I just read that Holland America kicked a passenger off the Westerdam in the port of Fort Lauderdale. Apparently the unnamed passenger was put off the ship for failure to participate in a mandatory muster drill. This was just before the ship set sail for the Caribbean. The drill included alarm blasts and announcements throughout the ship that “failure to participate would result in disembarkation”. Apparently this was political. This is new since the January 13 Costa Concordia accident which resulted in at least 17 deaths and probably 32. 700 passengers aboard the doomed ship hadn’t received a safety briefing.
The problem with all of this is that the cruise line always refuses to discuss the details. They took roll call, but they didn’t say whether this man or woman actually refused to participate, or whether he forgot, or whether he was in the bathroom.