Press Release December 9, 2009
Legal Action Settled Out Of Court
By Mike Groves
I am pleased to officially inform you that Seabourn/Cunard [part of Carnival Corp] have folded and the case has been settled out of court, which of course is subject to non-disclosure.
You have all been fantastic in your constant and unwavering support and it is only disappointing that it had to go this far or why we [Som Gurung and I] were treated with such 'apparent disdain' from our employers in the first instance?
I still hold no real anger towards Carnival per say and in actual fact remain positive regarding the main power brokers of the organization - Mikey Arison who I wholeheartedly feel is a man of integrity and a decent human being as are many at his level. I only hope my offer to meet 1-2-1 will be accepted one day (if actually ever passed on) in order to ‘highlight’ a few things which I feel the 'boss' should know if not already? My sadness and in some respects disgust, remains with some particular distasteful individuals in my personal opinion within Seabourn & Cunard.
Although the financial aspects of this entire incident have been gagged I have not been – so time will tell regarding the full story?
I now intend to help push forward a private members bill (I'm not quite finished yet!!) to introduce new legislation on the back of the recent success in the US Senate regarding the Cruise Security & Safety Bill 2009. Ken Carver, President of 'International Cruise Victims' (ICV) has been one of thee instrumental driving forces behind this powerful movement that ultimately led to this important new law passing through the House of Representatives. In life everyone has a hero - for me Ken Carver is mine!
Of course we all need a Heroine as well and for me it is Jan Huggard. Editor, owner and driving force behind Cruise Bruise, I also now count her as a friend and an ally as do many thousands out there. Like Ken, ICV and many others she has been a fantastic mentor and 'I think' identified that if she kept me busy writing for her it would also help me - Jan it has and thank you!
However the work of the ICV and Cruise Bruise is still not done and currently there remains no real protection for passengers or crew boarding any cruise ships within the United Kingdom or Europe and this must be changed! To this end I have already been writing letters to various Members of Parliament for some weeks now and only this weekend, wrote to Prime Minster Gordon Brown personally to ask for his support and raise the issue directly.
Likewise other member's of the InternationalCruiseVictims.org will also, in time, look to cover other areas of the globe I'm sure so finally the industry will be regulated in much the same way as the airline industry has allowed itself to be for countless years.
Finally some of you within the industry have been courageous beyond measure. You know who you are and thank you for you undying support
Legal Action Settled Out Of Court
Seabourn Spirit Pirate Attack Has Been Settled
By Mike Groves QGM
Cruise Bruise Security And Safety Advisor
December 9, 2009
