Cruise Ship Accidents and Safety

In January, a 15-year-old girl was raped aboard the Royal Caribbean “Allure of the Seas” after leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale. She met some older boys from Brazil at a nightclub after 1:45 am. They invited her to a private party in their room and sadly she went with them. Once inside, she was trapped and raped. The ship’s personnel notified the FBI and the Broward Sheriff, who conducted a complete investigation before arresting the offenders. In this instance, the ship did what was legally required. While there is no action to be brought against the carrier unless they knew or should have known of the propensity of the offenders, a lesson can be learned from this horrible event. These giant ships are like microcosms of cities. Crimes can occur and do. Be careful after hours. Don’t enter deserted, dark and out-of-the-way stairwells. Do not go to the staterooms of strangers. Above all, impress upon your teenagers and children that they need to be extra careful, and never go out alone. Aloha.