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Pam
quote:Originally posted by PamM:What is 'unsafe' about being in one's cabin on a drifting ship? Pam
At the time the reports were related to the backup power lighting some of the public areas that passengers were being kept in but they didn't want people in the staterooms or hallways where things were not as well lit and someone could get hurt.
What's more the emergency system is not designed for prolonged use. I am not sure how much fuel they would be carrying specifically for that system which is separate from the engine room, etc.
Safety and security is definitely a Carnival concern below decks at a time like this but also I am sure they are trying to figure out how to make the passengers comfortable and minimize the negative publicity.
"There are 3,143 guests...and now there are plans to tow the ship to Mexico where passengers will take a flight back to the U.S."
Also with no a/c, water or sanitation conditions are not going to be great.
I assume CCL for that reason decided it was safety best to keep people in a limited area. The more people are going up and down the stairs, its hot, they are sweating, etc. the more likely people are going to fall and just get even more cranky.
This is an older design so it is not under the safe return regulations. That's only for the most recent new builds.
As for why the fire knocked out power it is impossible to tell unless you are there. It could just be that the damage took the motors off line or it could be that the electrical switchboard or cables or whatever was damaged. The fire might not have been extensive but if it hit in certain areas it could cause a lot more problems to get any form of restoration. I am sure the engineers are doing their best to get some power back and the rest of the crew is working doubly hard to maintain operations. Remember last time the pictures of them having to hand carry all the food from the store rooms up multiple decks by hand to get it to the buffet area? I am sure the same is happening now.
I am thinking the original Density refurbishment into Sunshine will head off a mechanical mishap by replacing components and systems likely to fail in a 17yo ship.
quote:This is an older design so it is not under the safe return regulations. That's only for the most recent new builds.
Yes, I know that, I was being facetious. She's not an old ship by any means though and should still have some separation. But as you say we have no idea what the real cause, damage or extent of anything is - only gossip and speculation.
Posted on: February 11th, 2013 - Featured, News Blog
February 12, 2013, 8:30pm ET
The Carnival Triumph, while on a four-day cruise that departed Galveston last Thursday, experienced an engine room fire on Sunday morning and has been without propulsion in the Gulf of Mexico since that time. The ships automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the fire was successfully extinguished. Fortunately, there were no injuries to guests or crew members.
Earlier this evening, the first of two tugboats arrived and is tied up to the ship with the second expected in the early hours of Tuesday morning. We had originally planned to tow the ship to Progreso, Mexico, the closest port to the ships location early Sunday. Since that time, the ship has drifted about 90 miles north due to strong currents. This now puts the ship nearly equidistant to Mobile, Alabama and given the strength of the currents, it is preferable to head north to Mobile, rather than attempt to tow against them. We now expect to arrive in Mobile sometime on Thursday, roughly the same time the ship would have arrived in Progreso given the distance the ship has traveled. From there, we will provide the necessary transportation to get our guests home. Mobile also provides simpler re-entry, particularly for the 900 guests onboard traveling without passports.
We have maintained constant contact with the ships officers. All of our guests are safe, and we're doing everything we can to make them as comfortable as possible. The ship has maintained emergency generator power since the fire occurred and the technical team on board has been successful in gradually restoring auxiliary power to operate some basic hotel functions. Currently, public and cabin toilets are operational in certain sections of the ship, power has been restored to a limited number of elevators, and some power in the Lido dining area is providing for hot coffee and limited hot food service.
All guests on the current Carnival Triumph voyage will receive a full refund for the cruise, along with transportation expenses. In addition, they will receive a future cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage, as well as reimbursement of all shipboard purchases during the voyage, with the exception of gift shop and casino charges.
We're terribly sorry for the inconvenience, discomfort, and frustration our guests are feeling. We know they expected a fantastic vacation, and clearly that is not what they received. Our shipboard and shoreside teams are working around the clock to care for our guests and get them home safely.
.. and to all those GET A PASSPORT! I cannot believe in this day and age this is still permitted. Go to Mexico and make all of them pay for an emergency passport at double to price it would have cost to get one in the first place
quote:Originally posted by DEIx15x8:I actually thought it was a requirement to have a passport. Would these 900 be exempt due to age or country of origin?
U.S. citizens are not required to have a passport for cruises that are scheduled to begin and end at the same U.S. port.
Cruises The Dallas News reports Pat and Gerald Woods planned the details of their cruise for months, working with Mesquite Travel on the destination and ship, the excursions and air travel. The couple bought trip insurance in case something went wrong before they sailed from Seattle in May 2011. They asked what documents they would need for the 10-day cruise, which stopped in four Alaska ports and Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to Seattle. The answer to that question resulted in a nearly two-year dispute between the couple, the travel agency and Celebrity Cruises. The couple say they knew that Gerald’s passport was expired, so Pat asked the agent at Mesquite Travel whether one would be necessary for the trip. She says she was told three separate times that he could make the trip without one. He arrived with his driver’s license, but that wasn’t adequate documentation, and it became apparent as soon as they were met at the plane by Celebrity staffers. They traveled on to the ship dock to talk to officials, but they were told “in no uncertain terms, that we would not sail without a passport because we would be in Canadian waters part of the time,” Pat said. The couple flew back to Texas on the same day they left. They were out $4,623 for the cruise, airfare and other trip expenses. They filed for their trip insurance from Celebrity Cruises when they got home, but their claim was refused. The CruiseCare insurance policy lists just five categories for which it will pay off, and even some of those have restrictions. “According to the information submitted, your interruption was due to insufficient travel documentation. Unfortunately, your reason for interruption is not among the specified reasons listed in the program that would make one eligible for a cash refund,” said the letter they received. The couple next argued through their credit card for reimbursement of the $1,765.48 they’d charged. They lost that ruling, despite the fact that Celebrity incorrectly said they had failed to show at the pier. Celebrity says online that “all U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S. will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate and laminated government-issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth.” In another section about required travel documents, the cruise line says that U.S. citizens on Alaska cruises must have a passport. Because much of the information provided by the cruise line is governmentspeak and sometimes contradicts itself, I asked Celebrity about the couple’s case, hoping for some compassion and perhaps a discount toward future travel. That didn’t happen. F4
Obviously this is strongly discouraged, since people cannot fly to first port of call if they miss their ship, or they cannot fly home during the cruise for a family emergency. But the nature of CCL's short-cruise market is such that, they turn a blind eye and allow literally hundreds of people on board without passports. Someone paying $199 or $299 for a cruise, with no likely prospects of travelling elsewhere in their foreseeable future, does not want to spend $135 on a passport.
quote:Originally posted by desirod7:Carnival Corp seems to be having bad luck with the Density class. The Splendor, Triumph, and the granddaddy of disasters: Concordia.I am thinking the original Density refurbishment into Sunshine will head off a mechanical mishap by replacing components and systems likely to fail in a 17yo ship.
I have seen the DENSITY (nice one! ) referred to as the "Death star" already. Seems she is already mechanically troublesome, although I do not have the hard facts to back that up...
quote:Originally posted by rd77:I have seen the DENSITY (nice one! ) referred to as the "Death star" already. Seems she is already mechanically troublesome, although I do not have the hard facts to back that up...
In late January her stern thrusters broke down; she had to alter ports of call to places with tug service.
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