Many of you have emailed me after yesterday’s note about the loss of our colleague Ariel Leyson and asked what you could do to help.

In a tragic accident on Tuesday, Harmony of the Seas crew family, lost one of their own. Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley released the following statement on his Facebook profile:

Preliminary investigation on Harmony of the Seas incident carried by Marseille prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux, indicate that the lifeboat lowering equipment was functioning properly. Tarabeux said the investigation had so far found no signs of "faulty equipment". He added that "The investigation is shifting towards the theory that human error was to blame." Investigators are now focusing on whether mistakes were made in the procedures of lowering the lifeboat.

Just over three months after its inaugural cruise, Harmony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, is a scene of a serious accident. According to information provided by the French newspaper "La Provence", a lifeboat with five crew members inside detached off deck 5 crashing into the sea.  One crew member has been killed and two other crew are critically injured after a lifeboat fell while the ship conducted lifeboat drill in the French port of Marseille on Tuesday, September 13.

Looking for ways to rise more money, the City Council of Colon decided to implement $10 tax for each person landing by Cruise Ship. This controversial tax passed on June 19, 2016 raised the alarm by the Maritime Chamber of Panama, saying that this will affect the cruise ships coming in this port, and directing their vessels in other ports.

Former staff member working as a musician on Royal Caribbean is suing the cruise line for negligence led to an unsafe work environment aboard, that caused injuries to the plaintiff. SE Texas Record reports that the victim, Gerald Dahir of Harbor City, California, filed a lawsuit in Galveston Southern District Court against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for violation of the Jones Act. 

After one month intensive care in Jackson Memorial Hospital, Ben Buenaventura died from the injuries sustained in the tragic incident when a Norwegian Breakaway lifeboat fell into the water. The incident happened on Jul 20, 2016, during a weekly lifeboat drill while the ship was docked in Kings Wharf, Bermuda. Four crew members were in the lifeboat when line snapped and one crew member, 41-year old, Diogenes Carpio died immediately.

Spanish Coast Guard performed medical evacuation on a minor passenger aboard the German cruise ship Aida Stella, when the vessel was sailing 20 nautical miles off the coast of Mallorca. The command center dispatched rescue helicopter type Helimer 203. Crew conducted medical evacuation of a minor patient and the child together with the ships doctor was airlifted and taken to hospital in Espases, Spain.

NCL crew member was reported missing on Norwegian Pearl on Thursday, while the ship was sailing in Lynn Canal, Alaska, Cruise Law News website reports. The 25-year-old Colombian woman, disappeared from the cruise ship at around 1:40 a.m. The crew member was reported missing at 5 a.m. when she didn’t report on duty.

After covering more than 2,800 square miles over 43 hours span, the US Coast Guard suspended the search for Rina Patel. The 32-year-old woman sailing with her family aboard Carnival Ecstasy was last seen jumping from deck 11 aft on Wednesday. This tragic event occurred at around 2:30 a.m. while the ship was sailing 27 miles southwest of Freeport, Bahamas.