Posted on 11/09/2010 3:57:32 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
One of Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines' newest ships was dead in the water Monday night, more than 100 miles off the Mexican coast, as fire damage to the engine room left thousands of passengers without hot food, working toilets, or air conditioning for their cabins.
Everyone is safe, the cruise line says, but the cruise is over as soon as the Carnival Splendor can be towed to a Mexican port.
Fire broke out in the forward engine room around 6 a.m, Pacific time, the cruise line confirmed. Guests whose rooms were near the engine room were evacuated to the Lido Deck, an upper deck that opens onto the outdoors. The fire was reported out by 9 a.m., but a re-flash occurred, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The damage is so extensive, the ship's key operating systems, including air conditioning, flushing toilets, hot meal preparations and telephones are not available.
Guests are being provided with bottled water and food items and are able to move around on the ship's upper open deck areas.
Several tow boats were heading toward the ship's location, which is about 150 miles south of San Diego. The US Coast Guard also sent ships to the area.
The 925-foot liner, carrying 3,300 passengers and more than 1,100 crew members will be towed to Ensenada, Mexico and passengers will be taken back to California, where the cruise line will help get them home.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbs4.com ...
I’ve never wanted to take one of those fancy cruises. An hour on an excursion boat or ferry when I have to is about it for me. This type of thing happened to a cousin and her family several years ago on a fancy cruise.
Carnival has now said that all guests on the current cruise will be receiving full refunds. They will also receive reimbursement of transportation costs and a complimentary cruise in the future.
What, no pirate ships in the area? ;-)
I thought the same thing until I took a cruise.
Waiting for the pics to appear on the internet - people are probably already planning their PPT presentations of why NOT to go Carnival!
We’ll be seeing those photos as soon as people get off the ship.
A 2008 study conducted by economists at Cal State Long Beach revealed Carnival passengers spend about $20million annually on local services such as hotels, food, transportation, parking and retail.
From that, the city collects roughly $1 million in sales tax and $450,000 in hotel tax.
For its ships, Carnival also spends an estimated $45million each year on supplies purchased from area vendors, including food, alcohol, fuel, disposable dishware and other goods.
The company employs 2,800 people locally, including nearly 1,160 on the Splendor.
Fox news reporting the passengers will get a full refund.
Ship likely has trip insurance. That’s gonna hurt.
Have taken a similar cruise on a smaller ship - this one is so huge - cannot imagine how they will organize/remove all those folks in a speedy transfer. What a nightmare.
Ping
The last cruise we were on, the celebrity solstice, bragged about having two engine rooms well separated from each other, and being able to run the ship with one room completely out of commission. I think they called it their “return to port” capability, even in case of major fire.
One of these boats will usually have 2-4 main engines, and smaller ones for emergency power or hotel loads.
It's going to take a while. It took hours for everyone to get off our cruise when it ended in Sept. and there were no issues.
The cruise industry is seen as monolithic in a way similar to insurance.
One fails they all fail. I am interested to see how the industry responds to this.
It’s got to be one of the biggest fears of passengers - being stranded at sea or sinking.
I saw that you were on the Oasis. How was it?
>Passengers are getting food and water, but the toilets don’t work. What could go wrong?<
sewage treatment not working....
solution,,,
turn off the water to the toilets
...................
crap wherever you want,
preferably overboard
We were on the Explorer of the Seas, and someone actually asked the captain if the ship could sink at a Q & A. He said yes.
I,m sure some will say this never happens....cruises are great but I,m one not to be beholden to a metal floating city with only one way out if something catastrophic happens, and that’s jumping overboard. not gonna do it.
Same here. Quite enjoyable.
It’s the sailing ship experience - get out on the cat-heads for a bit of relief :)
Ping
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