Please watch your childen ALWAYS

[cruiselife4me]

I don't think we should be attacking people on this thread. Every youth is different. Every family is different. Some kids at 19 can't handle anything and yet I know some 9-10-11 year olds that are much more mature.

 

The problem is the cruise line. The cruise ship, hands down, should have grabbed him, called police and escorted him off the ship.

[goncruzn]

parents like you are the reason a whole generation is coming out of college into the workforce with no basic life skills and being unable to cope with unfamiliar situations.

 

While I understand what you're saying, I disagree that being protective of your children will cause them to have no basic life skills. I believe just the opposite. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York in a very quiet and uneventful neighborhood. My parents were very protective of me and I was never allowed to wander off by myself at that age.

 

In light of all that protectiveness, I learned better than most to be very aware of my surroundings. I came out of college into the work force with an uncanny ability to deal with just about any situation you put me in. I am not afraid of strange situations, but I am cautious and keep my eyes open. My parents being that protective of me helped me understand that the world we live in, while a beautiful place to be, is also home to people who might cause you harm. If I had been allowed to run free at too early an age, I think I would have been a less cautious person because no matter how mature a child is at that age, life has not happened to them yet and IMHO they still don't possess the ability to make good decisions. I'm much older now, but still thankful that my parents did things the way they did.

 

There are as many reasons why you should let your child roam free as there are reasons why they should not. It's an individual decision that each family has to make for their own children and no matter what decision they do make it will be the correct one for them.

[chadbeck]

That confused me too. I thought cabins, the public restrooms and elevators were about the only places cameras were not.

 

 

I know for sure that Liberty of the Seas has cameras in at least some of the elevators. I can't say they all do but a few years ago we were taken on a tour of the engine room, security room, and bridge and on the video display they watch you could see people riding up. From the angle of the video you could see it was placed in ceiling of the elevator looking straight down. It would be very hard to see who the person was if they kept their head down but you would be able to match up when they go on and off with the other cameras and still prove something happened. I always assumed all elevators have them.

[akcruz]

I don't think we should be attacking people on this thread. Every youth is different. Every family is different. Some kids at 19 can't handle anything and yet I know some 9-10-11 year olds that are much more mature.

 

The problem is the cruise line. The cruise ship, hands down, should have grabbed him, called police and escorted him off the ship.

 

Exactly, there are no two kids or families in this world that are the same. Depending on where you live you may have a "false sense of security", or you may be "well schooled in the world". Just because we all end up on the same ship doesn't mean that we all need to behave in the same way.

 

I definitely blame Disney in this case. This should have been reported immediately even if the family did not want to press charges.

 

Personally I feel that one of my main jobs as a parent is to teach my kids how to be well adjusted mature adults when the time comes. Each of my kids is very different and we have had to go about that in different ways. At 11 my daughter was mature enough to know how to handle herself and not get into a situation like this, my son on the other hand was a different issue.

 

When these stories come up I try to stress talking with your kids, show this to them and explain the issues. By hiding them from things like this and watching over them 24/7 you are doing them a disservice IMO. Teach your kids what to do in these types of situations (like do not get on an elevator with just one man you don't know) and give them a little leeway. See how they do and slowly expand their responsibility.

 

Let's all try to stick together and bring up those well adjusted responsible kids, not point fingers at each other please.

[bigque]

I don't think we should be attacking people on this thread. Every youth is different. Every family is different. Some kids at 19 can't handle anything and yet I know some 9-10-11 year olds that are much more mature.

 

The problem is the cruise line. The cruise ship, hands down, should have grabbed him, called police and escorted him off the ship.

I like this!

 

Everyone know their kids and the maturity level of their kids. Heck there are son 16 and 17 year olds that shouldn't be let out of their parents sight. There is not age limits when it comes to getting molested. Look at the case of those three young girs who just turned up in Cleveland after being missing for 10 years. They were taken at various ages. An 17, 18, 20 year old can just as easily be molested by these perverts as can an 11 year old. So a parent only knows the freedom they can give their child. But you have to let go sometimes or you will be worried to death all your life even into their adulthood!

You are right..this should have been handle before the ship left port. Disney failed the little girl and the family on this ...IMO!

[grand isle joe]

......maybe he will face some "street justice" back in India? Karma baby Karma...;)

[MrsKC08]

It really amazes me how many parents just let their kids wander around a cruise ship unsupervised. I just don't understand how a parent would do that. As mentioned earlier, these ships are like small cities with all kinds of people that sail on them and there is too much of a chance for something to happen and I've heard of it happening quite often actually. Sadly, these types of vacations are a pedophiles playground.

 

Parents please keep a watch on your children at all times...even your teenagers!

[Guest maddycat]

......maybe he will face some "street justice" back in India? Karma baby Karma...;)

 

You've got to be kidding. India.........where gang rapes are common.

[CoachT]

Disney thinks nothing about sailing back to PCN for a medical emergency. Clearly they should have returned to PCN and offloaded this scumbag.

[UCF_Knight]

Disney thinks nothing about sailing back to PCN for a medical emergency. Clearly they should have returned to PCN and offloaded this scumbag.

 

Agreed.

Or just have thrown him overboard.

[tlatrice]

[/color][/b]

 

I like this!

 

Everyone know their kids and the maturity level of their kids. Heck there are son 16 and 17 year olds that shouldn't be let out of their parents sight. There is not age limits when it comes to getting molested. Look at the case of those three young girs who just turned up in Cleveland after being missing for 10 years. They were taken at various ages. An 17, 18, 20 year old can just as easily be molested by these perverts as can an 11 year old. So a parent only knows the freedom they can give their child. But you have to let go sometimes or you will be worried to death all your life even into their adulthood!

 

You are right..this should have been handle before the ship left port. Disney failed the little girl and the family on this ...IMO!

 

 

Like!:D

[nyer]

parents like you are the reason a whole generation is coming out of college into the workforce with no basic life skills and being unable to cope with unfamiliar situations.

 

You are funny. Exactly how do you know how my children turned out? Just for the record, two of my three children are college graduates. One is a teacher and the other works in the state court system. My third child joined the Army, fought in the Iraq war and is now an officer with the NYPD. You shouldn't make judgements based on a post on cruise critic.

[Winnigirl]

parents like you are the reason a whole generation is coming out of college into the workforce with no basic life skills and being unable to cope with unfamiliar situations.

 

Really? Well, I was one of "those" mothers too. I'd no more let a pre-teen child wander around a cruise ship than I would let them wander around a city, especially alone! Even when my daughters were older I still wanted to know where they were going and how I could contact them. They might have rolled their eyes and complained - but they complied. Somehow they both made it through university - one is a lawyer, one is studying to become a pastry chef. They have excellent life skills, both have studied abroad, (one, ironically worked at Walt Disney World for a year) and have had to cope with their share of unfamiliar situations. Basic life skills are not learned by allowing your children to roam around alone in potentially dangerous situations- by then it might be too late.

[nyer]

Really? Well, I was one of "those" mothers too. I'd no more let a pre-teen child wander around a cruise ship than I would let them wander around a city, especially alone! Even when my daughters were older I still wanted to know where they were going and how I could contact them. They might have rolled their eyes and complained - but they complied. Somehow they both made it through university - one is a lawyer, one is studying to become a pastry chef. They have excellent life skills, both have studied abroad, (one, ironically worked at Walt Disney World for a year) and have had to cope with their share of unfamiliar situations. Basic life skills are not learned by allowing your children to roam around alone in potentially dangerous situations- by then it might be too late.

 

That is an excellent point!

[Dietcokeguy]

TBH, its down to the individual parent....I for one watch my kids like a hawk, without them knowing kinda deal. Its not I dont trust them I dont trust others........

[awhcruiser]

He should have been thrown off the ship at the first port of call and prosecuted. Another reason I have no interest in a Disney cruise...

 

Just saw this on the local news-

 

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/dis...z/-/index.html

[RCcruisinfamily]

I pretty much think ALL do, on land or sea. I bet the video was more incriminating from the inside of the elevator.

[need_a_holiday]

We let our kids roam the ship on their own after the age of 10, usually going too or from activities. Cruise ships are safer than schools, clubs, churches and the street. There are cameras on every common area, every passenger and staff member has provided identification. There are no serial offenders as they are caught early. There is no time to groom children, we have a disturbing story in Australia right now regarding a dance teacher, we have had disturbing stories in the US about a football coach. Children are in more danger from relatives and trusted adults who have regular contact with them than strangers on a cruise ship.

 

According to the reported crime stats for US passengers reported sexual assaults on ships have dropped in the last three years from 26 in 2010 to 1 last year

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/06/27/how-safe-is-your-cruise-ship/

 

The technology and security measures are effective, there is now a one in a million chance of being assaulted on a ship. This incident was one of those exceptions.

[NJcruisenewbie]

It really amazes me how many parents just let their kids wander around a cruise ship unsupervised. I just don't understand how a parent would do that. As mentioned earlier, these ships are like small cities with all kinds of people that sail on them and there is too much of a chance for something to happen and I've heard of it happening quite often actually. Sadly, these types of vacations are a pedophiles playground.

 

Parents please keep a watch on your children at all times...even your teenagers!

 

Never, ever let your child out of your sight? How exactly do you manage that with a teen? At what age do you allow your child out of your sight, 20, 30?

 

There is something called "a happy medium" that most parents I know, including myself, live by. It starts with assessing the individual child and the situation at hand. Allowing a tween or teen to go to their club or get a snack is not the same as allowing a child to wander aimlessly unsupervised.

[04cruises]

I just seen a report on our local news that had the security footage.He held the door open as she walk in and grab her chest as she walked by him.He continued to hold the door open as he grabbed her again and then kissed her on the mouth.They knew who he was before the ship sailed but left and turned it over to Bahamian cops the next day where he confessed. Disney then paid for his trip home and the family decided not to pursue it.I wonder how much it cost Disney to keep the family quiet.

As seasoned cruisers we see kids all the time by themselves and wonder what the parents are thinking.I think they think the ship is a free babysitting trip.

[wander]

Perhaps Disney did pay to have the family keep quiet or maybe they did so for other reasons. Right or wrong, in many such land based cases it is not $$ that stops folks from reporting, BUT they do not want the child to have to go through all the potential trauma if the case is prosecuted. Unfortunately the victim in such cases can really be put through the "wringer". Many such cases go unreported for just this reason. The sad side of the story is that the molester is allowed to continue in life potentially molesting others.

[sunnysavannah]

1st, OP, thanks for the reminder that no matter how individuals choose to teach their children important life lessons, that there are some lessons that need to be taught earlier than we would like. L

2nd Please do not see this as a defense of Disney or the molester, but I was trying to wrap my head around some things…

Timeline (according to article):

2:55pm – Incident

3:03pm – Grandmother & Victim emerge from elevator and head to guest services to report incident

3:22pm – Security contacted & investigation initiated

3:57pm – Investigation, victim shows officer exactly where it happened

*Investigation continues, video retrieved

4:48pm – Suspect identified

5:02pm – Dream sets sail

7:50pm – Suspect detained

Questions the timeline raises for me: What time does the manifest have to be in? 4:00, right? So from the time that they identified the suspect to sail away, it was 15 minutes, right? At what point would/should the captain be made aware of the situation? I wonder what Disney’s protocol is for notifying the management chain?

In looking at that timeline, I can see where things could have been set in motion to set sail that would be hard to stop because of a (at the time) non-proved, non-life threatening situation. It was still in investigation stage at that point. (Please, don’t misunderstand my stance on the severity of the situation, it is horrible, but it was still at that point in investigation stage.)

What I don’t understand is why the suspect was not detained until 7:50pm? Were they not looking for him? Could they not find him? It was 2 hours and 45 minutes later.

[windjamming]

1st, OP, thanks for the reminder that no matter how individuals choose to teach their children important life lessons, that there are some lessons that need to be taught earlier than we would like. L

2nd Please do not see this as a defense of Disney or the molester, but I was trying to wrap my head around some things…

Timeline (according to article):

2:55pm – Incident

3:03pm – Grandmother & Victim emerge from elevator and head to guest services to report incident

3:22pm – Security contacted & investigation initiated

3:57pm – Investigation, victim shows officer exactly where it happened

*Investigation continues, video retrieved

4:48pm – Suspect identified

5:02pm – Dream sets sail

7:50pm – Suspect detained

Questions the timeline raises for me: What time does the manifest have to be in? 4:00, right? So from the time that they identified the suspect to sail away, it was 15 minutes, right? At what point would/should the captain be made aware of the situation? I wonder what Disney’s protocol is for notifying the management chain?

In looking at that timeline, I can see where things could have been set in motion to set sail that would be hard to stop because of a (at the time) non-proved, non-life threatening situation. It was still in investigation stage at that point. (Please, don’t misunderstand my stance on the severity of the situation, it is horrible, but it was still at that point in investigation stage.)

What I don’t understand is why the suspect was not detained until 7:50pm? Were they not looking for him? Could they not find him? It was 2 hours and 45 minutes later.

 

I was thinking along the same lines, sunnysavannah. It is not unheard of for ships to delay departure for a number of reasons - a potential crime onboard seems like a good reason. Seems odd they would carry on business as usual, unless this sort of thing happened more often than we know, which would be sad.

[sunnysavannah]

I was thinking along the same lines, sunnysavannah. It is not unheard of for ships to delay departure for a number of reasons - a potential crime onboard seems like a good reason. Seems odd they would carry on business as usual, unless this sort of thing happened more often than we know, which would be sad.

 

Very sad, indeed.

[Jenjer]

We let our kids roam the ship on their own after the age of 10, usually going too or from activities. Cruise ships are safer than schools, clubs, churches and the street. There are cameras on every common area, every passenger and staff member has provided identification. There are no serial offenders as they are caught early. There is no time to groom children, we have a disturbing story in Australia right now regarding a dance teacher, we have had disturbing stories in the US about a football coach. Children are in more danger from relatives and trusted adults who have regular contact with them than strangers on a cruise ship.

 

According to the reported crime stats for US passengers reported sexual assaults on ships have dropped in the last three years from 26 in 2010 to 1 last year

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/06/27/how-safe-is-your-cruise-ship/

 

The technology and security measures are effective, there is now a one in a million chance of being assaulted on a ship. This incident was one of those exceptions.

 

 

Agreed. Most assaults are from people who you know and your child knows. Of course there is always a chance of something bad happening on ship just like, at a mall, or on a plane, or at a park, or any resort or basically anywhere.