Carnival Cruise Ship Cancels Numerous Alaska Port Calls, Blames Mechanical Problem

[Purvis1231]

I would check on Princess and Holland American. These are apart of the Carnival company but offer many more ships in the Alaskan market.

[buddylover]

We are booked with Princess in July. Made the decision before this news was public, but I'd sure switch now if we hadn't.

 

You will not be sorry you did Mikel1733. We too sailed on Princess for our Alaska cruise and loved it....we did a land package prior to the cruise, flew into Fairbanks....seems that Princess "owns" Alaska...the trains were "Princess" trains, the lodges we stayed in were "Princess" lodges....a fabulous trip. And an especially GREAT decision in light of the the issue with the Miracle......I would encourage anyone to make the change!

[2kazual]

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I am uncertain of our boats problem other than the vague email about a speed issue. As I am a first time cruiser and this is my "dream" vacation that I will not have another chance at going to Alaska. Is this speed problem that big of a deal? I am ok with the schedule change as I had no booked excursions in Ketchican anyway.

[EZ4]

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I am uncertain of our boats problem other than the vague email about a speed issue. As I am a first time cruiser and this is my "dream" vacation that I will not have another chance at going to Alaska. Is this speed problem that big of a deal? I am ok with the schedule change as I had no booked excursions in Ketchican anyway.

 

The ship will probably be fine, but if anything else goes out, it will probably be dead in the water as it won't have anything to fall back on. There's tow boats in Alaska, too, though. ;)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

While I appreciate the concern of those who don't cruise on Carnival, we will keep our Alaska cruise.

 

If the ship does break down on our cruise, bonus for us! Probably that cruise free as well as a future one. It's all good.

 

so you are going to go all the way to Alaska on an already subpar itinerary, (no Glacier Bay unless going first or last week of season) and now no Ketchikan and be happy?

 

You must have money to burn and lots of vacation time.

 

It has nothing to do with who does or doesn't cruise Carnival, it's about getting the full Alaskan vacation.

 

With so many ships doing Alaska it would seem like a no brainer to switch cruise lines for this trip anyway.

 

But that's just me.

 

Bill

[vols_159]

What happens if "it" happens you know the ship fails comes to a dead stop on the way to Alaska .. Let's all hope "it" doesn't happen. IMO the coast guard should inspect the ship and have there engineers deem it safe or unsafe

 

 

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[vols_159]

While I appreciate the concern of those who don't cruise on Carnival, we will keep our Alaska cruise.

 

If the ship does break down on our cruise, bonus for us! Probably that cruise free as well as a future one. It's all good.

 

 

How about if it breaks down 1 week before your cruise.. Than no cruise for you

 

 

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[andy.capitan]

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I am uncertain of our boats problem other than the vague email about a speed issue. As I am a first time cruiser and this is my "dream" vacation that I will not have another chance at going to Alaska. Is this speed problem that big of a deal? I am ok with the schedule change as I had no booked excursions in Ketchican anyway.

 

The speed issue is not that big of a deal, as long as you are okay with any itinerary change currently announced and any applicable compensation.

 

Carnival has always been generous with compensation.

 

As Carnival has chosen to go forward with the cruises, and given the number of lawyers on their payroll that would have to approve, I am not concerned.

[idiebabe]

so you are going to go all the way to Alaska on an already subpar itinerary, (no Glacier Bay unless going first or last week of season) and now no Ketchikan and be happy?

 

You must have money to burn and lots of vacation time.

 

It has nothing to do with who does or doesn't cruise Carnival, it's about getting the full Alaskan vacation.

 

With so many ships doing Alaska it would seem like a no brainer to switch cruise lines for this trip anyway.

 

But that's just me.

 

Bill

 

And me, too! I'd cancel and rebook another line in a heartbeat!

[ATHENA3]

If I was going to Alaska or to Hawaii (from the northeast here or from anywhere) and knowing the ship cannot give me all my ports and having problems at that!! I would also look to other lines for a better vacation ASAP.

[TPFKAH]

The speed issue is not that big of a deal, as long as you are okay with any itinerary change currently announced and any applicable compensation.

 

Carnival has always been generous with compensation.

 

As Carnival has chosen to go forward with the cruises, and given the number of lawyers on their payroll that would have to approve, I am not concerned.

 

Actually Carnival is inconsistent with their compensation. They only seem to up their ante when they are in the news. When it's quiet, they seem to offer less.

 

Personally, I would prefer my paid for vacation issue free.

[sjn911]

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I am uncertain of our boats problem other than the vague email about a speed issue. As I am a first time cruiser and this is my "dream" vacation that I will not have another chance at going to Alaska. Is this speed problem that big of a deal? I am ok with the schedule change as I had no booked excursions in Ketchican anyway.

 

I would reschedule...I am not anti-Carnival at all...but this is just to iffy to me with all that has gone on in ship repair lately... especially for a first cruise and a dream one at that, later if desired you can play the more "ship happens and get deals from it game"...Sarah

 

Check out deals on Holland America and Princess..the longest lines in Alaska past 30 years or so...and i am sure RCCL and Celebrity have nice options too. Now would be a good time for last minute deals in early Alaska sailings..not sure when you are going...sarah

[chengkp75]

What happens if "it" happens you know the ship fails comes to a dead stop on the way to Alaska .. Let's all hope "it" doesn't happen. IMO the coast guard should inspect the ship and have there engineers deem it safe or unsafe

 

 

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There are a few problems with your statement about the USCG inspecting the ship. First off, the USCG has very few marine engineers to inspect the ship's propulsion system, even if they had the authority to do so, which they don't. The only thing the USCG can do is determine whether or not, at the instant that the ship is inspected, in a US port, is whether or not it meets the SOLAS requirements for safety and lifesaving.

 

Now, there are two scenarios as to why the ship will be running at reduced speed. The first is that one of the azipod thrust bearings is wearing faster than predicted, and they are running both azipods at reduced speed to reduce the wear. In this case, there would be nothing for the USCG to determine, since all propulsion and steering systems are working, and it is a business decision to run slower.

 

The second scenario is that one azipod is not running. In this case, before entering a US port, each and every time, the ship must inform the USCG Captain of the Port that there is a propulsion and steering (since the azipod does both) failure. The COTP will then decide if it is safe for the ship to enter or leave port, and what measures must be taken to mitigate the risk. Generally, this would entail a tug escort to/from the sea buoy to/from the dock. Canada has similar policies. Since the inland passage is within territorial waters of both countries, COTP Juneau may want to have a tug escort for a significant portion of the passage, particularly when "scenic cruising" near the glaciers. These permissions must be submitted and approved each and every time the ship enters or leaves a US port, and can be changed or denied depending on local conditions like weather.

 

My belief, given that the plan is not to repair the problem for nearly a year, is that the first scenario, where they are running both pods at reduced load is the more likely one, so there is nothing for the USCG to determine as far as the safety of the vessel. The flag state of the ship, and the classification society that underwrites the insurance have way more influence on whether the ship should be allowed to sail or not. This is not a US flag ship, and the USCG has no jurisdiction to apply US law to it, they can only enforce international IMO regulations.

[LC1968]

I read on FB that the miracle will not be doing the Inside Passage.

[pe4all]

Years ago, when we sailed on Miracle, there was an azipod problem, and we missed St. Lucia because of it. (Southern Caribbean route) It was a bit disconcerting to look at the wake and see only 1/2 of one! Truthfully, if this was my bucket cruise to Alaska, and I had saved and saved for it, I would not be too thrilled over missing ports I had wanted to visit, and excursions I wanted to take. If I could fit another cruise line into the dates/airfare/hotel I had booked, I would probably jump ship. If I had been to Alaska, and just wanted to re-visit some ports, I would go for it and just love the cruise for the incredible scenery, and Sitka, which we have never visited.

[marshabear]

we just returned from the Hawaii 16 night cruise....

 

we had no knowledge onboard of any issues...we frequently watch the channel that tells you the speed, coarse settings, etc and most of the time from Hawaii to Vancouver (5 days) we were at 20 knots......that's not slow for a ship....and we had rough seas a few days also....but this ship handled the seas extremely well...

 

if the particular port is of no interest to you, I would keep my booking...if the particular port is of interest, yes, you might want to consider changing....

 

the Miracle was a great ship with a great crew, we had wonderful service and food the entire trip!

 

 

 

 

 

Marsha

[leenieweenie]

I love Carnival and the Miracle, but if I had a cruise booked on the Miracle to either Hawaii or Alaska, I would cancel and book another line. Especially for Hawaii. Would you chance getting stuck in the middle of the Pacific if the ship were to develop other problems due to the propulsion issue?

 

WE ARE BOOKED ON THE MIRACLE TO HAWAII IN JAN 2015.:eek: WE WILL NOT CANCEL. I DON'T BELIEVE CARNIVAL WOULD CHANCE ANOTHER MAJOR SCREW UP IF THEY CAN AVOID IT. I WILL FEEL SAFE AND WILL ENJOY THE CRUISE I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR YEARS.(25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION-YIPPEE)!! EVERYONE HAS TO FIND THEIR OWN COMFORT LEVEL AND DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM. WE HAVE SAILED ON THE MIRACLE BEFORE AND LOVED THE SHIP.:)

[bunchesofun]

While I appreciate the concern of those who don't cruise on Carnival, we will keep our Alaska cruise.

 

If the ship does break down on our cruise, bonus for us! Probably that cruise free as well as a future one. It's all good.

 

Totally agree. That's the right attitude. Look at the positive.

[Hendricks Clan]

If it was me, id cancel...Sitka over Ketchikan would be a no go for me. Not a fan of Sitka. I'd go with NCL, Princess, or HAL. Those 3 lines, hold something like 98% of the permits for Glacier Bay. We went into Glacier Bay last year on NCL, and it was an experience we didn't even come close to seeing on our Carnival cruise to Alaska. The wildlife and the sounds of the ice cracking and breaking, and then falling into the water was awesome!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If it was me, id cancel...Sitka over Ketchikan would be a no go for me. Not a fan of Sitka. I'd go with NCL, Princess, or HAL. Those 3 lines, hold something like 98% of the permits for Glacier Bay. We went into Glacier Bay last year on NCL, and it was an experience we didn't even come close to seeing on our Carnival cruise to Alaska. The wildlife and the sounds of the ice cracking and breaking, and then falling into the water was awesome!

 

I agree with you 100% but I think you are just wasting your breath.

 

While I like Carnival it wouldn't even be on the radar for Alaska.

 

At the end of the day it's not my money so as long as the people going are happy that's all that counts.

 

Bill

[Hendricks Clan]

I think your right. From now own when we do Alaska it will be on NCL, HAL, or Princess just because of the weekly trips to Glacier Bay. That place is simply remarkable. I might add to, that we also did Hubbard Glacier on NCL, and I was equally impressed with that. Carnival took us to College Fjord and it simply does not compare.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Hendricks Clan

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I think your right. From now own when we do Alaska it will be on NCL, HAL, or Princess just because of the weekly trips to Glacier Bay. That place is simply remarkable. I might add to, that we also did Hubbard Glacier on NCL, and I was equally impressed with that. Carnival took us to College Fjord and it simply does not compare.

 

Yes Glacier Bay is a must see. we did a south/north cruise on the Diamond Princess which was awesome.

 

I believe CCL only goes there on the first and last cruise of the season, plus the Tuesday departure is not good for us but seems like it's fine for many others.

 

Bill

[tncap]

It appears the Miracle has been traveling around 21 knots today. Maybe due to wind/currents?

[patz]

My husband and I are booked on the Miracle Aug. 19 Alaska and Jan. 17 Hawaii cruises. We were happy to receive $100 OBC and 25% future cruise credit on the Alaska cruise. As it was, we thought it was too port intensive with 4 ports. We are happy with 3.

 

We are not worried about any issues or breakdowns. The Alaska cruise will be our 8th cruise.

[Lunarias]

We just got off of her and it was WONDERFUL, had some listing (not sure how to spell it, but the boat rocked side to side) in the beginning when we were out at open sea but otherwise was GREAT. At dinner we were seated facing the wake on deck 2, noticed some vibrations that far back that might have been abnormal....no idea, this was our first cruise. And we got up to 20.6 knots at times, so we were booking it for awhile too....hope eveyone else this season has a ball like we did :) got home last night