Splendor, Splendor, Splendor Combined Thread

[tonit964]

On the news broadcast they spoke to a family member of an elderly woman who is on the ship and was planning to go to Las Vegas after this cruise. The person said Carnival should "take care" of all the passengers until Sunday when the cruise would have ended. They said it is only fair.

Are they kidding??

They are getting refunded this one and a future cruise credit and travel plans covered.

 

I guess we all knew it was only a matter of time before the one's "wanting more" would be coming out of the woodwork but I figured they would at least wait to get on land first. :rolleyes:

Toni

[OCruisers]

Thanks ALL for the updates.

[Taxguy77]

These pictures look like stock photos. Why would they need thousands of Sysco plastic tumblers? Pretty sure they have plenty of cups on board...

 

And lots of cold water to wash them in, by hand. :rolleyes:

[gulf rider]

Could you imagine what the first time cruisers are saying ......

[ckekjhaze]

I'm so glad they are being towed to San Diego- I envisioned all sorts of problems with them landing in Mexico and needing to be bused from there. The documentation hassles, finding suitable hotels plus if anything happened to those passengers on the buses it would be a nightmare.

 

I might be having fun on the ship right now- we enjoy camping, except we don't know the prevailing mood. There may be unhappy, unpleasant people who are overwhelming the crew and making things miserable for everyone.

 

Would be nice to have a few drinks though- bet the passengers with rum runners are happy :)

[SonomaMist]

Originally Posted by SonomaMist

I don't wish to be an alarmist but I am really surprised that Carnival is not pressing all of their west coast fleet into service to pick up passengers in Ensenada for disembarkation in Long Beach.

 

I would want to know how tight security will be for the caravans of buses that will be headed to the U.S. I'm not thinking illegal aliens - but more drug cartels who are beyond out and out war with not only each other but the Mexican government as well. Cruising resort ports on the western coast just ain't the same as being an attractive target in the middle of no man's land.

 

I really don't mean to sound alarmist -- but the hairs on the back of my head are standing up as I had been considering this very cruise again for summer of 2011 with my nieces.

 

Carnival -- are you listening???

 

 

Buses sure sound like a better option to me....

 

 

Well, well, well, I guess Carnival was listening -- oh ye of little faith.

[disney_leonard]

New just broke in and announced that the first tug has reached the ship. No ETA on second tug.

[Boatdrill]

.... how cool would it be to see all the helicopters, navy tugboats, etc. - I think if you had the right attitude (and no underlying medical condition that this could impact) this could be an experience of a lifetime.... .. and the Titanic - which also had a mishap at sea. A short 98 years makes a big difference ...:) (ok, so it wasn't an iceberg - but firefighting technology has come a long way, too)

 

Yes, it would be cool to see the USCG helicopters, Navy ships, the Reagan....all at work .... God Bless the USA ! We can be very proud of all of them.

 

About the Titanic...many lessons were learned from that tragedy, and new maritime regulations imposed (many of which we now take for granted). For instance: enough lifeboats and life rafts with a combined capacity that surpassses the number of people onboard (since many lifeboats may be unusable in a real emergency) and a miniumum of two people - officer in command and a lookout - on the bridge at all times.

 

BTW....has anyone noticed that the Reagan was originally in the general neighborhood of the second "mystery missile" launched last night ? Yes, I know carriers don't launch missiles, but their carrier group does... :)

[Fazzdaan]

I actually don't think the decision to tow the ship to San Diego, with the passengers aboard, is a good decision. It smells of a decision made with a primary view of the bottom line, not the passengers welfare.

 

The passengers would clearly be better off with only one more night at sea instead of two. The bus trip is not a big deal in the larger scheme of things. Instead they have likely decided that there was no way the ship would be repaired in Ensenada so it would need another tow. So what, is what I say.

 

Now there will be all kinds of attention on the towed in boat and the passengers. The media will have a field day, more so than if they had bussed the passengers and the ship shows up a day or two after the passengers are gone.

 

I don't like this decision and I suspect beancounters were behind it.

[shof515]

I don't like this decision and I suspect beancounters were behind it.

 

i think its a good decision, less logistics headaches of getting bus and people debarked

[Taxguy77]

NBC Nightly News just reported that the Coast Guard was flying in Spam and Poptarts and bottled water.

 

So much for great dining options.

 

Are they also flying in electricity for the toasters?:confused:

I wonder if spa- and warm beer go together?:cool:

[Kel040]

I wonder what would of happened if this happened in the 70's when Carnival just started with a few boats. (makes you wonder if they would be around today)

 

You mention costs related to the fire, but I wonder if Carnival has insurance for this type of situation.

 

When you compare the 15 million to the cost of a new ship its not much at all. The Oasis/RCL cost over a billion to build.

 

As a shareholder it will be interesting to see what the bottom line is at the end of the quarter.

 

 

The way I see it, this will be one big insurance claim for the CCL. I am sure there would be Fire Insurance on the vessel itself, and some Business Interuption Coverage for lost revenue on this voyage and and future cancelled voyages.

[mgm61]

We are not getting much info on this issue here in Australia, is Splendour still out there in trouble?

 

 

do people read this board before posting. :mad: I am still trying to catch up.

[Georgie562]

So I take it no past guest party?

[GigCrusier]

The way I see it, this will be one big insurance claim for the CCL. I am sure there would be Fire Insurance on the vessel itself, and some Business Interuption Coverage for lost revenue on this voyage and and future cancelled voyages.

Odds are that a company as Large as CCL would probably be self-insured, but I am sure we will hear...

[Boatdrill]

Originally Posted by SonomaMist

I don't wish to be an alarmist but I am really surprised that Carnival is not pressing all of their west coast fleet into service to pick up passengers in Ensenada for disembarkation in Long Beach.

 

I would want to know how tight security will be for the caravans of buses that will be headed to the U.S.

 

Go ahead, be an alarmist. :)

When passengers are bussed to Ensenada to board the Spirit for the annual cruise to Hawaii, Mexico provides armed escorts (cars) and

a military helicopter to cover the busses on the their way down.

 

This is coming to end though, as Carnival will no longer be offering that itinerary (sailing from Ensenada to Hawaii) in the near future.

 

BUT, more importantly, as the Coast Guard has said tonight, they will not give the exact location of the Splendor, because of the security risk (disabled and vulnerable ship with thousands of Americans onboard). Thankfully the Reagan is nearby, so that should be a deterrent.

[LarAndShar]

Personally I think its a GREAT IDEA that they are bringing the ship and the passengers to San Diego. living here next to the border I nor my family or ANYONE we know goes across the border anymore and honestly i'm SURPRISED that Carnival is still doing hawaii trips from ensenada.

jmo

~S

[4kids3dogs2cats&fish]

Originally Posted by SonomaMist

I don't wish to be an alarmist but I am really surprised that Carnival is not pressing all of their west coast fleet into service to pick up passengers in Ensenada for disembarkation in Long Beach.

 

So you want to interrupt all the other cruises and have those ships immediately head back to Ensenada to act as a ferry service instead of taking a bus? Huh?

[OCruisers]

Appreciate all updates on this.

[disney_leonard]

I think the decision to go to SD is a balanced one where they are also considering uncertain arrival times, hotels for those flying out, etc. They will probably offer a bus ride to LB but also offer the option of departing from SD. That also may be why they asked for a supply drop. It also eliminates the customs delay issue as this will now truly be a cruise to nowhere so there should be no need for any customs inspections.

[SonomaMist]

Having personally read and watched local media reports, both US from San Diego and Mexican, and involved in discussions with officials in Baja, there have been NO innocent students killed or injured... certainly none by drug cartel violence. Sorry, but I live here, and I am not wrong. The only "Americans" who have been killed were binational (Mexican-Americans) with criminal records and involved in drug deals gone bad, or in crime-ridden areas far away from the typical business/tourist locales. This never makes the first reports, and is never corrected when reported. The State Department travel alerts specifically note that northern Baja is not called out for concern, save perhaps Tijuana, and even there notes that if you stay in business and tourist areas, you are in no more danger than most international cities. You can't say you "don't think there are issues in Baja" and then go on that there is a "valid concern about crossing the border." It is still silly. Sorry, I'm not trying to jump on you, I only need to point out a common misunderstanding that is a discredit to the region. The Tijuana/San Ysidro is the busiest border crossing in the world in sheer numbers, and millions every year cross without incident. There is a very large foreign community living in this area, one of the largest concentrations in Mexico. We live here safely and without incident. It's a long ways from Juarez, so please be fair. ;)

 

 

Unfortunately, there are some innocents who get caught in the cross fire...

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/school-board-member-killed-in-mexico-was-in-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time-expolice-chief-says.html

 

El Monte residents paid tribute today to a 33-year-old school board member who was abducted and killed in Mexico, with one city leader saying he believes Agustin Roberto “Bobby” Salcedo was an innocent victim of the country's drug war.

[caribill]

I would be prepared to take with passengers and even unnecessary crew. Once the passengers are off I would disembark all the passenger service crew as well.

 

I doubt that any of the crew will dis-embark as they probably do not have the necessary visas to stay off the ship and enter the USA from Mexico.

[Loonbeam]

There may be factors we are not aware of. A few come to mind:

 

Are there enough buses available on short notice?

Can the port provide enough shipboard power to do what is needed for disembarkation? Can customs handle a land debarkation, which is different than if they were getting back on the ship?

How many customers may have had document problems?

What are the sea conditions?

What did the USCG want them to do?

 

I agree it has its pluses and minuses, but I don't think its a beancounter decision. My concern with it is not the night at sea, that can be managed, its that if rough seas suddenly arise the ship is incapable of adapting.

 

 

I actually don't think the decision to tow the ship to San Diego, with the passengers aboard, is a good decision. It smells of a decision made with a primary view of the bottom line, not the passengers welfare.

 

The passengers would clearly be better off with only one more night at sea instead of two. The bus trip is not a big deal in the larger scheme of things. Instead they have likely decided that there was no way the ship would be repaired in Ensenada so it would need another tow. So what, is what I say.

 

Now there will be all kinds of attention on the towed in boat and the passengers. The media will have a field day, more so than if they had bussed the passengers and the ship shows up a day or two after the passengers are gone.

 

I don't like this decision and I suspect beancounters were behind it.

[waiting4acruise]

I had the same idea actually, but then I realized three things. 1> Probably no power for pool pumps. 2> If the ship rocks the pallets could puncture the pool sides and 3> They would then have to lift all the items OUT of the pool before the next pallet drop.

What about the mini golf area or the basketball court?

[Cruisinfrombmore]

Latest Update from John Heald's Blog

Hi Everyone,

Stephanie again. Here’s the latest update on the Carnival Splendor.

Miami, FL — November 9, 2010 (8:15 pm EST) — At approximately 6 am Monday morning (U.S. Pacific Standard Time), a fire was detected in the aft engine room aboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor. The fire was extinguished. There were no injuries to guests or crew.

The ship has been operating on auxiliary generators and engineers have been unable to restore additional power to the vessel. Thus far, one tug boat has reached the ship and has begun towing with additional tugs en route to expedite the vessel’s return.

 

Given the ship’s speed and current position, we have decided to take the vessel to San Diego where it is expected to arrive late Thursday. Additionally, we are in the process of making all the necessary hotel and flight arrangements for our guests. If the ship is unable to maintain sufficient speed under tow, it is possible that we could revert to the previous plan and dock in Ensenada.

Last night, the ship’s engineers were able to restore toilet service to most cabins and all public bathrooms, as well as cold running water. Currently several key hotel systems, including air conditioning, hot food service and telephones, are not available. The ship’s crew continues to actively work to restore other services.

Guests are able to move about the ship and food and beverage service, along with some shipboard programming, including children’s activities and entertainment, are being provided.

The vessel’s command is in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard which has deployed assets to the cruise ship’s location and is assisting in providing additional provisions which became necessary due to the lack of refrigeration on board.

Guests on the current voyage will be receiving a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.

Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed Sunday, Nov. 7, from Long Beach, Calif. The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The ship, which measures 113,000 gross registered tons and first entered service in July 2008, is carrying 3,299 guests and 1,167 crew.

Carnival has also made the decision to cancel the Nov. 14 seven-day cruise from Long Beach. Guests scheduled to sail on this voyage will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and air transportation costs, along with a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

“We sincerely apologize to our guests for this unfortunate situation and offer our thanks for their patience and cooperation during this challenging time. The safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to allow them to return home as quickly as possible. We also apologize for having to cancel the next voyage of the Carnival Splendor. We realize how much guests look forward to their vacations and we know how disheartening it is to have their plans disrupted,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.