Carnival Splendor Update - November 15

There is an important post by a guest on the affected Carnival Splendor sailing on John Heald's blog that is worth mentioning again here - if only because the mainstream media seems reluctant or unwilling to publish the information contained within.

The passenger - a travel agent with a group of well over one hundred guests aboard - notes that no article they've read in the mainstream press has discussed the compensation guests were offered by Carnival.  Because this information is important to consider, and because it's been so largely ignored, I'll repeat it here in detail:

• Passengers offered a full refund.
• Future cruise credit equal to the total amount originally paid for the voyage, to be used within two years.
• Transportation costs refunded from San Diego to each guest's final destination.
• Overnight stays in San Diego upon request, plus a daily per Diem.
• Airfare changed and fees refunded by Carnival.
• Charges made to onboard accounts on Sunday (the first true day of the cruise) refunded.
• All photos at the onboard photo gallery were available to guests free of charge.
• Free alcohol once bars opened on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• In-stateroom mini-bars free of charge.  The average mini-bar contains multiple sodas, bottled water, spirits and beer.

The passenger who wrote to John Heald was right.  In fact, I've browsed more than twenty-five articles without a single mention of compensation.  So far, I've found five references to the Titanic, but not a single quote or interview with anyone at Carnival or any crew members aboard the Carnival Splendor, save for snippets from John Heald's blog.  Instead, most articles focus on the expert testimony and obviously well-informed opinions of Mr. and Mrs. Cruiser from Anytown, USA.

In fact, I found more than one article in which the major content was proving that the media was correct in stating Spam was aboard the ship (it was loaded aboard by the US Navy but never served to passengers.) 

Is that really the most important issue here - whether or not guests ate Spam?  A multi-million dollar cruise ship suffers a debilitating engine fire, the crew performs their jobs admirably and all aboard are safe, yet the big question is: did passengers eat Spam and Pop Tarts?

It's a shame.

Tomorrow we're leaving the Carnival Splendor issue behind, until we learn more about her future and any affected sailings.