Just found this on cnn.com. It appears that a RCCL passenger has gone missing. Scary.

OMG! Robert! That is scary!

Betty

This is very sad! :(

Very scary and very sad!

I'm assuming that you are speaking of the 21 yo young man. He has now been identified [via
ship cameras] as having "fallen' overboard
whilst in an inebriated state. What a tragedy for him and his family.

I enjoy partying as much as anyone, but am
alarmed at the spath of recent deaths attributed to or including marked inebriation. I hope that potential cruisers read these news accts.....but
also wonder if ships shouldn't,like land bars, be required to refuse serving anyone who appears intoxicated. I realize that this is not a total answer, but it might help some.

I know we have had this conversation many times before, but I am still trying to figure out how someone, even inebriated, can just FALL overboard. I mean they really have to out some work into it, don't you think??

Makes me even gladder that I have not done any mass market cruises, nor intend to. I'm sure the size of the ship would make it much easy not to miss someone.

Can you IMAGINE steping in vomit on deck?? I saw one documentary that showed the staff putting barf bags on all the tables and flat surfaces outside the disco...people passed out all over the place....maybe I sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but THAT doesn't even begin to sound like fun to me!!!! :eek:

When my son was in college, he, his girlfriend (now his wife) and a group of fraternity buddies and girlfriends took a boat from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas over spring break. This wasn't a cruise, just transportation over and back. From what he told me, there was much drinking and "barfing." I would have hated to be waiting in the Bahamas for the return trip to Ft. Lauderdale. Can't even imagine what the condition of the boat must have been like.

When "young adults" drink, it doesn't matter if they are on a cruise, at a beach hotel, etc., etc., the potential for an accident or death are very great.

When my daughter was a freshman in college, she had a guy friend who went with his fraternity brothers to Panama City, FLA for a long weekend. One of the boys drowned while in the ocean. I don't know if alcohol was involved. Still a sad time for the boy's friends and family.

Kids in the 16-26 age group (maybe younger, maybe older) think they will live forever. Therefore, they take chances - with or without alcohol - and accidents happen.

How true Donna - one of mine went on high school graduation cruise to Bahamas - the stories later told (much later) were scary and very dangerous - this is same child that we did not impose curfew on summer before he left for college - most miserable summer of my life - Joanna

Joanna, someone told me a great theory about the summer your child has graduated from high school and is waiting to go to college. It's God's way of getting the parent ready to let go and the child ready to leave home. Sure worked for me!

I know Donna - but you wake at 3:30 AM and bed is empty - accident? He was only one who pushed the curfew envelope OFTEN!!!- well all envelopes - he is nice young man today - and I have gray hair - Joanna

My son is also a "nice young man" today....now that he is 30 and married and has a mortgage. When he did his graduation thing, he "fell" over the fence between the hotel and adjacent miniature golf course! (So they could play mini-golf) at 2 in the morning! Unfortunately, they got arrested, held overnight, and now I tell him he will NEVER get a job that requires a high security clearance, because he did not make his "call" and let me help him get legal assistance. Every family has a story, if not, they are very, very lucky.

they got arrested, held overnight, and now I tell him he will NEVER get a job that requires a high security clearance, because he did not make his "call" and let me help him get legal assistance. Every family has a story, if not, they are very, very lucky (from Olivia)

From Joanna who does not know how to copy...
Funny!! We had two young family males in jail - fake ID's etc - charges erased thank God (lawyers Olivia) as one went to law school and other had to pass securities exam - do you have "records"? Do not bring this up when you see Tony - bad memories

We seem to get all steamed up about one person who most likely fell overboard. What about the 37,690 people (on average) who died in traffic accidents in the US in the latest 10 years for which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has complete data.

You have a much greater chance of being killed between the airport and ship than you do while cruising! Its good to keep things in perspective.