Cruise for Middle Schooler

[kaytieeldr]

I'm not even 100% sure that I could always reach them by cell phone on a ship.

Years and years and years and years before there were cell phones, there were ship to shore phones. Still are. Cheap, no - but it's how people on land communicated with people on cruise ships for decades. No, a cell phone probably won't keep you in touch with a person on a ship. No cell towers in the ocean. Sometimes "old" technology is still the best.

For what it's worth, and without knowing any safety or drug issues in the area - given the information the OP provided (three night cruise out of California, one stop = a port in Mexico) it's entirely likely the ship is stopping somewhere in the Baja Peninsula- not Puerto Vallarta, or the other popular Mexican Riviera ports.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The cruise lines hush it up and when she gets home, the US has no power to help her out.

Not necessarily true. See http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/cruise-ship-crime-and-security

Also, according to http://www.advertisingcrossing.com/article/170272/Cruise-shio-crime-jurisdiction-often-murky, "Under the federal Ports and Waterways Safety Act, U.S. authorities have jurisdictions over ships carrying U.S. passengers or sailing to and from U.S. ports - even if the vessels sail under foreign flags or outside U.S. territorial waters"

 

[IDoDis]

How is taking a Carnival Cruise, part of the definition of being a scout? Whatever happened to camping, backpacking, sewing, singing at nursing homes, making care packages for the homeless, arts & crafts, etc...? Seriously -- is there a badge with a cruise ship on it?

I could see MAYBE something special for the last year of scouting, but certainly not once a year starting at age 11. That is nuts!

My answer would be a big resounding NO!

 

[Gigi22]

I haven't read the entire thread--but I was on a week long educational cruise many years ago as a senior in high school. We were fairly well chaperoned by our teachers and some parents; even so, the majority of students on the cruise managed underaged drinking somehow (we were in Europe) with a few becoming quite ill. So, on that basis alone, I would recommend against participating in this trip.

 

[tink15823]

There are rules as you know for GS leaders and trips must be approved. Has the council approved a trip to Mexico? I think the adult/child ratio at 12 does go up to 10 girls per adult. How many leaders are going and how do the other parents feel? Are they actually going to get off the ship in Mexico?

ratio is 1/7 for a trip of this size . I would also be asking about the liability insurance the troop should take out a extra policy . We live a couple hours from Niagara Falls and its a lot of hoops to go threw cant imagine Mexico

 

[DawnM]

Absolutely not! My children would not be going without one of us attending.

 

[EMom]

Not necessarily true. See http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/cruise-ship-crime-and-security

Also, according to http://www.advertisingcrossing.com/article/170272/Cruise-shio-crime-jurisdiction-often-murky, "Under the federal Ports and Waterways Safety Act, U.S. authorities have jurisdictions over ships carrying U.S. passengers or sailing to and from U.S. ports - even if the vessels sail under foreign flags or outside U.S. territorial waters"

Laws on the books and laws in reality are often two different things, especially when multiple jurisdictions (who knows how many countries) are involved. No US authority is onboard to stop the room where the assault took place from being cleaned and thus cleared of evidence. They're not there to take samples (rape kit) for DNA from the victim. They have no way of stopping the suspect from getting off at one port and never getting back on the ship. It's very difficult to get witness statements days, or even weeks after the fact when all those passengers have departed the ship for their home destinations. Who do you even question with all those people onboard who are now off the ship and back home? If security tapes are taped over every X number of hours, by the time the ship gets back to the US, there's nothing helpful on them. So it gets back to he said/she said. He can't be detained on THAT, so he sails off.

The logistics are problematic in conducting an investigation and bringing anyone to justice, to say the least. There are some out there who will take advantage of this.

 

[Ava]

I haven't read the entire thread--but I was on a week long educational cruise many years ago as a senior in high school. We were fairly well chaperoned by our teachers and some parents; even so, the majority of students on the cruise managed underaged drinking somehow (we were in Europe) with a few becoming quite ill. So, on that basis alone, I would recommend against participating in this trip.

The legal drinking age in much of Europe is 16-18 years old, so seniors in high school may very well have been of legal drinking age in the countries they visited. The fact that some drank excessively & became ill is unfortunate but it doesn't mean they broke any laws. I spent a month in England on an exchange program my senior year of high school, was 18, went to pubs & drank alcohol. All legally. Alcohol consumption isn't as big of a deal in Europe as it is here, many countries allow teenagers to drink alcohol at restaurants with adult supervision. My sister went to France on a school trip when she was in high school, I think sophomore or junior year. My mom went on the trip as well and allowed her to try wine with dinner. Very much legal there.