FL FL - Kevin McGrath, 26, missing from a cruise ship, Miami, 4 Sept 2023

[BetteDavisEyes]

...As far fetched as it may seem, until they give a timeline of the events of the day, I keep wondering if he even got back on the ship in Bimini. I think where there’s a will, there’s a way. Whether it was KM trying to disappear or someone else that made some bad decisions.

<respectfully snipped>
I feel certain that KM returned to the ship after the stop in Bimini. Family members would have reported KM missing before the morning that the ship returned to Miami. Passengers who are late reporting back to the ship following a port call are paged and must contact Guest Services to let ship personnel know that they are onboard. If KM hadn't returned to the ship in Bimini, we'd know about it. The family expected KM to join them for breakfast on the morning of disembarkation, so they knew he was on the ship after Bimini. JMO

 

[SleuthyQ]

<respectfully snipped>
I feel certain that KM returned to the ship after the stop in Bimini. Family members would have reported KM missing before the morning that the ship returned to Miami. Passengers who are late reporting back to the ship following a port call are paged and must contact Guest Services to let ship personnel know that they are onboard. If KM hadn't returned to the ship in Bimini, we'd know about it. The family expected KM to join them for breakfast on the morning of disembarkation, so they knew he was on the ship after Bimini. JMO

I totally get what you are saying. My point was, no one has given a timeline of the day. If he wanted to disappear and had a family member help him, say his brother for example, his brother could have somehow managed to get his sign and sail card scanned to make it look like he was back on the ship and then told everyone at dinner that KM decided to skip dinner and take a nap (or whatever else) and then no one really realizes they haven’t seen him all evening plus everyone is packing and getting ready to get off the ship early the next morning so some of the group probably went to bed early too. Then in the morning at breakfast, when KM doesn’t come to breakfast, the brother says I saw him in the room at 2AM etc and I don’t know what he did after that. Totally far fetched, I know, I’ve probably just watched to many true crime shows and read to much true crime so I have an overactive imagination. It is something that could be done though. ‍

 

[lonetraveler]

I totally get what you are saying. My point was, no one has given a timeline of the day. If he wanted to disappear and had a family member help him, say his brother for example, his brother could have somehow managed to get his sign and sail card scanned to make it look like he was back on the ship and then told everyone at dinner that KM decided to skip dinner and take a nap (or whatever else) and then no one really realizes they haven’t seen him all evening plus everyone is packing and getting ready to get off the ship early the next morning so some of the group probably went to bed early too. Then in the morning at breakfast, when KM doesn’t come to breakfast, the brother says I saw him in the room at 2AM etc and I don’t know what he did after that. Totally far fetched, I know, I’ve probably just watched to many true crime shows and read to much true crime so I have an overactive imagination. It is something that could be done though. ‍

Are you saying that you don't believe the brother's story that he saw him at 2 am that morning that he disappeared?

 

[branmuffin]

I was reading about this specific cruise run by Carnival. It's a three day cruise to Bimini and back. It's almost like a cruise to nowhere which used to be an excuse to get hammered while cruising. Bimini is only 56 miles away from Miami yet it takes the ship over 12 hours to get there. The ship travels 384 miles to Bimini and back because cruise lines make most of their money when their passengers are captive on 'sea days'.

These types of cruises can be considered a trial run for those that want to test whether cruising is a viable vacation option. But this type of cruise can create a lot of bad behaviors, imo, that turn off many potential cruisers because there is a continual party atmosphere. Think about the pirate cruise Cameron Robbins was on this past June where he jumped off the boat and never surfaced.

I'd be interested to know whether the captain actually has a set course to take rather than just randomly meandering around a general area. Can the captain actually retrace the route he took on this particular cruise?

I have a funny feeling that the family may be editing Kevin's timelines because they fear his disappearance may have been attributed to reckless behaviors that could affect the level of searching, etc. There are so many family members involved in the cruise that a timeline should be created to establish who saw him last, where they saw him, when they saw him, his physical condition, who he interacted with, etc. Somewhere there is a clue as to what happened to him.

Here's a link re this cruise:

See how far this Carnival cruise ship travels to reach an island 56 miles east of Miami

How many miles does it take for Miami-based Carnival Conquest to get to and from one of its newest destinations, Bimini, the Bahamian island that sits closest to Florida? If you answered 112 &mdash…

www.sun-sentinel.com

Here's a sobering view of the real effectiveness of MOB identification and search technology:

6 cruise passengers have gone overboard in 3 months. Here's why most ships still don't use detection tech for rescues.

Vague language in a 2010 law means cruise ships largely rely on cameras to spot people who've gone overboard, losing critical time in rescue missions.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[lonetraveler]

Snipped...
...Authorities say Kevin was not detected by any of the ship's surveillance systems. The ship's cameras and security devices do not indicate that McGrath went overboard, and that's what his father says makes his disappearance even more puzzling.

“His SeaPass card was not scanned, because when you exit the ship, you have to scan your SeaPass card, and we had his documents, like his birth certificate and driver’s license, so there’s no way he could come off the ship," Sean explained. "I was told from Carnival that they had sensors all around the ship, so if someone did go overboard, they would’ve been alerted, and nothing was alerted.”

Mystery at Sea: Port St. Lucie man seemingly vanishes aboard cruise ship, remains missing several days later

A Port St. Lucie family who spent the weekend celebrating a birthday on a cruise ship is now in the middle of a nightmare.

cbs12.com

I admit I just found this site but the statement:
"we had his documents, like his birth certificate and driver’s license, so there’s no way he could come off the ship," Sean explained" has me bewildered. I've been on a few cruises, last one in March. Cruise lines DO NOT keep your documentation. They view it before you board.

 

[Lilibet]

I admit I just found this site but the statement:
"we had his documents, like his birth certificate and driver’s license, so there’s no way he could come off the ship," Sean explained" has me bewildered. I've been on a few cruises, last one in March. Cruise lines DO NOT keep your documentation. They view it before you board.

Sean is Kevin’s father. I assumed he meant that the family had his documents. Maybe everyone’s documents were kept in one place within the family for safe-keeping.

 

[lonetraveler]

Snipped...
...Authorities say Kevin was not detected by any of the ship's surveillance systems. The ship's cameras and security devices do not indicate that McGrath went overboard, and that's what his father says makes his disappearance even more puzzling.

“His SeaPass card was not scanned, because when you exit the ship, you have to scan your SeaPass card, and we had his documents, like his birth certificate and driver’s license, so there’s no way he could come off the ship," Sean explained. "I was told from Carnival that they had sensors all around the ship, so if someone did go overboard, they would’ve been alerted, and nothing was alerted.”

Mystery at Sea: Port St. Lucie man seemingly vanishes aboard cruise ship, remains missing several days later

A Port St. Lucie family who spent the weekend celebrating a birthday on a cruise ship is now in the middle of a nightmare.

cbs12.com

I admit I just found this site but the statement:
"we had his documents, like his birth certificate and driver’s license, so there’s no way he could come off the ship," Sean explained" has me bewildered. I've been on a few cruises, last one in March. Cruise lines DO NOT keep your documentation. They view it before you board.

 

[lonetraveler]

Sean is Kevin’s father. I assumed he meant that the family had his documents. Maybe everyone’s documents were kept in one place within the family for safe-keeping.

Thank you for clearing that up. I was reading it as Carnival was saying it. That's what happens when you are reading in reverse to catch up.

 

[lonetraveler]

In a “typical” Caribbean cruise port (like Nassau or Cozumel), you don’t have to show ID to get off the ship, they just scan your ship card or bracelet. You may or may not need ID to get back into the ship/pier area—depends on local border officials. Example: I was recently in Cozumel, and when I went back to the pier, local security just saw my cruise ship RFID bracelet and waved me through out onto the pier. In other words, I entered and exited Cozumel (Mexico) while never showing any photo ID.

However, you have to show your ID (usually passport or certified birth certificate) to re-enter the United States when the ship returns to Miami. (Although this process has been automated in at least some of the terminals with facial recognition.)

The only real point I’m making here is that it’s possible to disembark *at other ports*, particularly very touristy ones, without showing ID. (The ship will scan your card or bracelet so they know you’re off the ship, but local border authorities don’t require ID.)

(I’m still of the opinion that he went overboard in the early morning hours before the ship docked.)

Since I'm reading in reverse, do we know what time the ship was suppose to dock?

 

[branmuffin]

I totally get what you are saying. My point was, no one has given a timeline of the day. If he wanted to disappear and had a family member help him, say his brother for example, his brother could have somehow managed to get his sign and sail card scanned to make it look like he was back on the ship and then told everyone at dinner that KM decided to skip dinner and take a nap (or whatever else) and then no one really realizes they haven’t seen him all evening plus everyone is packing and getting ready to get off the ship early the next morning so some of the group probably went to bed early too. Then in the morning at breakfast, when KM doesn’t come to breakfast, the brother says I saw him in the room at 2AM etc and I don’t know what he did after that. Totally far fetched, I know, I’ve probably just watched to many true crime shows and read to much true crime so I have an overactive imagination. It is something that could be done though. ‍

He did say on his FB page that he was an island boy at heart.

 

[IceIce9]

I apologize if this has been answered already. I've been semi following the case, but recently I've been following more. Since his disappearance, is the carnival conquest docked and part of evidence or has it continued on cruising??

Per the article linked upthread, it was cleared to cruise.

 

[lonetraveler]

Y'all probably already know this but I just looked up the Carnival Conquest and his room no. 1326 is an inside room not a balcony room. JFI

 

[lonetraveler]

*I didn’t realize it is his brother who last saw Kevin.

Angel Rodriguez, a detective for the Miami-Dade Police Department, told PEOPLE that “McGrath was last seen by his brother at approximately 2 a.m. at his cabin.”

26-Year-Old Reported Missing After Cruise Ship Returns to Florida: 'He Never Arrived'

Authorities are searching for Kevin McGrath who was last seen by his brother aboard a Florida Carnival Cruise ship returning from Bimini, Bahamas.

people.com

Well, what happened to the story that his room mate saw him at 7 am?

 

[SleuthyQ]

Are you saying that you don't believe the brother's story that he saw him at 2 am that morning that he disappeared?

Honestly, I’m not sure. <modsnip: no link to an approved source> And there also seems to be some discrepancy now between whether he saw him (if he did see him) at 2am or 330am although initially it was reported (actually I believe his sister stated in her interview with news outlets this) that the cruise line was able to determine that his key card was used at 330 AM. Plus, initial statements issued by the cruise line say that he was last seen by his cabin mate/brother at 7 AM. Carnival cruise passenger reported missing after ship returns to Miami port

 

[JenniD]

I have been on many Carnival cruises and I love them. My thoughts are he decided to leave the room again sometime after 2 AM. For what- who knows! Did he meet up with someone that he partied with earlier? Did they go back to that persons balcony room and somehow fell overboard with no overboard detection system working. Did he go to the casino for one last attempt to win some $? He would have been seen on their cameras.
Did he go to the public deck areas that would be basically deserted at that time and went overboard?
I think there are a lot of scenarios that could have happened- but I will be very surprised in any Carnival crew member is involved in anyway.

 

[lonetraveler]

100% agree & I don’t understand people who fall overboard either, I thought all railings were chest height so I’ve never understood how anyone could possibly ‘fall’ overboard?

People don't fall overboard. They are either climbing up on something in order to jump off or to accidentally fall off.

 

[SleuthyQ]

He did say on his FB page that he was an island boy at heart.

Right. That’s also why I pointed out in another post that a ferry runs 3 times a week from Ft Lauderdale to Bimini and from Bimini to Freeport Bahamas. Also, private boats/yachts go back and forth from the US to Bimini all the time. If he wanted to disappear, I think it could happen this way. Plus, no one else, out of the several thousand people that were on that cruise, have commented anywhere to say they saw him anywhere that day/night. There are some people who always want their chance to be on the news etc. I just can’t believe that no one (not traveling with the group) has come forward to say they saw him that night in the club, or casino or up on the lido deck getting food etc. Out of all those people, someone on that ship not connected to his family had to see him.

 

[JenniD]

People don't fall overboard. They are either climbing up on something in order to jump off or to accidentally fall off.

You have to make a real effort to get over those rails.

 

[branmuffin]

This is a closed loop cruise so all passengers wouldn't need a passport to travel on this vessel. They arrive in Bimini without having to go through customs. However, if you overstayed your time on shore you break the loop so you would probably need a passport to re enter the US even if you are an American.

If KM stayed in Bimini on purpose would his absence be recorded by the ship? Normally if a passenger is left behind it's their responsibility to make arrangements to meet up with the ship at the next port or just fly back to the port. Bimini won't allow entry unless there is evidence of an outbound ticket. Not sure how a closed loop ship passenger is dealt with. However, if KM didn't have a passport he wouldn't be able to return without getting in touch with US customs. If KM purposely stayed behind it's possible the cruise ship wouldn't be aware of his absence until the time to disembark.

If the only evidence of KM on board was the the record of his keycard opening the cabin door at 3:30 am it doesn't verify him being on board only that his card was used.

 

[lonetraveler]

I don't believe this article from CBS 12 News has been shared. It has some quotes from Sean McGrath, KM father.

I've not previously seen the below statement. SM is speaking on what Andre (twin brother who was sharing a room with KM) told the family. (bbm)

“He said he heard the door open anywhere from 5-7 (a.m.) because it’s dark in the room, and can’t really tell the time,” Sean recalled.

Previous MSM reports have indicated KM's card key was scanned to access the cabin room at 3:30am, so this referenced 5am - 7am time frame could have been KM leaving the room?

Estimated timeline based on varying news outlets and accompanying possible scenarios

2am: Andre confirms seeing KM in their cabin
(KM goes back out to dance, drink, etc.)

3:30am: KM's card key is scanned accessing the cabin door
(KM returns to the room)

5am - 7am: Andre hears cabin door opening.
(KM leaves the room for final time)
3:30 am
7:30am: Family reports KM missing.

Mystery at Sea: Port St. Lucie man seemingly vanishes aboard cruise ship, remains missing several days later

A Port St. Lucie family who spent the weekend celebrating a birthday on a cruise ship is now in the middle of a nightmare.

cbs12.com

I'm confused again, At the 2 am time, his brother saw him in the room. Then he supposedly left to go partying? Then he clocked back in at 3:30 am. Then he leaves again at 5 am? What was going on during the time between 3:30 am to 5 am?