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Subject: 7 Seas Cruise News - January16, 2006



Greetings Cruise Fans,

Welcome to the January 15th edition of the 7 Seas
Cruise News. It's a big week for cruise news, so
we'll get right to it tonight. First, I'll pause
only long enough to tell you that Pat will be
pleased to help you find the cruise you want-at
the price you want to pay! He'll work very hard
for you and find the best possible discounted
fare for you. And unlike those online booking
services, you have Pat's number right here at
home, so you can call him any time and he'll
either be there to answer or he'll call you right
back! So, call him first or call him last-but
call him, please. You deserve the best! The toll-
free number is 1-866-424-1090, or email him at
cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com or visit the
website to shop around (but Pat can get you a
better price!) at www.7seascruises.com.

And now, some cruise news...

Twenty-eight voyages on the acclaimed 700-guest
all-balcony suite Seven Seas Voyager?® and Seven
Seas Mariner?®, and the 490-guest all-suite (90%
with private balconies) Seven Seas Navigator?®
will feature complimentary Spotlight theme
programming. The themes complement itineraries
with onboard and shore side programs, and include
Spotlight on Cooking from Asia to Australia
featuring kitchen queens Grace Young and
Annabelle White, along with Australian TV's
Dining Down Under team, and regional vintners. Or,
for those who crave sugar, a truly "sweet"
adventure will be had on the Spotlight on
Chocolate cruise, which will offer mouthwatering
samples confected by one of the world's leading
pastry chefs, Parisian superstar Christophe
Michalak. For antiques lovers, "Antiques Boatshow"
voyages offer a golden opportunity to sail with
experts from the popular BBC program Antiques
Roadshow. Through lectures, demonstrations and
shopping previews, Hilary Kay, Paul Atterbury and
David Battie will teach guests how to best locate
and buy treasures ashore. And, on the last night
of the cruise, the appraisers will stage a
shipboard version of the popular TV show in which
they assess guests' finds. Eight Spotlights will
focus on Music, Big Band/Dance, and Jazz with
performances by a roster of distinguished artists
including the Cary Richards Band, guitarist Larry
Coryell, saxophonist David Sanchez, pianist
Junior Mance, the Fine Arts Quartet and students
and faculty from the famed Juilliard School of
Music. There will be a Spotlight on Theatre with
Ed Asner, Cliff Robertson, Gena Rowlands, John
Tillinger, Leslie Uggams, Lee Roy Reams, and
Patricia Neal. Movie buffs will delight in the
South Seas "Film Festival at Sea" featuring film
experts from Hollywood and New Zealand, while the
ship's chefs will recreate classic film meals
including Babette's Feast and the towering
timpano from Big Night, plus exotic dishes from
Like Water for Chocolate. In addition to
Spotlight cruising, select 2006 voyages will
feature Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures
Society lecturers and hands-on Le Cordon Bleu?®
workshops.


Princess launches its amazing Romance Package,
including the opportunity for a proposal she'll
never forget! The package will only be available -
- at first -- onboard Princess' brand-new Crown
Princess when it launches this June. The ship's
videographer will work with you in a secret
onboard session to create a personalized big-
screen proposal, and arrange for it to be shown
just prior to one of the evening's outdoor
feature films. The $695 package price includes a
bottle of Champagne and chocolate covered
strawberries will be waiting for you back in your
cabin.

You and your newly betrothed will also enjoy: Two
glasses of bubbly and a red rose just after she
says "yes," four candid 8x6 photos of the
surprise proposal, a portrait session including
one 8x10 engagement photo, a romantic breakfast
in bed, a couples' massage at the Lotus Spa, a
complimentary pottery class via ScholarShip@Sea,
where you'll design a souvenir "engagement plate,"
and a $100 credit toward a wedding-at-sea package
for a future cruise. Forgot the ring? Relax ...
you'll also get a 10 percent discount off fine
jewelry in the ship's boutique.

NCL recently announced the names of its two
newest ships - Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem.
The ships, previously known as hull S.669 and S.
670, will be Norwegian Jewel class ships and will
be delivered in February 2007 and October 2007
respectively. Currently under construction at
Meyer Werft in Germany, Norwegian Pearl and
Norwegian Gem will feature all the attributes of
NCL's dynamic modern Freestyle Cruising fleet
with multiple restaurants, vibrant public rooms,
versatile, family-friendly accommodations and NCL'
s popular new style of accommodations - Courtyard
Villas - which along with each ship's two Garden
Villas -- make up the biggest, most luxurious,
most innovative suite complexes at sea. NCL will
announce specifics on the new ships' public rooms
and itineraries in the near future including
details about each ship's distinctive hull
artwork.

A new year-round four- and five-day cruise
schedule from Port Canaveral debuts March 23,
initially on the Sensation through Oct. 19 and on
the Elation beginning Oct. 23.  Four-day cruises
visit Nassau and either Freeport or Half Moon Cay,
while five-day cruises call at Grand Turk, Half
Moon Cay and Nassau. Highlighting select five-day
cruises is Grand Turk, part of the Turks & Caicos
Islands, featuring pristine beaches, turquoise
waters, spectacular coral reefs, and an unspoiled
atmosphere. From April 30 - Oct. 15, the Elation
will operate a new seven- day cruise program from
Miami featuring four exceptional island
destinations -- Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas/St.
John, Grand Turk and a rare daytime call at San
Juan.   Following a highly successful inaugural
Mediterranean schedule in 2005, Carnival Liberty
will offer an expanded series of 15 12-day "Grand
Mediterranean" cruises round-trip from Rome (
Civitavecchia) May 7 - Oct. 22.  The itinerary
includes extended port calls in seven magnificent
locations: Naples, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia;
Venice, Italy; Messina, Sicily; Barcelona, Spain;
Cannes, France; and Livorno,Italy. Three Carnival
ships currently under charter to the U.S.
government for hurricane relief efforts will
resume their previously operated schedules in
2006.  The Holiday resumes year-round four-and
five-day cruises from Mobile, Ala., March 27; the
Sensation launches four- and five-day service
from New Orleans Oct. 26; and the Ecstasy begins
four- and five-day service from Galveston April 8.
Elation, which replaced the Ecstasy on four- and
five-day cruises from Galveston, will continue
that program through April 3, then reposition to
Miami for its new seven-day cruise program
beginning April 30.   As part of its "Today's
Carnival" product enhancement strategy, the
company has introduced the new Carnival Comfort
Bed sleep system featuring plush mattresses,
luxurious duvets, high quality linens, and
comfortable pillows, including a "suite pillow"
menu for guests in suite accommodations. The
items can be ordered via a special web site,
carnivalcomfortbed.com. Additionally, continuing
the line's increased emphasis on enhancing its
culinary offerings, world-renowned French master
chef Georges Blanc, who has maintained the
coveted three stars from Michelin for 25 years,
is creating one-of-a-kind gourmet appetizers,
entrees and desserts for Carnival's main dining
rooms, Lido restaurants and supper clubs
fleetwide.  Blanc and his staff are also
providing training to Carnival chefs both at his
restaurants in Vonnas, France, and aboard the
line's ships.  Both of these enhancements are
available on select Carnival vessels and are
expected to be implemented fleetwide in 2006.
Just promise me you will take a Carnival cruise
and sleep under one of those duvets before you
order one for yourself! If you have central
heating, you may not need one of these. I believe
they were designed for sleeping in igloos or
those Northern European ice hotels!

Travel agents selected Carnival Cruise Lines for
providing the "Best Sales and Service" and named
the new Carnival Liberty as the "Best Rookie
Cruise Ship" in a poll conducted by a leading
trade publication, Travel Weekly, in its 2005
Readers' Choice Awards. The awards were based on
an on-line survey of thousands of Travel Weekly
readers who were asked to name their top choices
in a broad range of product- and service-related
categories.

And that's it for this week. For those who enjoy
a good mystery, I am attaching the text of Royal
Caribbean's press release regarding the
disappearance of George Smith aboard one of their
ships in the Mediterranean last summer. There
doesn't appear to be a definitive solution to the
mystery yet, but it makes interesting reading.
Enjoy (?).  Well, maybe you don't enjoy a story
like this, but it is fascinating!  

Make a note to call Pat and talk cruises. It
makes him so happy! And until next week, smooth
sailing!

Teri


Royal Caribbean International Responds To
Allegations Involving George Smith's
Disappearance With Factual Chronology  MIAMI -
January 5, 2006 - George Smith, IV tragically
disappeared from the Brilliance of the Seas
sometime in the early morning hours of July 5,
2005, while the ship was sailing in the
Mediterranean Sea on a 12-day cruise enroute to
Turkey. The reason for his disappearance is being
thoroughly investigated by the FBI but is still
unknown. The FBI has requested that Royal
Caribbean and others connected with the incident
limit their remarks so as not to compromise that
investigation, and we have resisted commenting
until now. Even today, we will not comment on
items which could interfere with the FBI's
investigation.

All of us at Royal Caribbean extend our deepest
sympathies to Jennifer Hagel Smith and the whole
Smith family. They have suffered an inconsolable
loss, and it is totally understandable they want
answers and some measure of closure regarding Mr.
Smith's disappearance. However, there has been a
lot of inaccurate and unfair speculation about
our company's response to the incident, and the
time has come to set the record straight.

I. Royal Caribbean acted immediately upon
learning Mr. Smith might have gone overboard,
searched for him, and performed a thorough
investigation to find out what happened.

II. The ship's crew responded properly to the one
complaint of "partying" noise coming from the
Smith cabin during the night in question.

III. We notified Turkish and U.S. law enforcement
authorities promptly and cooperated fully with
their investigation, and we continue to assist
the FBI in its search for the truth. This
included promptly sealing the cabin and canopy
over the lifeboats, providing authorities with
access to all passengers and crewmembers, and
providing all other information requested or
known. All evidence in the cabin and on the
canopy was protected until the Turkish
authorities finished their forensic investigation
late that afternoon and told the ship those areas
were released for cleaning.

IV. At each and every step, Mrs. Hagel Smith was
treated with compassion and, while in Turkey
after the incident, was provided constant
assistance and support, including a personal
escort from the ship throughout the ensuing
investigation.

V. Upon learning of Mr. Smith's disappearance, we
kept the family informed until they directed us
not to contact them.

I. THE COMPANY ACTED PROMPTLY

The initial reports of blood on the canopy came
in just after 8:30a.m., over two hours after the
ship had docked and many passengers and crew had
departed. Within 10 minutes, the canopy area was
secured, and a thorough search of the ship was
undertaken for passengers in the cabins above and
surrounding the bloodstain. Three guests,
including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, were initially
unaccounted for and did not respond to pages. By
approximately 9:15 a.m., the ship's officers gave
instructions that American and Turkish
authorities be notified.

As part of the search following the initial
passenger reports of seeing blood on the canopy,
the ship's Chief Officer entered the Smiths'
cabin at 8:41 a.m. and determined the cabin was
empty. Since the Smiths had not been found, the
Captain ordered the cabin sealed and a guard was
posted around 8:50 a.m. Ship's personnel
continued to search the ship for the missing
guests.  Shortly before 10:00 a.m., the Staff
Captain and two other ship officials went to the
Spa, where they had been informed Mrs. Hagel
Smith was having a massage. She was asked to come
out of the treatment room and to meet with them
in a nearby private room. The officers were
relieved to have found one of the missing guests,
but requested her help in ascertaining any
information concerning the whereabouts of her
husband. She responded that she was not aware
that Mr. Smith was missing or where he was. Mrs.
Hagel Smith also told the officers her husband
may have slept elsewhere. She added they had been
partying and that he had slept elsewhere on the
ship on at least one other night during the
cruise.

Allegations that the ship's crew harshly informed
Mrs. Hagel Smith about the blood stained awning
are not correct. Having found blood on the canopy
and having not located Mr. Smith thus far, even
though a search was still underway, the Staff
Captain determined it was best to advise Mrs.
Hagel Smith her husband might have gone overboard.
But he first thought it helpful for her to have a
female officer as a companion during what he
feared would be a very difficult time.

Approximately 15 minutes after she was located in
the Spa, Mrs. Hagel Smith was introduced to the
ship's Guest Relations Manager, Marie, a ship's
officer. Marie was in her office and was asked to
assist and support Mrs. Hagel Smith. There, at
approximately 10:15 a.m., the Staff Captain told
Mrs. Hagel Smith that something outside the ship
indicated Mr. Smith may have gone overboard.
While there is no good way to deliver such
horrific news, he was careful not to mention any
blood out of concern for her well-being. At one
point, the Staff Captain was specifically asked
whether blood was found on the outside of the
ship. The Staff Captain did not wish to answer in
Mrs. Hagel Smith's presence, but she may well
have inferred the answer from his silence.

An intensive search of the ship was immediately
undertaken, completed and failed to find Mr.
Smith. The ship has a sophisticated system,
called "SeaPass," which keeps track of people who
enter or leave the ship. As part of the
investigation, the "SeaPass" system also was
reviewed to ensure that Mr. Smith had not simply
walked off the ship with other passengers who had
gone ashore. He had not.

Once ship officers concluded that Mr. Smith was
missing and had possibly gone overboard, they
attempted to determine a likely timeframe in
which that might have happened. The ship's
officers computed that George Smith left the ship
in Greek waters based upon an analysis of various
interviews taken during that day, computer logs
of the ships coordinates, and other information
that had been compiled. After completing their
investigation and analysis, the ship then
contacted the Greek Coast Guard at 1:57 p.m. to
conduct a search.

II. THE CREW RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY TO THE
SINGLE NOISE COMPLAINT

At 4:05 a.m. during the night, a guest in one of
the cabins adjoining the Smiths' cabin called the
Guest Relations desk and complained about loud
voices and drinking game noises coming from the
Smith cabin. Security went to the Smith cabin in
response to that complaint, but the noise had
already stopped, and there was no answer to our
knocking. We now know from interviews of
passengers conducted after Mr. Smith was found
missing that the guest pounded on the wall at
about the same time he called the Guest Relations
desk and the noises stopped almost immediately.
Since there was no noise when security arrived or
any report or sign of violence or danger,
security left believing all was well. We had no
justification for invading a guest cabin on the
basis of one simple partying noise complaint.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m., Mrs. Hagel Smith was
found sleeping on the floor of a corridor on the
other side of the ship and a significant distance
from her cabin. Security was notified and arrived
shortly thereafter. As several ship personnel
remained with Mrs. Smith, two crewmembers went to
her cabin at 4:48 a.m. to see if anyone was there
to assist in her return. They knocked and, not
getting a response, looked inside the cabin,
found it empty and saw nothing amiss. While the
crewmembers were still outside the Smith cabin,
the guest in the other adjoining cabin looked out
his cabin door, complained about the earlier
noise, and reportedly advised crewmembers to
enter the cabin. However, they had already opened
the door and seen nothing amiss.

Mrs. Hagel Smith was taken back to her cabin by
wheelchair at 4:57 a.m. by two security guards
and a female supervisor. She was placed on top of
her bed and asked if she was all right. She
answered that she was okay, and the security
personnel left the room. George Smith was not
present, and nothing appeared amiss.

The ship arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey, at 6:14 a.m.
, and passengers were cleared to go ashore at 6:
39 a.m. Only subsequent to Mr. Smith's July 5
disappearance did Royal Caribbean learn that a
number of other guests also heard various noises
apparently emanating from the Smith cabin during
the early morning hours. Unfortunately, none of
them were reported at the time. Only the one
guest noted above called reception to report the
party-type noises. At the time, the crew
responded appropriately to a simple partying
noise complaint.

III. WE PROMPTLY NOTIFIED TURKISH AND U.S.
AUTHORITIES AND FULLY COOPERATED WITH THEIR
INVESTIGATIONS

Royal Caribbean has a port agent, who is a
designated representative to assist its ships,
guests, and crew in any local matters in every
single port it visits worldwide. At 9:15 a.m.,
when George Smith could not be located in
response to the initial pages, the ship directed
its port agent to contact the Turkish police. The
port agent also contacted the U.S. Embassy. Royal
Caribbean representatives in Miami contacted the
FBI directly at 10:19 a.m. Turkish time (3:19 a.m.
EDT) and were told that the FBI would notify
other U.S. authorities including the U.S. embassy
in Turkey. As more information became available,
a second call was made to the FBI by Royal
Caribbean at 10:28 a.m. (Turkish time) (3:28 a.m.
EDT). The FBI maintains a legal office in Ankara,
Turkey, but by coincidence, it turned out that
there was an FBI agent in Kusadasi, who happened
to be on vacation in that area and the FBI asked
him to attend the scene. The Turkish authorities
asked to speak to several people from the ship,
including Mrs. Hagel Smith, the Captain, and some
crew and passengers. The ship and its passengers
were under the jurisdiction of Turkish
authorities since they were in a Turkish port.
The Turkish authorities refused the ship's
explicit request that the interviews take place
on the ship. They were adamant the interviews
take place in accordance with normal police
procedure and that they be conducted off the ship,
beginning in the police office in the Port
terminal. It is the FBI's normal practice that
when such international incidents occur, the FBI
will usually rely on local police authorities,
working in conjunction with the FBI legal attache
agents at the embassies, to conduct the initial
investigation and turn over the results to the
FBI. The FBI confirmed this policy as recently as
a Congressional hearing on December 13, 2005.
The Turkish police arrived at the ship at 12:30 p.
m. and conducted a full forensic investigation of
both the cabin and the canopy, including taking
blood samples, fingerprints, photographs, and
collecting other evidence in the room. They
secured and removed such evidence. The Turkish
authorities informed Royal Caribbean that all of
this evidence has been delivered to the FBI. The
Turkish police had the authority to take whatever
time was needed, and they did so. We also gave
them our full cooperation in doing so. Had they
requested more time, the departure of the ship
would have been delayed for as long as necessary.

In addition to Mrs. Hagel Smith, the police
questioned two other guests and four members of
the ship's crew. All members of the crew
voluntarily gave testimony and answered police
questions. By late afternoon, the police advised
us they had completed their forensic
investigation. They also advised us that they did
not have any reason to hold either Mrs. Hagel
Smith or any of the other people questioned. They
said that would continue their investigation, but
they had obtained all the forensic evidence they
needed and the ship, her guests, and crew were
cleared to leave. They said at that time that
ship officials could now clean the cabin and the
canopy.

During the course of the day, the Captain
observed passengers leaning way over the balcony
railings in order to view the blood and take
photographs. He was concerned about passenger
safety and disruption to the ship. The balcony
railings on the ship are high, but even so, there
can be a danger if a person leans too far over.
The Captain did not clean the canopy immediately
after the authorities authorized him to do so,
but two hours later, he thought it prudent to
allow the cleaning. He then personally spoke with
the Turkish police and re-confirmed that the
authorities had no objection to cleaning the
blood from canopy. The Turkish authorities
advised the Captain that since they had completed
their forensic investigation, collected blood
samples and taken photographs, they gave the
Captain express permission to clean the blood off
the canopy. That was done at 6:15 p.m. using a
pressure hose. It is simply not true that the
canopy was cleaned earlier than this or that it
was ever painted over.

The FBI provided no instructions to Royal
Caribbean in either of the two calls which it
made in the morning or anytime during the
remainder of the day, either directly or through
their agent on the scene, regarding preserving
the blood found on the canopy or keeping the room
under seal for any period of time after the
Turkish authorities had completed their
investigation. Royal Caribbean understands that
the FBI was in communication with the appropriate
authorities. This belief was confirmed with the
arrival of the U.S. Consulate Representative and
an FBI agent to the police station in Kusadasi.
Therefore, when the Captain received permission
from the Turkish authorities, who had already
completed their forensic testing, the Captain
believed it was permissible to wash the blood
from the canopy.

Mrs. Hagel Smith, in conversations with her
father and the ship Captain, had stated she
wished to join her parents and return home as
soon as possible. Only after the police released
Mrs. Hagel Smith and completed their examination
of the cabin did the Captain allow Marie, the
ship officer who had accompanied her all day
during the investigation, to retrieve her
belongings from her cabin and deliver them to her
so she could return home to be reunited with her
family. Aside from that one brief period when her
belongings were being packed between
approximately 6-6:30 p.m. on July 5, the cabin
remained closed and off limits for another six
days.  During this six-day period, Royal
Caribbean was in continual communication with the
FBI. In fact, as noted below, it was the FBI
agent who acted as an intermediary in giving
Marie the safe combination so that she could
retrieve Mrs. Hagel Smith's belongings from the
cabin. In addition, an FBI agent boarded the ship
and inspected the cabin on July 7.

On two additional occasions (July 8 and 9, 2005),
Royal Caribbean also advised the FBI that the
cruise was ending in Barcelona on July 11, 2005,
and it was standard procedure for the cabin to be
cleaned and placed into service. Royal Caribbean
specifically invited the FBI aboard the vessel to
conduct their own investigation. The FBI
acknowledged they understood the situation and in
fact sent an agent to board the vessel and
inspect the cabin before it was cleaned. In
addition, on July 8, 2005, Royal Caribbean's
President also specifically asked the FBI if
there was anything further Royal Caribbean could
do to help in the investigation. The FBI made no
further requests of Royal Caribbean during this
time. Receiving no objection or instructions from
the FBI to the contrary, and knowing that the
Turkish authorities already conducted forensic
testing and released the cabin, Royal Caribbean
saw no reason not to follow standard procedure
and prepared the room for the guests who had pre-
reserved the cabin. Three days later on July 14,
2005, for the first time, the FBI called and
requested that the cabin be vacated and remain
empty. Royal Caribbean complied with this request
and has continued to comply with all requests
from the FBI to the present.

While anyone can second guess these decisions
based on five months of hindsight, the fact is
that the Captain and crew protected the cabin and
the canopy not only for the amount of time needed
for the investigation, but for longer than any
authority requested. They based their decisions
on any and all guidance received from the
authorities, all of whom we kept informed.

IV. THE SHIP'S CREW RESPONDED COMPASSIONATELY TO
MRS. HAGEL SMITH'S NEEDS

Royal Caribbean understood from the first moments
of this tragedy that Mrs. Hagel Smith's ordeal
was traumatic and that she needed to be treated
sensitively. Her husband was missing and had
apparently gone overboard; any police inquiry
would inevitably involve questioning of the
spouse; and she could not even gain access to her
own belongings because her cabin had been sealed.
From the outset, the Captain and crew therefore
tried to provide her with support and assistance
in a sympathetic and compassionate manner.

Claims that she was abandoned, asked to leave the
ship, or left alone in Turkey are utterly false.
Contrary to speculation and innuendo, from the
moment she was found at the spa and taken to
Marie's office, she was never even left alone.
During her questioning in the terminal by Turkish
authorities, she had had two ship officers with
her, including Marie. During her questioning in
the police station by a Turkish (female) judge,
she had an FBI agent and an official from the U.S.
Consulate with her. Marie, the Royal Caribbean
officer with her at the police station, was asked
by the FBI agent to leave the group during the
judge's questioning. In fact, at least one Royal
Caribbean officer, Marie, accompanied her
throughout the day and consoled and comforted her
from shortly after 10:00 a.m. until about 6:00 p.
m. that night, when Mrs. Hagel Smith retired to
her hotel arranged by our port agent and in the
company of the U.S. consulate officer.  Reports
that she was forced to wear clothing with the
company's logo are false. Mrs. Hagel Smith
requested a change of clothes, since she was
still in the clothes she wore the night before.
Marie helped Mrs. Hagel Smith get a change of
clothes before leaving the ship to be interviewed.
At approximately 11:35 a.m., one and a half hours
after she had been located in the Spa, Marie took
Mrs. Hagel Smith to a private room and offered
her an opportunity to shower, rest and change
clothes before her interview with Turkish
authorities. Mrs. Hagel Smith accepted. Because
her cabin was sealed, she had no clean clothes.
Marie therefore asked staff to get comfortable
new clothes from the ship's gift shop, most of
which typically carry the cruise line insignia.
Mrs. Hagel Smith chose the specific clothes she
wore from a selection obtained from the gift shop.
She was never forced to wear anything. Marie lent
Mrs. Hagel Smith a brush for her hair, toiletries,
and gave Mrs. Hagel Smith a bathrobe to use. In
addition, she gathered some magazines and even a
CD player to help calm her during the long day
ahead. Finally, Marie gave Mrs. Hagel Smith her
own long-sleeved, zip-up sweater to wear over the
clothes from the boutique. Contrary to certain
reports that she was prevented from calling home,
Mrs. Hagel Smith was, in fact, assisted in making
calls to her own family and Mr. Smith's family.
Her first calls were to her father at
approximately noon Turkish time (5:00 a.m. EDT),
after unsuccessfully trying to reach her sister-
in-law. The ship facilitated these calls for her.
The Captain participated in one of the phone
calls with Mrs. Hagel Smith's father, which
involved the location of the police interview.
When the police insisted they wanted to interview
Mrs. Hagel Smith in their own facilities, a ship
officer tried to convince the police to do it on
the ship, but they were adamant and they asserted
jurisdiction to conduct the investigation. The
Captain explained this to Mrs. Hagel Smith and to
her father. Mrs. Hagel Smith talked further with
her father and then agreed to cooperate and go
off the ship for the questioning.

The ship allowed Mrs. Hagel Smith to place any
call she wished. Soon after she was informed that
Mr. Smith was missing, she said she wanted to
call her own father and Mr. Smith's family. Marie
helped her with the former, but noted that Mrs.
Hagel Smith had previously told the ship's
officers that Mr. Smith's absence from their
cabin was not necessarily suspicious, as he might
have been with friends. Marie therefore suggested
she might want to wait to call Mr. Smith's family
until it was clearer that he really was missing.
Marie still hoped that Mr. Smith would turn up
and thought Mrs. Hagel Smith wouldn't want to
frighten the family unnecessarily, especially in
the middle of the night in the U.S. as it was 11:
35 a.m. Turkish time (4:35 a.m. EDT). However,
within 25 minutes it became clear that they
should be informed, and the ship facilitated the
calls, starting at noon (5:00 a.m. EDT). In all,
Mrs. Hagel Smith made at least seven calls home,
all but one via the ship or other company
representative. The only difficulty Mrs. Hagel
Smith encountered was with respect to two calls
she attempted but was unable to get through due
to problems with the connection.

Royal Caribbean also tried to keep the Smith
family informed of all available information. In
all, our company called the family five times to
provide them what little information was
available. We stopped calling when Bree Smith, Mr.
Smith's sister, told us that she was an attorney
and did not want any more calls from the company.
Mrs. Hagel Smith initially met with police at the
port terminal station at 1:30 p.m., and later in
the main police office approximately one hour
later. The Turkish judge who conducted the
official interview at the main police station
decided to wait for the U.S. consulate official
to arrive before questioning Mrs. Hagel Smith.
Marie was with her during the questioning at the
terminal as well as sitting with her at the
police station. Contrary to reports, Marie she
saw no incidents of taunting or efforts to
humiliate Mrs. Hagel Smith.

As part of their investigation, the police
requested a doctor to examine Mrs. Hagel Smith
for bruises or other signs of a struggle. Marie
insisted on going with her. Upon arrival at the
hospital, Marie insisted that all individuals in
the room leave other than the physician, a female
nurse, and herself. Marie turned her body away to
give Mrs. Hagel Smith privacy. The exam lasted
two minutes.

There have been suggestions that Mrs. Hagel Smith
only cooperated with the investigation by Turkish
authorities because the captain told her two
officers would accompany her when interviewed
with the authorities and that the interview would
be limited to a simple statement. The captain was
true to his word. As noted above, two officers
accompanied Mrs. Hagel Smith while she was first
interviewed by Turkish authorities at the
terminal. When they were advised that a U.S.
consular official and an FBI agent were going to
meet them at the next location, one of the
officers returned to the ship. One Royal
Caribbean officer, Marie, remained with her at
all times, except when Mrs. Hagel Smith was
interviewed by a female Turkish judge, and the
FBI agent specifically told Marie to leave the
room. The FBI agent and the U.S. consulate
official remained in the room with Mrs. Hagel
Smith.

The Captain never assured Mrs. Hagel Smith that
she would only have to give one statement - he
would never be in a position to control the
Turkish investigation, and, thus, would never
give such an assurance. Our first priority was to
determine what happened to Mr. Smith. It was our
belief then, and it remains so today, that Mrs.
Hagel Smith shared that priority. The best way to
advance the investigation was obviously to
cooperate with the investigators.

The ship was docked at a Turkish port and the
Turkish police had jurisdiction over the ship and
all its passengers and crew. Refusing reasonable
demands by the police would not only be imprudent
for everyone (including Mrs. Hagel Smith), it
would probably be counterproductive.

The Turkish authorities performed their important
duties responsibly and professionally. For
example, part of the reason that the questioning
took longer than expected was that the Turkish
authorities waited for the arrival of the
consular officer and the FBI agent before
continuing the questioning. Altogether, it took
approximately four hours from the time Mrs. Hagel
Smith left the ship until the authorities
released her. It must have been a difficult time
for her, but it is unfair to suggest that this
was an unreasonable imposition that the Captain
should have or could have spared her in an
investigation of a possible murder.

As the day continued, Mrs. Hagel Smith repeatedly
said she wanted to be reunited with her family.
Royal Caribbean was fully prepared to assist with
these arrangements, and the Captain even offered
to have Mrs. Hagel Smith remain on the vessel
until arrangements could be made for her to fly
home from Pireaus, but he was advised the U.S.
consulate official was already arranging for her
travel home on a Lufthansa flight. The final
arrangements were subsequently made by Royal
Caribbean's port agent, who also made
arrangements for a hotel and transportation for
Mrs. Hagel Smith to go to the airport on the
following day. Suggestions that she was kicked
off the ship in Turkey are false.  Later that
afternoon, at approximately 5:45 p.m., the police
released Mrs. Hagel Smith and told her she was
free to fly home. Mrs. Hagel Smith gave the FBI
agent on the scene the combination to her cabin
safe in order to be able to pack up Mr. and Mrs.
Smith's personal belongings. Marie offered to
return to the ship to do so, and the FBI agent
gave Marie the combination to the safe. After
verifying with Mrs. Hagel Smith that she was
authorized to open her safe, Marie returned to
the ship. She packed Mrs. Hagel Smith's clothes
and retrieved her passport and other valuables
from the cabin safe using the code the FBI agent
gave her. Marie handed the valuables directly to
the U.S. Consulate official who was in the cabin
with Marie. Ship officers were only responding to
Mrs. Hagel Smith's repeated requests to be with
her family.

Marie carefully packed the nicer clothing in the
suitcases and used company's shopping bags for
the excess. The consular officer then took Mrs.
Hagel Smith to her hotel, which had been arranged
by Royal Caribbean's port agent. The consulate
officer stayed at the same hotel so she could
accompany her to the airport in the morning. The
ship departed Kusadasi at 7:08 p.m.

During the day, ship officers and the company's
port agent worked closely with the U.S. Consulate
and the FBI to ensure that Mrs. Hagel Smith was
treated with care and compassion. Together, these
individuals worked hard on her behalf and
unquestionably softened some of the worst edges
of her ordeal. Each contributed as much as he or
she reasonably could and, while nothing could
eliminate her ordeal, to attack their individual
efforts and contribution is unfair.

V. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

The tragic disappearance of George Smith is a
terrible heartbreak for his wife and family and
we understand that they are inconsolable. We
sympathize with their loss and their grief. We
will continue to cooperate fully with the FBI and
other authorities in an effort to find the
answers we all want. The ship's officers and crew
did their best to assist Mrs. Hagel Smith in
every way possible and to facilitate a complete
and untainted investigation. We commend them for
responding to this tragedy carefully,
compassionately and professionally.







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