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Carnival Cruise Lines

Crime in Port

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Barbara of Tampa (2/20/04):
I am writing to apprise you of a most serious and distressing incident that occurred while in port at St. Maarten during what was long-planned to be a very special annual family cruise on the Carnival Legend. We sailed on January 8th, 2004 and arrived back on the 16th. At the outset of our much anticipated family cruise, I purchased four tickets for the shore excursion "Everything's Cool Beach Day". My Mom - age 73, my sister - 53, and my younger sister � 43, went ashore about 11:15 am. We shopped and had lunch at the �Everything�s Cool Beach Day� restaurant. We had, as part of our package, lunch, two free drinks, a locker, and a beach mat! The four of us redeemed our coupons for lunch, ordered just one drink each, and sat together until 1:30 pm. The four of us proceeded to the beach where my younger sister and I rented two beach lounge chairs for $10 US from a young man named Gavin who worked for the shore excursion!

My sister and I carried our alcoholic beverage from the bar/restaurant and set it in the sand beside our chairs. My mom and older sister made their way back to the ship. This young man, Gavin, sat with us and talked for a while before we were joined by three of his friends who said their names were Les, Matthew, and Dwight. We all talked for a while � innocent conversation about where we were from and what kind of work we did. During this time a number of women approached us on the beach selling various items, which both my sister and I purchased. At approximately 2:45 pm my sister and I started to feel that something was wrong, as if we had too much to drink � although we had not even finished the one drink we had.

We gathered our belongings and started to leave the beach. At no time did we leave our belongings unattended on the beach and go into the water. We did not use the lockers as they appeared to be insecure (being a wooden draw) and also did not get the beach float to use in the water. As we walked on the beach together, heading toward the pier to get the water taxi back to the ship, we started to stagger and fall. We grabbed hold of one another desperately trying to stand up and walk. Unable to do so with much dignity at all we sought assistance from a couple also heading back to the ship! They were extremely kind and DID help us.

After arriving at the ship and clearing x-ray we became more and more �out of control� and continued to beg for help from the same young couple to help get us back to our room! Again they kindly and graciously agreed although, I am sure with some reservation and embarrassment! We arrived back at our rooms, crawling the length of our corridor causing rug burns on our knees, where the couple knocked on our room doors for my sister who I was rooming with, and my Mom who my sister was rooming with, and asked if they knew us. Mortified at our physical condition, both my Mom and sister said "YES" and helped us in. My younger sister fell face first through her door and promptly vomited. We continued to feel worse not to say EMBARRASSED, unable to stand or see clearly! At this time the four of us, now in one room (my Mom's Rm 4235), crying, staggering and falling, were joined by our WONDERFUL room steward "THOMAS" who came to clean-up the vomit and ready the room for the night!

Unfortunately we could not even compose ourselves whilst he was in our presence. By 5:30 pm I was in my own room and my sister in hers � both in our beds and passed out! We both slept until the following morning, awaking with NO hangover whatsoever, remembering all that took place and feeling stupid, publicly embarrassed, horrified and scared. That day (MONDAY), and only after considerable thought, I went to the purser�s desk with my Mom and reported the incident to "RADKA" who was kind, compassionate and comforting! I showed Radka numerous bruises on both arms that were the direct result of my sister and I holding on to one another in our desperate effort to stand and walk back to the ship!

My sister and I can arrive at no other conclusion but that we were drugged without our knowledge whilst on that beach! It is often said that �hindsight is a wonderful thing� � well this to me was something I might warn my own children about but did not expect would happen to myself, at age 48, and my sister � particularly on a shore excursion advertised by Carnival Cruise Lines. My primary purpose for reporting this incident is to apprise you so that, in the future, you can provide specific warnings with regard to staying SAFE while on shore at the ports of call, particularly those passengers purchasing the "Everything's Cool Beach Day" excursion.

I believe that Carnival Cruise Lines has an obligation to conduct an investigation of this incident and to issue appropriate warnings should the "Everything's Cool Beach Day" excursion be continued.

For the remainder of the cruise I left the ship only at the terminals, in both Barbados and Martinique, maintaining comfort and security and avoiding further public embarrassment by staying close to the ship with all my family members. Although I purchased a drink for my Mom and older sister, my younger sister and I carried a soft drink (plastic with a screw-on top) for the remainder of the cruise. We were determined not to allow ANYONE an opportunity to take advantage of us again! To say the very least, this incident cast a shadow on the rest of our cruise! People that do these types of things are professional predators and are rarely reported or held accountable for their actions! After all, we were on vacation, having a good time! Apparently, in some people�s minds this translates to �letting your guard down�, so allowing people like that to take advantage of two vulnerable women. Fortunately we were not hurt physically, nor were we robbed of cash or belongings, or sexually molested in anyway that we know of. Yet, emotionally, we are all deeply shaken and scarred for life! Without responsible safeguards, this can obviously happen again.

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