Cruise ship passenger subject of gay slurs prior to fall overboard, attorney alleges

[Baitball Blogger]

Winkleman said Elbaz had no intention of going overboard. "Royal Caribbean says this was a domestic dispute and a suicide, saying that he jumped. That was anything but the case," Winkleman said.

Based on interviews with Eric Elbaz, Winkleman said the couple had been subjected to gay slurs from crew members earlier in the cruise. "At the bar there were comments like, 'Hey, Lipstick,'" said Winkleman. "Bernardo was sensitive about those issues."

On Thursday, following a late dinner, Eric Elbaz went to the couple's cabin while Bernardo stayed at the bar. "There was some altercation, a fight, more anti-gay remarks," said Winkleman.

When Bernardo returned to the couple's room after midnight, he was "definitely inebriated, crying, swearing at crew members who may have followed him," Winkleman said. "He was so angry he threw a lamp, a chair."

In the passengers' videos, Elbaz's is seen dangling off the side of the ship as a crew member attempts pulling him to safety.

"Hold on to him! Don't let him go!" a man can be heard screaming on the videos. "My husband! Oh my God! Hold on to him!"

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/fl-man-overboard-oasis-couple-20151108-story.html

[Bluenorthwest]

1. This is so horrible.

nt

[COLGATE4]

2. As a passenger on multiple Royal Caribbean cruises

I find it extremely doubtful that the crew members subjected the couple to gay slurs. Royal Caribbean is a giant in the cruise industry and is very good at their corporate goal, i.e. making money. All the cruises I have been on have had a significant proportion of gay passengers, and I doubt that that is unusual. Royal Caribbean would much rather fire a crew member than lose paying passengers.