I think if I had a band I would be looking into this. Cruise ships can be a good gig, if you play your cards right they pay well and go all over the world. As already noted, you can also meet some excellent connections.
As far as this cruise line goes, they probably had no choice but to leave the people there, it's a foreign country so they might be in jail for quite a while. It's not like New York or Chicago where you can find a bondsman 24/7 right down the street who actually speaks your language, there might not even be such a thing as bail.
From reading the comments in one of the articles, (I read the supplementary articles too) someone from that country noted that the fight had started because one of the women involved assaulted a police officer. The whole group was being belligerent, probably acting like they were still in the "hood". You can't go to a foreign country and expect everything to be the same as if you were at home, especially if you show your ass. many countries do not tolerate Americans with attitudes, even if the Americans are in the right. You are in THEIR country, you have to play by THEIR rules. And the best rule is stay out of trouble.
It seems they got into a cab that was not the legitimate cab company, and had a disagreement over the fee, the cabbie tried to rip them off. They should have been warned about cabbie ripoffs, and probably were, and ignored the warnings. They also initiated a "brawl" as it was called, and attacked police officers. Plainclothes, but police nonetheless.
The cruise line most likely had no choice but to leave them, they can't sit there for six months waiting for the locals to hold a trial. If you are a passenger on a cruise ship they probably also have a clause in their agreement with you that specifically states that if you get arrested you will be left behind. I really doubt this is the first time American tourists have gotten into trouble abroad, the cruise lines are well prepared for this, they have seen it before.
When my high school band went to Vienna Austria for the first international band festival, this was one of the things we were well warned about. if you get into trouble, chances are the US can't do much about it, you're not in the US any more. So stay out of trouble. So what if your daddy is mayor, halfway around the world he has NO pull whatsoever. Nor does your lawyer or even your congressman. Only the US embassy has any chance of helping you. And that may not be much of a chance.
Bad mouth the cruise line all you want, fact is these people started a fight in a third world country and are subject to their laws and values, not ours. I haven't seen their contract with the cruise line but I would almost bet it covers this kind of eventuality. If you get thrown in jail you get left behind, the cruise line is not responsible for your actions while ashore.
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