Cruise Ship Law

Cruise Passenger Removed from Ship Following Potential Head Injury

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:27:30 -0500

The Norwegian Gem Cruise Ship let a passenger off board on Saturday to obtain onshore medical attention following a fall that resulted in a potential head injury. The passenger was near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York and was removed just north of there. The injured passenger was taken to the Harbor Charlie Base, where emergency medical technicians were on hand to further transfer the patient to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton. The U.S Coast Guard and New York Police Department were all notified and involved in the transfer.

Harbor Charlie, which is a patrol boat that was on duty at the time, was operated by a crew of police officers who made the decision of using the area north of the bridge had ideal conditions for removing the passenger. The removal was deemed “high risk transfer of an injured person,” which requires the pilot of the smaller boat to “lay up” against the larger vessel to enable transfer. The passenger was then transferred on a backboard from the ship to the smaller vessel. The passenger is still admitted at the hospital and the extent of the cruise ship injury is being monitored by the facility.

Hopes High for Costa’s New Ship, the Fascinosa

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:02:41 -0500

In the wake of the tragic Costa Concordia cruise ship accident, the company has searched for ways to revitalize the brand and bring passengers back on board their ships. This past weekend, Costa accepted a new cruise ship that will now stand as the flagship of Costa—called the Costa Fascinosa. Weighing in at 114.500 tons, the Costa Fascinosa will hold the title of Italy’s biggest cruise ship and will be able to accommodate upwards of 3,800 passengers.

Aboard the Fascinosa, guests have thirteen bars and five restaurants, a theatrical space, a 4D movie cinema, and an array of other luxurious features. The ship will sail predominantly in the Mediterranean and include exotic stops such as Venice, Dubrovnik, Olympia, Corfu, Izmir and Haifa, among other ports.

Carnival Corporation is sister company to Costa, and they have invested around $24 billion in the last quarter century building cruise ships in Italy. Despite concerns by some that cruise ships can lose safety capabilities when they are oversized, Carnival is firm in their belief of the Italian craftsmanship. In fact, five other Carnival ships are under construction in Italy at the moment. For Costa, safety precautions are of the utmost importance, according to the cruise line’s CEO, Pier Luigi Foschi.

The ship has already been christened in Italy, and Costa is booking cruises for the Fascinosa this month. The inaugural cruise will be this week, on May 11th.

Cruise Ship Employee to Plead Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:56:21 -0500

Senad Djedovic, a former assistant cruise director for the Norwegian Star cruise ship is expected to plead guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography. Djedovic, 29, had sexual intercourse with a 16- year-old passenger and also exchanged explicit photographs with the minor. His charges carry a potential sentence of ten years in a federal prison.

The cruise ship crime took place when a seven-day cruise from Tampa, FL to the Caribbean docked in Costa Maya, Mexico, where Djedovic and the minor had sexual intercourse in a cruise ship stairwell. Following the sexual encounter, the father of the minor stated to the FBI that he specifically advised Djedovic of his daughter’s underage status. Djedovic has confirmed that he was aware the girl was sixteen years old at the time of the sexual encounter.

As the cruise came to an end, Djedovic gave his work e-mail address to the girl as she was set to head back to Minnesota. In the following weeks, “a lot” of e-mails were exchanged between the two—some of which contained explicit photographs of themselves. The FBI has recovered 13 graphic photographs of the girl from Djedovic’s office computer. In addition, sexually explicit photographs of other girls seemingly underage were found.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has since fired the employee, stating that they have a zero-tolerance policy for employee-passenger fraternization.

Princess Captain fails to rescue fishermen and breaks the law in the process.

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:03:30 -0500

On March 10, 2012, three passengers were bird watching aboard the Star Princess cruise ship when they spotted stranded fishermen at sea. One of the passengers, Judy Meredith of Oregon, described one of the fishermen, saying, "We thought he was trying to flag down the ship, vigorously waving a shirt up and down, and then switching to waving what looked like a red flag up and down and we thought he was in distress." In fact, Judy told Don Winner of Panama-Guide.com (who was the first to break the story) that "it was perfectly clear to us that those people needed help, and they were trying to get our attention."

At that point, the passengers contacted one of the ship's crew and pointed out the small fishing boat. The crewmember actually used one of their binoculars and confirmed that it looked like the fishermen were waving frantically as if they were asking for help. The crewmember then contacted the bridge of the ship and informed the ship's Captain, Captain Perrin, of what they had seen. Importantly, however, the cruise ship did not turn around. On the contrary, the ship's Captain actually changed course to avoid the fishermen's nets. He attempted to justify his action by saying that the fishermen did not look like they were waving for help but, rather, were waving to thank him for avoiding their nets. Judy, however, was rightfully convinced these fishermen needed help and sent a message to the United States Coast Guard. According to the Miami Herald, the United States Coast Guard is still checking on whether they ever received Judy's message.

Unfortunately, the oldest of the fishermen, 24-year-old Oropeces Betancourt, died the next day and 16-year-old Fernando Osario died five days later. It was not until March 24, 2012 that the last fishermen, 18-year-old Adrian "Santi" Vasquez, was rescued by an Ecuadorian fishing vessel near the Galapagos Islands.

All of this begs the question: why aren't there laws to prevent these types of incidents from happening? Well, as a matter of fact, there are… the Star Princess Captain just chose to ignore them.

Specifically, according to Miami maritime attorney, Charles Lipcon, international laws require a ship to stop and assist another vessel in trouble. "If it fails to do so, they're liable for what happens," he said. "If there's any doubt, the Captain has to make absolutely sure whether they're in distress or not. He's got to stop."

An example of such international laws includes the International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS). Regulation 33 of Chapter V provides, in part, as follows: "The master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance on receiving a signal from any source that persons are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance…"

In addition, the law in Bermuda (which is applicable to the Star Princess because it is the flag it flies under), also requires the "master of a ship, on receiving at sea a signal of distress or information from any source that a ship or aircraft is in distress, shall proceed with all speed to the assistance of the persons in distress". Merchant Shipping Act of 2002.

The United States also imposes the duty to assist upon ships. In Caminiti v. Tomlinson Fleet Corp., 1981 A.M.C. 201 (N.D. Ohio June 28, 1979), the court held that a duty to rescue strangers in peril was "implicit and inherent in general maritime law" regardless of whether or not the ship caused the peril in the first place. The court reasoned that "the law of the sea has always demanded a higher degree of care, vigilance and diligence," and anything less would be "shocking to humanitarian considerations and the commonly accepted code of social conduct".

It is hard to find the humanitarian considerations or social conduct demonstrated in this tragic incident though. To date, Princess Cruises and the Star Princess Captain maintain that neither the Captain nor the officer of the watch were notified of the stranded fishermen. But they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

New Safety Procedures to be implemented on Cruise Ships

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:43:11 -0500

The Cruise Lines International Association announced last week that new standards will be mandated on cruise ships to avoid future disasters like the Costa Concordia cruise ship accident. New rules will require that cruise ships are equipped with additional life vests for adults and also ensure that there are more life jackets onboard then there are actual passengers. These jackets must also be readily available in public locations as opposed to located in individual cabins.

Passage planning procedures were also the subject of discussion, and ships will be required to submit a detailed report of the ship’s journey from departure to arrival. The voyage must be approved by the master and explained to the bridge team members by a designated officer.

The Cruise Lines International Association represents 26 companies and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to continuously serving passengers by bettering the cruise industry. The new cruise line rules aim to achieve safety for all passengers and crew in the fastest amount of time possible.

Sewage Problems aboard Celebration Cruise Ship

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:54:07 -0500

Cruise passengers aboard The Bahamas Celebration Cruise ship were in for a less than pleasant surprise when sinks and shower drains aboard the cruise ship began oozing raw sewage. The sewage was backed up and overflowing, according to passengers. One passenger who documented the incident with video and photos states that the sewage was “literally pouring out of the walls.” Another passenger was ankle deep in sewage water.

A representative for the cruise line has stated that the ship’s galley overflowed and subsequently affected ten different cabins. While no passengers have sought the legal advice of cruise ship lawyers at this point, the cruise ship is seeking to reimburse the affected passengers with free cruises and replacement of damaged items. It is still unclear how many passengers, if any, will accept the offer from the cruise line.

Four Men Reported Dead from Sailing Accident

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:51:46 -0500

Last weekend, a sailboat race turned tragic as a boat was found in pieces during the Newport Beach to Ensenada race. Reportedly, the ship collided with another vessel “hundreds of times its size.” These deaths are the first in the race’s 65 year history. The destroyed boat, a 37-foot sailboat named the Aegean, was found Saturday morning.

The tragedy was certainly unexpected, especially as the team aboard the boat was comprised of veteran sailors. The skipper of the ship, who is presumed dead, has not been found at this time. Three bodies have been found thus far among the debris—Joseph Lester Stewart of Bradenton, FL, William Reed Johnson, Jr. of Torrance, and Kevin Rudolph of Manhattan Beach. A coast guard investigation is under way to hopefully solve the mysteries of this boating accident.

The deaths are the second yachting disaster this spring. On April 14, five fatalities occurred in a racing accident off the coast of San Francisco.

Cruise ship industry adopts new safety policies

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:35:26 -0500

Washington (CNN) -- In the wake of the deadly Costa Concordia cruise ship accident off the coast of Italy in January, the cruise industry is implementing new safety standards.

Cruise Lines International Association, the world's largest cruise non-profit organization representing 26 companies, announced Tuesday it is putting in place standards it says will "achieve concrete, practical and significant safety dividends in the shortest possible time."

Officials say each ship will now be required to provide additional adult life jackets in excess of the legal requirements within a ship's most-populated zone. This will ensure the number of life jackets carried by a cruise liner will exceed the actual number of passengers on board.

At least 30 people were killed and two others are missing and presumed dead after the Costa Concordia struck rocks and turned on its side January 13 off the Italian island of Giglio.

Some survivors said they returned to their rooms to get their life jackets a half hour after the accident and struggled to climb many levels in dim emergency lighting on the listing ship to reach lifeboats.

The industry also adopted a policy to "minimize unnecessary disruptions and distractions" on the bridge. The change will limit access to the bridge "to those with operational functions during any period of restricted maneuvering or when increased vigilance is required."

The captain of the Costa Concordia faces allegations of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck, abandoning ship and failing to report the accident. Some media outlets reported that Capt. Francesco Schettino had a woman with him on the bridge just before the accident.

Schettino has previously said managers of the cruise line instructed him to sail close to Giglio. He said the ship hit a rock not indicated on charts of the area.

A third safety policy adopted involves passage planning procedures, which is the complete description of a ship's movement from departure to arrival. The new standard will change what was simply guidance for years and make it a mandatory minimum requirement. All bridge team members will be briefed on the voyage "well in advance of its implementation" by a designated officer and approved by the master.

"As the Concordia incident demonstrates, there is no such thing as perfect safety," said Manfredi Lefebvre, chairman of the European Cruise Council. "We do strive for a perfect commitment to safety."

Captain Unaware of Boat in Distress in the Pacific

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:49:11 -0500

The captain of the Princess Cruise ship that sailed past a small fishing boat in distress last month has recently stated that he was never informed of the boat that was stranded in the ocean. While several passengers claimed to have reported the boat to crew members, the word was apparently never relayed to the captain manning the cruise ship. Some passengers also claim to have reported the stranded boat to United States authorities, which also resulted in no action. An ongoing internal investigation is underway to learn what went on that day aboard the ship.

The vessel in distress was a small 10-foot fishing boat from Rio Hato, Panama. They had set sail on February 24th and the boat was disabled and stranded for 28 days at sea. Three men were initially on board, two of which died in the tragic boating accident. The survivor was found near the Galapagos Islands. When he saw the Princess Cruise ship coming towards them in the Pacific, he thought they were going to be rescued—only to watch in dismay as the ship continued to sail off into the distance.

Cruise ship pervert’s sex assaults on kids

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:57:13 -0500

Vile Paul Trotter, 34, was a kids’ activity supervisor on Cunard luxury liners.

He filmed himself committing the sickening crimes aboard the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.

Cops said he preyed on youngsters over seven years in which he went on 295 voyages.

Trotter, of Pontefract, West Yorks, admitted 24 sex offenses involving victims aged between seven and 13 — mostly boys.

They included sexual assaults and making and possessing indecent images of children.

He was remanded in custody at Swindon Crown Court and will be sentenced next month.

Judge Douglas Field ordered Trotter to sign the sex offenders’ register.

After the case, police said cunning Trotter took victims to areas not covered by CCTV where he spanked and molested them. He was caught last August while he was living in Wiltshire.

Officers were tipped off that he had indecent images on his computer and found films of him abusing youngsters.

Horrified Cunard bosses are now working with the NSPCC to tighten up their child protection policies and procedures.

A spokesman said the company was “deeply shocked” by Trotter’s crimes.

Det Insp Nicki Davey, of Wiltshire Police, said a great deal of work went into identifying the children with the co-operation of Cunard.

Cruise ship passed by disabled fishing boat

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:36:46 -0500

RIO HATO, Panama — Three Panamanian men were on their way home after a night of fishing, happy with their success, when the motor on their small open boat rattled and quit, leaving them adrift in sight of land, but too far out for their cellphones to work.

With nothing left to eat but the fish they caught and a few gallons of water, they drifted for 16 days, more than 100 miles from home, before they thought they were about to be saved.

Adrian Vasquez, 18, saw a huge white ship coming toward them. He waved a red sweater to get their attention, reaching high over his head, and dropping it low to his knees. Though he was near death, the skipper of the little panga, Elvis Oropeza Betancourt, 31, joined in, waving an orange life jacket.

“Tio, look what’s coming over there,” Mr. Vasquez recalled saying in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press. “We felt happy, because we thought they were coming to rescue us.”

The ship didn’t stop, and the fishing boat drifted another two weeks before it was found. By then, Mr. Vasquez’s two friends had died.

“I said, ‘God will not forgive them,’” Mr. Vasquez recalled. “Today, I still feel rage when I remember that.”

The day of the first sighting, March 10, birdwatchers with powerful spotting scopes on the promenade deck of the luxury cruise ship Star Princess saw a little boat adrift miles away. They told ship staff about the man desperately waving a red cloth.

On Thursday, Princess Cruises, based in Santa Clarita, Calif., said a preliminary investigation showed that passengers’ reports that they had spotted a boat in distress never made it to Capt. Edward Perrin or the officer on duty.

If it did, the company said, the captain and crew would have altered course to rescue the men, just as the cruise line has done more than 30 times in the last 10 years. The company expressed sympathy for the men and their families.

The fishermen had set out for a night of fishing Feb. 24 from Rio Hato, a small fishing and farming town on the Pacific coast of Panama that was once the site of a U.S. Army base guarding the Panama Canal. There are plans for a new airport to bring in tourists. Mr. Vasquez had lost his job as a gardener at a local hotel, and Oropeza invited him to come fishing to make a little money. The night before, they had no luck, so they were very happy to have a load of fish to sell, Mr. Vasquez said.

By the time they started to drift, Mr. Vasquez had eaten his lunch of rice and beef. They only had five gallons of water to start with, and much of that was gone. There was raw fish to eat, but no one liked it very much, and it soon rotted after the ice melted in the coolers. Sometimes Mr. Vasquez went over the side to probe passing rafts of debris, and sometimes came up with coconuts for them to eat. At one point, they caught a turtle, but decided they couldn’t eat it and put it back in the water. As they were, they found a jug of water that they drank “with tremendous anxiety.”

One night they saw a ship far in the distance, and lit a rag on a stick that they waved, but the ship didn’t come for them.

On the Star Princess, birdwatcher Jeff Gilligan from Portland, Ore., was the first to spot the boat, something white that looked like a house.

When Judy Meredith of Bend, Ore., looked through the scopes, she could plainly see it was a small open boat, like the kinds they had seen off Ecuador. And she could see a man waving what looked like a dark red T-shirt.

“You don’t wave a shirt like that just to be friendly,” Ms. Meredith said. “He was desperate to get our attention.”

Barred from going to the bridge herself to notify the ship’s officers, Ms. Meredith said she told a Princess Cruises sales representative what they had seen, and he assured her he passed the news on to crew.

The birdwatchers said they even put the representative on one of the spotting scopes so he could see for himself.

Ms. Meredith went to her cabin and noted their coordinates from a TV feed from the ship, booted up her laptop and emailed the U.S. Coast Guard what she had seen. She said she hoped someone would get the message and help.

She sent a copy to her son. When she returned to the promenade deck, she could still see the boat.

But nothing happened. The ship kept going. And the little boat with the waving men disappeared.

“We were kind of freaking out, thinking we don’t see anything else happening,” Ms. Meredith said.

Mr. Gilligan could no longer bear to watch.

“It was very disturbing,” he said. “We asked other people, ‘What do you think we should do?’ Their reaction was: ‘Well, you’ve done what you could do.’ Whether something else could have been done, that’s a bit frustrating to think about.”

After Oropeza and Fernando Osario died, Mr. Vasquez was eventually picked up by a fishing boat off Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, more than 600 miles from where they had set out.

Mr. Vasquez said he slipped their bodies into the sea after they began to rot in the heat. Before he was rescued, a rainstorm gave him fresh water to drink, helping him survive. Throughout the ordeal, he thought about his eight brothers, and never gave up hope.

Safe at home, Mr. Vasquez said he recognized their boat, the Fifty Cents, from the photos Mr. Gilligan had taken with his 300 mm lens.

“Yes, that’s it. That’s it. That is us,” he said. “You can see there, the red sweater I’m waving and, above it is the sheet that we put up to protect us from the sun.”

Mr. Vasquez mentioned the ship in his first statement to Panamanian authorities when he returned to his country.

Back at home in Oregon, Ms. Meredith couldn’t sleep, wondering what happened to the men. Reading a news story about a Panamanian rescued off Ecuador after 28 days in an open boat, she figured that was the boat they had seen. She pestered Princess Cruises, the Coast Guard, and even the Panamanian embassy.

“We were all just sick about it, and just wanted to believe the ship notified someone,” she said.

Cruise Ship Fire Extinguished

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:23:31 -0500

A small fire aboard the Allure of the Seas cruise ship has been extinguished with no reported injuries.

Royal Caribbean International spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said the engine fire occurred about 7:45 p.m. Friday.

The gargantuan cruise ship was sailing from St. Maarten to Port Everglades when the fire broke out.

Martinez said the ship's high fog system was activated the fire was quickly contained and extinguished.

No passengers or crew were injured, and the ship never lost power. It is scheduled to return to Fort Lauderdale today.

Cunard cruise ship worker abused children in his care

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:42:08 -0500

A cruise ship worker yesterday admitted abusing 13 boys whilst supervising the children’s play area on board luxury Cunard liners.

Paul Trotter, 34, pleaded guilty to 24 sex offences, including taking and making indecent images of the children in his care.

He made films of himself abusing the boys, most of whom were under the age of 13, on board Cunard's flagship Queen Mary 2, its sister vessel Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Victoria.

The sexual offenses, which took place between November 2007 and August 2011, went unreported. But when police received a tip off that Trotter was in possession of indecent images, an examination of his computer led to the discovery of a catalogue of films and images taken aboard the ships.

Cunard President Peter Shanks said he was "deeply shocked" by such "appalling crimes".

He said Trotter had managed to avoid detection despite strict safeguarding procedures but admitted that areas of improvement had since been identified.

The children’s supervisor, appearing before Swindon Crown Court, admitted 12 counts of sexual assaulting a child under the age of 13, one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, five counts of taking indecent images of a child, five of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.
He was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month.

Judge Douglas Field told him: “Now that you have pleaded guilty to the charges, you will have to sign forms on the sexual offences register."

Trotter, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, was arrested by detectives from Wiltshire's Child Abuse Investigation Unit last August whilst living in Swindon.

Speaking outside the court, Detective Inspector Nicki Davey said “a great deal of work” had gone into identifying the young victims, with the co-operation of Cunard.

She added: “Paul Trotter worked in a position of trust with children. He has abused the trust placed in him by the children and their parents.

"His admission of the charges will mean that the families do not have to experience the distress of a trial. We would like to acknowledge their co-operation and understanding following our visits to them."

Mr Shanks said Cunard had been working with the NSPCC to offer expert guidance and help to all families involved, describing Trotter’s actions as “despicable”

“Our own feelings of shock are secondary to those of the families directly impacted,” he said.

"As a parent myself I can clearly understand the emotional pain and anguish they have suffered and endured since they were contacted by the police investigating this case.”

He added: “Paul Trotter was able to avoid detection despite all of our youth staff, including Mr Trotter, having had their criminal records checked.

“We have closed circuit TV on board all of our ships, including all of the children's clubs, and our own rules dictate that a minimum of two members of staff are to be with children at all times.

"Our safeguards were strict but sadly did not stop this one individual from managing to circumvent the system and manipulate those around him.”

The company, part of the Carnival Corporation group and owners of the Costa Concordia which ran aground last year, asked the NSPCC to audit its policies and procedures.

As a result, Mr Shanks said it had changed its recruitment process, introduced new training and improved on board supervision of the youth centres.

"We will do everything in our power to put in place every possible safeguard for children,” he added.

Passenger rejects explanation for cruise ship leaving fishermen adrift

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:49:20 -0500

The British captain of a cruise ship that failed to rescue three stricken Panamanian fishermen adrift in the Pacific Ocean is said to be devastated by accusations he ignored calls for their rescue.

Princess Cruises, the operator of the Star Princess, blamed a "breakdown in communications" for the tragedy, saying passenger reports that they had seen a boat in distress never made it to the captain or the officer on duty.

But a passenger who helped alert the ship's crew to the fishing boat has rejected the explanation as "not credible".

Two of the three men on the drifting boat later died of dehydration, one within hours of the Star Princess passengers attempting to raise the alarm after spotting the lost boat.

The story of Adrian Vasquez, the 18-year-old hotel worker who survived for 28 days adrift in the Pacific, was a global news story after his rescue near the Galapagos islands. But the Guardian revealed earlier this week that the fishing boat, the Fifty Cents, had been spotted on 10 March by three birdwatchers on the Star Princess, but the liner failed to stop. Later the same night, Oropeces Betancourt, 24, died of dehydration. The youngest fisherman, Fernando Osorio, 16, died on 15 March, suffering from dehydration, sunburn and heatstroke.

The cruise line, which is owned by Carnival – the same corporation behind the operators of the Costa Concordia which capsized this year – said investigations were still trying to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.

"Princess Cruises deeply regrets that two Panamanian men perished at sea after their boat became disabled in early March," a statement said. "The preliminary results of our investigation have shown that there appeared to be a breakdown in communications in relaying the passenger's concern.

"Neither Captain Edward Perrin nor the officer on the watch were notified. Understandably Captain Perrin is devastated that he is being accused of knowingly turning his back on people in distress. Had the captain received this information he would have had the oportunity to respond."

It continued: "We all understand that it is our responsibility and also the law of the sea to provide assistance to any vessel in distress, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for our ships to be involved in a rescue at sea.

In fact, we have done so more than 30 times in the last 10 years. We deeply regret this incident and are continuing our investigation to fully understand the circumstances."

But one of the birdwatching passengers who saw the boat said Carnival's explanation didn't "stack up". Jim Dowdall, 54, an environmental consultant from Dublin, said: "How does a junior officer phone the bridge and come to look two times and there's no communications? Whoever the officer on the bridge was should have taken action himself or alerted the captain." Judy Meredith, 65, from Bend, Oregon, said she contacted a crew member, who told her he was relaying her concerns to the bridge. She said it was "horrific news" when she found out the full details of the tragedy unfolding on the small boat, and discovered that two young men had died in such desperate circumstances, and "both could have lived, had the cruise ship responded to our urgent request".

Don Winner, a Panama-based, English-language blogger, later tracked down Vasquez, who confirmed that he and his friends had seen the cruise ship and had signalled frantically. He also confirmed that a picture taken by the cruise passengers was of his boat.

Jeff Gilligan, 61, from Portland, Oregon, who was travelling with Meredith, said a member of the crew had looked through their binoculars at the boat. "He said he could see what we were describing. We suggested that the people from the bridge came down and looked. He said they had binoculars … We were convinced the bridge knew what was happening and thought maybe it took a while to turn around. But after a while we realised it wasn't turning. But we told ourselves that this cruise ship would have radioed coastguards."

Dowdall, 54, said that the crew member he spoke to had a naval uniform "with stripes on his shoulder" and said he was at the Future Cruise Sales desk. "He came out a second time and looked through our scopes again, as if he'd been told to double check. He was on a mobile or walkietalkie, in communication while we were looking. All the time the boat was getting further and further away."

He said while it was too late for the two Panamanian men, "I would just hope they would respond by putting some formal protocol in place so that it never happens again — training right from the most junior crew member to the captain".

"We did have optics, we had the telescopes, We demonstrated the boat was there, not just something we imagined."

On returning home and learning of the Panamanian men's fate, Meredith was told by a Princess Cruises customer services representative that the ship's log recorded that the Star Princess had "made contact" with the fishing boat and they were "waving to thank them".

While Princess have yet to respond to questions on this issue, Jeff Gilligan said he had been called by a representative who said they had mistakenly confused the dates, an explanation he said was "plausible".

But, he said, from their conversation "they want to suggest we didn't communicate it. We did communicate it, very clearly. That's the whole problem, that they didn't take people seriously."

Princess Cruises: Captain didn't know about disabled fishing boat

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:25:28 -0500

Princess Cruises says the captain of a cruise ship that passed by a disabled fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean last month without stopping was never told about the vessel or the three men aboard.

The company says in a statement Thursday that concerns raised by three birdwatchers who spotted the disabled boat were never passed on to Capt. Edward Perrin, or the officer of the watch.

Judy Meredith of Oregon says she told a sales representative who assured her he notified the bridge, but the ship did not stop.

Three men set out in a small boat from Rio Hato, Panama on Feb. 24. Two of them later died. Survivor Adrian Vasquez says he saw the ship and thought they were saved, but it kept going.

Original story: A cruise line is investigating allegations by passengers that crew workers ignored their pleas to rescue three fishermen adrift in the Pacific Ocean, the Guardian of London reported.

The allegations cast an uncomfortable light on a hopeful story about the sole survivor of that fishing boat, an 18-year-old hotel worker who survived for 28 days aboard his 10-foot vessel, named the Fifty Cents. He was rescued near the Galapagos Islands, nine days after he had to push his friends’ bodies overboard.

Now cruise ship passengers say those boys could have been saved. Three bird watchers say they alerted the crew of the Star Princess, owned by Carnival Corporation, which also owned the Costa Concordia.

One of the bird watchers told her version of events to Don Winner, an English-language blogger from Panama who tracked down the survivor, Adrian Vasquez. Vasquez confirmed that he and his friends had seen the cruise ship and signaled frantically with his red T-shirt and orange life vest, the Guardian reported.

The cruise line issued a statement about the allegations Tuesday: "At this time we cannot verify the facts as reported, and we are currently conducting an internal investigation on the matter.”

One bird watcher, Jeff Gilligan of Portland, Ore., told the Guardian that while scanning the ocean, he saw an object that looked like a little house.

“We then used spotting scopes with a fixed tripod and I could see this strange little boat and at least one person standing up waving a piece of cloth high over his head, up and down,” he said. "We could see it was not moving – there were nets pulled on to the boat and apparently no nets in the water. So we soon questioned – is this a stranded, disabled boat, signaling us for help?"

They contacted United States authorities when the boat did not turn around but nothing happened.

Vasquez was saved when a rainstorm hit a few days later, which allowed him to fill four gallons of water, the Daily Mail of London reported. He ate raw fish to stay alive.

He was ultimately rescued by fishermen working off a mother ship, the Duarte V.

After he slept and was fed and hydrated intravenously, Vasquez woke.

The captain of the Duarte told the Guardian that he reacted slowly but that he cast down his gaze when the subject of his friends arose.