Vanity Fair Article re George Smith (Overboard) RCI

[reader5]

as anyone read the latest version of the George Smith disappearance (overboard) in Vanity Fair (April issue? Quite interesting. First time there are the names of other passengers who were involved with Mr. & Mrs. Smith during various cruise days.

 

I still find the disappearance a big mystery -- yet to be solved? Highly unlikely.

 

It is my own opinion that the cruise line acted in good faith and treated the bride with the utmost care and concern.

[lysolqn]

Haven't read the Vanity Fair article but from what I have heard/seen/read, I have to agree with you - the cruiseline acted in good faith and IMHO went above and beyond its obligation to the grieving widow. Seems to me (the late) Mr. Smith and his bride directly or indirectly shoulder the responsibility for his disappearance.

[Gypsea]

As are many. Natalie Hollowell, Jon Benet, Mariam Carver, Annette (last name?) from the Hilton group. The media is great about bringing the attention to the story and getting the public in a frenzy but they get bored with follow up details in many cases. Once all the hoopla is raised they move on to the next sensational case.

 

In the case of the bereaved bride I would have liked more details as to why she was never suspected. If they detailed that I missed it. What if she was the one on the balcony fighting with George? S ure, they found her passed out in the hallway later...but where was she when he went over. Very likely they knew but as I said, I never heard. Anyone know the answer? Just curious.

 

Well said, lysolqn in that these folks made a pretty easy target of themselves. It's gotta be a bit embarrassing for the families when you hear how they behaved that night.

[LDVinNC]

Interesting article. I agree with the author's conclusion as to what most likely happened: He was very drunk, and after the others left his cabin, he went out onto the balcony to smoke a cigar. He sat on the railing and fell over.

 

Of course we'll never really know!

[Danno]

Sure has been a lot of time and energy devoted to a careless, drunken, act...move on.

 

This is a lawyer/liability driven story, not a cruise story...hardly deserves a meantion on this board.

[excitedofharpenden]

There's a huge thread on the RCI boards with many, many opinions. To be honest, I really can't get excited about it. The truth may come out and then again it may not.

 

Phil

[wolfganghowell]

Danno, I think it does deserve a mention on the board. It happened on a ship that is under the same corporate umbrella. The attacks against the cruiseline can indeed impact our future cruises.

 

It is a great example whether it is ever proven to be foul play or an accident that common sense and personal responsibility are just as important on vacation as they are in everyday life. Their behavior directly contributed to his death - NOT the cruise line. His family and his bride have slandered/libeled RCCL and now have to deal with the repercussions of having this play out in the media. It's a sad story but I believe it is of interest to anyone cruising since they are intent on making changes which can impact us financially and logistically.

 

I subscribe to Vanity Fair and was pleased by the article - it was not sensational and attempted to stay on track.

[excitedofharpenden]

Wolfgang, I have a feeling that it will be making quite a financial impact on those law firms currently involved too!:D

 

Phil

[wolfganghowell]

No kidding, Phil. And if these people do finally take it to court, RCCL shareholders and cruisers will be paying the price as well. As a shareholder, I don't want the line to settle since I think the Smith family has shown no perspective on this, never conceded that George's actions contributed to his apparent death and the cruise line did NOTHING to cause his death. Even the alcohol he was drinking that probably caused his impairment (absinthe) was smuggled onboard and not sold by the line.

[excitedofharpenden]

I've never been that keen on the taste of liquorice and as far as the green colour goes, why cut out the middleman? A lesson learned. Don't mix a strong liquor with your honeymoon. See, now you have piqued my curiosity;)

 

Phil

[Eleris]

I had a hard time understanding most of the story since I took my honeymoon 5 years ago on the Infinity and although my DH and I met several wonderful people in lounges/discos/casino and dinner we certainly had our own agenda! This is a second marriage for both of us so I really have a hard time understanding why 2 young newlyweds were "hanging" with other passengers.

 

Unfortunately we will read similar types of stories in the future since people take no accountability for there actions anymore. It is always someone elses fault for there bad judgement so let's just sue the deepest pockets they can find. RCL did nothing wrong to cause this and letting it continue in a court systems is ridiculous.

 

I am shocked at the way parents turn their kids loose onboard. Even more shocking is when the young teenage girls are the ones hitting on the staff. Guess who loses their jobs over this one. Again no accountability by the adults.

[hermang]

No kidding, Phil. And if these people do finally take it to court, RCCL shareholders and cruisers will be paying the price as well. As a shareholder, I don't want the line to settle since I think the Smith family has shown no perspective on this, never conceded that George's actions contributed to his apparent death and the cruise line did NOTHING to cause his death. Even the alcohol he was drinking that probably caused his impairment (absinthe) was smuggled onboard and not sold by the line.

Not being satisfied with trying to get their 15 min of fame from RCI - Now it has been reported that they are going after the CEO of Carnival for "insensitive" remarks made at a recent cruise line meeting - he had the temirity to call their son's death a "non event". While he did not blaspheme the lad by calling him and her drunk as skunks - the Smiths never the less need more exposure so they went to news media. Now i hear they are changing the focus of ths suit to "permitting a party enviromnent" Gee and they own a liquor store - how interesting.

[hermang]

I've never been that keen on the taste of liquorice and as far as the green colour goes, why cut out the middleman? A lesson learned. Don't mix a strong liquor with your honeymoon. See, now you have piqued my curiosity;)

 

Phil

Hell they were living together for over a year - Honeymoon???? Me thinks the homeymoon had already ended before they married as evidenced by their flirtatious behavior

[Schplinky]

You know, my partner and I have been together for three and a half years but were we to marry and go on a cruise, I would find it upsetting and unusual that he slept in a room other than ours. Ms. Hagel got up and went on with her couple's massage because she figured her husband had drunk too much and was sleeping it off elsewhere onboard. I cannot even fathom a relationship where that is ok.

[Barry ATL]

You know, my partner and I have been together for three and a half years but were we to marry and go on a cruise, I would find it upsetting and unusual that he slept in a room other than ours. Ms. Hagel got up and went on with her couple's massage because she figured her husband had drunk too much and was sleeping it off elsewhere onboard. I cannot even fathom a relationship where that is ok.

 

UPSETTING??? If I slept in another cabin, Ken would run me over with his wheelchair and then dump what was left of me overboard himself!! There would definately be no mystery. :D

[Schplinky]

UPSETTING??? If I slept in another cabin, Ken would run me over with his wheelchair and then dump what was left of me overboard himself!! There would definately be no mystery. :D

 

Yes,

 

I was underplaying it. I think that if Michael slept elsewhere, the last thing I woudl think to do would be to go ahead with a spa appointment; I'd be too busy shredding his clothes or something like that.

[Danno]

Wolfgang, I have a feeling that it will be making quite a financial impact on those law firms currently involved too!:D

 

Phil

 

And that, in an nutshell, is the ONLY reason this story persists...it has nothing to do with safety, policy, proceedures...and everything to do with litigation and lawyer greed...what a waste of time.

[Schplinky]

And that, in an nutshell, is the ONLY reason this story persists...it has nothing to do with safety, policy, proceedures...and everything to do with litigation and lawyer greed...what a waste of time.

 

I think there is a strong political element, too. The congressman from the Smith's area is the one calling for all of the hearings. I'm sure this will make him re-electable in that area, since the Smiths seem much beloved.

 

We're taking a similar cruise in Sept 07 (either on X or RCL, most likely) and so I feel hyper-aware of the cruise fares for Europe and the Hagel-Smith coverage doesn't seem to have decreased the demand for this trip.

[Danno]

I think there is a strong political element, too. The congressman from the Smith's area is the one calling for all of the hearings. .

 

Just a shot in the dark...would he be a lawyer also??

 

An intoxicated person fell overboard, no more no less...but you can't sue him, can you. Down the road only one group will benefit from all this...not us, not the family, not RCL, not our insurance rates...maybe the lawyers will make enough money to buy their own ambulances to chase.

[Schplinky]

Just a shot in the dark...would he be a lawyer also??

 

An intoxicated person fell overboard, no more no less...but you can't sue him, can you. Down the road only one group will benefit from all this...not us, not the family, not RCL, not our insurance rates...maybe the lawyers will make enough money to buy their own ambulances to chase.

 

I agree, but I expect there to be a book deal for the wife by the fall. She will likely make money from this, although I doubt she could be said to have benefitted in the real sense of that term.

 

when we were on Constellation, we were in an elevator with a bunch of 25 year old women right after the muster drill. They were just past drunk and approaching sloppy. They kept telling us that they were really fun and they were going to come party in our room, etc. We told them no (gay men not being known for having a taste for drunk women) and they said we should let them because they were really fun. I wonder if they would have held the cruise line responsible somehow if we were straight and creeps and took advantage of the situation?

[Iamboatman]

What's with the lawyer bashing???;) I, personally, think the driving force is a media frenzy which, for some odd reason, won't stop. Here we are discussing it AGAIN because of an article in Vanity Fair...not a motion filed by a lawyer. And what about the widow and the family grandstanding at every opportunity, providing apparently false and conflicting stories, omitting the drunken escapades until challenged on them?

 

Yes, there will always be a lawyer willing to sue a nail for putting a hole in a piece of wood, but here between the congressman, media and family, there is more than enough "stuff" being slung!

 

Remember, if the client says "enough" the lawyer has to stop. And if the interviews and statements stop, then the media has nothing to write about. And if the congressman stops grandstanding...OK that'll never happen.;) :D

[Schplinky]

It's also interesting how the media seem to have devloped this Missing White Female syndrome, which now is the Missing White Male syndrome, also. Many people go missing without this sort of scrutiny but there is somethign about missing affluent folk (Natalie Holloway, George Smith, etc.) that seems to drive the media into a frenzy. I think fmailies like the Holloways and the Smiths are deluded if they think they can use the media to accomplish anything because after the media has decided what the interesting parts of a story might be, it's all told from that perspective.