Family of missing honeymooner sues Royal Caribbean
BY AMY MARTINEZ
aemartinez@MiamiHerald.comA much-publicized dispute between Royal Caribbean Cruises and the family of missing Connecticut honeymooner George Smith is now headed for the courtroom.
A lawsuit filed today in Miami-Dade Circuit Court accuses Royal Caribbean of hampering an investigation into Smith's disappearance by downplaying the possibility of murder to avoid scandal and protect its public image.
Smith's parents, Maureen and George Smith, as well as his sister, Bree Smith, filed the suit on the grounds that Royal Caribbean inflicted emotional distress through its ''shocking'' and ''atrocious'' behavior.
''The family was seeking closure and still is, and Royal Caribbean did everything in their power to portray this incident as an accident,'' said Brett Rivkind, a Miami lawyer representing the Smiths. ``The family believes the fact that the FBI is still working on the case a year later is a direct result of Royal Caribbean's initial effort to try to hide what really happened.''
Smith's body never was found, and he is presumed dead. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, though it does not give a dollar amount.
Miami-based Royal Caribbean called the charges ''recklessly false'' and expressed confidence that it will prevail in court.
''We sympathize with the Smith family,'' Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein said in a statement. ``However, this lawsuit is an unconscionable attack on our company and its employees, who have done everything they could to fully support the authorities and their investigations.''
Smith, 26, of Greenwich, was on his honeymoon in the Mediterranean when he disappeared from Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas early in the morning of July 5, 2005. A blood-stained metal awning outside his cabin raised the possibility of foul play, thrusting the case into the public spotlight.
Smith's parents and sister have made numerous appearances on national TV criticizing Royal Caribbean's response to his disappearance.
The suit contends that Royal Caribbean failed to convey the seriousness of the matter in its initial contact with the Smiths and created a false sense of hope. Smith had spent the previous night partying with his wife -- later found passed out in a hallway -- as the ship sailed from Greece to Turkey. Several male passengers reportedly walked him to his cabin.
The suit also reiterates complaints made by the Smiths on TV that Royal Caribbean turned over the investigation to Turkish authorities, who ''did not have the appropriate desire and incentive to conduct a full and complete investigation.'' And when Royal Caribbean notified the FBI, it ''portrayed the incident simply as a passenger who had gone missing,'' the suit states.
Additionally, Royal Caribbean is accused of contaminating a potential crime scene by sending crew members into Smith's cabin to investigate and take photographs.
Royal Caribbean, the world's second-largest cruise ship company after Carnival Corp., denied that it did anything wrong, saying the captain took ''immediate steps to preserve the scene,'' including posting a guard outside Smith's cabin. Royal Caribbean said Turkish authorities, along with the FBI, ``conducted a complete forensic investigation.''
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