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<figure id="attachment_925" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-925" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9238.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-925" title="DSCF9238" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9238-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-925" class="wp-caption-text">The roadside vendor earns a living selling crafts and jewelry to tourists from the cruise ships which visit each week at St. Kitts. This location is near where 17 passengers of the Mercury were robbed. Copyright 2010 THE CHESAPEAKE</figcaption></figure>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ready-for-a-swim.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-919" title="Ready for a swim" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ready-for-a-swim-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Many Maryland residents have been travelors on the cruise ship Celebrity Mercury. THE CHESAPEAKE staff photo</dd>
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<p>Passengers from the Celebrity Mercury were robbed this past weekend when their cruise ship stopped at St. Kitts in the Caribbean. Local heathens put a tree across the road and blocked the path of a tour bus filled with passengers on an excursion from the ship.<br />
The Mercury is in its second year of conducting cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean from Baltimore. <a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SMECO-banner-ad-0314105.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-761" title="SMECO banner ad 031410" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SMECO-banner-ad-0314105-300x77.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="77" /></a></p>
<figure id="attachment_921" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-921" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mercury-two-seas-shot-St.-Kitts.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-921" title="Mercury two seas shot St. Kitts" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mercury-two-seas-shot-St.-Kitts-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-921" class="wp-caption-text">Those taking tours of St. Kitts will find this spectacular view of the south end of the island where the Atlantic Ocean is shown at the left, and the Caribbean at the right of this photo. THE CHESAPEAKE staff photo</figcaption></figure>
<p>The ship has been sold to a German cruise line and will leave Celebrity service in February after operating on cruises around the world since 1997.<br />
The robbery of <a href="http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4235">17 passengers at St. Kitts </a><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Roofing-by-George-Nov-Ches.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-899" title="Roofing by George Nov Ches" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Roofing-by-George-Nov-Ches-300x156.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="156" /></a>is the latest incident involving <a href="http://www.cruisebruise.com/index.html?entry=cruise-ship-passengers-robbed-in">robberies and murder affecting passengers of cruise ships in the Caribbean.</a> </p>
<p>Police in St. Kitts report having made 4 arrests thus far while several cruise lines have cancelled stops at St. Kitts and switched port visits to Antiqua, which itself was the scene of a murder of a cruise line passenger who was visiting the island nation.</p>
<p>A 14-year-old girl was killed when she was caught in a shootout between gangs in the U. S. Virgin Islands, on St. Thomas, this past summer. </p>
<figure id="attachment_926" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-926" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9272.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-926" title="DSCF9272" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9272-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-926" class="wp-caption-text">Dancers entertain cruise ship passengers at this welcome center and shopping area at the cruise ship terminal in St. Kitts. Copyright 2010 THE CHESAPEAKE </figcaption></figure>
<p>While police claim to have violence under control, a claim often heard in American cities, the best protection for travelors is to be aware of where crime takes place and to be cautious.</p>
<figure id="attachment_923" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-923" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9173.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-923" title="DSCF9173" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSCF9173-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-923" class="wp-caption-text">The Celebrity Mercury, the newest of the Century class of the line&#39;s ships, was first launched in 1997 and is being sold as Celebrity embarks on their new Solstice class, which includes the Eclipse, the Solstice and the Equinox and in 2012, the Silhouette. This photo shows the Mercury at St. Croix. Copyright 2010 THE CHESAPEAKE staff photo</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_922" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-922" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mercury-poolside-BBQ-buffet.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-922" title="Mercury poolside BBQ buffet" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mercury-poolside-BBQ-buffet-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-922" class="wp-caption-text">A Mercury chef prepares a poolside buffet. THE CHESAPEAKE staff photo </figcaption></figure>
<p>But while criminals in the island paradises such as St. Kitts can have guns, tourists are prevented from packing heat.<a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Kent-Baker-Salvage-June-Ches.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-194" title="Kent Baker Salvage June Ches" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Kent-Baker-Salvage-June-Ches-198x300.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>The Mercury passengers were robbed of cash, cameras and jewelry, according to the Cruise Critic website.</p>
<p><strong>Carnival <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12160946">cuts 4th quarter profits </a>due to cruise ship fire<br />
</strong>The fire aboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor left the line cutting its fourth quarter profits after the disabled vessel left its passengers stranded for three days. Carnival refunded the money to all passengers, threw in a free cruise and paid for all air fare costs for those affected as well as refunded money for cruises booked for passengers on cruises affected by cancelled voyages.</p>

Passengers on cruise ship sailing from Baltimore could have stayed home to be robbed
The Celebrity Mercury THE CHESAPEAKE staff photo