Texas Cruises....mechanical issues of ships?

[rosiesunshine]

My sister sent me this. We are sailing in less than two weeks on the Elation out of Galveston. I told her, "don't worry, be happy" :) and we'll make the best of it.... Should I be concerned? :confused:

 

March 16, 2005, 10:49PM

 

Canceling a cruise is a last option

 

By HARRY SHATTUCK

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

 

Every so often readers ask if "cruises to nowhere" still operate from

Galveston.

 

They fondly recall vessels that would depart the island, sail just far

enough to reach international waters, meander about for a day or

evening, then return to port.

 

The lure: Gambling is legal in international seas. As a bonus, there

was plenty of grub and booze. These passengers had no interest in

sightseeing.

 

 

Reviving the concept

 

That was years ago. With five ships now sailing to Mexico, the

Caribbean and Central America, Galveston has outgrown gambling junkets.

But Carnival Cruise Lines recently revived the "cruise to nowhere"

concept — unintentionally — when its Ecstasy, bedeviled by a

malfunctioning propulsion system, spent five days slow-poking in the

Gulf of Mexico without striking land.

 

The experience was only a minor nuisance to anyone whose favorite

vacation activity is feeding slot machines or sipping piña coladas

poolside. But those who had anticipated fun and sun on the shores of

Cozumel and the Yucatán Peninsula were more than a tad agitated —

especially since the problem had developed on the Ecstasy's previous

sailing and the ship was returned to sea unrepaired.

 

 

Questions remain

 

Carnival officials say the problem is corrected, but the Ecstasy's

troubles prompt two questions:

 

•Why would any cruise line let a ship set sail before it was fixed?

 

•Should travelers worry that the Ecstasy, or any other Texas-based

ship, will experience more trouble?

 

As for the first question, Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz

said the line has found "that it's better to operate a cruise while

letting people know about the situation rather than pulling a ship out

of service."

 

"If we flat-out cancel a voyage, we have a lot more people unhappy,"

she said. "They've arranged their time off and can't easily reschedule.

More repairs are made while a ship is in service than in port. And only

the ship's speed was affected; the hotel operation (of all activities

and services) was normal."

 

She described the problem aboard the 2,052-passenger Ecstasy as an

"evolving situation."

 

"We hoped to be able to do the itinerary as scheduled. Then, when that

wasn't feasible, we went to Progreso (near Mérida in Mexico) but

couldn't dock because of sea conditions."

 

Opinions varied among passengers on how well they were informed of

developments. De la Cruz said all were told they could disembark before

the ship left Galveston and receive a full refund. Fewer than 100

accepted, and some who refused said that the gesture came too late and

that they were misled. Anyone who took the voyage was given a 50

percent refund plus a 25 percent credit toward a future cruise.

 

The skeptic in me wonders whether Carnival figured it could generate

enough onboard revenue — from spa treatments; liquor sales; gift-shop,

photo and bingo-card purchases; casino profits; and other sources — to

offset partial refunds. There are significant operational expenses, but

the Ecstasy's international crew of 920 already was in place and had to

be paid whether it sailed or not.

 

But when pondering Carnival's dilemma, consider this: The same day the

"cruise to nowhere" ended, the Ecstasy departed Galveston again

carrying 2,455 passengers — 403 above normal capacity because of third

and fourth persons in staterooms — with the repair status and itinerary

still in doubt. (After repairs, that cruise did reach Cozumel on

Monday, albeit several hours late.)

 

Clearly, folks didn't want to give up their vacation, even amid

uncertainty.

 

And unlike airlines, cruise lines have limited alternatives: There are

no "reserve ships" to substitute. With rare exceptions, vessels that

depart from Galveston or Houston are sold out.

 

Are continuing disruptions a concern? Neither the Ecstasy nor

Carnival's Elation, a near-identical ship also based in Galveston, has

a history of breakdowns. Nor does any other vessel now operating from

Texas. I sailed on the Ecstasy in January without a glitch — it seemed

worn in spots but provides good value — and I suspect that this

malfunction is isolated. Still, I'd monitor news reports and check

cruise message boards (http://www.cruisecritic.com; http://www.cruisemates.com) over

the next few weeks for passenger observations.

 

One reader complained recently that despite increased volume, Galveston

and Houston do not get the newest and fanciest ships. He's right.

That's part of the growing pains in a still-fledgling Texas industry.

 

But the Texas fleet has been upgraded each year, and indications are

that the trend will continue. Don't expect "cruises to nowhere" to

become routine.

 

harry.shattuck@chron.com

 

 

Brought to you by the HoustonChronicle.com

[TxStacey]

Rosie,

Don't be worried! The Elation is a great ship and mechanical problems can occur on any ship and any cruiseline, not just in Texas!!LOL!! You will have an awesome cruise!

[corina27]

Im going to have to agree withTxStacy,Youll have a great time.

[rosiesunshine]

:) Thanks! I am reassured. My husband said how great it would be to be given a 50% refund on our cruise plus a discount on a future cruise....then we can start planning the next one! We will have a blast no matter what!