A Family's Caribbean Cruise Turns Sour Due to Autism Misunderstanding
A family's holiday vacation took a turn for the worse when a young man with autism was removed from a cruise ship. The incident happened on Christmas Eve in Cozumel, Mexico, involving a misunderstanding between the young man, Sean Curran, and another passenger. The family believes the cruise line did not handle the situation with enough care or understanding.
The Incident
Curran, 31, has autism and was on the cruise with his mother, Carolyn Piro, and his brothers. Piro had contacted the cruise line beforehand to discuss accommodations for her sons, ensuring their comfort and safety. Despite her efforts, the incident occurred.
The trouble started when Curran bought a drink for a teenage girl, unaware it contained alcohol. The girl then touched him and used bad language. Curran reacted by lifting her, similar to a scene from his favorite movie. The girl's parents arrived and started yelling, prompting cruise staff to take Curran to a security office.
The Aftermath
Curran explained his autism and his intention to be nice, writing a short statement for the cruise staff. His mother arrived and helped him apologize. However, the cruise line decided to remove Curran from the ship, giving him and his mother only 90 minutes to pack and leave.
Family's Perspective
Piro believes the cruise line could have handled the situation better, suggesting they could have restricted Curran to his room or allowed him to leave at the next port. She feels the cruise line treated her son poorly and lacked understanding of his autism.
Reunion and Advocacy
The family was reunited a few days later when the ship docked in Florida. Piro later received an apology from the cruise line and requested a refund of the $20,000 she spent on the cruise, which the cruise line declined to comment on.
Piro is now advocating for better understanding and acceptance of autism, urging cruise lines and other businesses to provide better training for their staff and create more inclusive environments for people with autism.
Curran is also speaking out about the incident, encouraging people to treat others with kindness and respect. He hopes his story will raise awareness about autism and the challenges people with autism face.
