This week has been a public relations disaster for the cruise lines and the travel industry.

A Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) crew member from the Norwegian Pearl was gunned down in Roatan after he walked off the ship to call his wife and check on his child back in the Philippines (suspect photo below right).

This week I have read a couple of articles about the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) "Cruise 3 Sixty" conference in Fort Lauderdale. I read an article in the Sun Sentinel (Cruise Execs Talk About Industry’s Future) and an article in Travel Weekly (CEOs Say Cruise Lines Must Wow Travelers).

CLIA’s Christine Duffy

Fairplay reports today that Michael Crye, a lawyer and long time lobbyist for the cruise industry, will soon be leaving the cruise industry’s trade organization, the Cruise Lines International Association (“CLIA”). Fairplay does not mention where Mr. Crye is going.

Mr. Crye used to be the president of the old International Council of Cruise Lines