"Michael Hynes"

Published on: February 23, 2012

Dispute between Deceased Passenger and Cruise Employee Caught on Tape

We have previously reported on the suspicious death of Kenneth John Gemmell who was a cruise passenger on the Allure of the Seas, a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises.

It has not been over two weeks since the 30-year-old man disappeared at sea and the questions asked by the family to help them understand what may have happened on the night of the incident still remain unanswered today.

Initially, Royal Caribbean issued a statement saying that their passenger apparently committed suicide. That conclusion had been reached after the cruise company spokesman confirmed that existed video footage of Kenneth Gemmell standing up on the table in his cabin and jumping off the ship, apparently on his own.

kenneth john gemmell 2.jpg Read more on the initial statement by Royal Caribbean here: Another Death of 30 year-old Royal Caribbean Cruise Passenger

Despite the claim that said video footage exists, the family has yet to see it. In the days following the incident, the authorities in charge of this passenger disappearance case stated that the open investigation was still ongoing and that they could not reach the same conclusion that Royal Caribbean had reached only several hours after the tragedy occurred.

In the last week, many passengers who were on that same cruise began to come forward by reaching out to the Gemmell’s family directly, while others left comments on the internet, describing what they recall seeing or knowing about the incident that may be of help in piecing together the last few hours of Kenneth’s life aboard the Allure of the Seas.

Of particular interest, we have now learned that Kenneth entered into an argument with a cruise employee that night. The employee in question is so far nowhere to be found. The family suspects that the employee was allowed, by Royal Caribbean, to disembark in Cozumel, Mexico.

While Royal immediately issued a statement contradicting these latest reports, the latest declarations made by the family to the media yesterday certainly add another layer of suspicion surrounding this case.

The family confirmed to Examiner.com that the lead investigator in the Bahamas has confirmed to them that Royal Caribbean has video footage of the dispute between Kenneth and the cruise employee/bartender. He further confirmed that, contrary to what it stated in one of its earlier releases, Royal did in fact allow one of its employees to board off the ship and was never asked to return.

This raises suspicion on what happened in the moments leading to Kenneth’s disappearance. Several fellow cruisers who were on the Allure of the Seas have commented on several internet forums and online boards that the employee with whom Kenneth was seen to have an argument was selling drugs to passengers.
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Published on: February 14, 2012

Cruise Passenger who fell off the Allure of the Seas was not suicidal

By Leesfield & Partners

The father of Kenneth John Gemmell spoke out recently about the disappearance at sea of his 30-year-old son. We reported on this story as soon as it happened and once additional information became known. Several passengers on that same cruise have come forward with pertinent information which have raised some doubt as to exactly what happened to the young man.

Kenneth John Gemmell.jpg Read our previous posts on this story:

Another Death of 30 year-old Royal Caribbean Cruise Passenger

Family of Deceased Cruise Passenger Seeks Information from Fellow Cruisers

In the last 24 hours, Kenneth’s father, James Gemmell, has reiterated the family’s efforts to get more information from fellow cruisers who may have more information about the disappearance of Kenneth and the claims by the cruise line that the yound man committed suicide.

A spokesman for Royal Caribbean Cruises, which operates the “Allure of the Seas” released a more detailed statement: “He was alone on the balcony in his stateroom on deck 11 when he stepped on top of the balcony table in order to jump over the balcony railing. The footage is consistent with an eyewitness report from another guest.”

The statement refers to a video footage captured on the ship’s closed circuit surveillance system. While the statement seems to leave no doubt as to what happened in the seconds prior to Kenneth’s jumping off the ship, the family is still trying to understand what led the young man to such an act.

In an interview, James Gemmell has said that “Kenneth was not a suicide risk. He went out on a holiday and was very happy. We just don’t understand what happened.” His mother added her son “was very good at his job and loyal to those he worked with and was a happy and outgoing person. He went on the cruise a very happy and jolly person. He was delighted about it and had nothing to be sad about. He was not a suicide risk.”

The reason Kenneth’s parents are continuously looking for answers is easily explained. First, despite the claim by the cruise line that the 30-year-old committed suicide and taht he was caught on their surveillance system jumping off the ship on his power remains to be proven. The cruise line has yet to turn over the video footage to the family at this point in time. Second, the investigators, who we can assume have seen the video footage in question, have not indicated that this is a suicide case and the investigation is still ongoing. Lastly, and probably most importantly for the family, several fellow cruisers have come forward on forums and other online websites and commented that they saw Kenneth have an argument with a crew member not long before he allegedly disappeared.

blaze allure of the seas.jpg

Blaze – Club where Kenneth Gemmell may have had an argument with a Royal crewmember

Those doubts are reinforced by new rumors that the said crewmember who entered into an argument with Kenneth, may have disembarked in Cozumel while the authorities were still searching for Kenneth’s body and never returned aboard the ship. Some cruisers brought even more troubling doubts when said crewmember may have been selling drugs to passengers that night.

Yesterday, in the face of the new information, that has yet to be substantiated, Royal denied that any crew members failed to report for sailing while in Cozumel.

If you have any additional information, you may reach the parents by email at Michael@ mhynes.com
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Published on: February 9, 2012

Family of Deceased Cruise Passenger Seeks Information from Fellow Cruisers

By Leesfield & Partners

Earlier this week we reported on the death of a cruise passenger on the Allure of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean.

At the time, Royal Caribbean’s public relations was in full damage control mode, cooperating with the local authorities, providing investigators with captured footage of the ship’s closed-circuit surveillance cameras. The only conclusion one could reach after reading RCCL’s statement was that the 30-year-old cruise passenger had committed suicide by jumping over the railing of his cabin located on deck 11. The investigators in charge, looking at the same evidence, had not reached that same conclusion, and simply stated that the investigation was still ongoing.

Within the last 24 hours, more information has surfaced that may very well change how the young man came to disappear at sea.