Stranded ship a new blow for industry
Source: Agencies |
March 16, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A CARNIVAL Cruise Lines ship with 5,600 passengers and crew has been stuck at a Caribbean port with equipment trouble, a month after another Carnival vessel was disabled by a fire that trapped thousands of passengers at sea for days.
The incident is the latest black eye for an industry battered by problems ranging from norovirus outbreaks to the Costa Concordia accident in Italy in 2012 that killed 32 people.
Carnival Corp said on Thursday that the cruise ship Carnival Dream was stuck in port in St Maarten after its emergency diesel generator malfunctioned during testing on Wednesday. The liner, among the company's largest, was on a week-long cruise and had been due back in Port Canaveral, Florida today.
The problem caused temporary disruptions to elevator and toilet services but the ship never lost power, the company said, adding that only one public toilet overflowed. Carnival Corp said it was arranging to fly the passengers, via charter flights and regularly scheduled flights from the Caribbean island, to Orlando or their final destination. Passengers will get a refund equal to three days' worth of travel and half off a future cruise.
The Carnival Dream is being held at dock while company engineers work on the problem. Passengers were free either to leave the ship and go into port or to remain onboard until their flights.
The cruise industry has proven resilient in the face of a series of disasters. But headlines about mechanical problems and passengers stranded at sea without functioning toilets could take a toll, especially among potential first-time passengers.
The incident is the latest black eye for an industry battered by problems ranging from norovirus outbreaks to the Costa Concordia accident in Italy in 2012 that killed 32 people.
Carnival Corp said on Thursday that the cruise ship Carnival Dream was stuck in port in St Maarten after its emergency diesel generator malfunctioned during testing on Wednesday. The liner, among the company's largest, was on a week-long cruise and had been due back in Port Canaveral, Florida today.
The problem caused temporary disruptions to elevator and toilet services but the ship never lost power, the company said, adding that only one public toilet overflowed. Carnival Corp said it was arranging to fly the passengers, via charter flights and regularly scheduled flights from the Caribbean island, to Orlando or their final destination. Passengers will get a refund equal to three days' worth of travel and half off a future cruise.
The Carnival Dream is being held at dock while company engineers work on the problem. Passengers were free either to leave the ship and go into port or to remain onboard until their flights.
The cruise industry has proven resilient in the face of a series of disasters. But headlines about mechanical problems and passengers stranded at sea without functioning toilets could take a toll, especially among potential first-time passengers.
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