Caribbean Princess Waiter Dies

[sandbag7]

Personally, I would be more concerned with alcohol use; heavy imbibers would be more likely to significantly endanger a cruise experience. I never heard of any professional sports figures being tested for alcohol... most of them would probably be at risk.

[arabrab]

I'd venture a guess that the percentage of drug users is higher among passengers than it is above crewmembers, most of whom work very, very hard and who seem very intent on keeping their positions and being able to send money home to their families. There are undoubtedly some occassional users, and probably some smugglers, but someone who is seriously addicted is likely to be found out all too quickly when they're living six or eight to a tiny room working 14 hours a day.

 

And while we're talking about drug testing, be careful what you wish for. Most of the inexpensive tests, which are the kind employers like to use, have a rate of false positives which would wrongly indicate that many crewmembers are using drugs when they might simply be connosieurs of poppy seed muffins. I believe that in most states, perhaps all, employers are supposed to do more detailed and expensive confirmation tests if the initial screen comes back positive, but I don't believe that ship staff are covered by those same protections.

 

All in all I'd much rather see regular random breathlizer tests of pilots, ship officers, bus drivers, and others whose alcohol consumption could endanger many lives than I would worry about whether some dining room waiter has an amphetemine habit.

 

Cheers,

Barb K.

[jemingway]

I would think that the crew members would be very careful about drug use, since they are easily replaceable by the cruise line.

[c_galle]

Crews on ships are held to certain rules regarding drug use (and that includes alcohol, which is an addictive drug). Drug and alcohol testing can and does occur without warning. There is also incident of drug sniffing dogs coming on board without warning when a ship comes into its disembarkation port (Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles primarily). These precautions are effective. I’m not sure what harm someone being buzzed would have on food – how many of us have a glass of wine or two while making dinner? I would assume those in charge of maneuvering the ship would be under stricter controls regarding drug and alcohol use.

 

I don’t think any one should sensationalize this incident or panic. How many people are tested for drug use before they drive beside you on the freeway? One incident doesn’t mean everyone who is part of a ship’s staff is under the influence. What we should be focusing on is that the poor fellow is dead.

 

Drug Testing is expensive and doesn't catch everything. Sometimes they test for one drug, all drugs or don't even use the sample. I would bet all would be subject to drug testing. I would doubt if all the samples were sent off. I remember I took a buddy home with me after Boot Camp. We had a week in Florida. He smoke pot the night before we both checked in at Virgina Bch. We were Whiz Quizzed the next day. He broke down and admitted he smoked pot. When the results came back they were negative for pot.

[jlp20]

I read most of the posts here, but if I skipped these points, sorry.

 

This is the United States; we care what comes off the ship. At foreign ports, we have no control on what or who gets on the ship. Ship staff have the use of X-ray machines and magnetometers, that’s about it.

 

When your bags are off loaded here in the states, what is being done before you go looking for them. Is there a drug dog running around and they don’t let anyone off the ship for an extra hour because the dog isn’t done?

 

As far as the actual death, could it be someone tried some pure heroin, street heroin can be as low as 5%, before reporting for his shift. He suffers an overdose that no one recognizes and dies.

[jennew]

I just feel badly for his family and friends.

[Ethel5]

All in all I'd much rather see regular random breathlizer tests of pilots, ship officers, bus drivers, and others whose alcohol consumption could endanger many lives than I would worry about whether some dining room waiter has an amphetemine habit.

 

Actually, Pilots don't have breathalizer tests. They are randomly pulled for urine testing.

 

When your bags are off loaded here in the states, what is being done before you go looking for them. Is there a drug dog running around and they don’t let anyone off the ship for an extra hour because the dog isn’t done?

 

That's exactly what's being done before the bags are off loaded. The DEA/Customs or whoever bring dogs on board to sniff the bags. I've seen it don't many times and as I have stated earlier, I've seen them taking people off in hand cuffs.

[jlp20]

>>>That's exactly what's being done before the bags are off loaded. The DEA/Customs or whoever bring dogs on board to sniff the bags. I've seen it don't many times and as I have stated earlier, I've seen them taking people off in hand cuffs.

 

Not exactly, although the ship has entered US waters, it is still, except for a few ships, on a ship under the flag of a foreign country. Law enforcement waits for the contraband, drugs, knock off Levi’s etc., to physically be off loaded to the dock for all elements of the crime to be present. If our bags are checked, it is after the bags are on the ground at the pier.