Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Anyone concerned?

uneamie

By uneamie,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

firstimer2009

firstimer2009

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, uneamie said:

My brother and his wife lost the home they personally built in that earthquake. His wife was home and the home came down while she was in it. She got out just in time. My brother was coming home from work and just missed that overpass collapsing....both of them very tramatized for years but my brother got over it. His wife developed a lot of fears from it unfortunately. They did rebuild on the same property with high tech earthquake features. They live on the top of a mountain on 5 acres of beautiful land so I don't blame them for rebuilding there. 

Are they in Santa Cruz mountains?  My husband's uncle was about 1/2 mile from ground zero.  He and his wife were elderly and never recovered from the trauma.  Their old farmhouse was nearly destroyed.  I think they both died within 2 years after the quake.

 

I was living in SF at the time and working in Oakland and my Bay Bridge story is the same.  Had that happened the day before I would have been dead.  I thought our buidling in Oakland was going down.  Did watch the building across from me lose all it's windows and brick facade. I didn't get back to my apartment in SF for 3 days.  I was deathly afraid of heights and bridges and loud noises for years after.  Now live in an (almost) non-earthquake zone and actually happy about that!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cruiser2015 Holiday Sharing Rare

cruiser2015

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, FLAHAM said:

Surely I am not the only one who remembers that terrorists with AK47s, posing as passengers, hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro in the 1980s.  They separated out the Jews, shot one of them (Klinghoffer), and dumped his body overboard. 

As best that I can recall, the Achille Lauro was  quite a small ship. Taking over a vessel with thousands of passengers is a whole other ball game.

More importantly, security back then was a relative joke. Security for boarding (likewise, of course, for air travel) is another world today.

Can you imagine "passengers" sneaking assault rifles onboard with their luggage today?

A full on assault at a pier would be possible. For that matter, so could the takeover of a hotel be of concern - there is no security check there at all and an armed band could simply walk right in.

Not something I will be thinking about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thegreeneyedkri

thegreeneyedkri

Posted
Posted

I live and work in NYC (and I’ll be on the Jan 2nd Getaway cruise) and I am not worried. I also haven’t heard anything about a heightened threat alert and the Firm I work at and the building it’s located in keeps us appraised of anything like that since we are near Times Square. There have only been warnings/info about the ongoing protests and possible road closures. No heightened security in the subways or the Times Square area. I’d say areas of Manhattan are 1000x more likely (probably even higher) to be a target than one of the many, many cruises that depart from NYC regularly. But honestly it doesn’t matter what anyone here says, unfortunately if your son feels a certain way I highly doubt the word of random people on CC or NYers will change or ease his mind. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
European_CruiseGirl

European_CruiseGirl

Posted
Posted (edited)
21 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

"Many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots flying aircraft that may be carrying hundreds of passengers."

 

High-powered lasers, sure.  Who would argue that?  "Laser pointer?"  🤣


Actually laser pointers have caused problems for aircrafts landing and taking off. Obviously they cannot cause problems for flights flying at their flight altitude but then again landing and take off are in any case the most accident prone parts of a flight where even a small distraction can cause serious problems. And a laser pointer is no small distraction for the cockpit crew. 
 

 

Edited by European_CruiseGirl
Link to comment
Share on other sites
uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

Posted
  • Author
Posted
3 hours ago, firstimer2009 said:

Are they in Santa Cruz mountains?  My husband's uncle was about 1/2 mile from ground zero.  He and his wife were elderly and never recovered from the trauma.  Their old farmhouse was nearly destroyed.  I think they both died within 2 years after the quake.

 

I was living in SF at the time and working in Oakland and my Bay Bridge story is the same.  Had that happened the day before I would have been dead.  I thought our buidling in Oakland was going down.  Did watch the building across from me lose all it's windows and brick facade. I didn't get back to my apartment in SF for 3 days.  I was deathly afraid of heights and bridges and loud noises for years after.  Now live in an (almost) non-earthquake zone and actually happy about that!

They live in Boulder Creek high in a mountain but not far from Santa Cruz...about 30 minutes away. Yes, it was a very tramatic experience for so many people. When my brother got home that day and saw his house down on the ground, he paniced and didn't know where his wife was, fearing she was somewhere in the rubble. He searched everywhere and finally found her down by the stream sitting by herself shaking and shaking. She couldn't even talk. He was sooo relieved but really concerned about her. She was in total shock. He worked for IBM at the time and they took care of all the people who were affected. They were given a trailor to live in with all the supplies they needed to get by until the remains of their house were carted away and a new house was built. This took well over a year. Terrible time, but they survived! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KKB Great Review Rare

KKB

Posted
Posted (edited)

We had a cruise booked October 2001.

We had 3 little children. 

We cancelled that cruise after 9/11.

We lost a lot of $, but that was a life altering event--even to watch unfold, as I did.

 

Risk of dying in a car wreck are vastly higher than an airplane crash...

(ZERO commercial US airline deaths since 2009)

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US...

Risk of a terrorist attack is SO SO low...sadly, risk of a mass shooting in US is higher.

 

We all have to live with the level of risk we are comfortable with--even if that is perceived risk.

This is a few years old, but it gives a good overview of what are REAL risks in our lives.

(but that may not matter to him...perceived risk is a real thing in one's mind)

Screenshot 2023-11-19 at 2.27.55 PM.png

Edited by KKB
Link to comment
Share on other sites
phillygwm

phillygwm

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 11/17/2023 at 10:14 PM, uneamie said:

We have a cruise booked for June on Joy out of NYC. My son and his girlfriend are booked as well. My son just told me that he and his girlfriend are considering canceling the cruise due to all the war issues and threats to the US from the terrorist. 

I just finished a cruise and never felt unsafe on the ship.  While I might also have concerns over travelling to some parts of the world as an American, Bermuda would not be among them.

 

I was on an excursion and the guy was handling allegators.  He said that more people are killed by falling coconuts than by allegators each year.  I think it's a good analogy:  Some people watch too much news and are fearful of anything.  The chances of you being killed in a terrorist attack aren't zero but it's pretty darn small.  There are many daily activities which are potentially much more lethal.

Edited by phillygwm
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, European_CruiseGirl said:


Actually laser pointers have caused problems for aircrafts landing and taking off. Obviously they cannot cause problems for flights flying at their flight altitude but then again landing and take off are in any case the most accident prone parts of a flight where even a small distraction can cause serious problems. And a laser pointer is no small distraction for the cockpit crew. 
 

 

I'm still more worried about the Bermuda triangle.  Why isn't that on @KKB's list?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
KKB Great Review Rare

KKB

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

I just finished a cruise and never felt unsafe on the ship.  While I might also have concerns over travelling to some parts of the world as an American, Bermuda would not be among them.

 

I was on an excursion and the guy was handling allegators.  He said that more people are killed by falling coconuts than by allegators each year.  I think it's a good analogy:  Some people watch too much news and are fearful of anything.  The chances of you being killed in a terrorist attack isn't zero but it's pretty darn small.  There are many daily activities which are potentially much more lethal.

Exactly--average 8 people killed annually by alligators...150 by falling coconuts!

(can ya'll tell I'm a retired librarian...love me some facts & reliable sources!)

Edited by KKB
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
KKB Great Review Rare

KKB

Posted
Posted
Just now, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm still more worried about the Bermuda triangle.  Why isn't that on @KKB's list?

Admittedly it didn't include EVERYTHING...😉

I just snagged the first reliable list I found on Google...I'm sure I could have gone down quite a rabbit hole.

Some years ago Time magazine did an article on just this--real v. perceived risk.

It really put things into perspective.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
phillygwm

phillygwm

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, uneamie said:

I wonder if cruise ships are prepared for a terroist attack? Pirates are one thing but a planned out terroist attack could be a larger threat to deal with in the middle of the ocean. 

I think there many security plans which we're not necessarily privy to.  I would be amazed if appropriate people at NCL (and other lines) aren't regularly in contact with law enforcement, if not national intelligence.

 

When you embark/disembark from a port, there's usually a sign indicating the Marsec security level.  IIRC, I've cruised when it was Level 2 without incident but the cruise I left yesterday was Level 1 in all ports that I noticed.  

 

OP should keep an eye on https://www.uscg.mil/what-is-marsec/ or the State Department website should they have any concerns as the date approaches.  And, as an earlier post suggested, always have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place.  Terrorism is waaaay down the list of nasty things that could happen on a cruise.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Chief, you disappoint me. Surely you've heard of the issue with people/morons flashing laser pointers at aircraft landing and taking off in an effort to blind the pilots...???

Absolutely.   I've read about that, and likely that there have been arrests.  It's a sad state of affairs.  That said, when I used to use those cheapo laser pointers in the conference room back at Megacorp, I was lucky if it even worked.  The standard practice was to a) hit the screen and then b) move it around to try to point out what you were babbling about.  This was generally ten to twenty feet away from a non-moving target.  A quarter mile from a fast moving jet?  It ain't happening...and if somebody claims it did they're just trying to get youtube hits or whatever else it is the kids are after these days.🤣

Link to comment
Share on other sites
UKstages

UKstages

Posted
Posted

some seem to place great faith in the mistaken notion that “there’s no unrest here so we’re safe. my cruise is not in a part of the world that’s in conflict.” terrorists go where their targets are. the world trade center in new york was not in an area undergoing conflict when its garage was bombed nor was it when terrorists flew planes into the towers. it seems to me, if you’re a terrorist who has a beef with a certain country or a certain ideology or religion, you try to cause havoc with that country’s citizens or those of that religion or that ideology, wherever they may be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
schmoopie17

schmoopie17

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

That said, when I used to use those cheapo laser pointers in the conference room back at Megacorp, I was lucky if it even worked.  The standard practice was to a) hit the screen and then b) move it around to try to point out what you were babbling about.  This was generally ten to twenty feet away from a non-moving target.  

But they're great at entertaining cats.

 

Having said that, this was a huge story at our local airport a while back...

 

https://www.fox6now.com/news/laser-strikes-aircraft-milwaukee-mitchell-international-airport

 

 

Edited by schmoopie17
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

But they're great at entertaining cats.

 

Having said that, this was a huge story at our local airport a while back...

 

https://www.fox6now.com/news/laser-strikes-aircraft-milwaukee-mitchell-international-airport

 

 

Yeah, I get that.  And I seem to recall legit stories about high energy lasers actually causing some problems.  I just don't consider "laser pointers" to be in that realm.

 

And you're absolutely right.  My cat used to love those things.😀

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...