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Missing Honeymoon Groom, George Smith’s Family calls for CEO of Carnival Cruise to resign

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 Posted by | Cruise ship, George Allen Smith IV, Missing, Missing Adult | 13 comments

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13 Comments

  1. [...] (Read more of the PR nightmare at Missing & Exploited) [...]

    Pingback by Family of George Smith, Missing Honeymoon Groom, calls for CEO of Carnival Cruise to Resign » Scared Monkeys | March 17, 2006

  2. The lack of compassion illustrated by Mr. Dickinson, Carnival’s CEO’s
    in calling George’s murder a ‘nonevent’ is beyond belief”
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Wonder if this man lost a child he could deal with inconsiderate remarks like this! Sorry doesn’t get it!

    Comment by Glad2bAmerican | March 17, 2006

  3. The ACTUAL DEATH of a paying passenger — under unusal circumstances is NOT a “non-event” to regular people who expect the Cruise Ship to check out the people they employee — so that they don’t participate in their passengers revelries & then the passenger comes into some money — they “help” him back to his cabin, rob him and then throw him over-board. Then have the Capt.throe the wife off of the ship saying she must have done it — dropping her in TURKEY — no less!!!!!!

    This is coming on top of Amy Bradley, who went missing on another CRUISE SHIP and the Captain of that ship REFUSED to search for her — and allowed the kidnappers spirit her off ship — to a life of prostitution!!! With her parent’s and brother BEGGING them to search and save her!

    With just those TWO events — do you DARE wonder why the people and the Government is wondering about safety issues ???????

    Comment by Not As Stupid As You Think | March 17, 2006

  4. The ACTUAL DEATH of a paying passenger — under unusal circumstances is NOT a “non-event” to regular people who expect the Cruise Ship to check out the people they employee — so that they don’t participate in their passengers revelries & then the passenger comes into some money — they “help” him back to his cabin, rob him and then throw him over-board. Then have the Capt.throw the wife off of the ship saying she must have done it — dropping her in TURKEY — no less!!!!!!

    This is coming on top of Amy Bradley, who went missing on another CRUISE SHIP and the Captain of that ship REFUSED to search for her — and allowed the kidnappers spirit her off ship — to a life of prostitution!!! With her parent’s and brother BEGGING them to search and save her!

    With just those TWO events — do you DARE ask why the people and the Government are wondering about safety issues ???????

    Comment by Not As Stupid As You Think | March 17, 2006

  5. Even if Carnival Cruise Lines dismiss their CEO for his statements, his replacement will probably be no better. All that matters to the cruise industry is their bottom line and since 90% of cruise passengers are repeat cruisers (but not necessarily to the same cruise line) and they do not really care about the Smith case, the industry isn’t really worried about losing business.

    Not enough people will ever boycott a cruise line or the entire industry over the George Smith case to damage or cripple cruise revenue. Perhaps that is what Robert Dickenson meant by calling this case a “non event” and it was taken out of context by knee jerking media.
    ________
    SM: Its the family that is complaining about the comments.

    Wonder how you would like it if the death of someone you loved was referred to as a “non-event”?

    Why exactly are you defending the indefensible? You own stock in the cruise lines?

    Comment by Miss America | March 17, 2006

  6. The death of a person is a non-event but losing money in the cruise industry is a big event. If priority was put on cruise ships for “protection for collection” meaning if they were required to put protocol into action to better ensure security of passengers and protocol for crime investigations on board cruise ships in order to sell cruises they would do it ina heartbeat. (ie..background checks for employees, more cameras, security pull alarms-even if they are silent and alarm only staff) But since there is very little regulation they will do the very least required. The money is what is important to them, not the passengers, each passenger is a fare not a person or a life, as this CEO has just proven.

    Comment by jackie | March 18, 2006

  7. Blame the media for reporting a crime and say they are making the crimes seem higher than actual, they are reporting them as they are happening, and yet all are not covered. The CEO should have said “this is an event, we want to go back to being a non-event” just like the rest.

    Comment by jackie | March 18, 2006

  8. This really is unbelievable. He should be fired and we should boycott crusies for awhile. Non-event…there is no excuse for that, and it wasnt a ‘slip of the tounge’. He did not except his remarks to go as far as they did. The cruise industry has a very sordid record and we need to take them to task! Rapes, murders, robberies, food posining, dumping garbage overboard….They are way out of hand.

    Comment by e | March 19, 2006

  9. I had the worst experience of my life by booking a cruise with Carnival. I will spare everyone the details, but it is no surprise to me that the CEO of the company should be so blatantly callous toward human beings. The entire company is a nightmare and gives other cruise lines a bad name. Carnival and Royal Caribbean can’t go out of business fast enough to suit me.

    Comment by Mary | August 6, 2006

  10. I have never in my life been treated so horribly by a corporation as I was by Carnival Cruise lines. It comes as no surprise to me that the CEO is a drooling idiot. Carnival and Royal Carbbean give the good cruise lines, like Disney and Crystal, a bad name. They can’t go out of business fast enough for me as far as I’m concerned. You get what you pay for with Carnival Cruises, including taking your own life ans safety in your hands.

    Comment by Mary | August 6, 2006

  11. Why can’t adults be responsible for themselves. A cruise ship with 3000 people aboard is a small city. Every person aboard is a stranger except those you sail with. Why do people insist on throwing caution to the wind on these cruise ships and allowing strangers into their lives in a way they would never do if they were on land?????
    I have taken a dozen cruises or more, on many lines, including Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and have had no difficulty of any kind. I will continue to cruise. I will not get drunk, I will not hang out with strangers, I will not go into a stranger’s cabin, nor invite one to mine. This is foolishness. We are all responsible for ourselves. And, in fact, I think his wife argued with him, hit him over the head with something, and he probably fell overboard, and she was too drunk to act rationally to get help.

    Comment by Elise | October 24, 2006

  12. One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.
    Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.

    Comment by home loan lending | November 1, 2006

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