What began as a dream vacation for a Canfield, Ohio, man has turned into a nightmare for his family.

Daniel DiPiero left for a Florida cruise, then vanished May 14 after a night of drinking aboard the cruise ship Mariner of the Seas. Mr. DiPiero, 21, has not been seen since.

The U.S. Coast Guard searched about 900 square miles of ocean last week, believing he fell off the ship while traveling from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to Coco Cay, Bahamas.

Mr. DiPiero's mother, Susan, said yesterday her family has hired Florida lawyer Brett Rivkind to help on the case.

Asked if the family was contemplating a lawsuit, she said, "We don't know what we're contemplating."

She referred other questions to Mr. Rivkind, but he could not be reached.

Mr. DiPiero graduated from Canfield High School in 2003 and had attended Youngstown State University. His mother said he was working a construction job this spring, but took time off so he could go on the weeklong cruise with friends.