U.S. Maritime Security Expo - Sept 19-20, 2006 in New York City

REB Security Consultants (Former FBI) and Gil Alba (Former NYPD) who will be helping with Project Safe Cruise will have a booth at the U.S. Maritime Security Expo - Sept 19-20, 2006 in New York City.
For Details go to website: http://www.gilalba.com/flash/index.html
Complimentary tickets are available from Gil Alba, Alba Investigations Inc. Please call 914 646 1302
9:00 am to 10:00 am –Speakers, Homeland Security & FBI
Continental Breakfast from 10:00 to 11:00
Visit Exhibits 11:00 to 12:00pm – Speakers- Top Management Officials
2:00 pm –U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Training Vessel(NEW THIS YEAR)Assault team simulating an attack, followed by a tour of NY Harbor (limited seating-provided on a first come-first serve basis)

$500,000 Stolen from Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (More Evidence of Poor Security)

www.Miami Herald 05/23/06 by David Ovalle

After a year-long investigation, authorities on Tuesday charged Magdalena Moya with selling scores of illegally booked trips aboard Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Moya, 53, was charged with grand theft, organized fraud and five counts of money laundering. Also, she was charged with 209 counts of crimes against computer users, for every ticket she allegedly sold.
Bond was set for $1.1 million. Detectives say the scheme may have dated back to the early 1990s. Police also say they seized more than $250,000 from her bank account, money illegally earned from the scheme. The total loss to the cruise line in this case exceeds $500,000, according to police.

This is in addition to $400,000 in cash that was stolen from Carnival Cruise Lines - see our posting for August 12, 2006. If the two largest cruise lines cannot provide security for themselves and their employees, it is a good bet that they do not provide good security for their customers. They don't even keep statistical records so there is no way to tell who bad the problem is.

Cover-Up Alleged in Threatening Emails Sent to Cruise Web Site by Person Claiming to be Member of Galeana Family

www.cruisebruise.com

CruiseBruise.com has received a series of emails from a person who claims to be a family member. The emails, full of foul language, rantings, and psycho babble, are from a person who claims to have been very close to Elizabeth Galeana. The contents of the email are nothing short of bazaar. We will now post some of the comments, not to appease the visitor, but in an effort to assist other family members in identifying this visitor, who may be a danger to themself or others.

This Cruise Bruise visitor contradicts the statement by a Michigan PR firm that they did not know if it was suicide or an accident, saying the death was "clearly obvious . . . " (another specified cause of death.) In a subsequent email the content was less civil, and was signed with a threat: "if you have children i hope they die in the slowest miserable death possible while you f---ing watch . . . i would enjoy watching your misery. . . "

To further assist the family in identifying this person, the submitter posted via an internet service provider in Michigan, in all emails.

See Safecruise post for 8/17/2006: We were puzzled when the FBI announced that they were no longer involved in the case. They stated that there was no foul play yet they say they conducted no interviews and they still have not determined if it was an accident or suicide. Even, if it were an accident, the cruise line could be liable, especially if alcohol or safety problems were involved. Questions have also been raised by at least one media professional who was told by the FBI that even though the case was closed it would not be made available to the press, partly because Italian authorities were involved. Nothing can bring back Elizabeth and our prayers are with her family. However, the safety of future passengers can only be improved by thorough and complete investigations by our government officials. And it is the job of the Press to demand it.

Florida Man Arrested for Trying to Board Cruise Ship in Bahamas with $10,000 in Cocaine

The Freeport News - 08/21/2006
In other news a 29 -year-old male American visitor from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is expected to be arraigned in a Freeport Magistrate court later today on drug possession charges. The young man was arrested shortly 4 p.m. on Friday, August 18, 2006, at the Discovery Cruise Terminal attempting to board the cruise ship with seven ounces of cocaine hidden underneath his clothing. He was taken into custody by Harbour police officers, who noticed him acting suspiciously at the security checkpoint. The drugs have an estimated street value of $10,000.

PROGRESS: Carnival Australia/P&O Cruises Australia Agree to Undercover Liquor Agents

www.internationalcruisevictims.org

The Sidney Morning Herald - www.smh.com.au

A meeting this week between compliance staff of the New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing and Carnival Australia’s fleet personnel manager, John Nell, has paved the way for seagoing liquor inspectors. The NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing, Grant McBride, said Carnival Australia’s decision to discuss the ‘responsible service of alcohol procedures and drink-spiking awareness’ was ‘a positive step in the right direction.’ "...the inspections would allow the Government to see whether P&O was applying responsible service of alcohol and appropriate security." The introduction of undercover liquor inspectors comes during a coronial inquest into the death of a passenger, Dianne Brimble, from alcohol and a ‘date-rape’ drug on board Pacific Sky in 2002. The hearing is set to resume in the Glebe Coroner’s Court next month.
Mr McBride is preparing to propose at the next meeting of state and territory ministers that the Federal Government be responsible for the safety of Australians on international cruise ships.

The FBI has identified the body found in late July off the coast of Italy as that of Elizabeth Galeana

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS01/608170388/1075

By Pat Gillespiepgillespie@news-press.com

Lourdes Hall, Tampa FBI spokeswoman, said Wednesday autopsy results positively identified the body as Galeana's, whose family owns the Galeana Auto Group, with vehicle dealerships in Fort Myers, Michigan and South Carolina."There was no foul play," Hall said. "It seems like it was an accident... the FBI is no longer involved in the case because no crime was committed. That is why no interviews were conduct."

However,

Weigandt Twork said the investigation hasn't confirmed whether Galeana committed suicide or whether she accidentally fell overboard.

$400,000 Cash Stolen by Princess Cruise Employee Shows Need for Independent Law Officers on All Ships

Anchorage Daily News - 08/12/2006
An employee taken off a Princess Cruises ship appeared in a Ketchikan court Friday on charges she stole $400,000 in cash from the vessel's safe. Elisha Cuffe, of New South Wales, Australia, was a purser on the Sapphire Princess, a job that sometimes gave her access to more than $1.5 million in cash, according to the criminal complaint.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Raises Minimum Drinking Age to 21, Kind of

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp?id=54556&nav=5

Note the exception if parents sign waivers. All you have to do is fly to a country where the drinking age is lower and start your cruise there. This is too big of a loophole when lives are at stake. And what policy do they have for crew members to keep them sober and safe? See the posting from yesterday.

Effective with all sailings commencing after July 27, 2006, the minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on all Royal Caribbean International ships is 21. On cruises departing from European and South American countries, where the legal drinking age is typically lower than 21, a parent who is sailing with his or her son(s) and/or daughter(s) who is between the ages of 18 to 20, may sign a waiver allowing the 18 to 20 year old to consume alcoholic beverages.

Sexual Assault by Cruise Line Security Guard Alleged abd Royal Caribbean Sued

http://sev.prnewswire.com/leisure-travel-hotels/20060808/FLTU01908082006-1.html
To date, the cruise line will not provide her with the name, address, nationality, or current whereabouts of the crew member. The cruise line has also withheld copies of her shipboard medical records and information about whether the crew member has HIV/AIDS or other diseases, Ms. Dishman alleges.

Perhaps this is another reason to have independent law enforcement personnel on each cruise ship as outlined at www.projectsafecruise.com and www.internationalcruisevictims.org.

61st person has gone overboard on a cruise ship. We all pray for a Happy Ending

www.ekathimerini.com Greece's International English Language Newspaper 8/7/06
Sea rescue
Coast guard officers rescued a 19-year-old man near the Ionian island of Corfu on Saturday morning after he fell overboard from an Italian cruise ship, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. A search-and-rescue mission was launched after Italian authorities informed the Greek coast guard that the man fell from the ship while it was sailing in international waters west of Corfu. Coast guard patrol boats and two air force helicopters were sent to search for the man. He was taken to a hospital in Igoumenitsa, northwestern Greece.

Royal Caribbean Treats Death of George Smith as a Non-Event

"Parochial, Jingoistic, false, and frivolous" are the kind words offered by Royal Caribbean to the Family of George Smith. In the style of Carnival's President's words at the Cruise Shipping convention in March, Royal Caribbean probably views all 60 people who have vanished from cruise ships since the year 2000 as Non-Events. Adding insult to tragedy is the type of corporate behavior that can only be viewed as irresponsible, uncaring, and unprofessional. Royal Caribbean uses the same tactics as militants who hide behind the civilian population. They hide behind the confusion of multiple jurisdictions and vague or non-existent enforcement of law on the open sea. This affront is exacerbated by the fact that the cruise lines have spent millions of dollars of their lobbying money and campaign donations to make sure they have little or no regulation or liability. They incorporate and flag their ships in countries like Liberia and Panama to further avoid responsibility.
Dead or missing customers are merely an inconvenience.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/9628943/detail.html
The Smith family's lawsuit accuses the cruise line of deliberately portraying the incident as an accident and contaminating the crime scene. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Miami, where Royal Caribbean is based, also alleged the company delayed reporting the incident to the FBI, deciding instead to report the case to Turkish authorities knowing they would be unable to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation.
Royal Caribbean called that argument "parochial and jingoistic," saying that the ship was in Turkish waters and there was no evidence that Turkish authorities failed to conduct a thorough investigation.
In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed Thursday, Royal Caribbean says the FBI has thanked the company for its help in the investigation into Smith's disappearance.

www.greenwichtime.com/news

"Despite the tragedy which plaintiffs have suffered, it is abundantly clear under the applicable law that the defendants are not legally responsible for either Mr. Smith's disappearance or the status of the FBI's investigation," Royal Caribbean said.[Someone please ask Royal Caribbean who is responsible. the FBI or Turkey. You can't have it both ways.]

The company also contends Smith's parents and sister do not have legal standing to assert their claims. [thanks to lobbying money and campaign donations well spent by all cruise lines.]

President of Carnival Cruise Lines Jumps Ship & Sells Large Block of Carnival Stocks

online.barrons.com

Insider Tables: Buyers Sellers
SALES BY THE CHIEF of Carnival's cruise-line division are adding another warning blip on the radar for investors thinking of jumping into the turbulent stock. Robert Dickinson, the chief executive and president of the company's Carnival Cruise Lines division since May 1993, sold 40,000 shares through a family trust in the open market for $1.53 million on Tuesday, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares were priced from $38.00 to $38.35.

http://www.carnivalcorp.com/Sections/SECfiling.aspx

Danger on the HIGH Seas: Royal Caribbean "Booze Cruise" Caught on Tape by "Inside Edition's" Hidden Camera

Are you aware of the hidden camera segments done by "Inside Edition: during Easter? Take a look at these links and then tell me Royal Caribbean is not liable when people go overboard on their ships:
http://www.insideedition.com/ourstories 1
www.insideedition.com/ourstories 2

Here is a comment that was posted at:
www.blogcritics.org/archives
As an agency who has done business with Royal and it's management for several years, I know where they stand and what are their intentions. I have seen the decline of the company especially since the last few years since they have had a change in the line up in the managements. I have seen how they loot their customers and also the hard working agents. Now it is all coming back to them. They are shrewed, evil and the only thing they care is customers money.If there is a God who sees their evil they will not be in business too long. From a very popular cruise line they have been reduced to offering $99 specials for 3rd and 4th passengers to fill their cabins. You saw evil, you will reap evil. Now to cover their evil they have gone and bought off Jennifer Hagel Smith