Princess Cruise Ignores Distressed Fishermen.

[svjustus]

My thoughts & prayers go out to the 3 TEENAGERS on board.
Karma sucks for t he so called Captain....

[krafthaus]

Absolutely Brutal!! Unbelievable that a crew/captain would let this happen and extremely arrogant.

[Free Agent]

I've never held any of the cruise lines with much respect:
Look how badly they treat their passengers:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/carnival-cruise-line-van-nuys

Princess Cruises - Dawn Princess - Valencia, CA

[rognvald]

A question: Is this incident an honest, but tragic miscalculation by the captain of the cruise ship or is it symptomatic of , perhaps, a greater issue--namely, the increasing lack of concern some in our world exhibit for the lives of other people? The fact that the fishing boat didn't have a radio is a moot point since a vessel in distress with a radio may have lost all ship's power preventing the use of any electronics aboard. The captain did have a legal and moral responsibility to be certain that the vessel and its occupants were not in trouble. He failed both miserably and should be held responsible for his actions.

[Free Agent]

Originally Posted by rognvald

A question: Is this incident an honest, but tragic miscalculation by the captain of the cruise ship or is it symptomatic of , perhaps, a greater issue--namely, the increasing lack of concern some in our world exhibit for the lives of other people? The fact that the fishing boat didn't have a radio is a moot point since a vessel in distress with a radio may have lost all ship's power preventing the use of any electronics aboard. The captain did have a legal and moral responsibility to be certain that the vessel and its occupants were not in trouble. He failed both miserably and should be held responsible for his actions.

Was it a fishing boat or their life raft?

This story is being reported with various media adding facts and omitting facts and changing facts.
The Canadian press reports it as a Carnival Cruise Line, others Princess.
Some reports reporting the captain talked to the passengers about the incident offering excuses,, others say he didn't.

Some reports state the captain never saw the vessel in distress, others report he did.

The story is still developing.
Cruise line people are the worst I've ever dealt within travelling from the Basic employee on deck to the officers to management,, all folks of low character.

[SabreKai]

I'd not be too hasty to blame the Captain. Given the quality of the hotel staff side of the operation, it may well be possible that the person the bird watchers told didn't understand and went on with making beds instead of telling an officer. Do we really know what transpired on the bridge? I don't. I have to wonder about the watchers who told a crew member, but then watched as the ship kept on going? I'd have made a point of making sure the bridge knew about it.

[Free Agent]

When I'm 150 miles offshore and I see people waving in a dingy I'll stop.
I want to see the dingy that has a 300 + mile range.
I want to see the dingy that even has a 200 mile range.

I'm the dumbest guy a float and even I have enough sense to see their's a problem.

[Charlie]

I saw an inflatable when I was 20 miles offshore I stopped. I would think at 120 miles off of shore it would be worth a little investigation.

[NorthPacific]

He had his schedule to keep and his hotel guests had their parrot quests and tours all booked. Someone else would find them 175 miles offshore.

[Free Agent]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

He had his schedule to keep and his hotel guests had their parrot quests and tours all booked. Someone else would find them 175 miles offshore.

Besides, they looked like they couldn't afford to pay the fare.

[NorthPacific]

^ Sad but true. Hard to believe how callous some people are. Seems that 100 years after the titanic same story. I wonder how much this is the norm around the world. Deadlines and bonus money at stake, I wonder if eyes are averted rather than do not see.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

I'd not be too hasty to blame the Captain. Given the quality of the hotel staff side of the operation, it may well be possible that the person the bird watchers told didn't understand and went on with making beds instead of telling an officer. Do we really know what transpired on the bridge? I don't.

You didnt see this story (with audio) on the other thread?

Cruise Ship Didn't Aid Drifting Boat, Passengers Say : NPR

The Captain's Log

When she got home, Meredith contacted Princess Cruises to see what action was taken. She says a customer relations representative told her the captain reported a different version of the incident — and that according to the captain's log, the ship had been passing through a fishing fleet.

Meredith says she was told that the Star Princess contacted the boat and "that they were asking the ship to move to the west, because they didn't want their nets to be damaged. And that the ship altered course. And they were waving their shirts because they were thanking the ship."

Eventually, the bird-watchers learned of a news story from Ecuador. The Ecuadorean coast guard had picked up a small fishing boat near the Galapagos Islands with just one survivor aboard: 18-year-old Adrian Vasquez.

Sounds to me like the captain was not only guilty of not assisting mariners in distress leading to death but also of fabricating evidence.

[bobconnie]

Gosh Im pretty sure we all carry Binoculars with us on our boats and would not need to get very close to see if the folks aboard this dead in the water smaller fishing boat, were in trouble or were still pulling nets(pretty hard to do without power) or if they were Pirates!! I know I would have made sure if problems were really going on !And Im pretty sure most all the cruisers Ive known over the years, would do the same!! Why would a Big ships Capt not do the same ?? The only reason I can even come up with is lack of commuication between the deck and the bridge! If this was not the case then the Capt deserves the proper and worst puinshment that the Law allows ! This type of thing is just unthinkable to me !! just my 2 cents

[NorthPacific]

HAd to defend the indefensible. Unless you think that cruise ship captains should abandon ship first!

[Blue Stocking]

The wide gap in perception between the reported version of events, and the Captain's statement about communicating with the fishing fleet to avoid nets, is just too wide to comprehend.
There would be multiple persons on the bridge, all of whom would have knowledge of a serious report of distress.
His conversation with the fishing fleet would have been heard by any number of boats in the vicinity, who could verify, and would be in his log.
This rush to judgement attitude is worrisome.