After the uncalled for and insensitive remarks of the CEO of Carnival Cruise; the family of missing Honeymoon groom, George Smith, demanded an apology and his resignation. Last week the CEO of Carnival Cruise, Robert Dickinson, called the incident of the disappearance of George Smith aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship a “nonevent.”
Relatives of George Smith the fourth say they are upset that Carnival Corporation Chief Executive Robert Dickinson called the incident a “nonevent” at a cruise shipping convention on Tuesday.
Smith’s family sent a letter to Carnival today, objecting to Dickinson’s comments.
Dickinson issued a statement saying his comments were part of a larger discussion on cruise industry issues and were not meant to minimize the tragedy of Smith’s disappearance. He said he regrets any pain he may have caused the family.
(WTNH)
The statement made by Robert Dickinson was not only callous but one of the more stupid PR blunders in a recent slew of PR nightmares for the cruise ship industry. While attending a cruise industry convention last Tuesday Dickinson let everyone know exactly what his company thinks of its paying passengers. If anything were to unfortunately happen to any of the millions that frequent Carnival Cruise every year, it would be a nonevent. This is in essence what the CEO is saying about the patrons of his company. The comments that he made at the conference were as follows:
According to the letter, Dickinson said cable news networks were looking for another high-profile crime to cover after the Scott Peterson murder case and the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba.
“And so now comes the Smith case. But I mean, it’s a nonevent. It’s more entertainment than anything else,” Dickinson said, according to the family’s letter.
“The facts of the case, the story of the husband and wife, the bride and groom, and it’s just absolutely bizarre, but it has nothing to do with safety on cruise ships. And the fact that we have to get up here and defend our safety record is absurd,” Dickinson said, according to the letter.
(Newsday)
The family of George Smith was obviously outraged.
Smith’s family called the comments “despicable.”
“The lack of compassion illustrated by Mr. Dickinson in calling George’s murder a ‘nonevent’ is beyond belief,” Smith’s family wrote. “His view that George’s murder is a ‘nonevent’ is definitely not shared by George’s family and friends whose lives have been devastated by his murder and the subsequent cover-up by Royal Caribbean.”
Robert Dickinson, Carnival Cruise CEO, realizing the PR blunder and the nightmare and firestorm this had created offered a delayed letter of explanation as to his comments.
“My comments were within a larger discussion on cruise industry issues and were not meant to minimize the tragedy of George Smith’s disappearance,” Dickinson said. “I regret any pain my comments may have caused his family.”
With the spot light of the media, individuals and Congress taking a close look at the cruise ship industry due to a perceived lack of safety aboard ships and alleged cover ups of crimes, this was about the last thing a cruise ship official needed to say.
Nonevent article
Carnival president Bob Dickinson is blaming the media for making the public believe there is an increase in crime on board cruise ships. He calls Smith’s disappearance a “non-issue” that was hyped by cable news.
“It’s a non-event,” he said. “It’s more entertainment than anything else. The facts of the case, the story of a husband and wife, the bride and groom. It’s just so absolutely bizarre.”
Dickinson told an assembled crowd that he has had to defend cruise safety because of the Smith case. He called that absurd.
March 16th, 2006 at 11:52pm
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Cruise ship, George Allen Smith IV, Missing, Missing Adult |
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Authorities are completely baffled over the disappearance of the entire Stivers family. They were headed to the coast on March 4 in their motor home and have not been 
heard from.
Police in Oregon are baffled by the disappearance of an entire family. Peter Stivers, his wife Marlo, their two children and his parents have been missing for 12 days. The family left Ashland, Ore., on March 4, headed for the coast in a motor home, and hasn’t been heard from since.
The family was only supposed to have been gone for one day. They have not been heard from and there has been no activity on the families band accounts.
Hill reported the family missing on March 8, three days after they had been expected home and says that so far, the police are stumped. “They know nothing,” she told Syler. “We all think it’s just bizarre. It’s just like they vanished. We have no information since their disappearance.”
One important piece of information is that there has been no activity in the family’s bank accounts, which leads police to think this is not a case of foul play. “They are concentrating on a search and rescue at this point,” said Mock.
(CBS News)
If anyone with information about the case to call the Ashland Police Department at (541) 482-5211.
(35-foot, brown and white Dolphin motorhome with Arizona plates.)
Police searching for missing Ashland family
Six members of a family are more than a week late returning from a trip to the coast, and Ashland police say the circumstances are suspicious.
Peter Stivers and Marlo Hill-Stivers left March 4 for what was expected to be an overnight trip. They brought along their two children and Peter Stivers’ visiting parents.
Sgt. Robert Smith said the couple’s ATM card hasn’t been used and calls to Hill-Stivers’ cell phone go directly to her voice mail.
(Seattle Times)
Aerial search fails to find missing Ashland family
An aerial search has failed to find an Ashland family of four and two in-laws from Arizona who have been missing since March 4.
(KATU2)
March 16th, 2006 at 07:57pm
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Missing, Missing Adult |
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The search continues in Narragansett Bay for the three missing students who were last seen leaving a party and getting into a row boat in the early morning hours. They have not been seen from since.
The missing students — Daniel Donahue, 20; Geoffrey Wilkes, 18; and Fandia Shloul, 21 — left a small off-campus party early Monday morning and launched a borrowed row boat in heavy fog.
Search and dive teams have continued their efforts to locate the missing students to no avail. The Coast Guard called off a rescue effort on Tuesday.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is leading the search with help from the State Police and Narragansett authorities.
(Boston Globe)
Coast Guard ends search for missing R.I. students
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — The Coast Guard called off its search Tuesday evening for three University of Rhode Island students who disappeared after taking a row boat out on Narragansett Bay.
The halt came after two days of efforts by federal, state and local officials to find Daniel Donahue, 20, Geoffrey Wilkes, 18, and Fandia Shloul, 21.
Even though the searches have been called off, the three students have not been declared dead. However, if they remained in the water for any period of time the chances of survival are slim at best.
More than 175 people had participated in the rescue attempt by late Tuesday afternoon using seven boats and three helicopters. Martin called it the largest search conducted in Rhode Island waters in at least 15 years.
(Rutland Herald)
March 16th, 2006 at 07:10pm
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Missing, Missing College Student, Search and Rescue |
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Sally Blackwell, 53, had been missing since Tuesday morning when she didn’t show up for work. The woman had recently complained of threats that had been made against her.
A Child Protective Services worker whose body was found Wednesday in rural Victoria County had spoken of threats made to her at work, according to police and her family.
Tina Taulbee said her stepmother had spoken of threats she’d received as a program director for CPS. The agency investigates reports of abuse and neglect of children, and, if necessary, places them in foster care.
“In the 15 or 16 years she has been there, this is the first time she was actually scared,” Taulbee said.
(Houston Chronicle)
March 16th, 2006 at 06:59pm
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Crime/Murder, Found Deceased |
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