"Predator" Check?

[TheBeadPirate]

... at just how comprehensive the TSA/Customs work up is for cruise passengers. An acquaintence of ours was checking in for a DDCL cruise and was pulled out of line at the very first check in (where they compare ID to manifest) and escorted away. Turns out TSA had identified an outstanding ancient bench warrant related to failure to make a final judicial summary payment (it was related to a college era non-criminal issue, not sure but I gathered it was related to "smoking" something...)

Can you imagine sending your family off on the cruise while you go off to visit a college town jail and judge to settle a $300 fine?

We have seen a passenger also quietly taken aside when presenting his passport as he was going through customs on disembarkation day. Not sure if they kept him or what happened here but they seemed to be waiting/looking for him...

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

... at just how comprehensive the TSA/Customs work up is for cruise passengers. An acquaintence of ours was checking in for a DDCL cruise and was pulled out of line at the very first check in (where they compare ID to manifest) and escorted away. Turns out TSA had identified an outstanding ancient bench warrant related to failure to make a final judicial summary payment (it was related to a college era non-criminal issue, not sure but I gathered it was related to "smoking" something...)

Can you imagine sending your family off on the cruise while you go off to visit a college town jail and judge to settle a $300 fine?

We have seen a passenger also quietly taken aside when presenting his passport as he was going through customs on disembarkation day. Not sure if they kept him or what happened here but they seemed to be waiting/looking for him...

The TSA does a Wants & Warrants check on all passengers. Be sure to pay your parking tickets before you cruise!!

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Agreed. Many states are updating their laws to distinguish between "non-children" sex offenders and those involving children.

And if the person is an actual 'child' sex offender, I have no problem excluding them from living near playgrounds, schools, parks, daycare centers--or cruise ships with child care (which is pretty much all of the cruise lines). If the national registry doesn't make that 'child' distinction, it certainly needs to. But I see no reason to place a cruise ship in a "different" category than the currently excluded areas above.

As I said, restrictions for offenders for child-based offenses are a good thing so long as they are reasonable. I completely disagree with states that bar them from churches, where they can get some help.

Cruise ships can be placed in a different category for a couple of reasons.

1. As previously mentioned, the multi-national client base would prevent checking everyone so it would be discriminatory to only check Americans. You also would have no information on possible offenders from other countries.

2. Cruise ships are, technically, foreign soil. They have to abide by some of our laws but can, for the most part, completely ignore them at their whim because they are a foreign flagged vessel. They abide by the ones they do simply to keep the ability to sail out of/in to US ports.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

As I said, restrictions for offenders for child-based offenses are a good thing so long as they are reasonable. I completely disagree with states that bar them from churches, where they can get some help.

Cruise ships can be placed in a different category for a couple of reasons.

1. As previously mentioned, the multi-national client base would prevent checking everyone so it would be discriminatory to only check Americans. You also would have no information on possible offenders from other countries.

2. Cruise ships are, technically, foreign soil. They have to abide by some of our laws but can, for the most part, completely ignore them at their whim because they are a foreign flagged vessel. They abide by the ones they do simply to keep the ability to sail out of/in to US ports.

JMHO but I think nothing will change what turns them on. No church, therapy, etc. I know electric shock wouldn't make me suddenly change what I like.
For those with 2 or more convictions, they should never be released. Ever.

 

[MTmomma]

It might be important to note that most children who are sexually abused are abused by a family member. This means your yearly holiday gathering is a much more dangerous place than a cruise ship, statistically speaking.

Yup. Scary isn't it?

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

JMHO but I think nothing will change what turns them on. No church, therapy, etc. I know electric shock wouldn't make me suddenly change what I like.
For those with 2 or more convictions, they should never be released. Ever.

Well for the religiously-inclined, it may be an option. Some do learn to control themselves, whether through therapy, their deity of choice, or whatever. The vast majority do not though.

Enough electric shocks and I guarantee you'd change what you like...or be a vegetable. For purposes of reducing recidivism in sex offenders, either works for me.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

It might be important to note that most children who are sexually abused are abused by a family member. This means your yearly holiday gathering is a much more dangerous place than a cruise ship, statistically speaking.

Guess we need to ban families from cruises, parks, playgrounds, daycares and whatnot then.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

I agree with a PP. The vast majority of child molestations are perpetrated by close friends of the family or family members themselves. Molestations by strangers just grabbing a child at random, especially on a cruise ship, are extremely, extremely rare. You should be far more concerned about their daycare, visiting cousins, etc. than some child molester prowling the halls of DCL.

 

[m&m's mom]

I try to consider the odds and the real risk.
In the 12 yr history of DCL, 2 ships carrying 2400 passengers per sailing, Magic sailing weekly, Wonder sailing 2x/week so that's 7,200 passengers per week x 52 weeks = 374,400 per year x 12 years = 4,492,800 passengers sailed.
1 in 4.5 million? I think the odds are better to hit the lottery or be attacked by a shark in the ocean.

Just trying to be realistic, not paranoid. They have a higher risk crossing a neighborhood street to go to a friend's house.

I'm not saying it's impossible so I still teach my kids to apply "street smarts" on the ship.

Ds will be almost 14 on our sailing so those days of holding hands is long gone.

This really puts it in perspective for me.
I do not live my life on the "overly protective" side of things. I firmly believe in giving kids freedom so they have the confidence to make good decisions.
Our 8 year old had check out privledges on our 15 day cruise. If I had not been that open she would not have had an experience that she still lists as a highlight on her life. She went to get hot chocolate one night by herself and ran into Aly and AJ getting a drink as well. She got to talk to them for a little bit and was in heaven. Believe me- I was in bed and I was not going.
On our last cruise she had free reign as well. Turned out great.
I make my kids aware and teach them good judgment so they can make the best decisions.

 

[grits98]

Most sex offenders I witness (which is daily through work) are married or in a relationship. This is a little paranoid, and I don't mean that mean-spiritedly, I'm just saying I wouldn't target a lone male as being suspicious.

Totally agree. I think most people would be surprised how different a "typical" pedophile is from what they think he should look/be like. I think 80-90% of the pedophiles I've dealt with have been in relationships for a significant length of time.

Sounds like you and I have been dealing with a lot of the same types of people!

 

[Caropooh]

This really puts it in perspective for me.
I do not live my life on the "overly protective" side of things. I firmly believe in giving kids freedom so they have the confidence to make good decisions.
Our 8 year old had check out privledges on our 15 day cruise. If I had not been that open she would not have had an experience that she still lists as a highlight on her life. She went to get hot chocolate one night by herself and ran into Aly and AJ getting a drink as well. She got to talk to them for a little bit and was in heaven. Believe me- I was in bed and I was not going.
On our last cruise she had free reign as well. Turned out great.
I make my kids aware and teach them good judgment so they can make the best decisions.

My thoughts exactly! We were on that same cruise and our daughter was 9. She had full priviliges we trusted her to be aware and make good decisions. We knew if something had happened that she wasn't comfortable with, she would of let either a cast member know of her dad or I. One of her favorite memories is having lunch in the dining room just her and a friend! They both felt very grown up, even though they were only 9! I wouldn't want to take that away from her because of the "what if's."

Just this week at her middle school there was a man in the bushes on the border of the field that exposed himself to some of the students. They told a teacher who in turn let Security know. Unfortunatly the guy wasn't caught. In this case, there is nothing that we as parents could of done to prevent this. They were at school and out on the field for PE. The school obviously had no way of knowing it was going to happen. The police did search the surrounding area and a letter was sent home informing parents of the incident.

 

[kay1864]

Cruise ships can be placed in a different category for a couple of reasons.

1. As previously mentioned, the multi-national client base would prevent checking everyone so it would be discriminatory to only check Americans. You also would have no information on possible offenders from other countries.

Obviously this would apply only to cruises in/out of US ports, as the "encouragement" of cruise lines to adopt this would come from US legislators (or perhaps the TSA). If US ports, then the vast majority of these passengers are Americans, so it makes sense to check them against a US database. IMHO, better half a loaf (90%, really) than none.

2. Cruise ships are, technically, foreign soil. They have to abide by some of our laws but can, for the most part, completely ignore them at their whim because they are a foreign flagged vessel. They abide by the ones they do simply to keep the ability to sail out of/in to US ports.

Since sex offender passengers would never board, the territory of the physical ship is irrelevant. And while in port, cruise lines obey the laws of the port they're in--whatever that country happens to be.

 

[TDC Nala]

What exactly is it you're objecting to?

I'm objecting to running warrantless checks on people before permitting them to take a vacation, which could also include persons who are not in the category that is considered "undesirable," possibly resulting in immediate cancellation of their reservation without appeal. Would they get their money back? If there is an appeals process, what would the "branded" vacationer have to show Disney in order to prove they are not the person listed or that they are not a child molester? Fingerprints? The full background of the charge that landed them on that list? How long would the appeal take? It takes forever to get an error in one's criminal record corrected.

Not only that, there was a suggestion regarding letting a computer do the checking. Do you really want a computer belonging to the cruise line deciding if you are the person who matches that list or not, just over a vacation? (I can't even trust Disney computers regarding restaurant reservations.)

There's also stories that the online sex offender registries are not properly maintained in many states. Persons who should be taken off them are not. Persons who should be on them are not added.

If they do it for the ships they're going to be doing it for the parks next. There are children there too.

It is statistically true that most children who are molested, are molested by family members or someone the child knows well.

 

[Jey12]

Guess we need to ban families from cruises, parks, playgrounds, daycares and whatnot then.

I'm not understanding how this statement relates to the one you quoted from me? Children are more likely to be sexually abused by a family member or friend of the family. Banning families from public areas isn't going to reduce this number.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

I'm not understanding how this statement relates to the one you quoted from me? Children are more likely to be sexually abused by a family member or friend of the family. Banning families from public areas isn't going to reduce this number.

Sorry, guess I should have used a smiley. Sex offenders are banned from those places so if most cases involve family members...why not ban them from the same locations. Poorly worded attempt at humor on my part. My apologies.

 

[kay1864]

I'm objecting to running warrantless checks on people before permitting them to take a vacation,

As indicated in a PP, the TSA is already running such checks on cruise passengers.

which could also include persons who are not in the category that is considered "undesirable," possibly resulting in immediate cancellation of their reservation without appeal. Would they get their money back?

Of course. But note that this happens as part of the initial reservation process--not at the port, or at time of final payment.

If there is an appeals process, what would the "branded" vacationer have to show Disney in order to prove they are not the person listed or that they are not a child molester?

Obviously they would need to get their name removed from a sex offender registry first. However, it would be highly unusual for someone with the exact name and address to not already be aware they were on a sex offender registry.

Not only that, there was a suggestion regarding letting a computer do the checking. Do you really want a computer belonging to the cruise line deciding if you are the person who matches that list or not, just over a vacation?

Absolutely. As already mentioned, cruise lines send passenger lists already to the TSA. And it's not "just over a vacation", it's over a registered child sex offender spending several days residing near groups of children.

There's also stories that the online sex offender registries are not properly maintained in many states. Persons who should be taken off them are not. Persons who should be on them are not added.

Again, this is something that someone would already be aware of, and would have addressed in their home state. And if they make a reservation on a cruise line, and are rejected, then they could get it corrected on the registry, and make the reservation again.

If they do it for the ships they're going to be doing it for the parks next. There are children there too.

That's using the slippery slope argument, and it doesn't apply here. Parks don't require name and address; cruises do. Again, cruise lines ALREADY check US passengers against lists.

 

[Jey12]

Sorry, guess I should have used a smiley. Sex offenders are banned from those places so if most cases involve family members...why not ban them from the same locations. Poorly worded attempt at humor on my part. My apologies.

Oh gosh no worries! When I first read that I thought it was a funny, and then I got to thinking you had interpreted what I'd said wrong. So I was looking for clarification is all. I'm the person who doesn't even think a convicted child sex offender or those who are convicted of serious sex abuse charges deserve even a 2nd chance. This is a 1 strike and you're out kind of thing for me. I also don't think my tax dollars should go to keep them in prison either. As for what I think should be done I shouldn't say on here.

 

[CarolAnnC]

All the screening in the world won't make a cruise ship 100% safe. There will always be those who slip through the cracks, or decide to make their first criminal move on board a cruise, hence no prior history.

Safety begins with the family first. The responsibility to teach family members how to be safe and what to do when confronted with a bad situation is very important. Whether it is a cruise ship, the mall or your local downtown area, there are dangers everywhere. Set limits, and teach children how to be safe - and do what you think it takes to keep your children safe, so as a parent, you have no regrets.

 

[1stCruise]

Sorry to have upset some of you by asking if DCL does any kind of check for sex offenders.

I never expected to see all those responses. It seems clear that DCL does not do any kind of check, but that other governmental agencies do---although, it sounds like not for sex offenses. It also appears that many of you do not want any checks, and the cynic in me wonders what you're afraid they'd find out. JUST KIDDING!

Seriously, though, I do understand the concerns raised, and I as indicated in my original post, I really never gave the topic much thought until I read about the Wonder incident.

I was probably sloppy in my post, and do recognize the difference between the different types of sex offenders. The intent of my post regarded those who do terrible things to kids, not the 18 year old who gets in trouble because he's kissing his 16 year old girlfriend, and her father presses charges.

I totally agree that safety needs to start in the home, just like everything else. But I also know that unfortunate things happen to kids no matter how much we talk to them.

Finally, just to clarify one response posted, I was not inferring that a DCL kid is more important than any other kid. I may be wrong, but I consider DCL as catering to kids more than the other cruise lines. As such, if those kinds of checks were done in the industry, I would think DCL would be at the forefront, more than a cruise line that does not cater so much to kids.

Thanks again for all of your responses...

 

[sissy_ib]

If you start banning people from a cruise ship you have to start banning them from everywhere. What about a hotel? Airplanes? Movie theaters? The grocery store? There are children there. Is the local fast food place going to be required to install facial recognition programs to keep unwanted people out? Child molesters are below the scum of the earth, but it is not up to the public to decide where they can and can not go. Like it has been pointed out, there is a check done, just not by Disney. Just like it is not up to airlines to do a check to see if a person is on the terrorist watch list, the government handles it. I also don't know how the laws work, but if a person is found guilty of child molestation, do they need to report when they leave the country or their local area?