Cruise Passengers, Others Speak Out About Life Onboard Carnival Splendor

[LauraS]

Cruise Critic has just posted the following news:

Cruise Passengers, Others Speak Out About Life Onboard Carnival Splendor

Read the entire news article...

[Cuizer2]

The problem is that at this time all we really have is second hand information (what the passenger told someone else) and direct communication from a Carnival employee.

If the ship makes it to San Diego tomorrow afternoon, then the posts tomorrow evening should be "interesting".

[RLKELK]

Seeing the men and women of the US Coast Guard and US Navy respond to the Splendor makes me unabashedly proud of our service personnel. True; passengers and crew of the Carnival Splendor are suffering just a bit, but think about it... they really have minimal fear for their safety and they will soon be back to "civilization" - hot showers, clean underwear, and something other than cold sandwiches. The troops out there in the cold of night or heat of desert day experience this for months at a time...... with the threat of death or disabling wounds looming. If you can read this in comfort and safety .... Say THANK YOU to A VETERAN today.
God Bless and keep our troops safe. And to those on the Splendor.. my thoughts are with you for a safe trip home. Be thankful that no one was hurt and to attempt to put some kind of positive spin on this.... you guys now have the adventure of a lifetime to talk about for many years to come.

[limecloud]

I agree with the other commenter- this could be so much worse and the way the Navy/Coast Guard handled it was amazing. Hopefully once the ship is in port and everyone is off the ship Carnival and all of the cruise lines will use this as a learning opportunity to make sure this never happens again on any ship.

[mcwebber]

I wonder if Carnival will have to reimburse the US Gov. for the "rescue" mission of SPAM, etc.
New: Carnival Cruises to Nowhere. Win yours today. 1st prize 1 week cruise to nowhere. 2nd prize: 2 weeks.

[navychop3]

I thought the cruise line provided the food in the first place.

SPAM would not be my first choice for people tending toward seasickness (lost power to stabilizers).

[billet]

Originally Posted by mcwebber

I wonder if Carnival will have to reimburse the US Gov. for the "rescue" mission of SPAM, etc.
New: Carnival Cruises to Nowhere. Win yours today. 1st prize 1 week cruise to nowhere. 2nd prize: 2 weeks.

Most rescues at sea are not charged by the rescuer, provided negligence is not involved.

[iflybluns]

Initial comments from the passengers of the Splendor are disturbing. I understand that they were inconvenienced, disappointed, and disgruntled with the situation, BUT they got back to land safely, they are getting a full refund, AND a gratis cruise in the future equal to or better than this one. It would be nice to hear a few passengers express their gratitude to Carnival for doing a pretty good job (I think) of getting them back to San Diego.

I have never sailed with Carnival, being a Princess fan myself, but the same think could happen on any cruise line. The media should temper their coverage of the opportunists comments and air a few kudos for the cruise line. It always goes back to the media making an event sensational just to get the coverage. Too bad.

[GrayKat]

Originally Posted by limecloud

I agree with the other commenter- this could be so much worse and the way the Navy/Coast Guard handled it was amazing. Hopefully once the ship is in port and everyone is off the ship Carnival and all of the cruise lines will use this as a learning opportunity to make sure this never happens again on any ship.

They may learn but they will only comply as much as Lloyds makes them e.g. insurance standard. We were on the Star Princess a/k/a the Flaming Star, that burned in 2006. Priness of course is part of Carnival Corp Lines. The accident board findings were the fire and death could have been prevented if Princess/Carnival had gone the extra mile beyond Lloyds requirements. BTW we did not get a free cruise only a 25% reduction on our next cruise (also a fouled up mess but no fire). I guess eating Spam (which I like) is more refundable than a fire with a death, loss of property from smoke and water damage. Wonder if Carinval is going to pay back the US Taxpayer the $1 Million a day for the support of the US Military? ........NOT!!

[MadTownCruisers]

IFLY ... I totally agree. The media really need to back up and take a look at both sides of the picture. There are some that will find it to be very traumatic and do whatever they can to say negatives about the situation. But there are also those on that ship that were able to take it in stride, cope and will be able to see how diligent Carnival worked to keep them safe, healthy and comfortable on their journey home.

Bravo to Carnival for helping passengers endure this difficult situation and going above and beyond.

Just back from the Valor, and I can guarantee you'll see my wife and I shooting photos under that iconic whale-tail funnel in the very near future.

[Garn]

I've to say, those asking the passengers to be more appreciative of Carnival is like saying, “Apart from that Mrs. Lincoln , how did you enjoy the play?”

While it does sound like Carnival did a good job under the circumstances (at least until we know more details), I don't know many people who could see the bright side of days in an unlit, cold cabin without hot water, hot food or stabilizers. (Especially when you see people on these boards flipping out when the waiter forgets to offer freshly ground pepper.)

While most experienced cruisers know to be flexible about missed ports or rough seas, I don't think anyone considers a situation like this to be a possibility. What will be interesting to see if whether it stops new cruisers from giving it a try.

[Grand Prix Racer]

Whats for breakfast? Spam
Whats for lunch? Spam
Whats for dinner? Spam

Tribute to Monty Pithon

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam,

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

Folks can complain about what food they had available or how Carnival has handled everything, but it could have been much much worse. People have to always find something to complain about, even when it's not warranted. I guess it's the world we live in, where negatives can outweigh anything positive. *shrugs* Let's see what passengers on that ship have to say about their experiences, before forming an opinion about how Carnival handled the ordeal.

[cjlawson]

I've ben following this story closely from multiple sources because although I have only cruised 3x, I've really enjoyed it. I am happy to hear that all passengers are now safely ashore and from what I've read passengers, crew and the Coast Guard did the best they could in very trying circumstances. I was not a passenger on this ship so I have no first hand experience with what the passengers might be feeling but I think that all of their feelings are legitimate. Assuming that the circumstances did not arise from negligence on Carnival's part, this was simply an accident. Accidents happen. No matter what we plan in life from a simple meal to the cruise of a lifetime, sometimes things go wrong. We will never be able to live life with guarantees that all will go well. I hope Carnival continues to do the right thing by these passengers (however, they cannot turn back the clock and make this cruise right) and that the passengers, eventually, understand that in life things happen. Now, if Carnival was in any way at fault, that's a whole different story!

[cntheworld]

All situations in life are what you make of them. Carnival surely would have preferred this did not happen but it did. So, had I been a passenger I would have had to remind myself that I was safe and make the best of the situation. Unforseen things happen. The old saying: When life gives you lemons....... I choose to make lemonade. This will be an adventure that all on board will talk about for a long time. My husband and I have cruised many many times and often we were in the middle of the Pacific hundreds of miles from land with heavy seas and out of range for helicopters. An even like what happened on the Splendor happening in the middle of the Pacific could have been really dangerous. Things could have been so much worse. Time to sign up for the next cruise.

[cjlawson]

Hooray for the lemonade makers of the world!

[itsalljimmysfault]

My local TV station just aired a report that included passengers saying that the crew went out of their way to try and keep people as comfortable as possible and that they made all the difference in keeping pax in good spirits. While there will certainly be plenty of complainers it is good to hear the positive remarks!! I am sure Carnival would not have chosen this test but I think they passed with flying colors!!! KUDOS TO CARNIVAL!!!

[LHP]

Originally Posted by cjlawson

Hooray for the lemonade makers of the world!

Amen...now if I could just find the vodka makers of the world...we could have a PARTY!!!

[smeyer418]

Originally Posted by mcwebber

I wonder if Carnival will have to reimburse the US Gov. for the "rescue" mission of SPAM, etc.
New: Carnival Cruises to Nowhere. Win yours today. 1st prize 1 week cruise to nowhere. 2nd prize: 2 weeks.

The food stuffs were provided by Carnival. The Navy/CG delivered them at sea. Its possible that they will have to pay the US Government for the delivery-just as BP is expected to reimburse the government for its costs in collecting the oil. The CG rescues people for free.

[cruising3times]

The most important thing is that everyone on the ship is safe, no one was hurt. And now everyone is safely back on land and will have a story to tell for years to come.