Teen dies on a winter break cruise...

[rentayenta]

Devastating for the family. My thoughts go out to them.

 

[manateesmom]

That's a load of garbage. This kind of thing happens at home, in high schools and colleges all over the country. WAY more often than it does on ANY cruise line.........


And if you see the post above, a quote from a family member, then the parents share the blame. I'd read that they weren't in the same room with their son all night......they took responsibilty, rather than let the cruise line's medical center do it, and now they have to live with that decision.

Agreed. This is not, and should not be, about demonizing one particular cruise line over another. But teens drink too much and get alcohol poisoning on land. IMO, it's the same parenting failure to supervise and educate kids on responsibility.

To some extent, there may be a "cruise" aspect that worsens this - I do agree with the alleged Royal Caribbean quote above that the cruise is not a babysitting service. I've seen lots of parents abdicate responsibility for their kids because "it's my vacation, too," and while I have no idea if that was what happened here, I think there's a greater risk of teens getting into trouble on cruise lines (any line) than at home because of that mentality that mom and dad deserve a break and someone else is responsible for the kids. There are lots of discussions about how much "freedom" tweens and teens get on ships, and lots of people whom I otherwise respect and admire make choices in this area that make me uncomfortable about the level of supervision. It's plain to me, though, that there are different choices made about supervision on cruise ships versus an ordinary night at home.

 

[mbrocker]

What a shame. Children forget that alcohol is a poison. Getting drunk isn't the only consequence of overindulging. This happens anywhere that young people congregate and party. Homes, schools, cruise ships, hotels, etc.

My heart goes out to his poor family.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Praying for the family

Heather

 

[justmestace]

I thought you didn't want this to turn into a debate. You are all over these boards arguing with people when something bad happens on a Carnival ship. No one in this thread made any derogatory remarks except for you. So, please heed your own advice and steer this thread back on topic.

I didn't specify any particular cruise line. But you just did.
And with the comment of "booze, booze, booze", most of us know which cruise line the other person was talking about also. I made no derogatory comments.

 

[lbgraves]

ITA that this could happen at home. Way back when -- kids use to break into their parents' liquor cabinets during parties starting in 5th grade. I would call to be picked up then. The drinking continued through school and today there is much more kids get into that they shouldn't. The parents probably would have handled this at home the same way they did on the ship. They would have taken the kid home and put him to bed to sleep it off. If he was in his own room at home, the brother wouldn't have been there to hear him struggling. He would have then been found when everyone else woke up. They may not have realized what could happen so thought he would be fine since he was "safe" in bed. It makes me wonder if anything would have been different if the parents had put him in their room. They would have been sleeping and been woken up by the same sounds the brother was, possibly with the same results. Perhaps there wasn't another bed for their son to sleep on in their room? No matter what, this is tragic.

 

[justmestace]

Agreed. This is not, and should not be, about demonizing one particular cruise line over another. But teens drink too much and get alcohol poisoning on land. IMO, it's the same parenting failure to supervise and educate kids on responsibility.

To some extent, there may be a "cruise" aspect that worsens this - I do agree with the alleged Royal Caribbean quote above that the cruise is not a babysitting service. I've seen lots of parents abdicate responsibility for their kids because "it's my vacation, too," and while I have no idea if that was what happened here, I think there's a greater risk of teens getting into trouble on cruise lines (any line) than at home because of that mentality that mom and dad deserve a break and someone else is responsible for the kids. There are lots of discussions about how much "freedom" tweens and teens get on ships, and lots of people whom I otherwise respect and admire make choices in this area that make me uncomfortable about the level of supervision. It's plain to me, though, that there are different choices made about supervision on cruise ships versus an ordinary night at home.

I don't know....as a parent of three....youngest age 19.....I think the same parents who are going to let their kids run free on a vacation are the same ones who aren't paying attention to what they do at home also.

We booked suites when we cruised with our kids because we specifically wanted to KNOW when they were or were not back in the room at night. We never let them have their own stateroom.

 

[justmestace]

ITA that this could happen at home. Way back when -- kids use to break into their parents' liquor cabinets during parties starting in 5th grade. I would call to be picked up then. The drinking continued through school and today there is much more kids get into that they shouldn't. The parents probably would have handled this at home the same way they did on the ship. They would have taken the kid home and put him to bed to sleep it off. If he was in his own room at home, the brother wouldn't have been there to hear him struggling. He would have then been found when everyone else woke up. They may not have realized what could happen so thought he would be fine since he was "safe" in bed. It makes me wonder if anything would have been different if the parents had put him in their room. They would have been sleeping and been woken up by the same sounds the brother was, possibly with the same results. Perhaps there wasn't another bed for their son to sleep on in their room? No matter what, this is tragic.

This is going to sound judgemental and I really don't mean it to be that way, but the parents didn't want to pay the medical center fee, so they took him back to the room. It sounds like the brother and the father got to the young man fairly quickly....even if he'd been in the room with the father (reportedly a paramedic or some such) I'm not sure if that would have been enough to save the boy. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I know those parents will be hating themselves forever, for making the decision they made. Bed or no bed, one of them could have/should have, slept on the floor with him. But who knew that would happen??
Just terribly sad all the way around.

 

[manateesmom]

I guess here's a question - does a cruise ship infirmary have the ability to test blood alcohol levels? Knowing how bad it was may have influenced the decision to let the kid sleep it off in his room If it were apparent that he was dangerously intoxicated and not just drunk, maybe he would have stayed in the infirmary, or could they induce vomiting/pump his stomach? Just wondering. I have to imagine that badly intoxicated people, both teens and adults, are a fact of life at any vacation destination, certainly including cruise ships.

 

[justmestace]

I guess here's a question - does a cruise ship infirmary have the ability to test blood alcohol levels? Knowing how bad it was may have influenced the decision to let the kid sleep it off in his room If it were apparent that he was dangerously intoxicated and not just drunk, maybe he would have stayed in the infirmary, or could they induce vomiting/pump his stomach? Just wondering. I have to imagine that badly intoxicated people, both teens and adults, are a fact of life at any vacation destination, certainly including cruise ships.

I don't know for a fact that they do have the means to test blood alcohol, but I DO know that they have the ability to perform drug tests on the crew members....so I may be assuming too much, but my guess would be that yes, they could have done a blood alcohol.

 

[sayhello]

I didn't specify any particular cruise line. But you just did.
And with the comment of "booze, booze, booze", most of us know which cruise line the other person was talking about also. I made no derogatory comments.

Thank you for assuming you know what I mean. I've sailed on 4 different cruiselines (and Carnival is not one of them) and the "booze, booze, booze" mentality has been present to some degree on all of them (more on some than others). And that *includes* DCL.

Sayhello

 

[bahacca]

My heart goes out to that family.

 

[kuhltiffany]

So sad...I can't even imagine what that family is going through.


Does DCL have any way of putting ages on the room keys? Just wondering if/how people can be "carded" on the cruise when ordering drinks so they don't have to carry ID...

 

[sayhello]

So sad...I can't even imagine what that family is going through.


Does DCL have any way of putting ages on the room keys? Just wondering if/how people can be "carded" on the cruise when ordering drinks so they don't have to carry ID...

I don't think it's actually written on the KTTW cards, but if they are swiped, they can tell how old you are.

Sayhello

 

[anna08]

If he died from aspiration (vomiting and then having vomit enter your airways), then it's possible that observation in the med center might not have even prevented his death. The only positive thing to come out of this, is that every student in his school, and all who hear of the story, may be a bit more wary about drinking alcohol to such an extent, or stop a friend before they become so drunk. So hopefully this story might save another's life. It should be shared with other teenagers.

 

[justmestace]

So sad...I can't even imagine what that family is going through.


Does DCL have any way of putting ages on the room keys? Just wondering if/how people can be "carded" on the cruise when ordering drinks so they don't have to carry ID...

The actual age isn't on there, but there is a difference between the legal ADULT cards and the non-adult cards.

Kids don't have to get liquor from the bars. Their parents and their friends' parents carry on a ton of it. All they have to do is swipe a bottle. Just like at home.

Maybe DCL should reconsider their policy of allowing people to bring alcohol onboard, in light of this incident.

 

[cgolf]

The actual age isn't on there, but there is a difference between the legal ADULT cards and the non-adult cards.

Kids don't have to get liquor from the bars. Their parents and their friends' parents carry on a ton of it. All they have to do is swipe a bottle. Just like at home.

Maybe DCL should reconsider their policy of allowing people to bring alcohol onboard, in light of this incident.

Personally I think what happened was a tradgedy.

I do feel that limiting what can be brought on would be overeacting to an isolated event. If the kids really want the booze they will find a way to get it (somebody buy it for them maybe?).

We personally have an open bar in our house that is well stocked, and our DD (15) nows that it is off limits for her and is not interested. If she did swipe something, she would be duelly punished and told how and why it is bad. That being said we are also responsible drinkers so we teach her that too.

It is on the parents to parent their children. If they let there kids swipe booze without punishment than that is bad on them, lets not punish all for isolated events.

FYI I am not making any judgement on the parents in this case, just responding to the above comment.

cgolf

 

[McDonald5]

The actual age isn't on there, but there is a difference between the legal ADULT cards and the non-adult cards.

Kids don't have to get liquor from the bars. Their parents and their friends' parents carry on a ton of it. All they have to do is swipe a bottle. Just like at home.

Maybe DCL should reconsider their policy of allowing people to bring alcohol onboard, in light of this incident.

So we should punish those who are RESPONSIBLE on DCL, b/c of a freak incident that happened in a COMPLETELY different way on ANOTHER cruise line? Yah, that makes total sense. I'm sure you are aware that on Carnival, you aren't allowed to bring ANY alcohol onboard so your point is moot.

Like someone else said, you seem to be jumping to the defense of Carnival before anyone even attacked them so perhaps you should take your own advice and quit being so divisive. And at the same time, you're attacking and blaming the parents (twice that I saw) when you know very little information at all. And even still, do you honestly think that that is what is needed right now? Do you think the same thing couldn't have happened to your children b/c you are such a superior parent? I can tell you that my parents were EXTREMELY strict and didn't let me out of their sight except to go to school and work and yet I still found plenty of opportunities to do things that were extremely stupid and could have had permanent consequences. Kids will find a way to do anything they really want to do. You can put up road-blocks (and should). But just know that nothing will stop a teenager from doing something they know they shouldn't do, but want to do, anyway.

 

[Mom323]

So sad...I can't even imagine what that family is going through.


Does DCL have any way of putting ages on the room keys? Just wondering if/how people can be "carded" on the cruise when ordering drinks so they don't have to carry ID...

They have an A for adult, M for minor and a B ( I think) for the 18-20 year olds. This may have changed with the new RFID cards.

 

[MrsScooby]

If he died from aspiration (vomiting and then having vomit enter your airways), then it's possible that observation in the med center might not have even prevented his death. The only positive thing to come out of this, is that every student in his school, and all who hear of the story, may be a bit more wary about drinking alcohol to such an extent, or stop a friend before they become so drunk. So hopefully this story might save another's life. It should be shared with other teenagers.

Just spoke about this with my teen.
I am pretty sure that many people aren't aware that there is such a thing as alcohol poisoning. I do recall in college where one boy was taken to the infirmary and watched because he drank so much his friends were concerned about his breathing.

Always a good idea to remind your kids about safety issues. You can't follow them everywhere and at some point you have to just hope that at least some of what you teach them sticks.