It's absolutely tragic when something terrible happens on a cruise ship and a passenger dies. It's also incredibly rare.
There's no official data on this topic, but the Cruise Line Industry Association provided some solid estimates.
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A 2018 report from the trade group found that half of cruise-ship passengers were over age 50 and almost a third of that 50% were over 70 years old.
"With this age data, and given that an average cruise ship carries between 3,000 and 5,000 passengers, the chances of someone dying on board are not remote," the group said. "In fact, it is estimated that around 200 people die on cruise ships each year. Some estimates count three deaths on cruise ships per week."
That's a fairly small number, and even if it were three or four times higher, the death toll would mean that having someone die on your cruise would be very rare.
Still, while the cruise lines have done a lot to keep people safe on board, they can't protect you in the same way once you reach port.
Because of this, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald shared a safety warning and some insight with his social media followers.
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Image source: Dan Kline/Come Cruise With Me
Cruisers must be careful when in port
While some ports are safer than others, it's always best to be cautious any time you are in a foreign country. That means checking the U.S. State Department's advisories and abiding by them.
For common cruise stops that means being very careful in, or perhaps skipping, Jamaica, while avoiding certain areas in Nassau. In both cases, the port areas, which offer shops and restaurants, are generally considered safe as they're open only to cruisers and people working there.
Heald's warning, however, went in a different direction.
"You know, over the 25 years I was working onboard the ships there were some tragic and terrible accidents involving hired transportation...particularly in Cozumel," he related. "At home in Cleveland, Ohio, you have your car serviced regularly to allow Mr and Mrs Mechanic to make sure your car or bike is safe. You like to know that the brakes work. It is important."
On vacation, he noted, people are much less cautious.
"So how come on vacation you are quite happy to rent something from a company called El Crapo Rent A Moped whose owner makes you sign all sorts of forms you can neither read nor understand before you race away from the ship heading for adventure?" he asked. "And then you ride your moped around the island much too quickly in a pair of buttock-hugging shorts and a pair of sodding flip-flops."
Heald also shared that people make other bad transportation/vehicle decisions when in a cruise port.
"Most people understand the dangers of drunk driving and would never ever do it at home. So why then do so many jeep and moped accidents happen after the driver has consumed many shots of tequila at Frogs and Carlos or the Tres Mateos," he asked.
Being on vacation does not protect you
It's easy for people to feel as if they can set caution aside because they are on vacation.
"Some may say that on vacation and on a Carnival cruise we become thrill-seeking, fun-filled people. That’s all very well and good because then we go home to Cleveland, Ohio, and back to an every day and maybe monotonous life," Heald said.
"There is nothing wrong with being thrill-seeking, fun-filled people but please, just make sure you [choose] carefully what you do ashore so that you get to do the coming home bit," he added.
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Most of the comments on the post supported Heald's advice.
"Such great points John, it's so easy to rent these dangerous things in a county where you don't know the laws, the roads, etc.," wrote Angie Harris Bourbou.
Some shared personal stories where things went wrong.
"Completely agree. Do not rent the mopeds. It cost us $1,000 to get a member of our group out of moped jail. Not saying it wasn’t their fault, but the moped itself was not worth that," added Stacey Urban.
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