TRIGGER--Very Sad RCL Story

I don’t blame the grandfather, but I think it’s horrible for them to try to blame the cruise line. It was a horrible accident. Nothing to sue over.
Don't know the full details but I happen to agree with this. It was a stupid move that only took 1 second to become tragic. Can't imagine the agony he is going through wishing to take that moment/decision back and it's just heartbreaking for that child and the family...but to blame the cruise ship is ridiculous. It's a window. I know the exact area they mean and some of those windows are open to get a clear view out. They are not going to completely enclose the ship in a closed box.
 
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I saw an article today where the Puerto Rican authorities may press charges against the family. That makes it sound more like he sat the child in the railing.
 
I saw an article today where the Puerto Rican authorities may press charges against the family. That makes it sound more like he sat the child in the railing.

He admitted he STOOD her on the railing and then LET GO of her momentarily. At least, that is the "official" story that the lawyer is telling on behalf of the family. Even with a closed window, this would be seen as an act of child endangerment, due to the height of the railing and the age of the child. This will likely be treated the same as if this had been an open railing anywhere else on the ship. Puerto Rican officials are within their right to press charges if they feel it is warranted.
 
From what I read, he didn't realize that there wasn't a pane of glass there. He thought all the openings had panes in them. I don't mean this to be judgmental, I really don't, but from the pix it seems obvious that some have blue tinted glass panes and some are open to below. But we all make little mistakes every day and if we are lucky in life, it won't result in any harm. This is such a tragedy.

When something like this happens, no matter how or why it happened, I would think the cruiseline asks themselves what could we have done anything to prevent this. From the pix posted here, I don't know what they could do to make it more obvious. The open panes were at adult height. The actual glass panes appear to be tinted blue. If it was completely glassed there would be no cross breeze. The only way a child would get up there is if an adult held the child up, and I guess they just assume no one would do that..
 


The only thing I can think of would be to have the windows that tilt but do not open all the way. This ship is older and as far as I can tell, this is the first incident of this kind that has happened. That does not make it any easier for this poor family, though.
 
I will not comment on the lawsuit itself other than this: I wasn't there so I'll let the judge decide if the lawsuit is ridiculous or not. He/She will have all the proof in his/her hands and will make a decision.

No amount will ever replace a precious life that was lost and I feel like every time a tragedy happens and there's a suit, people jump on the "money" side of it and the human side tend to... "get out the window" (Yikes. Sorry, that's the only expression that comes to my french canadian mind and I feel terrible using it in this context.)

No amount will ever replace a precious life that was lost and cruise lines have insurance just for that. So why bother so much about money that does not come out of our pockets?
 
There is an old joke that America was founded based on the right to sue people.

The process needs to play itself out, so I guess we'll see if this goes very far. I don't think it will, but we shall see.

In the meantime, the lawsuit takes away from a very real tragedy, and I feel for the family.
 


I will not comment on the lawsuit itself other than this: I wasn't there so I'll let the judge decide if the lawsuit is ridiculous or not. He/She will have all the proof in his/her hands and will make a decision.

No amount will ever replace a precious life that was lost and I feel like every time a tragedy happens and there's a suit, people jump on the "money" side of it and the human side tend to... "get out the window" (Yikes. Sorry, that's the only expression that comes to my french canadian mind and I feel terrible using it in this context.)

No amount will ever replace a precious life that was lost and cruise lines have insurance just for that. So why bother so much about money that does not come out of our pockets?

Well, except that companies have to pay insurance premiums for liability insurance, and the more the insurance pays out, the more the premiums increase and that expense is undoubtedly passed to consumers.
 
It won’t prevent anything unless they can enclose the ship in a box. Next thing someone sues because they dropped their child off their personal balcony ledge. Personal responsibility comes into play.

Just because people sue doesn't mean they're going to win.
 
I went back and looked at my cruise pictures from last year on the liberty of the seas. I know that this is not the ship this horrible tragedy happened on, but even from our tender you can tell what windows are open on the ship. I am also trying to figure out the "kids play area" the family's lawyer keeps referencing. I don't remember seeing such a place (but I haven't cruise on royal for very long) As previously stated horrible accident but just that it was an accident.
 
I went back and looked at my cruise pictures from last year on the liberty of the seas. I know that this is not the ship this horrible tragedy happened on, but even from our tender you can tell what windows are open on the ship. I am also trying to figure out the "kids play area" the family's lawyer keeps referencing. I don't remember seeing such a place (but I haven't cruise on royal for very long) As previously stated horrible accident but just that it was an accident.
It was near the seating area near the kids splash area. Describing it as a kids play area is very inaccurate. They make it sound like a glass enclosed nursery.
 
IMO, common sense would have prevented this from happening.

I can't comment because I read different versions about the incident and I'm not sure where the truth lies. (Also, I'm no eye doctor but it's still possible that grandpa's eyesight wasn't 100%.)

Also, when the death is an accident, preventable or not, I'm more into the human side of it than on the legal side of it (even tough my work is related to justice).
 
Have you been on the cruise ship? No one is going to confuse the area around the pool as a "dining hall", regardless of whether someone eats out there. Issues with translation are another reason to not accept the first accounts.

Yep. Twice.

Have you seen a variety of buildings with dining halls in them? I have. And I think it could be described as such, by someone trying to figure out how to describe it.
 
Yep. Twice.

Have you seen a variety of buildings with dining halls in them? I have. And I think it could be described as such, by someone trying to figure out how to describe it.
Huh? Just because buildings have dining halls means every area that has tables is a dining hall? There are a number of places on the ship that can be described as a dining hall... MDR, WJ, maybe even the promenade. The pool deck? No. I don't think anyone would walk onto the pool deck and say "hey, this is the dining hall".
 
An awful tragedy.
Allegedly..
.The child did not get to the window without being lifted/placed at/on it and that is the Cause of the entire Awful, sad, sickening situation.
The rapidly retained atty is there to spin the story, garner support, throw blame and do what he can to diffuse the possible non empathetic ( seemingly more rational for many) belief that the Adult is the only cause for the
Tragedy that occurred. He’s just doing his job.
The first statements/pictures are typically the Most Accurate. No amount of pointing blame or financial gain will ever minimize the loss of this precious child. Negligence seems obvious here, but that doesn’t lessen the pain or loss.
Prayers for the family.
 
The grandfather said he picked up the kid and sat or stood her on the edge of a railing so that she could "bang on the glass" because he knew she enjoyed doing that in other circumstances. He says he didn't realize the window he picked was actually open. The windows are tinted, so it's possible he was concentrating on the kid and not paying attention to the window itself. A lawyer who gave his opinion on this in the press said that he thought the parents' lawsuit would be dismissed by the judge without ever making it to a jury, based on whether RCCL should have reasonably foreseen that someone would pick up a young child in order to purposely allow the child to lean on a window the child couldn't reach on their own. There's also the thought that it's likely not wise to let a kid bang on window glass 11 stories up, even if there is glass present.

If the case does get to a jury, they could split liability, especially if they feel sorry for the grandfather and/or can be convinced to find against the corporate behemoth. But it appears to be a complete accident. I've never before heard of anyone picking up a kid to let it bang on the ship's windows.

The news said the area was a "kids play area, " apparently getting that terminology from the family's attorney, but it appears to have been the pool deck and there was a children's splash pool in the general area. Media made it sound like there was an open window in the kids' club or nursery.
 
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