Carnival Splendor nearing San Diego last week.
Photo courtesy of the US Navy;
taken by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erin L. Oberholtzer.
As details of the fire and subsequent loss of power aboard Carnival's Carnival Splendor became known, it began to look less and less likely that the ship, still tied up in San Diego, would be setting sail again anytime soon.
Carnival confirmed this yesterday, stating in a press release that all future voyages would be cancelled up to and including the ship's January 9, 2011 sailing. The Carnival Splendor is slated to resume her regular schedule starting January 16, 2011.
Passengers booked on the affected sailings can expect a full refund of their cruise fare, along with a 25% discount on a future Carnival cruise and reimbursement for airline change fees. This unfortunate incident will impact guests on three of the most popular - and lucrative - sailings of the year: the American Thanksgiving later this month, and the Christmas and New Year's sailings in December.
Teams from the US Coast Guard, NTSB, and flag authorities are aboard the ship. A special team from Italian shipyard Fincantieri are also aboard the Carnival Splendor, along with representatives from a number of engine component manufacturers. Their task over the coming months will be to restore the ship to its fully operational state.
It is important to note that no one was hurt or seriously injured during the incident, which took place on Monday, November 8th. It is the most serious incident to occur on a Carnival ship since the fire aboard the Ecstasy in July of 1998. That fire began in a laundry room shortly after the ship had set sail from Miami, and caused $17 million in damage. As with any incident, much was learned from this mishap, and a fire on a similar scale has never happened since.
It is also worth noting that this sort of incident - an engine room fire that cripples the ship's power system - doesn't occur every day. In fact, this is the first such incident to take place in modern cruising.
Carnival also takes this incident very seriously, a fact that has been highlighted in the line's response. They have been continually upfront with their passengers, and compensation has been fair, if not downright generous.
Other cruise lines, take note. This is Public Relations 101 - and Carnival has passed this test with flying colors.
Are you a passenger on one of the affected sailings? Carnival has some options for you: please read and download the affected guest PDF available on their website for detailed information. It would be wise to rebook your cruise as early as possible, while a maximum number of alternate sailings remain. While capacity on the Mexican Riviera run is limited, Carnival does have a number of exciting Caribbean sailings that are sure to please affected passengers.
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