Should cruise ships offer counselors for their guests?

Question

I returned from a Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Ecstasy on June 30th. I had a great time. On July 1st, a young man by the name of David Ritcheson jumped to his death from the upper decks of the Ecstasy. Apparently, crew members and other guest tried to talk him down, but he jumped anyway. I can't help but wonder if there was a professional counselor on board who specialized in talking down jumpers, could this have been prevented?

A cruise must be the worst place in the world to be depressed. All those people around you are having a great time, and you feel like crap. Where do you go? Who do you turn to? There needs to be a professional, licensed counselor on the staff of every cruise ship. Does anyone agree?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4942785.html

Answer 1

This poor kid had a very hard experience. He had been enrolled at school with a full time counselor. He had been offered counseling with the prosecuting attorney on that case. This was not one week he got depressed. This poor child had been planning to kill himself for some time and that was finally an opportunity. I am 100% convinced that paying the salary of a "just in case someone attempts suicide" counsellor would have done absolutely nothing to prevent this kid from killing himself. The best you could have hoped for is that he would have waited a week. It's tragic what happened to him and tragic that he could not get passed that horrible night--but taking his own life was his choice and one that he had pre-determined long before he boarded that ship.

The small percentage of people who have died on cruiseships is so miniscule that it would not be beneficial from a company's financial point of view to hire this person. The other recent falling deaths have been accidental drunks, including the naked couple. They were not attempting suicide and a cousellor would not have helped in those cases either.

It's a vacation. You would be just as depressed on any other vacation and as far as where do you turn to--you just wait 4 days and get home and talk to someone. It's not like you got depressed in a week and it's not like one week is going to make or break your decision. There doesn't need to be someone that follows you around each day on the precaution you might feel bad. One at work, one on the highway, one on vacations, one at your house. The cost of that would be outrageous.

It was a one in a million horrible tragedy and that boy would have waited until the counsellor was asleep to do what he had already decided to do.

Answer 2

Let's put it this way, I don't think having a counselor on board would necessarily help the passengers, because as stated above, actual suicides off the boat are few and far between (only about 2 a year, compared to the several million people that cruise every year.) That being said, I think it might be a good idea to have someone on board for the staff. Working up to 16 hours a day, often working months straight without a day off, it would be ethically responsible for a cruise to have a counselor on board for times when the employees felt stressed and needed someone to talk to.

Answer 3

I think he boarded that ship with the sole intention of committing suicide.

Would it have helped if there was a professional counselor on board? Who knows. Are cruise lines going to start employing crisis counselors and psychiatrists on their ships? Probably not. Unless suicide by cruise ship becomes the newest fad.

This guy was the rare exception I think. Most people that go over, have been drinking. As far as I know, this guy wasn't drinking.

Answer 4

i don't agree at all. Should gun stores have counselors on hand to talk to anyone buying a gun to make sure they don't commit suicide? Should boxing events have counselors to make sure they don't beat each other to death? Cruise ship personnel are trained to handle situations such as jumpers, etc. Not too much they can do though if the guy was bound and determined to jump anyways. No amount of talking would have brought him down.

Answer 5

I heard they maintained some staff either on their ship or on retainer near ports of call while in we were on Disney Cruise ship Magic last month in the Mediterranean.

I asked if they have a full staff of professional personnel (besides the 70 some odd counselors to organize ship activities for adults, kids, etc.. They mentioned they had "arrangements" for emergencies at all their ports of call...maybe that's only Disney's approach.

Answer 6

We'll, Jackie. Very interesting. You would think a "cruise" would be the last place someone would want to take their life. Its suppose to be a "happy" time, but again, this world is very unstable, filled with people that will just about "do anything" to someone else or themself. Its sad and its unfortunate, but these things happen.

Counceling is a good idea, but no guarantee. I'm not so sure I'd go hiring councelors to be aboard these cruise lines, but that's just my opinion.

Good question though.

--J

Answer 7

Why would you need a counselor on a cruise? That guy had every intention of jumping - a counselor wouldn't have helped. It's people like that who give cruising a bad name.

Answer 8

i will communicate for Carnival Cruise Line as quickly as I say that they do wonders with the toddlers. My son exchange into 2 while he went on his first cruise and that i exchange right into somewhat skeptical approximately leaving him with a team of human beings that i did no longer comprehend yet they have been marvelous. They did somewhat some coloring events and movies and video games like ring around the roses...... they have been continually entertained. I do have self assurance that they are in a position to furnish you a crib or the connect a railing on the mattress that the newborn would be napping on. have exciting.

Answer 9

The United Nations should set up some type of law enforcement for the high seas on Cruise ships. A lot of crimes committed, and then these suicides. They need police officers and crisis negotiators.

Answer 10

maybe, not just for guests but staff as well, afterall they are stuck on the sea for long periods at a time.