year by having two shifts of white collar employees work each day. Office space costs $50,000/year for each employee yet we only use space 30% of time. We can no longer afford to have banker's hours for all. With over 2 million federal employees this cost-free paradigm change could avoid lay offs/furloughs and reduce pollution. See new plan at http://whitecollargreenspace.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Coast Guard Hunts Man Overboard during Cruise from Cape Canaveral to Bahamas

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/sfl-516manoverboard,0,4401592.story?coll=orl-news-headlines
MIAMI- The Coast Guard has launched a search for a passenger on a cruise ship after he disappeared during a voyage with friends from Cape Canaveral to the Bahamas.Petty Officer Dana Warr said the Daniel DiPiero, 21, of Canfield, Ohio, boarded Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas in Cape Canaveral on Sunday. He was with six friends.

Here is more evidence that the cruise lines are unwilling to take actions to improve passenger safety and security:
The Freeport News 5/17/06 : "The cruise line was at sea for about 11 hours before he was reported missing." 11 Hours!
WDIV Detroit 5/17/06 : "Royal Caribbean said it waited roughly eight hours to alert the Coast Guard because it first wanted to make sure the missing passenger was not on the ship or on the company's private island where the ship docked."

Hopefully, the FBI will conduct a thorough review also. As with all missing person cases, foul play cannot be ruled out without an independent investigation. Royal Caribbean seems to be emphasizing the fact that he was near the railing when last seen on camera. Many passengers spend time leaning or looking over the railing. We hope the cruise line is not trying to create a first impression that the incident was caused by his behavior. This has been the pattern of behavior for the cruise lines for many of the 47 incidents of persons overboard since the year 2000. If they are unable to keep bad publicity to a minimum they try to steer the blame elsewhere. They are the the trained professionals and should be responsible. The victims are inexperienced.

As noted below a crew member died recently from violence on a cruise ship: ITV.com - UK Sat May 13 2006 A team of British detectives have boarded the luxury liner Queen Mary 2 after a crewman died following a fight onboard. This highlights the need to have independent law enforcement aboard all major cruise ships and for Congress to improve cruise vacation safety and security regulations.

Any action they take will be geared towards improving their public image: Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein said the industry has been giving travel agents "talking points" to emphasize ship security, if customers ask about the Smith case and other safety matters. Hell with taking any action to improve cruise ship safety and secruity, they don't even want to discuss it: Dickinson suggested the panel refrain from discussing the Smith case. "I hate to see you talk about it because you're giving it legs," he said about the story.

Any action the cruise companies take seem to be geared towards improving their public image: Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein said the industry has been giving travel agents "talking points" to emphasize ship security, if customers ask about the Smith case and other safety matters. These "talking points seem to be the only action taken by the companies to inprove safety and security. To hell with taking any action to improve cruise ship safety and secruity, they don't even want to discuss it: Dickinson from Carnival suggested the panel refrain from discussing the Smith case. "I hate to see you talk about it because you're giving it legs," he said about the story. Cruise execs: Crime concerns overblown

projectsafecruise.blogspot.com/


Project Safe Cruise will consist of a one week cruise in 2006 that will showcase the type of security and safety system that could be put in place by cruise lines to insure the safety and security of all passengers and crew and at the same time preserve evidence of crimes and/or accidents. On this Maiden Voyage we hope to offer short entertaining seminars and panel discussions by various security experts and perhaps some celebrities, on missing persons, identity theft, date rape, kidnapping, teenage and young child safety, security, safety, and health issues while in other countries or at sea, investment scams for seniors, how to buy art work, etc. We must focus on a postive solution that will benefit all parties involved and prevent future tragedies. This will be a win/win proposition giving all American passengers peace of mind and at the same time reducing crime and saving lives. If you are interested in learning more and perhaps joining the cruise or if you represent the press or would like to sponsor or help plan the cruise please leave contact information in the comments section or send an email to safecruise@hotmail.com. Become a charter member and be a part of history.Project Safe Cruise could be a win-win solution for parties on both sides of the cruise ship safety issue. Look at it as an outside the box idea that is sort of like pre-event arbitration, a partnership if you will. Even though focusing on prevention is less glamorous and less dramatic than solving crimes, it is more efficient and gratifying, especially if we save one life or reduce the suffering of one family. We must work with the cruise lines to set up a cadre of independent contract employees that would act as security ombudsman who would –
o - Know how to deal with a terrorist situation.
o - Have the authority to lock down crime scenes and secure the chain of evidence .
o - Deal immediately and directly with the FBI, Coast Guard, and other agencies and organizations in all ports of call.
o -Provide ongoing security and safety training to crew and travel agents and organizers including shore excursion groups.
o -Record and maintain a database of incidents and present some analysis of current procedures and conduct of parties involved and recommend improvements for all.
The cadre could be staffed by ex-military and ex-law-enforcement personnel who would get salary and/or some free cruise or vacation packages for their work, kind of like how many campgrounds have frequent campers act as hosts. What works good on land should work good on the water including a Neighborhood Watch or Guardian Angel type system that could include frequent customers, crew members, contract employees, travel agents, etc. Design an Amber Alert system for use on ships. The use of this and an independent cadre perhaps named Sea Marshals would provide the most important factor or element for preventing and solving crimes: TIME. We will contact Congressman Shays or his subcommittee for possible grants to solve the problem by thinking outside of the box


International Cruise Victims Association provides comprehensive regulatory framework to congress in support of cruise industry reform
SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON - MAY 15, 2006: The International Cruise Victims Association, Inc. (ICV), a not for profit corporation formed by families of victims of cruise crimes, has submitted to Congress a comprehensive regulatory framework in support of the ten-point program ICV presented at a Congressional hearing in March of this year.
These proposals, which are in excess of sixty (60) pages in length, contain in part a detailed alcohol abuse policy and a draft proposal for an organization independent of the cruise lines which is responsible for working with the cruise lines and other law enforcement agencies to increase the level of safety and security for passengers and crew members onboard cruise ships. ICV board members are in constant contact with members of the Congressional staff that will be preparing the draft proposal to reform the under-regulated cruise industry. ICV anticipates that it will play a major role in the preparation of this landmark legislation. For more information about the International Cruise Victims Association, please visit www.internationalcruisevictims.org or write to info@internationalcruisevictims.org, phone 425-753-7711, fax 206-374-2944.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

h2 class="sidebar-title">Links