> So are we going to start blaming cruise lines for
> the irresponsible behavior of their guests?
No. But people traveling to/on these destinations need to
know how weak-to-nonexistent their recourse is when "bad"
things happen.
> Good grief, there is a common thread to these incidents.
Indeed - personal irresponsibility abounds in the top
two in the news.
We only even hear about the egregious cases (and the
epidemics). Most of the thefts, rapes, assaults, esp.
on the ships, get very effectively and quietly covered
up / bribed away.
I'm not saying there aren't instances of rape where a person who is not impaired by alcool or drugs they have knowingly consumed gets victimized. I AM saying that these things can generally be avoided by being careful not to trust strangers and over indulge in drinking. There are 2 to 3 thousand people on every cruise ship that leaves port, plus crewmembers from around the world. There are going to be crimes wherever you have all these elements.