[smart_track_player url=”https://traffic.libsyn.com/cruiseradioshow/BONUS_JULY_2017.mp3″ title=”BONUS DISCUSSION: Kid Jumps from Cruise Ship Railing into Pool” artist=”Cruise Radio” ]
One of the things seasoned cruisers complain about on a regular basis is “out of control” kids who seem to have absolutely no adult supervision whatsoever, and a disturbing video posted to YouTube seems to take this behavior to new heights.
Filmed aboard a Princess cruise ship, the clips show a teen climbing over a railing and jumping approximately 20 feet into the pool below. As if the possibility of injuring himself weren’t bad enough, there are clearly other passengers in the pool who could have been hurt as well. And given that the video shows the teens very purposefully waiting until there are no staff members in the area, it’s obvious that they knew that what they were doing was against the rules… a point they drive home in a mocking fashion by making sure to capture on video a sign very clearly indicating the dangers of jumping into the pool below.
Where Are The Parents?
It’s also worth noting that this is posted as a video blog, with the full name of the young man as well as a clip in which he exits his stateroom, the number of which can clearly be seen. In other words, absolutely no attempt was made to disguise the identity of the perpetrators, which would also seem to indicate that he and his co-hort aren’t terribly worried about whether or not their parents see the video.
Over the past few years, young social media users looking to attract views have been posting videos of incredibly dangerous — not to mention stupid — stunts such as this one, which was first reported by Crew Center. And it doesn’t take much imagination to picture a scenario where something goes horrifically wrong. While the parents are nowhere to be found (at one point, the young men mention that it is 10:30 p.m., and yet they clearly are not being supervised), it’s also pretty easy to imagine that had one of the teens been hurt during the ill-conceived stunt, Mom and Dad would have very likely rushed to sue the cruise line.
Even as cruise lines take steps designed to protect both themselves and their passengers from such situations, it’s incumbent upon every parent to take responsibility by supervising their children. Being on vacation doesn’t mean turning a blind eye or expecting the already overworked crew of a ship to serve as babysitters.
Do parents need to be more responsible for the activities of their children while on board? Should curfews for passengers under the age of 21 be put into place? What punishments should be doled out to people who engage in such dangerous activities? Weigh in below!
