Crippled Cruise Ship

[fljoe0]

Anyone want to go on a cruise?:biggrin2:

Anyone had any cruise ship disasters? My aunt and uncle got stranded on one a couple of years ago off of Europe. They had a nightmarish experience (stranded a couple of days) but nothing like the one that's stranded in the Gulf. My uncle is mid 70's with back and heart issues, so it was a very bad experience for him. After the ship capsizing in Italy and stories of ships getting stranded, I don't think I want to set foot on one again. I've gone on some one day cruises from West Palm Beach (the kind that go into international waters and then open the casinos:biggrin2:). I was on one of those once when we got into very rough seas. There were quite a few people getting sick. Luckily, I've never had sea sickness, I have a pretty good stomach for turbulence.

I'm not sure why they just couldn't have sent another ship out and transferred the passengers. I'm just glad I'm not on it. Last I heard it's headed to Mobile but it's still going to take a while.

[staropeace]

A lot of the toilets back up on that ship....they had a crappy trip.

[Jojo87]

In my younger days when my grandmother was still alive, we use to go on a cruise every summer to Sweden (our neighbor country) Took couple of hours
but I loved every minute on that ship. We had so fun. Two years ago I and my co workers did a cruise and was very fun too.
I don't get sea sick to easily but if it's storm and the ship swaying very much I can become sea sick and then the whole trip is
ruined.

[Lily Sawyer]

I don't get sea sick to easily but if it's storm and the ship swaying very much I can become sea sick and then the whole trip is
ruined.

Same here. My idea of hell is hanging my head in a toilet while on vacation, whatever the cause. Cruise ships hold zero appeal for me unless I'm guaranteed a huge stateroom that costs over $10,000 a night...and that's too rich for my blood.

[nate_watkins]

I've never been on a cruise, but my step-mother's parents and grandparents were quarantined on a cruise ship due to one of them being ill.

[GNTLGNT]

http://i.imgur.com/pk9mO.jpg

[Neesy]

Mom came to Canada from Scotland in 1946 (I believe on the Queen Mary). There were some soldiers on the upper deck who asked them about life in Scotland. When my Mom told them about "a wee moos" (meaning a mouse) apparently they said "You should see the size of our moose!" har de har har
So - does this count as a 'Cruise Ship' experience?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pvFTvPjqlCA/S8jpExE3XEI/AAAAAAAAB30/6nInCAZyZNg/s1600/BE059697.jpg

[fljoe0]

There are some strange things with this cruise ship disaster I don't understand.

I heard that the cruise ship is out of Galveston. So, they are towing it to Mobile and busing the people back to Galveston. Why don't they just tow the ship to Galveston? Another thing is that they are putting the passengers up in a hotel in New Orleans. So they are taking them off the ship and with no shower, immediately busing them to New Orleans. Why not put them in a hotel in Mobile? Another thing I've noticed and have noticed with some other cruise ship episodes, is that there doesn't seem to be any spokespeople for the cruise line that go on the news. Usually when company has a disaster going, they try to put some PR people on the news and smooth things over a little. Seems weird.

[Moderator]

I'd heard yesterday that because the ship had drifted quite a bit off course, it was closer to Mobile than Galveston so in order to get the passengers off sooner they changed the destination. The cruise liner's president finally made a public filmed apology but you're right about not much of anything other than press release types of statements coming out before.

[king family fan]

I think I like my two feet on the ground. Never been on a cruise or an airplane.

[Spideyman]

The speed of the tow is now 1 mile per hour. Docking expected after 9PM eastern. The port has sent out customs inspectors to "clear" the passengers while on board. Am wondering if health officials are also involved. Raw sewage, ventilation issues, food--- makes one think. CNN is doing live cell phone interviews. Appears the passengers have not been informed of the departure arrangement that have been for them. Consensus is just to get their feet on solid ground.

[arista]

It sounds pretty dreadful voyage for those folks.

[fljoe0]

The inside cabins on these ships have no air circulation at all without power and A/C. It must be miserably hot inside of those cabins. This ship is just enormous. It holds about 4 times as many people as a regular sized one so there is 4 times the misery.

There is another concern I have. With no power, I don't think the ship's stabilizers can work properly. There have been reports of people complaining that the ship is leaning and water runs through the cabins. This ship is so tall and top heavy, I wonder if there is a danger of it capsizing. I've heard the channel in Mobile is kind of small for a ship this size so I hope these poor people get there without any more trouble. I can't imagine being in a situation like that. It's like a floating Superdome. At least in the Superdome, you could leave.

[arista]

I just read that they had cold water, no running toilets, using he restroom in bags and food shortage. Sounds pretty bad. A boatful of smelly people and no toilets.

[jacobtlong]

Once they land in Mobile they'll probably wish they could have just stayed on the ship. :biggrin2:

[Spideyman]

update- it will now be 10:30P to midnight before they will reach port. And an additional 4-5 hours to completely get off as only one elevator is working. Special needs, ill, woman and small children first----- this sounds like a good book in the making. Thoughts are with these people.

[Ebdim9th]

Carnival Cruise Lines had a terminal here, politics as usual in Mobile sank that, but it's still there for the ship to dock, and the channel took the other cruise liners ok. There are some decent hotels near said terminal, so I can't figure why they're bussing all those miserable people immediately to New Orleans either...

[Shasta]

Yes, I have a disaster story. My husband and I went on a Princess cruise on our honeymoon for nine days. The next youngest people on that ship had to be 30+ years older than us. Nine days is a long time.....

[nate_watkins]

Yes, I have a disaster story. My husband and I went on a Princess cruise on our honeymoon for nine days. The next youngest people on that ship had to be 30+ years older than us. Nine days is a long time.....

Did you have any books to pass the time? :biggrin2:

[kingricefan]

I'd heard yesterday that because the ship had drifted quite a bit off course, it was closer to Mobile than Galveston so in order to get the passengers off sooner they changed the destination. The cruise liner's president finally made a public filmed apology but you're right about not much of anything other than press release types of statements coming out before.

Did he do this before or after being seen in public at a major sports event? :mad: I realize that there's really not much he can do at the moment personally, but he shouldn't be out in public enjoying a game while a few thousand of his paying customers are having to endure these types of conditions. This is the equivilant of how the 'big guy' who ran BP acted after one of their wells began spewing oil into the Gulf. Deplorable actions! I hope this guy has to pay out of his butt to make things right for all of those people.

[GNTLGNT]

...could've been worse, coulda been like the port-a-potty on the golf course I just read about---3 bottles of meth cookin' inside it...and they exploded....:biggrin2:

[do1you9love?]

I am leaving next Thursday for my 28th cruise. My husband and I took our first for our honeymoon in 1995. It is by far my favorite way to vacation. It is also not for everyone. I am lucky that I do not get seasick, however hubby and daughter do IF they don't take ginger during the cruise and the seas are at all rough. But, they both still love to cruise. It's a great getaway from everything!

We have had some great cruises and some so-so cruises. Thankfully nothing like this Truimph cruise. I feel for everyone on this ship. Not only the passengers, but also the crew. Most of them live in very small cabins that they share with another person. They are interior cabins in the lower decks below the passenger decks. They also had no AC, no circulation, but they still had to put on their uniforms and perform their normal duties as well as pick up "poo bags". How wonderful!

Someone mentioned having no stablizers. This is the case and the main reason that they did not attempt to transfer folks off the ship. If the ship had been in danger of sinking, they would have filled lifeboats and evacuated for sure. However, on a cruise related board I am a member of, someone posted an even better reason. If they did bring a ship in and were able to safely transfer 1 person per minute, even if the crew stayed on, it would be around 50 hours of transfer time!:oo: This was a no-win situation however you look at it.

I'm packing for my cruise this weekend. We'll bring flashlights and peanut butter and a good attitude! Oh, and a SK book or two!:grinning:

[fljoe0]

The term poop deck was not supposed to taken literally.

[Shasta]

Did you have any books to pass the time? :biggrin2:

Oh yes. I always have a book! Most of the time I have multiples!

[Moderator]

Oh yes. I always have a book! Most of the time I have multiples!

Just walk away, Scott. :biggrin2:

[Shasta]

Just walk away, Scott. :biggrin2:

How do I always set myself up????

[arista]

They said it was like floating port a potty and had tents set up on the deck.

[nate_watkins]

They said it was like floating port a potty and had tents set up on the deck.

I wonder if, at any point in this unfortunate turn of events, anyone was reminded of the short story: A Very Tight Place.

[fljoe0]

We have couple more Carnival cruise ships that are having issues and overflowing toilets. I thought of a good idea for anyone going on a cruise. Don't pack your clothes and things in suitcases. Pack your stuff to take on the cruise in 5 gallon buckets. Then if there is a problem, you have an emergency toilet. :biggrin2:

[fushingfeef]

With my inner ear condition (Meniere's disease) it is unlikely that I will ever go on a cruise.

[if-so-Grrl]

I've never been on a cruise ship - I hate the things on principle. But having just finished up on a smallish crab boat where we had constant issues with the head and at one point ran out of fresh water for a couple or 3 days, I' very sympathetic to those passengers! (I had a great time on the boat, though, in spite of the hardships.)