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Earlier this week a 37 year old unidentified female from Ohio was said to have been reported missing aboard Carnival Cruise Lines, “Imagination”. She has now been identified as Tammy Grogan, 36, of Toledo, OH.
The investigation continues into the disappearance of a Toledo woman from a Carnival cruise ship. Family members confirm Tammy Grogan, 36, was reported missing Monday. Grogan was traveling on a cruise to Key West and Calica, Mexico.
Grogan was last seen by a family member early Sunday morning after leaving a port in Mexico. Monday, her family reported her as missing.
Carnival Cruise released a statement which says, “At this time, no foul play is supsected.”
(ABC13 Toldeo)
September 13th, 2006 at 09:13am
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Authorities are reporting that an unidentified 37 year old woman has 
been reported missing from a Carnival Cruise Line ship that was going on a 4 day cruise from Key West, FL to Mexico.
The Miami-based cruise line said relatives last saw the woman Saturday night, but did not report her missing until Monday, when the ship returned to Miami. FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said, however, that she was not aware of any delay in reporting the disappearance.
(Washington Post)
What is going on during these cruises? This now makes 3 people that have gone missing in 5 months aboard a ship this year. Carnival Cruise is stating that they do not believe foul play was involved in the disappearance on the “Imagination”. The latest in a line on non-foul play missing persons.
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Daniel DiPiero, fell off a cruise ship to the Bahamas after a night of heavy drinking with friends.
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Elizabeth Galeana, 22, of Naples, Fla., apparently fell off a cruise ship in July and drowned
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Unidentified 37 year old
Cruise passenger missing; foul play not suspected
Her family last saw her in her room at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, when the ship was at sea.
“We do not suspect foul play,” FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said.
Such incidents have drawn heightened attention since the unsolved disappearance last summer of George Smith IV from a Royal Caribbean International ship. Smith’s widely publicized case led to congressional hearings on how cruise lines handle the investigation and reporting of shipboard crimes.
In a statement, Carnival said the Ohio woman had been traveling with family members, who last saw her early in the morning on Sunday, several hours after the ship had sailed from Calica, Mexico, which is near Playa del Carmen.
Coast Guard spokesman Dana Warr said Monday that there were no planes or vessels launched to search for the woman because it had been nearly 36 hours since anyone had last seen her.
“We did notify the Mexican Rescue Coordination Center,” Warr said, and sent a radio message to mariners in the area where Imagination sailed Sunday.
The message asked fishing, cargo and other vessels to call the Coast Guard if they see anything unusual. The area is about 400 miles from Miami, Warr said.
(Contra Costa Times)
Carnival: Passenger Missing From ‘Imagination’
According to CBS4’s Gary Nelson FBI officials do confirm the victim was on the ship at its last stop in Mexico. They are unsure how the woman dissappeared and don’t know if she jumped off or fell off the ship.
The Coast Guard was alerted about the man overboard report around 9:30 a.m. Monday when the Imagination tied up in Miami, O’Neil said.
(CBS4)
September 11th, 2006 at 06:24pm
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The Tampa FBI confirmed what the family had pretty much come to believe as the truth. The body that was discovered off the Italian coast last week was positively identified as that of Elizabeth Galeana.
Lourdes Hall, spokeswoman for the Tampa office of the FBI, said the Italian authorities have not released the autopsy results. She also said the cause of death was drowning and that no foul play was involved.
Hall said the FBI no longer is involved in the case because no crime was committed. That also is the reason no interviews were conducted.
Italian authorities determined during the autopsy that no foul play was involved, she said.
“The body has been released to the family,” Hall said.
(Bonita News)
Elizabeth Galeana was reported missing July 25 from Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas.
Michael Sheehan, a spokesman for the Miami-based cruise line, has said Galena likely fell off the ship. He said the company was working with investigators.
(Yahoo News)
It is still a mystery how individuals can just fall off a cruise ship.
August 17th, 2006 at 03:46pm
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Royal Caribbean Cruise lines is looking for the court to dismiss the law suit filed by
the family of George Allen Smith IV as frivolous. The family of George Smith are claiming that Royal Caribbean hindered the investigation of their missing son who vanished on his honeymoon leaving only a blood splattered trails beneath his cabin.
The Smith family’s lawsuit accuses the cruise line of deliberately portraying the incident as an accident and contaminating the crime scene. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Miami, where Royal Caribbean is based, also alleged the company delayed reporting the incident to the FBI, deciding instead to report the case to Turkish authorities knowing they would be unable to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation.
Of course Royal Caribbean is calling the law suit frivolous and without merit. Then again, I am sure they did the same with the many other law suits that have been filed against them due to other missing persons and crimes committed against passengers aboard their ships. The difference with the Smith’s parents case is that they do not appear to be in any mood to settle. They want answers. And even more answers.
Royal Caribbean called that argument “parochial and jingoistic,” saying that the ship was in Turkish waters and there was no evidence that Turkish authorities failed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Royal Caribbean denied contaminating evidence and accused Smith’s family of disclosing photos of blood and other evidence to the news media, “without regard to the negative impact” it would have on the FBI investigation.
(AP via Yahoo News)
August 5th, 2006 at 08:01pm
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Although the Italian media is reporting that the body that was found off the Italian 
coast is that of missing cruise ship passenger, Elizabeth Galeana; the FBI has yet to make a confirmation.
But FBI spokeswoman Carol Michalik said while Italian news media are reporting the body is part-time Naples resident Elizabeth Galeana, she spoke to FBI agents today in Italy, and they had not received official confirmation of the body’s identity.
“I’m not confirming it,” Michalik said.
Galeana, 22, was last seen July 25 by family members going into her parents’ stateroom on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Voyager of the Seas. Her sister reported her missing seven hours later.
A fisherman first spotted the body July 29 off Ponza.
A family statement issued by brother Carl Galeana earlier this week said the family didn’t believe her death was the result of any foul play. He urged people not to speculate on the cause of death.
(News-Press)
Honestly, the situation is just plain bizarre. Although we certainly respect the privacy of the family because their grief and the loss of Elizabeth Galeana takes precedent over all things. The fact that the family states Elizabeth is dead prior to receiving any confirmation that the body fisherman found was in fact Elizabeth is just strange. The autopsy is complete, yet the family has not received notification. Who cares whether they release the autopsy results to the general public, we would like to think the family could receive immediate confirmation and results to get some kind of closure.
Family members had not received confirmation of the body’s identification, according to a public relations firm hired by the Galeanas.
“The autopsy is complete but the family has not received any news from Italian authorities on a positive identification that it is Elizabeth Galeana,” family spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt Twork said in a statement. “They have been told by the Italian authorities that although they received the dental records they are not ready to make an official announcement on a positive identification.”
August 5th, 2006 at 07:45pm
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It would appear that the body of 22 year old Elizabeth Kay Galeana, the missing passenger aboard Royal Caribbeans cruise ship Voyager of the Seas was found by fisherman. The part of this story that seems odd is the families immediate judgment and statements that “they do not believe that this was a result of foul play.” How would they know so quick into the investigation? If there is a camera showing Elizabeth Kay Galeana falling or jumping off the ship, then someone needs to just say so. They fact that the cruise lines are under heavy scrutiny for not being honest with what happens with missing persons certainly leads people not to trust them.
It is a valid question to the family. How are you so sure that no foul play occurred? How did Elizabeth Kay Galeana’s body wind up in the water?
The body of Elizabeth Kay Galeana, 22, was discovered Friday night by fishermen, three days after she was reported missing form the Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas.
“While we are awaiting the completion of the investigation into this tragedy, from what we know at this time, we do not believe Elizabeth’s death was the result of foul play,” Carl Galeana, the Detroit Auto Dealers president, said in a statement.
“We believe that speculation on the cause of this tragedy is premature at this time as we are awaiting the completion of the investigation of her death by all involved authorities,” Carl Galeana added.
(Det News)
Family: Florida woman missing from cruise ship off Italy is dead
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — The family of a woman who disappeared from a cruise ship sailing along the coast of Italy believes she is dead, but foul play was not suspected, her half brother said.
The family of Elizabeth Kay Galeana, 22, of Naples, Fla., did not elaborate on how they knew Galeana was dead.
“Obviously our entire family is devastated by the loss of Elizabeth,” her half brother, Brian Evans, said in a statement. “While we are awaiting the completion of the investigation into this tragedy, from what we know at this time, we do not believe Elizabeth’s death was a result of any foul play.”
Missing Passenger Likely Dead
Italian authorities said Monday they think they have recovered the body of a Florida woman who disappeared from a cruise ship sailing along the coast of Italy last week.
There was little doubt that a body found Friday was that of 22-year-old Elizabeth Kay Galeana of Naples, said Carlo Nigro, commander of the port office on the island of Ponza in Italy.
(The Ledger)
August 1st, 2006 at 09:30am
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The family of 22 year old Elizabeth Kay Galeana has confirmed her death aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise line. Apparently from the statement provided by the family, no foul play was involved. There was no mention as to the cause of death. If no foul play, was it a matter of overindulgence? One way or the other cruise lines are going to have to crack down on safety and serving policies. We do not know what was the cause of death in this case; however, with foul play ruled out one wonders what did happen to cause the death of Elizabeth Kay Galeana.
Statement from Galeana family
“Obviously our entire family is devastated by the loss of Elizabeth. While we are awaiting the completion of the investigation into this tragedy, from what we know at this time, we do not believe Elizabeth’s death was a result of any foul play.
“We want to publicly thank the management of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and especially the officers and crew of the ship for the professionalism and the compassion they displayed during this ordeal. They could not have done more than they did to help us deal with our anxiety and loss.
We also want to thank the representatives of the United States government, especially Scott Turner, U.S. Consul General in Naples, and his staff for their untiring assistance in helping us dealing with the Italian authorities and the entire situation.
“We have nothing further to say at this time. I hope that everyone will respect our desire to deal with this in privacy.”
— The family of Elizabeth Galeana
(The News Press)
Family: Florida woman missing from cruise ship off Italy is dead
From what has transpired with cruise line cover ups in the past, I am not sure how everyone can be so quick to state that foul play was not a cause. If there is camera video showing her going over board on her own, a witness account or Elizabeth threatening to do such; how can we be so quick to jump the gun? I hope much more comes from this sad event and the investigation.
“Obviously our entire family is devastated by the loss of Elizabeth,” her half brother, Brian Evans said in a statement. “While we are awaiting the completion of the investigation into this tragedy, from what we know at this time, we do not believe Elizabeth’s death was a result of any foul play.”
The family did not elaborate on how they knew Galeana was dead.
She was reported missing Tuesday from Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas. A spokesman for the Miami-based cruise line said Galeana likely fell off the ship.
“It can be presumed she went overboard,” Mike Sheehan said Saturday. Company officials did not immediately return a telephone call made by The Associated Press early Monday.
(Daily Comet)
July 31st, 2006 at 10:06am
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Its happened again aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Another American has
gone missing, this time 22 year old Elizabeth Kay Galeana. Elizabeth Kay Galeana, is the daughter of a wealthy Naples automotive magnate who has been missing for three days from a cruise ship that was traveling the Mediterranean Sea.
Elizabeth Kay Galeana, who attended Gulf Coast High School as a senior in 2000 and whose family owns Galeana Automotive Group based in Fort Myers, was aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Voyager of the Seas with several members of her extended family when she went missing.
She was last seen at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when she went to sleep in her parents’ stateroom. She was discovered missing at 7:30 a.m. by her sister while the cruise ship was sailing from Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy to Naples, Italy, according to officials with Royal Caribbean International.
The ship was about 100 miles off the coast of Italy at the time. Royal Caribbean notified the U.S. and Italian Coast Guards, the FBI, the U.S. Consulate in Naples (Italy), and the Naples (Italy) police, cruise line officials said in a prepared statement Friday. The Naples (Italy) police conducted an investigation and the Italian Coast Guard conducted air and sea searches, according to the cruise line.
She is added to a recent rash of people who have gone missing aboard Royal Caribbean.
Elizabeth is the fourth person to go missing from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship since July 2005. George Allen Smith IV, 26, of Greenwich, Conn., disappeared during his honeymoon cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas on July 5, 2005. Blood stains were found on a canopy that covers life boats, but his body was never found. Daniel DiPiero, 21, of Canfield, Ohio, went missing from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that was cruising the Bahamas on May 16. Videos of the ship show a man who looked like DiPiero leaning against the rails. The search for him was called off May 17. Canadian Jill Begora, 59, was last seen by her husband on Dec. 5, 2005, as the Royal Caribbean cruise ship they were aboard approached the port of Nassau in the Bahamas. A search by a U.S. Coast Guard ship and the Bahamian Navy found no trace of her.
Read the full story at Bonita News.
Relatives: Fla. Woman Missing From Cruise
Authorities are investigating the disappearance of a Florida woman from a cruise ship sailing along the coast of Italy, relatives say. Family members identified the woman as Elizabeth Kay Galeana, 22, of Naples, Fla., reporting missing Tuesday from Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas.
(Forbes)
UPDATE: Family heads back to U.S. without heiress. Search continues as Galeanas’ trip ends
The Galeana family was expected to return to the United States late Saturday, but auto heiress Elizabeth Kay Galeana is still missing.
The Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas cruise ship docked at a Barcelona, Spain, port early Saturday, ending its Mediterranean round, according to a Royal Caribbean spokesman.
Royal Caribbean’s statement:
According to a Royal Caribbean statement, she was reported missing by her sister seven hours later.
A variety of onboard announcements and searches were immediately carried out without success, Sierra-Caro said
Royal Caribbean notified the U.S. and Italian Coast Guards, the FBI, the U.S. Consulate in Naples and the Naples police. The Naples police conducted an investigation, and the Italian Coast Guard conducted air and sea searches.
Sierra-Caro said Royal Caribbean is supporting the investigation in numerous ways, including collecting on-board records, videotapes and statements, and preserving staterooms for investigators. A senior Royal Caribbean executive and a company Guest Care Team joined the ship to further assist Galeana’s family, she said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this woman and her family,” said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International.
(The News Press - Fort Meyers)
July 29th, 2006 at 04:47pm
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Jennifer Hagel-Smith lashed out this week as the misguided anger that the family of missing honeymooner, George Smith. George Smith’s family has many questions of Jennifer, namely what is she hiding by settling with Royal Caribbean so soon.
“The quick settlement is concerning,” said Bree Smith, in an exclusive interview with the Green-wich Citizen. “We feel comfortable in saying that in our opinion, she is hiding something.” Added Rivkind
Bree Smith, George Smith’s sister, found many of Jennifer Hagel-Smith’s actions and comments rather strange.
“Jennifer said several times in our house, before we cut off contact with her last October, that she did not want to be deposed in a civil or criminal suit,” Bree Smith said.
“I thought that was a strange statement to make. Why wouldn’t she want to testify, to help bring to justice the people who murdered my brother? It is suspicious, in my opinion.”
The circumstances in how George Smith disappeared is bizarre. We all now the many actions of those involved that are less than normal behavior that one would do aboard a cruise ship, let alone the actions that the cruise line took following the disappearance. What we find most disappointing and strange is Jeniffer Hagel-Smith’s 180 degree turn in dealing with the Royal Caribbean and her statements .
In Hagel-Smith’s press release, she also praised “the cruise line president and leaders who heard our voices and began this civilized, informative, and productive dialogue.”
This marked a sharp contrast to Hagel-Smith’s previous claims that she had been “thrown off” the Brilliance of the Seas after George Smith disappeared, and left to fend for herself in Turkey without financial resources or assistance.
(Greenwich Citizen)
July 15th, 2006 at 08:07pm
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The minute Jennifer Hagel Smith signed her name to the Royal Caribbean Cruise 
settlement; we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was only a matter of time before the family of missing honeymooner, George Allen Smith IV, went ballistic and after Jennifer Hagel. Personally, I do not blame them one bit. The once united Smith & Hagel family vs. Royal Caribbean cruise lines is over. Although it would appear that the Smith family may have had their suspicions regarding Jennifer Hagel as to what she may have known regarding their son’s disappearance; Jennifer’s actions of settling all but sealed the deal for this family feud to erupt.
They mourned together and shared anger at how Royal Caribbean responded after George Allen Smith IV disappeared in the Mediterranean last July after a night of heavy drinking. They sat together at a congressional hearing last year as they lobbied for changes in how cruise lines report suspected crimes at sea.
But quietly behind the scenes, Smith’s family harbored doubts about his widow, Jennifer Hagel Smith. Those doubts grew into suspicions that erupted after Hagel Smith reached a settlement with Royal Caribbean two weeks ago while Smith’s family sued the cruise line.
(Boston Globe)
The parents of George Allen Smith IV and his sister Bree Smith have been extremely skeptical of Jennifer Hagel Smith. Hagel was found passed out on a floor far from the couple’s cabin, says she has no recollection of what happened to her honeymoon husband. It was suggested that Hagel may have been drugged as to the reason why she was found in the manner she was.
“She’s definitely hiding something,” said Smith’s sister, Bree. “It’s not clear to us whether Jennifer is hiding behavior that is just embarrassing or of some greater importance to the investigation. We have reported all such behavior to the FBI as it occurred.”
The Smith family plans to depose Jennifer Hagel Smith in their law suit. The Smith family claims that they broke off communication with Hagel Smith last fall after she indicated she did not want to be deposed in a civil or criminal case.
What is truly most puzzling, sad and bizarre is the fact that Jennifer Hagel Smith agreed to a settlement with Royal Caribbean. This after she sat with the family of George Smith through out the Congressional proceedings in an attempt to enact change for how the cruise lines deal with crimes aboard their ships. One of the problems with the untold crimes that go unreported and that actually are committed is all too often their is a settlement and the crime is swept under the run in a shroud of confidentiality.
The parents of George Allen Smith and his sister Bree have been resolute in their fight against Royal Caribbean. The Smith family wants answers, not money. The beauty of the Smith family is that they have same strong qualities as Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway, who have fought to find answer to their daughter’s disappearance in Aruba. The Smith’s show the fight and determination that they want answers and they want change. Settlement does seem to be an option for this family. They are not going to let the cruise line off the hook so easily. Maureen Smith put everyone on notice last summer when she stated, “My son’s life is not going to be in vain.”
“We have truth on our side,” Mrs Smith says firmly. “My son’s life is not going to be in vain.”
That is what makes what Jennifer Hagel Smith did all that horrific. How long was she actually married to George in that she would up in settle with the enemy vs. providing a united front with the Smith’s against Royal Caribbean. What was she really in this for? What did she want her husbands legacy to be? Money? Why would she have not honored her husband George Smith’s memory with the truth of what happened to him and laws which will dictate cruise ship standards for for how they handle and report crimes.
Jennifer Hagel Smith’s actions seem rather unfortunate. How really could blame parents for wanting to know the truth as to why their son is missing and presumed dead? If that means going after his short term bride for answers who took the easy way out and settled with the agenda ridden cruise line, then so be it. She states she wanted closure as to why she settled after one year. However, how could one really have closure without knowing what really happened? She saw the blood stains outside her cabin and still she settles for money rather than for answers.
One thing is for certain … no change or truth will come out of Royal Caribbean if only settlements are reached with confidentiality clauses attached.
July 12th, 2006 at 12:14am
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