Is Cruising Safe??

Is Cruising Safe??

Right now there is a lot of talk about 2 separate events that recently happened on Cruise Ships. There are separate incidents across multiple cruise lines.

 

Let’s start with the Hantavirus. First off Hantavirus is a deadly virus connected to rats and usually spread when their droppings dry out and get blown around as dust. The Hantavirus contracted in this incident is a novel type that is rare. The possibility of you being exposed to this type of virus is small. Earlier this month a couple went bird watching and then they boarded the MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship. They had contracted Hantavirus while bird watching and brought it onto the ship. They did not get it ON the ship. This is causing global concern as this has become a person to person spreading virus instead of the normal. Should you be concerned? Yes and No.

 

On a cruise ship you are in close contact with a lot of people. Because of the limited space between people and enclosed environment with large areas that can’t be vented to open windows or doors things can happen. What do you do to stay safe? Wash your hands frequently. Be kind to others and stay in your cabin if you feel sick. Choose your cruise line carefully! The MV Handius was not the cause of or the start of Hantavirus. It was people who went bird watching and may have not stayed clean enough before boarding the ship. Still, you need to make sure that the cruise line you choose has a good health record and keeps the ships clean and rodent free.

 

The second bit of news is how 25-28 crew members of various ships from multiple cruise lines were arrested for child porn not for sexual assault on a child. Disney Cruise Line is the one line mentioned most and it is difficult to find information on the number of crew members from the Disney Magic were arrested. It is also hard to find out what other lines had crew members arrested in this investigation. It is important to note it was not JUST Disney Cruise Line that had crew members arrested.

 

Is this something you should be aware of? Yes. Is it something that should keep you from sailing? I do not think so. I’ve heard there were at least 5 different ships that arrests were made on. If the ships had an average of 1,000 crew members each, that means there are approximately 5,000 or more crew members between those ships. The percentage of crew members arrested was small. It is equivalent to the basic number of sex offenders in the general populous no matter where you are.

 

Do you or your child go to an amusement park, park, club, school or church? Be aware there are sex offenders there! No business can give you a 100% guarantee they do not have a sex offender on their payroll. Sadly, this is reality we live in.

 

What can we do to protect our children from sexual predators? First off teach your child to say NO loudly when they feel uncomfortable with an adult or an adult’s touch. Teach them to physically respond and protect themselves. Second, teach them to tell you if something happens and never judge the child. Listen and investigate, do not assume evil intent until you have investigated. Third, do respond if something does happen.

 

Many people are saying they are afraid to take their children on a Disney Cruise because some crew were found with pornography on their personal devices. Did these crew members work with the kids? I’ve heard some were cooks and other crew positions but no confirmation of any crew members working with kids was arrested. Reality is we don’t know. Were any charged with touching a child? From the reports I’ve seen the arrests and deportations were not in response to interactions with children. It was due to content on their devices. Once again, I’m going to be clear it was not only Disney that had crew members arrested. Disney has a zero tolerance policy and they have publicly stated they have revoked the crew members contracts. All were deported to their home countries.

 

Should either problem that happened in the past few weeks keep you from sailing? Not really. Either problem could happen on land as well as sea. Concerned about Hantavirus? Don’t go near rodent infested locations, wash your hands frequently and bath regularly. Worried about your child being sexually assaulted? You have two choices. Keep them locked to your side never allowing them to explore the world. Or you can educate them and teach them to protect and advocate for themselves. You can either raise a child to be fearful or powerful. The choice is yours.