baby falls cruise ship

Grandfather of toddler who fell out of cruise ship window sentenced to 3 years' probation

The grandfather who was with his 18-month-old granddaughter when she fell to her death from an open window on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was sentenced Monday to three years of probation, according to Puerto Rico's Department of Justice .

Salvatore “Sam” Anello, of Valparaiso, Indiana, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide last year after his granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand, fell through an 11-story window from the ship docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July 2019.

Anello had initially pleaded not guilty, but last February said that he was going to plead guilty so his family could begin to move on from the tragedy. The plea deal allowed Anello to avoid jail time and serve the probation in his home state, Michael Winkleman, an attorney for the Wiegand family, has said.

Chloe was with her mother in a children's water park area on the pool's 11th deck. Her mother had to tend to another matter and asked Anello to watch her, according to an ongoing lawsuit the family filed in December 2019 against Royal Caribbean Cruises.

The family alleges that the cruise ship company is at fault for Chloe's death, a claim the company has strongly denied . Royal Caribbean did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.

The lawsuit said that Anello was "closely supervising" his granddaughter "when Chloe walked over to a nearby wall of glass." Anello followed and put the girl up to the window so she could bang on the glass but she slipped from his hands and fell through the open window.

Anello has repeatedly said that he did not know the window was open, while the cruise company had released images they say prove Anello had leaned out the window and therefore knew it was open. Winkleman has said the pictures were "misleading."

In July 2019, Chloe's mother, Kimberly Wiegand, said it was confounding that there would be an open air window on an 11th-floor pool deck. "There are a million things that could've been done to make that safer," she said.

Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news editor for NBC News.

Watch CBS News

Video shows girl's final moments with grandfather before cruise ship death

November 21, 2019 / 7:26 AM EST / CBS News

New surveillance video shown to CBS News reveals the final moments before an 18-month-old girl fell to her death off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Chloe Wiegand was being held by her grandfather Salvatore Anello while the ship was docked in Puerto Rico in July.

Prosecutors have charged Anello with negligent homicide. He appeared in court Wednesday and was expected back in court on Dec. 17.

The video, which has not been released publicly, will be a key piece of evidence in the criminal trial, CBS News correspondent David Begnaud reports. The video shows what appears to be 18-month-old Chloe cross over to the side of the ship and stand in front of a bank of windows. A man attorneys said is Anello is seen following her.

There was a railing about a foot from the windows, Michael Winkleman, the Wiegand family's attorney said. The surveillance video appears to show Anello look over the railing for one second.

He then reaches down, picks Chloe up and appears to hold her over the railing. Winkleman said Anello didn't realize there was no glass directly in front of him. Within five seconds Chloe falls more than 100 feet below.

"She's sitting on the wooden banister, why did he then lean forward with her?" Begnaud asked Winkleman.

"I think it's pretty obvious why they leaned forward, and that would be so that you could get a better view," Winkleman said.

"What do you say to the fact that he raised her and put her on this banister which the cruise line might argue was not meant for young children to be sitting on?" Begnaud asked.

"If that was the case and they want no one to sit on it, they should say no one should sit on it. … There's no sign that says that. There's no warning, no nothing," Winkleman said.

"It may be hard for some people to believe that the grandpa didn't know that that section of the window was open. … How did he know that there was glass?" Begnaud asked.

"The only way that you can prove or disprove anything that Sam said is based on the video and based on his testimony … Those are the only pieces of evidence you have," Winkleman said. "There were no eye witnesses. There's no one who's come forward to tell any different story. … So all you have is Sam's testimony, his story and the video."

After Chloe fell out of the window, Anello drops to his knees, according to Winkleman, and he yelled out loud, "I just dropped my child. I thought there was glass! I thought there was glass!"

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

• Puerto Rico

More from CBS News

Tourist dies, U.S. Marine missing in 2 incidents off Puerto Rico

Woman accused of killing girl beaten to death by mob in Mexico

Family of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett speaks out following his death

A question both Republican job applicants and potential Trump jurors must answer

Cruise Law News

Everything Cruise Lines Don't Want You to Know

Royal Caribbean Wins Summary Judgment in Dropped Toddler Case

We reported on the sad set of circumstances on July 7, 2019, noting that there have been relatively few situations where toddlers have fallen from upper decks on cruise ships. In 2012, a 14 month old toddler fell from deck 12 to deck 11 on the Monarch of the Seas . The toddler was injured but, fortunately, fully recovered. However, that child was not dropped nor did she fall through an open window. In our 25 years of experience with Royal Caribbean, we are not aware of any similar cases to this one.

The Court Grants Summary Judgment

In addressing the motion for summary judgment filed by Royal Caribbean, the Court reviewed video of the scene which “vividly” reveals that the grandfather leaned his upper body over the wooden railing, which was about fifteen inches in front of the window for around eight seconds. The video then shows that the grandfather squatted down to pick up the toddler and then lift her over the railing as he again leaned his upper body over the railing a second time and held the child out in front of him.

The Court also reviewed photographs which show that the window in question is surrounded by other windows which were tinted. The open window appeared to be of a different color which indicated that the other windows were closed whereas the subject window was  open. The grandfather also first placed the toddler on the wooden railing and then reached out to touch the window. He did not feel any glass but nonetheless lifted the child beyond the railing and extended her body causing her to fall to the dock below to her death,

Royal Caribbean Had No Notice of the Hazard

After extensive discovery was conducted by both parties, the Court ruled that the cruise line had “no notice of the risk-creating danger on the cruise ship,” which the Court defined as the “lifting a child up to an open window.” The cruise line submitted evidence that the U.S. Coast Guard has no prior incidents reports involving similar accidents.

The Grandfather’s Act of Lifting the Child Up to An Open Window Was a Superseding Cause of the Accident

The Court held that the grandfather’s conduct was the superseding cause of the incident which served to entirely exculpate the cruise line from liability. The Court noted that the grandfather pled guilty to the charge of negligent homicide (and was sentenced to three years probation). The Court cited caselaw for the legal proposition that “independent acts of third persons are deemed unforeseeable and therefore the sole proximate cause of the injury.”

Royal Caribbean Had No Duty to Warn of an Open and Obvious Danger

Having found that the hazard that led to the child’s death was the placing of the toddler on or through an open window, and that the grandfather either knew or should have known the window was open, the Court held that there is no duty to warn of the danger of placing a child in such a location.

A copy of the Court’s order today granting the summary judgement is attached here . A copy of the exhibits attached to the order (which are photographs of the accident scene and still images from the surveillance videos) are attached here .

Hard Fought Case

This case was hotly contested with the lawyers for both the family and the cruise line attacking one another in court filings. In February of this year, the family’s lawyers accused the cruise line of destroying evidence and “ critical CCTV footage of the time leading up to the incident .” In May, the judge was so fed up with the personal animosity between the attorneys that he entered an order saying that court documents “ resemble a Jerry Springer script ,” and ordered the lawyers to rewrite “inflammatory” filings.

This Order Was Predictable

Almost exactly two years ago, I was quoted in a newspaper in Australia:

Should you have a comment or question, please leave one below or join the discussion on our Facebook page .

Photo credit: Freedom of the Seas -By Beyond My Ken – CC BY-SA 4.0, commons / wikimedia; Royal Caribbean via  theindychannel .

Shop TODAY All Stars: Vote now for your top 4 picks!

• TODAY Plaza
• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Music Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show

Family of toddler who fell from cruise ship speaks out about cause of death

The family of a 1-year-old girl who died after she fell more than 10 stories from a cruise ship in Puerto Rico onto a concrete dock is shedding some light on what happened.

Initial reports from police indicated Chloe Wiegand fell out of her grandfather's arms from aboard the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. But her family is disputing that account.

Michael Winkleman, a Miami-based attorney hired by Chloe's family, said her grandfather put the girl on a ledge near a window in a children's area, but was unaware that the window was open.

"Essentially her grandfather lifts her up and puts her on a railing and where he thinks that there is glass there because it's clear, but it turns out there was no glass there," he said. "She goes to bang on the glass like she would have at one of those hockey rinks, and the next thing you know, she's gone."

Winkleman, who said Chloe enjoyed being by windows to see what was happening on the other side, said Royal Caribbean should've known better.

"Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kids area?" he said. "I mean, why would you have that kind of a hidden danger without any warning, without any sign, without any notice?"

Royal Caribbean did not mention any allegations of negligence, saying it is "deeply saddened" and "our hearts go out to the family."

"We've made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need," the company said in a statement . "Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident."

Winkleman said Royal Caribbean is completely at fault.

"I do think there is going to be blame and significant blame on the cruise line, and I will do everything I can to hold them accountable, for what appears to me to be negligence," Winkleman said.

Despite this accident, the Cruise Lines International Association said overboard incidents have decreased 35% over the last decade, even as capacity has increased 55%. About two dozen people fall overboard annually.

The cruise ship has since left for a weeklong trip through the Caribbean, while Chloe's family remains in Puerto Rico as an investigation into her death begins.

Chloe's father is a police officer in South Bend, Indiana. Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg expressed his condolences, as did the police department.

We are saddened by the terrible accident that took the life of Officer Wiegand’s young daughter, and the city is holding this family in our hearts. https://t.co/suAIxHNn2W — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 9, 2019

"We are saddened by the terrible accident that took the life of Officer Wiegand's young daughter, and the city is holding this family in our hearts," Buttigieg wrote.

Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. He has seen every episode of “Saved by the Bell” at least 50 times, longs to perfect the crane kick from “The Karate Kid” and performs stand-up comedy, while also cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants. A graduate of Rutgers University, he is the married father of two kids who believe he is ridiculous.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Human Interest

Indiana Family 'in Shock' After Baby Falls from Cruise Ship

The 1½-year-old girl from Indiana was reportedly on a family trip when, authorities say, she came loose from her grandfather's grip and tumbled out an open window

The family of the baby girl, who reportedly slipped out of her grandfather’s hands and fell to her death from a docked cruise ship over the weekend, is struggling to come to terms with the unimaginable tragedy.

Police Sgt. Nelson Sotelo told the Associated Press on Monday that the 1½-year-old girl’s family, of Granger, Indiana, are “in shock” following Sunday’s tragic incident.

Sgt. Sotelo also identified the man who reportedly had been holding the little girl as her maternal grandfather, Salvatore Anello of Valparaiso, Indiana, the outlet reports. Anello is currently under investigation by authorities, Sgt. Sotelo said, but has not been charged.

Though the toddler has yet to be identified, the South Bend Police Department announced in a statement on Facebook that her father was one of their officers, Alan Wiegand.

“The South Bend Police Department offers its sincerest condolences to Officer Alan Wiegand and his family during this difficult time following the tragic loss of their child while in Puerto Rico,” the SBPD wrote on Monday. “The department asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy.”

The incident, which occurred on the Royal Caribbean ship, Freedom of the Seas, was confirmed on Twitter by several officials, including the Department of Public Safety of Puerto Rico; Anthony Maceira, Puerto Rico’s Secretary for Public Affairs; and the cruise line.

“Unfortunately the news of an accident [involving] a baby on a cruise is true,” Maceira wrote , referring to the incident as “a real tragedy.” “The [Department of Public Safety] is working the issue with the seriousness and sensitivity required.”

“We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family. We’ve made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need,” the Royal Carribean spokesperson told PEOPLE. “Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident.”

The toddler was on a family trip with her parents, two siblings and both sets of grandparents, according to the Associated Press.

Puerto Rico Ports Authority spokesman José Carmona told the outlet that the Indiana family was at a dining hall on the 11th floor when Anello allegedly sat the toddler on the edge of a window. It is not clear whether someone had opened the window or if it had already been opened.

According to the Associated Press , South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski disputed earlier claims that the girl was being held out of a window in an interview with WSBT television.

RELATED VIDEO: 479 Cruise Passengers Airlifted to Safety After Mayday as ‘Chaos’ Aboard Ship Goes Viral Online

Secretary of Public Security, Elmer Roman, had previously told Primera Hora that the little girl reportedly hit an awning as she fell and eventually landed on the pavement on the Pan American dock in San Juan.

“It’s a very grave scene, very regrettable and tragic,” Roman told the outlet, according to CBS News . “One of the grandfathers, whom it would appear was playing with the little girl, lifted her out of the open window and lost his grip.”

Witnesses told Telemundo PR they heard the anguished cries of her family and that her mother’s cry did “not compare to any other scream.”

Authorities are investigating and will rely on interviews with family members and security camera footage to determine what happened.

The girl’s family will reportedly remain in U.S. territory until the investigation is complete, Sgt. Sotelo told the Associated Press on Monday. He also noted that authorities have not yet been able to interview any relatives.

According to Seascanner , the ship was leaving on Sunday for a seven-day cruise to islands like St. Lucia and Barbados. It is currently in St. Maarten and scheduled to return to San Juan on July 14.

Related Articles

• Travel Updates

‘Wall of windows’: Crime scene shows how toddler plunged to her death on-board cruise ship

A photo showing the “hidden hole” where baby Chloe Wiegand plunged to her death on-board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been released.

12yo fighting for life in horror holiday crash

Bus carrying 45 people plunges off cliff

Tragic text from 23yo who fell overboard

In among a wall of glass windows, a single pane sits ajar.

Surrounded by yellow crime tape and police in navy uniform, the scene of where baby Chloe Wiegand plunged 45m to her death has been released, showing just how hidden the open window is to the naked eye.

A single railing runs the length of the “wall of windows” on-board the cruise ship, however the open pane that Chloe fell out of appears hidden.

On Sunday, 18-month-old Chloe plummeted 11 floors from the “Freedom of the Seas” cruise liner, reportedly slamming into concrete below while the vessel was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It was initially claimed the toddler slipped through the hands of her grandfather, Salvatore Anello, who had lifted her out the window as he played with her.

But the family’s lawyer, Michael Winkleman, has hit back at the accusation and instead pinned the blame for the tragedy on the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

Mr Winkleman, a maritime lawyer representing the Wiegand family, said the grandfather didn’t dangle and drop her and the blame should be on Royal Caribbean for not having the window closed securely.

This is not “like the Michael Jackson story, where he was dangling the child out the window”, he said.

“There’s a whole wall of windows (on the ship),” Mr Winkleman said.

“The grandfather thought that this window was closed. It turns out, we’ve come to learn, that … passengers can open these windows.”

Mr Winkleman said while the other windows were closed, one was open and created a “hidden hole” that Chloe fell through.

“You have a wall of windows with one hidden hole,” he said.

“Unknowingly, the grandfather places Chloe on the wood railing before the wall of windows believing Chloe will bang on the glass just like she does at her brother’s hockey games, and the next thing he knows, she’s gone.

“Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kid’s area?

Mr Winkleman questioned the cruise line and asked why there was an open window in a play area designed for children.

“How about a warning, how about a sign, how about something?,” he said in a statement to KTVQ.

“When you put it in a kids’ play area, you gotta do something to let people know that these can be opened so things like this don’t happen.”

Mr Anello is under investigation over the tragic incident. His boss told WSBT that Mr Anello was a model employee.

“People just love him here in the county,” Mike Hamann said.

“He’s a very selfless man, he’s got a servant’s heart, as we say. And just one of the most wonderful human beings that you could ever meet.”

In a statement sent to news.com.au, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said they were “deeply saddened” by the “tragic incident”.

“Our hearts go out to the family,” the statement read.

“We’ve made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need.

“We are assisting local authorities in San Juan, Puerto Rico as they make inquiries after an incident aboard Freedom of the Seas on Sunday.

“Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident.”

Following the fatal fall, Mr Anello and several other family members were so hysterical after the child’s tragic death plunge they had to be sedated by medics, according to El Vocero.

Witnesses told how they heard the family, from Indiana, US, wailing in agony after Chloe fell to her death.

“We heard the screams of the families because we were close,” one passenger told Telemundo PR.

“A cry of pain of that nature does not compare with any other cry.”

It is not clear whether Mr Anello or anyone else will be prosecuted over Chloe’s death, with police quizzing witnesses and reviewing CCTV before deciding whether to file negligence charges.

Henry Escalera Rivera, Commissioner of the Police Bureau, told Prima Hora: “This is a process that is under investigation.

“We must wait to interview relatives and evaluate other evidence to determine if the filing of charges is appropriate.”

Devastated mum Kimberley Schultz Wiegand posted pictures of herself with her little girl on Facebook in the wake of the tragedy.

Friends and family paid tribute, leaving comments like: “Sweet angel. Praying for you and your family Kim.”

Another wrote: “You are loved. Praying for you and your family. I’m so sorry.”

The child’s father has been identified as police officer Alan Wiegand by the South Bend Police Department in Indiana.

News.com.au has contacted Mr Winkleman for comment.

A 12-year-old boy has been left fighting for his life after he was hit by a car at a popular tourist spot south of Perth.

A bus veered off a bridge into a ravine, catching fire and resulting in the deaths of 45 out of 46 passengers.

A tourist who is feared dead after falling from a cruise ship sent his wife a tragic final text.

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories , we're happy to send you some reminders

Click ' OK ' then ' Allow ' to enable notifications

Heartbreaking final text cruise ship passenger, 23, sent to wife before falling overboard

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Sophia Alicja Jones/Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

A British tourist tragically fell overboard from a cruise ship bound for Amsterdam earlier this month (16 March).

Liam Jones, who hails from Dundee , was travelling onboard the MSC Euribia for a seven-day holiday around Europe for his mum's birthday, first boarding the cruise ship in Southampton.

The 23-year-old has since seemingly vanished as the ship sailed to Germany and his heartbreaking final text sent to his wife has now been revealed after falling overboard.

Liam's wife, Sophia Mcphee, 20, has been left in total shock at the situation after trying to come to terms with what had happened to the social work student.

"I feel so lost," she told the Daily Record. "He’s just … gone.

"I’m never going to see him again. I’m devastated. I have so many questions, and I’m not getting any answers to what’s happened."

The Euribia was heading to to Hamburg, France, Belgium and Amsterdam before heading back to Southampton on 22 March, according to the ship's itinerary.

According to the Daily Record, Liam's final text message to Sophia was that he was feeling seasick.

Sophia last saw Liam two days before he fell overboard (14 March) when he travelled from their home in Dundee to Glasgow to meet his family.

She also added that there was footage of Liam going overboard, telling the outlet: "I was first contacted by his sister on Sunday. She said there had been an accident and Liam 'wasn’t coming back'.

"She then said she had seen CCTV and he’d gone overboard. I’ve not had any contact from anyone since."

A spokesperson from MSC Cruises told Tyla: "A passenger on board MSC Euribia went overboard on 16 March as the ship was sailing to Hamburg.

"This was reported to the authorities. The police in Southampton boarded the vessel on 22 March and investigated on behalf of the coroner.

"We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time."

They added: "Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will refrain from disclosing any additional information."

Hampshire Constabulary has also launched an investigation on the return of the vessel to the UK with a spokesperson, telling the Telegraph: "Officers boarded the vessel today following a report that a man had gone overboard."

The spokesperson continued: "The man’s family are aware and police are investigating this on behalf of the coroner."

Topics:  News , Travel , UK News

• Brianna Ghey's sad last text to mum before she was killed by two teenagers in broad daylight

@media (max-width:767px){.css-4n1las{display:none;}} Chosen for You @media (min-width:768px){.css-1s8mc50{display:none;}} Chosen for You

.css-12qjni8{display:-webkit-box;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;overflow:hidden;} Couple responds to cruel trolling after fiance is called 'hideous'

Travel expert issues warning to female holidaymakers of major warning sign to spot at hotels

Woman shares ‘delusional’ request from man for first date which left her in complete shock

Most read stories most read.

Blake Lively issues apology after making ‘joke’ about Kate Middleton Photoshop incident

Agency behind photo of Kate Middleton and Prince William speaks out on Photoshop theories

Rebel Wilson reveals 'a**hole' celebrity sent her 'threats' after learning she was including them in memoir

• Weird But True
• Sex & Relationships
• Viral Trends
• Human Interest
• Fashion & Beauty
• Food & Drink

trending now in Lifestyle

Trump ordered $200 worth of burgers from Long Island drive-in for...

Conjoined twin Abby Hensel, of TLC's 'Abby & Brittany,' is...

Women love men with 'dad bods' like Travis Kelce — and there's...

My best friend demanded I pay $2.5K to attend their wedding, tip...

Italy's got another leaning tower —and this one could actually...

Content creator stunned to learn $15 Goodwill dress has...

Golfer captures alligator with giant turtle locked in its jaws:...

I'm an ex-cruise ship worker — here's the shocking reason we...

I was traumatized by my first cruise vacation after two ship-rocking storms in five days.

• View Author Archive
• Email the Author
• Get author RSS feed

Contact The Author

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Lavishly celebrating a wedding anniversary is sweet. However, it’s best to not go  overboard .

But couple Alisha and Nate Downey nearly went down with the ship when their luxury liner became entangled in two “traumatizing” thunderstorms .

What was meant to be a lovely $3,294 float to Mexico almost cost the lovebirds their lives.  

“My first cruise was … quite the experience,” Alisha, 31, a mom and dental assistant from Denver, Col., captioned Instagram footage of her rocky Royal Caribbean voyage in January. 

Washing up a staggering 28.4 million views, the trending post featured clips of swollen waves crashing against the boat. 

The intense impact of the troubled waters caused the ship’s built-in pool to violently slosh, sent glassware and liquor bottles flying off shelves in the bar and dining areas, and made casino slot machines fall on top of passengers, per the viral vid. 

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. 

Alisha and Nate, 31, a sales manager, set sail for their five-day romantic escape to tropical Costa Maya and Cozumel, leaving from a port in Galveston, Tex., on Jan. 22.

Mid-way through the jaunt, cruise executives reportedly announced that docking in Costa Maya would be “too dangerous.” Instead, the watercraft drifted directly to Cozumel before heading back to the US. 

However, on the way home, a dark cloud upended vacationers’ fun in the sun.  

“We could see from our balcony that the overcast was getting worse, water was becoming very choppy, and looking toward the direction we were headed,” Alisha explained to What’sTheJam. 

“Very quickly the weather became worse, rain pouring down, the ship rocking,” she recalled. “Around this time is when I believe an announcement was made that we were in a storm and to ‘find sanctuary’.”

Alisha filmed herself and Nate hiding out in their room, which was located on the liner’s eighth floor. However, the pair’s sky-high digs was no match for the mighty ocean. 

“Soon our room was taking on water, coming under our balcony door,” she said. “A wine glass slid off the vanity and shattered, all the stuff came falling off.”

In fear for their lives, the trembling twosome went downstairs to the main deck — only to find broken glass and equally spooked trippers scattered everywhere. 

“We even saw women wearing their life jackets coming up the stairs from lower decks…people were scared,” Alisha remembered. “And by that point, there was about three feet of water in our room.”

Harrowing visuals of the chaotic scene elicited sympathy from some online viewers. However, less compassionate folks on the internet scolded Alisha and Nate for taking the watery risk. 

“Just don’t take a cruise during hurricane season,” scoffed a cynic. 

“Smh they are not all like this. Stop spreading fear,” demanded an equally apathetic commenter. 

“I would say the risk you take for booking a cruise??? Like demanding a refund because it rained on your beach vacation??,” another outraged critic ranted. “Maybe they should refund you. Then just not pay any of their staff that worked the cruise and kept you safe so you can get your refund for your inconvenience?” 

Alisha clapped back at the shade. 

“[I] Never demanded a refund, to be clear. I respectfully requested a small credit or voucher toward another cruise,” she explained in her Instagram comments. 

The incensed traveler, too noted that her cruise wasn’t during hurricane season — which, in Mexico, spans from June through November. 

“Our room flooded as did many. We paid for unlimited drinks to which bars closed for a while. We were supposed to stop at two places…one of which was skipped,” confined the blond. “And whilst one captain on another cruise line redirected for safety our captain went through not one but TWO dangerous storms.”

“People got hurt.” 

Rather than a refund, Alisha said Royal Caribbean offered her 20% on her next cruise. 

However, while she and her hubby may not be in a hurry to board another tub any time soon, other sea lovers have become completely addicted to the motion of the ocean. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alisha Downey (@leesh.downey_)

Influencers across the globe have infamously ditched dry to hop onboard the Ultimate World Cruise , a nine-month Royal Caribbean cruise that launched in December.  

And newlyweds Monica Brzoska Jorell Conley recently quit their jobs and hawked all their worldly possessions to become permanent mariners . 

“All my meals are cooked by chefs and staff change my bedding,” said Brzoska, 32. “I haven’t stepped into a kitchen or used a washing machine for a year.”

“I’m not a millionaire,” she teased, “I just live full-time on cruise ships.”

Share this article:

Advertisement