Family of Missing Honeymooner Sues Cruise Line

By Heather Siladi

Published on June 30, 2006

The body of 26-year-old Smith was never found. He is presumed dead, and the FBI is involved in an ongoing investigation regarding his disappearance.

The lawsuit was filed on June 29th in the Miami-Dade Circuit Court by George Smith's parents and sister who are seeking punitive and compensatory damages. The widow of George Smith is not taking part in the suit. The family is accusing Royal Caribbean of "atrocious" and “shocking" behavior for their role in playing down the likelihood of murder in order to protect the cruise line’s public image.

The Greenwich, Connecticut resident disappeared from the ship in the early morning hours of July 5, 2005. After a night of partying, his wife was found passed out in a hallway, and Smith was nowhere to be found. The only remaining clue was the report that several male passengers had helped Smith back to his cabin during the night.

The suit alleges that, in spite of a blood-stained metal awning outside Smith's cabin, when the cruise line finally notified the FBI, it ''portrayed the incident simply as a passenger who had gone missing."

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