Carnival Splendor Fire

[almostavirgin]

I just want to share this news.:

 

Carnival over for cruise guests

 

November 11, 2010

 

A US Navy helicopter takes supplies to the Carnival Splendor. Photo: AP

 

 

Resort-style ships offer it all - when they work. Maria La Ganga reports.

 

THEY'RE called ''floating cities'', massive cruise ships that offer all the amenities of high-end resorts - spas and casinos, Broadway shows and amusement parks, fine dining and luxury shopping. But the Carnival Splendor also offers a cautionary tale about just how vulnerable these mega-ships can be.

 

Left powerless by an engine fire shortly after embarking on a seven-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera, the Splendor is expected to be towed into San Diego tomorrow Melbourne time.

 

An early-morning fire in the generator compartment on Monday knocked out several operating systems and left the nearly 4500 passengers and crew without air conditioning, hot food and a telephone service. Among the passengers are 24 Australians.

 

With communications largely cut off, it's unclear what kind of hardship passengers have endured. But Carnival chief executive Gerry Cahill said in a statement that passengers were dealing with an ''extremely trying situation''.

 

''Conditions on board the ship are very challenging, and we sincerely apologise for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring,'' he said. The ''gourmet delicacies'' of the ''Manhattan chic'' Pinnacle Steakhouse were replaced by 3.2 tonnes of bread, canned milk, boxes of crab meat, croissants and other supplies, which were flown from San Diego to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and then delivered by helicopter to the Splendor, stranded 250 kilometres south-west of San Diego. The company is paying the military for the food and supplies, officials said.

 

''There are significant risks as these ships get bigger and bigger,'' said Kendall Carver, president of International Cruise Victims.

''This one held over 4000 people. The new ones owned by Royal Caribbean hold over 6000 passengers and 2000 crew, over 8000 people. A fire on a ship like that would be disastrous.''

 

The Carnival Splendor experienced its problems relatively close to several large ports, making rescue possible in only a few days.

''If it was hundreds of miles out, and you had a fire that wasn't suppressed, and you had rough weather, you'd have a complete disaster,'' said Jim Walker, a Miami-based lawyer who specialises in cruise line litigation.

 

Although the $US40 billion cruise ship industry - and its vessels - has been growing, it has been dogged in the past decade with controversies over passenger health and safety. Mr Carver helped start International Cruise Victims after his daughter, Merrian, disappeared on an Alaskan cruise in 2004.

 

The organization has pushed for stiffer laws regulating the cruise ship industry; just four months ago, President Barack Obama signed into law tougher new rules for reporting crimes at sea and improving ship safety.

Statistics are hard to come by for incidents on cruise ships, but Mr Gaouette said the website ***************** lists eight major fires on cruise ships in the past five years, compared with just three in the previous seven years.

 

''As cruise ships become larger and their number increases on the high seas,'' he said, ''the threat of fire and other risks to passengers will increase proportionally.''

 

Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines has promised a full refund for passengers and a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.

MCT, AP

[Schplinky]

Interesting that these so-called advocates are tied to litigation against the lines. So larger cruise ships bring a larger risk of fire? Where is the proof of that statement? Newer ships have much better safety systems that the older ships.

[Kenito]

I am reminded of the Shakespeare line attributed to Henry VI, "...first thing we do is kill all the lawyers."

 

Yes, it is indeed interesting that this advocacy group seems to have a particular point of view.

 

However, the larger point should not be missed. The Splendor and it's passengers were geographically blessed to be just off the Baja coast, the US Coast Guard and Navy were in the area, and tugs were quickly available from nearby ports. A cruise ship far asea in the north Pacific or north Atlantic under similar circumstances would have resulted in vastly different results.

 

As hard as the cruise lines try to make our existance all rose blossoms and ice cream, things can go wrong... as we can see, they do. We need to be self-reliant and able to reasonably fend for ourselves. Packing a flashlight doesn't seem as silly as it once did. The ships are newer, bigger, and safer... but things can happen. We need to pay attention when they tell us not to bring additional electrical appliances into the rooms, because a small fire can be a big deal.

 

I'm certain I am at a greater risk next cruise on my way to the pier than a reoccurance of the Splendor incident... my interest in cruising is undaunted! But the flashlight goes back in the luggage next time! ;)

[ehfl]

Just what we need....more lawyers.

 

Except for trans-oceanic cruises, most ships are within a hundred miles or so of land at all times. On the popular routes, there are often many other cruise ships in the area as well as fishing and cargo ships which can come to the aid if necessary.

 

Even the Titanic was less than 2 hours away from other ships in the area...they just didn't have good radio communications.

 

It's unlikely that even in a worse case scenario, where passengers had to abandon ship, that they would be in the lifeboats for more than a few hours before other ships started arriving on station.

 

Even on transoceanic routes, virtually all ships travel frequently used sea lanes. The idea that it would take many days or even weeks to arrive on scene is not likely.

[CrusingJoe]

Just what we need....more lawyers.

 

Except for trans-oceanic cruises, most ships are within a hundred miles or so of land at all times. On the popular routes, there are often many other cruise ships in the area as well as fishing and cargo ships which can come to the aid if necessary.

 

Even the Titanic was less than 2 hours away from other ships in the area...they just didn't have good radio communications.

 

It's unlikely that even in a worse case scenario, where passengers had to abandon ship, that they would be in the lifeboats for more than a few hours before other ships started arriving on station.

 

Even on transoceanic routes, virtually all ships travel frequently used sea lanes. The idea that it would take many days or even weeks to arrive on scene is not likely.

 

Great point.

[almostavirgin]

Just what we need....more lawyers.

 

Except for trans-oceanic cruises, most ships are within a hundred miles or so of land at all times. On the popular routes, there are often many other cruise ships in the area as well as fishing and cargo ships which can come to the aid if necessary.

 

Even the Titanic was less than 2 hours away from other ships in the area...they just didn't have good radio communications.

 

It's unlikely that even in a worse case scenario, where passengers had to abandon ship, that they would be in the lifeboats for more than a few hours before other ships started arriving on station.

 

Even on transoceanic routes, virtually all ships travel frequently used sea lanes. The idea that it would take many days or even weeks to arrive on scene is not likely.

 

 

This is comforting to know. :)

[Hal San Diego]

For those of you that didn't follow the news closely at the time...the first distress call brought a nearby cargo ship to the Splendor, followed closely by the Mexican Navy and the US Coast Guard which stood by just in case...also, the USS Ronald Regan (a Nimitz class aircraft carrier) was doing training exercises in the area and she and her escort ships came to the Splendor to provide relay service for the many pallets of food and supplies that US Navy aircraft from Naval Air Station Coronado (San Diego) air lifted to the Regan for the chopper delivery to the Splendor...if God forbid, the Splendor passengers had to man the lifeboats, the Regan had more than enough room on it's massive hanger deck (think several football fields) for the 4,500 souls on board who would have had a "fun" ride back to San Diego courtesy of Uncle Sam!!! Yes, if the tables were turned, the Splendor would have gone to the rescue of the cargo ship or the naval vessels...it's a requirement of all ships at sea. Thankfully, the passengers and crew of the Splendor were never in danger...just a liitle inconvenienced by the lack of electrical power and that's no excuse to be afraid of cruising, so please get out there and enjoy your cruise vacations...just be careful getting to the pier, as Ken mentioned in his reply, you are in much more danger in an automobile then on a cruise ship!!!

Hal San Diego

PS: Don't forget to pack your flashlights...the new small LED wind up flashlights are great for travelling...not just on ships, hotels have power outages too!!!

[Hal San Diego]

duplicate

[CarnivalBreeze319]

Oh my gosh! Not again. Thoughts and prayers to those onboard

[bhopal21]

Oh my gosh! Not again. Thoughts and prayers to those onboard

 

This thread is over two years old.;)

[CarnivalBreeze319]

It just popped up on my computer under the name though

[Carnival_Brides]

This might help explain. I seriously mean no disrespect--I'm just trying to be helpful since another thread was brought back from the dead recently.

 

[Moobaby214]

Carnival breeze has restarted this conversation on several pages now with same line and then same response...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CarnivalBreeze319]

This might help explain. I seriously mean no disrespect--I'm just trying to be helpful since another thread was brought back from the dead recently.

 

 

I realize that but it popped up on New Threads under Splendor in a few different spots. Maybe just a glitch. :confused: Don't worry I don't take that offensive.