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Kim Rossi
North Haven, CT
In 1994, while on a cruise from New York to Bermuda on Celebrity’s ‘Meridian’ with my fiancé (currently, my husband) and another couple, who just happened to be taking the same cruise, I was sexually assaulted by a crewmember. As a travel agent, I had participated in a Celebrity Cruise Line promotion.
One night, both husbands ventured off to an island, while Gail and I stayed on the ship. We watched a magic show and then retired to our respective cabins.
Later that evening (after midnight), my husband returned to our cabin and fell asleep, while I continued to watch a movie. (Note: Since this was a work-related promotion, we had received inside cabins with bunk-beds. I chose the top bunk, and my husband was on the lower one.) When the movie ended, I turned off the television and fell asleep.
Shortly thereafter, I awoke to ‘what I thought was’ an intimate touch of my husband’s hand. I was so tired that I responded, “Stop… I’m sleeping.” Hearing no response, I rolled over, only to see an ‘unknown’ man standing there with his face directly in mine!
Although I was a bit disoriented from just waking up, I watched my assailant, as he began to exit the cabin. I noticed the ‘Celebrity’ pin on his uniform. Everything happened so quickly... I leaned forward on my elbows, looked in the mirror, and could see him hiding behind the door near the hallway. Again, we were staying in an inside cabin and it was somewhat dark, except for the light from the door being ajar. When he attempted to re-enter our cabin, I screamed, and he immediately exited.
In hearing my scream, my husband awoke. Hysterically, I told him what had just happened… that a man had been in our cabin and had touched me sexually. His first reaction was that I must have been dreaming. When I pointed out that the door to our cabin was still ajar, he immediately jumped out of bed and ran to the hallway. He saw no one, other than a cabin steward or someone else, who had just entered another cabin at the end of the hall.
Immediately, I called the ships’ information desk and reported what had just happened to me. “Wow” was the response from the female attendant, and claimed that no one was available to take my statement. She suggested that I go back to sleep and call again at 8:00 a.m.
I was hysterical and trying to calm down, when Gail began banging on our cabin door. She was hysterical and crying, as well. She finally explained that a man had been in her cabin, touched her inappropriately and snapped a photo... At the time of her assault, her husband was also sleeping.
The four of us immediately went to the purser’s desk, where there had been a change in shifts. The female attendant reacted quite differently. When we told her what had happened to both of us, she replied, “Yes, I see your complaint” (referring to mine), and continued to explain that there had been two other reported incidents in-between my assault and Gail’s assault.
Although it was nearly 5:00 a.m., we requested to speak with the Captain, but the attendant claimed that she could not disturb him at that hour, and suggested that we return again at 8:00 a.m.
We roamed the ship, hoping to find an officer to assist us… Upon locating one, his reaction was “Hmmm…Wow, never heard about this. Why don’t you all rest on a lounge chair until the captain comes back on duty?” Clearly, he provided us with no assistance!
We continued to search for someone who would actually help us. While searching, we heard a commotion down by the gangway and headed in that direction. We observed two security guards, restraining a man who was covered in blood. Simultaneously, Gail and I yelled, “Oh my God! It’s him!”
In addition to the security guards and our assailant, there was a very hot-headed Irishman, screaming “This creep was in my kids’ room and I want to know why!”
We later learned that our assailant had been in a cabin with the Irishman’s 12-year old daughter and 17-year old son. The daughter awoke to this man kissing her in her ‘private’ area… The father was unaware of the previous assaults that had taken place prior to his daughter’s molestation.
This crewmember had gone on a rampage… He had entered at least 5 other cabins and sexually assaulted women and children.
The employee was a bar-back, who shared a room with a cabin steward, providing him with access to cabin keys. We learned that he had been recently demoted and was being transferred to another ship.
Eventually, we met with the Captain, who provided absolutely no assistance... He claimed that “Nothing like this has ever happened before. We have a policy and procedure for terrorism, fire, oils spills, but nothing at all like this.” This was clearly evident!
That night, the crewmember had assaulted 3 women and 2 children (ages 12 and15). He was arrested by the Bermuda police. We flew home, but immediately returned to observe a formal line-up, in which we positively identified our assailant.
The crewmember was formally charged and, later, found guilty. He received a 9-month prison term, served the full term, and was then deported back to Honduras, supposedly unable to return. (With the lack of thorough background checks, one wonders!)
When I returned home to the United States, I received a message from ‘Lloyds of London Insurance Company’, offering me $10,000 for my troubles (troubles???), along with a ‘free’ cruise.
Three of the five victims settled with Celebrity Cruise Lines. The 12-year old victim and I chose not settle and pursued our cases through the U.S. court system… That was another disaster and a total joke!
I am so grateful that we were docked in Bermuda at the time of the assaults, because the Bermuda authorities were our only safety. They documented our statements and took immediate action by arresting the crewmember. I am truly compelled to publicly thank them.
I am also extremely passionate in the need to address cruise ship policies and the unregulated laws surrounding the cruise line industry. The laws need to be addressed and changed to protect future cruise ship passengers. I am a ‘victim’ and an eye-witness to that fact. I do not refer to myself as a cruise ship ‘survivor’, a term that has recently been used by the cruise lines to shield them from negative publicity.
Ever since my assault on Celebrity’s ‘Meridian’, I have not taken a cruise. I am desperately trying to recover from my cruise ship experience...And hopefully, one day I will. Until then, I support the need for legislation and urge others to do the same.
Until now, I felt that I was alone, the only person, along with Gail, who had experienced anything like this. We were travel agents! Now, I know that cruise ship crimes are more common than I had ever imagined. I also believe that the cruise lines are well-aware of these types of assault and have chosen to empower themselves by covering them up.
