NCL Pearl Crew member killed in Roatan?

[craig-n-carol]

Frankly I don't give a crap where you travel. You came out with both guns blazing blaming Americans for chasing drug cartels out of Mexico for your problems. You then proceeded to scold cruise lines for you're need to steal for survival. I disagree with your viewpoint, and I don't have time to argue the point. You are entitled to your opinion as am I. Have a nice life.

 

 

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[blackwing]

...just stating a fact my friend...are you saying I shouldn't have flown into New York or Houston last week because someone was killed in those cities? Yes, NCL has to respond and I respect that...and feel VERY sad for the victim and his family, but only two incidents on an impoverished island over the years deserves SOME sympathy for an island of very kind and giving people, who have their share of troubled youth, just like wherever you are from....try not to be so quick to condemn a whole island because of one act of tragedy. If we lived by your logic...you would not be living anywhere in the world, because something bad happened there before you came...

Sure, bad things happen everywhere, and the people of the island shouldn't be made to suffer because of the act of one individual.

 

But where you lost me in your earlier post was when you 1) basically blamed the cruise lines for pulling out of the port the past two summers and in effect causing the impoverished state of the area which makes people steal, and 2) saying that cruise lines should make donations to the government to make it a stable and safe place to visit.

 

Sorry, but no. Your island is providing a product. A safe and beautiful place to visit and explore while on a cruise vacation. If the product is not what it purports to be (a safe and beautiful place to visit and explore), then the cruise lines absolutely have a duty to keep their passengers safe and skip the port. Cruise lines are not charities. It is not their responsibility to provide economic and social stability to all the countries in the region.

[mkad1109]

Have been to Roatan twice and hopefully a third time next February. It is both my children and my favorite place to go. The people are so warm and accommodating. So sad that a few bad apples may spoil tourism for the majority. But I must say I agree with those posting that it is NOT the cruiselines responsibility to fix Honduras' problems. Come on. They are doing their part by bringing folks who bring money who will spend it.

[cod]

I think Roatan should wake up and have police patrolling areas where cruiseship passengers and workers are likely to go. This happened at 3:00 in the afternoon in a busy area not too far from the ship and often frequented by crew members especially.

 

Sometimes I can't believe what I read. Let's see..Americans are to blame for the drug cartel problem shifting to Roatan AND we should be dressing= down and hiding our cellphones. Right. I'm sure this poor guy was dressed to the nth and waving his phone around and not just trying to connect to home.

Geez Louise folks!!

[Guest 2000]

I think Roatan should wake up and have police patrolling areas where cruiseship passengers and workers are likely to go. This happened at 3:00 in the afternoon in a busy area not too far from the ship and often frequented by crew members especially.

 

Sometimes I can't believe what I read. Let's see..Americans are to blame for the drug cartel problem shifting to Roatan AND we should be dressing= down and hiding our cellphones. Right. I'm sure this poor guy was dressed to the nth and waving his phone around and not just trying to connect to home.

Geez Louise folks!!

 

 

To each there own, diversity makes the world go round.

 

For me... if adjusting the way I behave keeps me off the target list in a third world county you can bet I am going to do so. Cheers!

[kylenyc]

This is a terrible situation and my condolences to the family of the victim.

 

It is not the rosy place the island residents portray. The homicide rate on the island has doubled from 2012 to 2013. Citizen groups report a rapid increase in crime , there have been several high profile incidents cases, etc:

http://seattletimes.com/html/travel/2022806533_roatanhondurascrimexml.html

 

I took a Roatan excursion last February and overall I felt safe. However, the tour operator gave us the opportunity to do some local shopping on a main street somewhere outside of the terminal. I was uncomfortable walking more than a block in either direction on the main street. Perhaps the armed guards carrying assault rifles had something to do with it (they were guarding a bank, not us).

Edited April 8, 2014 by kylenyc

[wichitastatecruiser]

...just stating a fact my friend...are you saying I shouldn't have flown into New York or Houston last week because someone was killed in those cities? Yes, NCL has to respond and I respect that...and feel VERY sad for the victim and his family, but only two incidents on an impoverished island over the years deserves SOME sympathy for an island of very kind and giving people, who have their share of troubled youth, just like wherever you are from....try not to be so quick to condemn a whole island because of one act of tragedy. If we lived by your logic...you would not be living anywhere in the world, because something bad happened there before you came...

 

Actually if you follow travelling some airlines refuse or suspend flights to certain airports in countries due to unrest or civil strife or poor airport security. What NCL is doing is similar. If NCL continued calling on the port and within a month a passenger be killed or injured that close to the port in the middle of the day the company could be held liable for it since they knew that the port could be dangerous.

[jaja]

It's not the cruise line's responsiblity to solve a country's economic and social problems.... If the country can not provide a safe place for tourists to visit, they simply lose tourism business...

 

Sure, bad things happen everywhere, and the people of the island shouldn't be made to suffer because of the act of one individual.

 

But where you lost me in your earlier post was when you 1) basically blamed the cruise lines for pulling out of the port the past two summers and in effect causing the impoverished state of the area which makes people steal, and 2) saying that cruise lines should make donations to the government to make it a stable and safe place to visit.

 

Sorry, but no. Your island is providing a product. A safe and beautiful place to visit and explore while on a cruise vacation. If the product is not what it purports to be (a safe and beautiful place to visit and explore), then the cruise lines absolutely have a duty to keep their passengers safe and skip the port. Cruise lines are not charities. It is not their responsibility to provide economic and social stability to all the countries in the region.

 

I agree with both of you.. and I applaud NCL for taking action.

 

My thoughts and prayers are with the crew member's family.

[cod]

I think the majority of the people who frequent this board know how to comport themselves in a third world country ....especially this south Bronx native who rode the subway to and from work for years! I just don't believe that this poor fellow did anything to 'invite' what happened to him and so the do's and don'ts of travel don't really matter much. JMHO. Cheers.

[Feelin' Nauti']

NCL

Just posted on their Facebook page

 

Norwegian Cruise Line is shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a crew member from Norwegian Pearl in Roatan, Honduras on Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Police reports indicate the crew member was killed during an attempted robbery while in Roatan. Local officials are investigating and have the alleged suspect in custody.

In an abundance of caution for our guests and crew, we have cancelled calls to Roatan this week for Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Jewel.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the crew member.

 

 

police have named the

suspect

as “

Barrabas

”

 

[The Mister]

My concern:

Yes, crime is bad and getting worse on Roatan.

Yes, Mr. Sheehan is right for temporarily suspending calls to Roatan until security concerns can be addressed to NCL's satisfaction.

 

However, even with the increase in crime, it's not nearly as bad as it is on the mainland. Yet NCL has committed to visiting Banana Coast (Trujillo) this fall, which is on the Honduran mainland.

 

Yes, Trujillo is at the end of Honduras furthest from the main urban centers, so that will offer some insulation from the bulk of the violent crime in Honduras; but Roatan was insulated as well. (The word "insulation" comes from the Latin word for "island"!)

 

So:

(1) On the one hand, along with the rest of you, I am hoping that NCL is actively addressing Roatan's port authorities, the Honduran govt, private security firms, and whoever else might have a stake in whether or not NCL and other lines continue calling Roatan. However,

(2) The same issues are bound to persist in Trujillo / Banana Coast, possibly with slightly greater potential due to the location being on the mainland. Sheehan & Co. better be re-confirming that appropriate measures are being taken at the new port as well. Also, it might even be prudent to ask for security measures additional to what has already been planned. Otherwise history may repeat itself.

 

This concerns me specifically because I'll be on the Jewel's 11/1 sailing visiting Banana Coast, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing the new port with my family.

Edited April 8, 2014 by The Mister

[Guest 2000]

I think the majority of the people who frequent this board know how to comport themselves in a third world country ....especially this south Bronx native who rode the subway to and from work for years! I just don't believe that this poor fellow did anything to 'invite' what happened to him and so the do's and don'ts of travel don't really matter much. JMHO. Cheers.

 

 

I understand and you are welcome to your opinion. :)

 

Mine is that using any kind of electronic in public, on the street no less, will get a person noticed.

 

Most if not all of the crime on the island is that of opportunity... if the bad guys see a thing they want.. they will attempt to take it not matter where it is. I don't leave anything out in the open in my hotel room either. There are reports of break in for phones, computers and cash.

 

I tell people all the time, don't take anything you are not willing to loose.

 

Indeed my do's and don't for travel do apply. :)

 

Cheers!

[CruisinMaterial]

I wholeheartedly agree with the poster who mentioned about pulling out of Roatan in favor of Banana Coast. Banana Coast is a worse idea than continuing to call at Roatan. The mainland will be an impossible place to find a culprit if any crimes are committed whereas on an island there are only so many places you can hide.

 

I also think the police force in Roatan needs to be stepped up - especially in areas frequented by tourists. My last visit to Roatan in October of last year I took a private tour to the other side of the island and a resort beach area there. Locals were trying to peddle their goods on the beach which is common in many places but these folks were downright aggressive. When the cops tried to push them back, they became quickly surrounded and backed down. What kind of law is that?

 

I love the island of Roatan and have been several times. I've noticed it's deterioration. Who is at fault for it is a discussion for another politically charged forum but all I want to drive home is Banana Coast is far worse than Roatan island.

 

My thoughts are with Jacob's family and the crew of the Norwegian Pearl.

[CruisinMaterial]

I'm also a bit perplexed by the silence from major cruise industry news outlets on this matter. Where is Cruise Critic's coverage of this? Usually this and another website are more up on things then others. :cool:

Edited April 8, 2014 by CruisinMaterial

[The Mister]

I love the island of Roatan and have been several times. I've noticed it's deterioration. Who is at fault for it is a discussion for another politically charged forum but all I want to drive home is Banana Coast is far worse than Roatan island.

Question: Is Trujillo / BC *actually* worse (i.e., do we know the crime stats)? Or is it simply a worse *idea* (which I could agree with)? I ask because, if crime rates in Trujillo are actually currently on par with the major metro areas of San Pedro, El Progreso and Tegucigalpa (I had guessed they were somewhat less), then I may have to re-think what my family and I (including DS9 and DD4) will do there, if anything.

Edited April 8, 2014 by The Mister

[Tminish]

I couldn't agree with you more, Blackwing! Well said.

I personally don't care to visit Roatan again. I booked an excursion through NCL last year and still didn't feel safe. Yes, this can happen anywhere we go. Even in our own countries, states, cities. This is just reassurance that the saying "What's beautiful on the outside is not always beautiful on the inside" is true. Beautiful island, but I'll pass in the future. My condolences for the family, friends, and fellow crew members of Jacob. My prayers go out to them.

[cod]

Okay, I concede your point. You will go 'down with the ship' saying, in effect, he brought this on himself for not following 'your basic safety rules'. Had he not had a phone and tried to use it, he would be alive today.

 

No matter that this is the time he can contact home because I doubt he can use wi-fi on board. He attracted the attention of the 'bad guys' and this is what happens.

 

What a wonderful world we live in. Cheers...and enough is enough, okay?

[Mysto]

Finally

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5817

[MzMelissa26]

I was just there last week and noticed I didn't see any police cars, only the guards with assault rifles here and there. The response from my private tour guide is that the police are very corrupt and aren't really around to help with crime, only to shake the local people down for money. We took a long tour of the island and it was very sad to see the living conditions of those people. You really just wished you had money to give to everyone

[swedish weave]

Just to add a bit of perspective from a resident of Roatan...

First, the American government is chasing the drug cartels out of Mexico and that is why they are coming into Honduras and creating gang wars for control. This is an international problem that is not being handled well.

Second, Roatan IS a really safe place to live and visit. Like any place that permits gun ownership, incidents are bound to occur occasionally, and they are mostly drug related.

Third, pulling cruise ships from the Coxen Hole dock completely for six months of the past two summers has largely caused the dire economy which causes impoverished people to steal for survival.

Fourth, if the cruise lines who make huge sums of money from the attractive beauty of Roatan would contribute some of that wealth to effect the economic stability of the actual island and not their own cruise port shops, their would be less occasion for petty theft. It is important to see both sides of an issue and I don't feel Norwegian has been involved enough (or at all) in helping remedy the problems endemic to all the Central American countries it feeds itself from. Only by working together rather than threatening can we all prosper together...let's find a better way to ensure the safety not only of the cruise ship passengers, but the impoverished of the places they visit too.

 

 

Utter nonsense !!!! You can't post enough rhetoric to convince me that a person must kill another person and steal an electronic device because he is hungry. NOBODY is forced to kill and steal especially in a place where you can find food almost anywhere you look.

 

If that attitude prevails in Roatan, it goes a long way toward explaining why the crime rates are so high. If you give them sympathy, they will continue to do the things that are detrimental to establishing a viable society.

 

Money won't fix this kind of problem !!!!!

[michaelaz]

For those of you who demand the cruise lines stop visiting Roatan, consider they should also stop visiting Tampa, Miami, Galveston, Long Beach, New York, Seattle, Hawaii as well due to crime.

Now hopefully you get the idea.

[rvsullivan]

For those of you who demand the cruise lines stop visiting Roatan, consider they should also stop visiting Tampa, Miami, Galveston, Long Beach, New York, Seattle, Hawaii as well due to crime.

Now hopefully you get the idea.

 

And don't forget the State Department warning are more severe for Mexico and Belize. So NCL and the other lines should also drop all of the Western Caribbean?

So far no other cruise line has canceled Roatan for this week.

This is a sad event for this individual and his family! But look around and see how many other reports there have been in the last 10 years involving cruise ship passengers or crew in Roatan.

[Barb Nahoumi]

More and more cruiselines are creating private cruise centers hoping to keep passangers safely in and locals out. I know Royal has Labadee in Haiti and Carnival has a few including Grand Turk. Does NCL have any cruise centers in the works ?

 

NCL has Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas

[Barb Nahoumi]

Did I read that NCL is also giving up Samana?

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

For those of you who demand the cruise lines stop visiting Roatan, consider they should also stop visiting Tampa, Miami, Galveston, Long Beach, New York, Seattle, Hawaii as well due to crime.

 

Now hopefully you get the idea.

 

 

Ridiculous. I don't feel unsafe in any of those locations. I live in Chicago, and drive through the scariest areas everyday on my way home from work. I do not scare easily. Roataan, we got off the ship, got to the fence and said "no freakin way" and got back on the ship.

 

 

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