Demon drink! – QM2 bans alcohol for crew after tragedy.

A story came to light recently that Cunard imposed a temporary ban on alcohol for crew members, following the death of one of it’s chefs on the Queen Mary 2.

Favio Onate Ordenes, 26, had been a member of staff for at least four crossings on the luxurious ship, which sails regularly between Southampton and New York. Described by friends as “friendly and happy,” he had reportedly been drinking before climbing up to the seventh deck.

Reports stated that he had had an argument with a colleague after drinking heavily which had ended up with a physical fight. His shoes, I.D. card and phone were found in a lift and he had apparently been seen wandering round the ship barefoot before making his way up to deck 7 and throwing himself overboard.

A spontaneous gathering was held in one of the lounges on Sunday night, for crew members wanting to mourn him. Four people from the 1,200-strong crew have resigned, a crew member said, and told Cunard they do not wish to re-join the ship once it docked in New York.

This tragic tale highlights that alcohol can be a dangerous thing if someone is not in a good place and over-indulges with drink.

It’s common knowledge that there are some wild parties that take place in the crew quarters after hours and why not? The crew work really hard and some very long hours. so it’s only right that they are able to relax when they’re off duty and make the most of their downtime. I recently read a blog by Danielle Gauer, a former cruise ship dancer who wrote that the motto on board was “What happens in the Crew Bar, stays in the Crew Bar,” She continued to say that the crew had access to very cheap booze and it was the barman’s job to get the crew ‘tanked up’.

Do you think this practice should be reviewed? Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts.