First Person: A Cruise Critic Member Recounts His Carnival Splendor 'Adventure'

From the looks of some of the videos and the postings from Splendor passengers, the media had alot of the info incorrect (can't imagine!).

I know it wasn't the cruise it was supposed to be, but seems most people were pretty open minded and thankful the situation wasn't worse.

It seems that Carnival has gone beyond any one's expectations.

Everyone gets a full refund and a free cruise equal to what they paid for this aborted cruise. Their transportation costs to get back to Long Beach will be looked after and now we read that their hotel and meal expenses are also paid for.

Except for their transportation ( airfare or gas costs ) to and from Long Beach for the cruise, all other costs seem to be looked after by Carnival.

Not an ideal cruise but it sounds like they were well looked after. The number one thing is that no one was hurt, just inconvenienced.

IMHO, it sounds like these passengers can say Carnival exceeded their expectations!

if Carnival could not make everyone satisfied, I wonder what else Carnival can do...

Outstanding in my eyes they are simply outstanding. I know Carnival is not the upper layer mucky muck in price in atmosphere and in locations, but to me they are what we enjoy and the fact that they have risen to the unfortunate occasion they way they have, confirms my belief we will probally never stray.

Sounds to me that Carnival did an absolute great job, taking care of the passengers.

Thank you for your first hand report of your adventure with Carnival Splendor. My faith in the cruise lines that they would do right by their passenegers has been verified by you.

Again, a job well done Carnival crew, I am proud to be sailing with you!

My mom, dad & husband all thought (along w/ me) it would be an interesting adventure!

Bob Flynn's account is very well-balanced given the situation. And, this situation aboard the Splendor kind of reminds me of 5 years ago when Hurricane Wilma struck South Florida. Though we were not stranded at sea (a big difference), we lived without electricity for 2 1/2 weeks. Before Wilma, I had never been without electricity for more than 24 hrs! Daily life became interesting in ways I'd never before contemplated (the things we take for granted). For the first (almost) 2 days after the storm, we didn't have running water, which, of course, meant that we did not have flushing toilets (the pumps that pump the water to our homes work on, um......electricity). But, before the storm hit, we filled our bathtubs with water as a precaution: pouring a bucket of water down the loo along with gravity certainly works to flush the darn thing. Thankfully (at least on land) toilets do not necessarily need power. Kudos to the crew of the Splendor, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the attitudes of the passengers; it could have been a lot worse.

My mom, dad & husband all thought (along w/ me) it would be an interesting adventure!

I am thankful that the incident [aboard the Splendor] was not as bad as it could have been (loss of life, sinking, etc.). But, I think I see where you are coming from. In my earlier post, I spoke about experiences after a hurricane. While I was not a happy camper during aftermath of the storm, it did give me an opportunity to experience a somewhat "dire" situation and how I would react; as well as a chance to reflect upon the fact that many thousands on this globe are living in dire straits every single day. I must say that as a result of my hurricane experience, we always have non-perishables in the pantry, a Trimline phone (that does not require electricity) on hand, a supply of batteries, etc. When I cruise, I also carry with me a supply of granola bars and a few other non-perishables and a tiny flashlight.

I'm proud to be a Carnival Cruiser after reading this factual story. I actually sent Carnival an e-mail to tell them what a wonderful and generous job I thought they did in this unfortunate situation.

Mr Flynn is a class act, it seems.

Thank you for sharing this story with us. When thinking about the "What if we were on this cruise?" the one thing I would have wanted to do was to remain in California until our flights were scheduled to leave that Sunday. I would have wanted to enjoy some of the beautiful weather and relax before returning. I'm glad to see Carnival offered that option along with food vouchers!

I also watched the video one of the crew members took of John Heald and Gerry Cahill adressing the crew following the arrival into San Diego. I was totally blown away by the amount of gratitude shown to the crew. How often do you hear an employer acknowledge such efforts on a personal level. The best part was they had no idea this was being recorded so it wasn't for the media :)

WTG Carnival and I look forward to many many more cruises in the future :)

This recount marries up to only one news outlet that I have seen: FoxNews.

All the others, as usual, got it wrong.

The news media are disappointed I am sure by the lack of horror stories.:rolleyes:

I am very impressed with the way Carnival has handled the whole situation. It makes a beleiver out of me.:)

The news media are disappointed I am sure by the lack of horror stories.:rolleyes:

 

I am very impressed with the way Carnival has handled the whole situation. It makes a beleiver out of me.:)

I actually read the first question from a reporter (wish I had saved the link) and it was "what was the WORST thing to you about this nightmare".

I think that clearly shows the "yellow journalism" gauge is now the "standard" for some "reporters"....

if Carnival could not make everyone satisfied, I wonder what else Carnival can do...

Hooray for Carnival! There's always going to be someone complaining about something but it sounds like they stepped up and took fantastic care of their passengers.

We've been trying to decide which cruise line to take next spring break; this decided it for me. It's back to Carnival!

The news media are disappointed I am sure by the lack of horror stories.:rolleyes:

 

I am very impressed with the way Carnival has handled the whole situation. It makes a beleiver out of me.:)

I was at the pier when the Splendor arrived. I heard the media with their continual questions "tell us the worst thing about the cruise from hell". When they did not get the negative answers they were looking for, they found another passenger. It was disgusting.

I commend the crew and Carnival for the handling of this unfortunate situation, from the Captain who made the decisions, John Heald who kept all the passengers calm, the amazing crew who do an outstanding job under normal conditions, and the passengers who made the best of the situation.

Way to go Carnival!

The media was trying to stir the pot. They described the nightmare aboard the ship without actually talking to any passengers. They said Carnival offered a free cruise if anyone dared to cruise again.

It was an accident, things happen. It was inconvenient but Carnival stepped up to the plate and tried to compensate passengers. It may not make up for a bad vacation, but what else should they do?

A morning show interviewed a family and they asked questions like were you terrified, describe the nightmare on board. The family said it was not fun but it was not as bad as the media tried to make it out to be. They said everyone tried to make the best of a bad situation.

I just have to say....Way To Go Carnival!!!

We were thinking of trying Celebrity or Princess just for a change...

Not Now...

It's only Carnival for us.

Wow...great story.

Love Carnival.......Love Cruise Critic.......Love Cruising !

We had just signed up for two weeks with Carnival on the Ecstasy in Feb. 2011 when I heard about the Splendor. It was the first time that we have sailed with Carnival in 10 years. We have sailed on a total of 18 cruises on various lines, primarily NCL.

I was beginning to think that I had made a serious error in judgement until I read the above posts.

Thanks for realistic, unbiased information.

-Jim