Cruise Talk: Carnival Problems

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Topic: Carnival Problems

DEIx15x8
First Class Passenger
Member # 14958

posted 03-15-2013 09:40 AM

Doesn't even seem worth putting a ship in the title of this one. Their up to three this week now.

Carnival Triumph - 2/10/13: Engine room fire disabling the ship. Out of service for at least another month while repairs are made.
Carnival Elation - Over the weekend: Issue with the maneuvering system requiring tugs to assist her while in port. Ship will be repaired at a later date.
Carnival Dream - 3/14/13: Diesel generator issue resulting in loss of the propulsion system. All passengers are being flown home and at least the next sailing is canceled in order to make proper repairs.
Carnival Legend - 3/15/13: Issue with the system that controls the ships speed (not lying that is what the articles say). The port scheduled for today will be missed in order to try and get back to Tampa by Sunday. The Carnival website no longer lists the next two sailings. Likely not canceled at this moment but being cautious in case they need to be.

With these three incidents this week that puts 4 of the lines 24 ships potentially out of service next week. The Carnival Elation is not scheduled to go in for repairs at this time, but I can't imagine the idea that she's safe while damaged will look good in the press for much longer. After the speech earlier this week on the importance of preventative maintenance you really have to question what they are doing wrong. If you booked on Carnival this week there was a 17% chance that your cruise got canceled or altered due to issues. I can't think of another time where a single line had so much trouble in such a short period. With the media already watching every move they make these two smaller incidents are going to be magnified to the scale of a shipwreck by the time the media is done with them. The inclusion of Elation and Legend they are now spread across three different ship designs which may or may not hurt them even more as it shows the problem is not the Destiny design specifically but also shows a greater issue with the company as a whole. It all could just be coincidence but three coincidences in a week leads to a pattern the media will not be able to overlook. The one good thing Carnival has going is that they appeared to have handled the Dream very well and the passengers are all happy while those on the Elation and Legend should not have had their on-board experiences effected so they should all be fine as well. The main concern for the Carnival Elation at this time would be from passengers creating bad press by reporting the ship as unsuitable to sail since she can't safely maneuver on her own. These kinds of statements seem to be the main source for her problems since she seems to be maintaining her itinerary.
If it wasn't for the Triumph just last month and the Costa Concordia last year (though everyone ignores the two other Costa issues last year), the Elation and Legend would not even make the press and the Dream would probably merely be a small article on page 10 of the paper.

[ 03-15-2013: Message edited by: DEIx15x8 ]

Posts: 521 | From: Kutztown, PA | Registered: Apr 2008 | IP: Logged

linerguy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4289

posted 03-15-2013 10:15 AM

This is either a major fluke, or a team from Royal Caribbean is putting sugar in Carnival ships' gas tanks.

-Russ

Posts: 1486 | From: Bright, Indiana | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

buddhaJoe
First Class Passenger
Member # 4356

posted 03-15-2013 10:52 AM

so...???

i really do not understand what you're saying

regards,
Joe

Posts: 366 | From: De Goorn, small village in The Netherlands | Registered: Jan 2004 | IP: Logged

Frosty 4
First Class Passenger
Member # 5826

posted 03-15-2013 11:14 AM

Last weekend I asked our travel agent if they book many cruises on Carnival. She said very few. Most people book RCL,Princess, and Celebrity.
Granted the offices of the TA are in an affluent area. I'm sure all the bad press and news has had a big impact on Carnival. Their image is not good IMHO.
F4

Posts: 2531 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

linerguy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4289

posted 03-15-2013 12:03 PM

It was a joke, Joe.....

Posts: 1486 | From: Bright, Indiana | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

Salaison
First Class Passenger
Member # 4722

posted 03-15-2013 12:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by linerguy:
This is either a major fluke, or a team from Royal Caribbean is putting sugar in Carnival ships' gas tanks.
-Russ

hahahahahahaha one the floor

Posts: 444 | From: St. Lucia--The Sleeping Leviathan | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Salaison
First Class Passenger
Member # 4722

posted 03-15-2013 12:16 PM

on*

Posts: 444 | From: St. Lucia--The Sleeping Leviathan | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

JohnHJ
First Class Passenger
Member # 30846

posted 03-15-2013 01:53 PM

Don't forget about the Splendor in November of 2010!

Posts: 60 | From: Tallahassee, FL | Registered: Jan 2010 | IP: Logged

FL_Cruiser64
First Class Passenger
Member # 13706

posted 03-16-2013 10:43 PM

For what it's worth:
Carnival goes steadily down. My last cruise with Carnival just about a month ago the Victory was in a horrific condition.
The bathrooms were not cleaned frequently, in the buffet area empty tables had dirty dishes forever. While the waiters were nice and admirable they were just overworked. Overall it seemed that they were lacking staff.
And please, lets not talk about the food.
The kicker was when the stateroom attendant introduced herself:
Hi, my name is A****. I am working from 8-12 and 6-8.

The Victory may just be the next Legend, Dream or even Triumph as we hobbled along at 75% power.

Posts: 219 | From: Florida | Registered: Feb 2008 | IP: Logged

LaLa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5684

posted 03-16-2013 10:57 PM

I sailed on the Miracle in October and was pleasant surprised about everything. I've sailed on Celebrity twice (Horizon & Galaxy, respectively), and Royal Caribbean once (Mariner of the Seas) and had pretty low expectations... But we never had a problem with anything.. Service couldn't have been better, crew all had smiles on their faces. Food was better than Royal Caribbean (I'm a Royal Caribbean fan btw). And best of all.. The toilets ALWAYS worked!

With that being said, I do think the media is being too harsh on Carnival and cruise ships period... I wouldn't mind being on ship that broke down if that meant my vacation was going to be longer

[ 03-16-2013: Message edited by: LaLa ]

Posts: 132 | From: Delaware | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

Atlcruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4586

posted 03-17-2013 01:40 AM

At one time I only cruised Carnival. My last cruise was in 2004. I ad noticed a decline across the board. While we were docked in San Juan, RCI's Navigator OTS next to us and we wished that we were cruising on that ship. We came home and booked for later that year. Haven't been back to Carnival since and to date they have done nothing to regain my interest.

I really like RCI. We have stepped out to try out NCL. Good but not high on my list but I give them credit for hanging through the rough years and turning things around.

Also tried HAL. Not my cup of tea and I will leave it at that. Just returned from my first Celebrity cruise and they have moved ahead of Royal on my list. The Reflection was beautiful.

Not sure what is going on with Carnival but they really need to get it together and quick. This not only hurts Carnival but it gives the entire industry a black eye.

Posts: 916 | From: Atlanta | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 03-18-2013 08:42 AM

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

SSTRAVELER
First Class Passenger
Member # 15170

posted 03-18-2013 10:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by linerguy:
This is either a major fluke, or a team from Royal Caribbean is putting sugar in Carnival ships' gas tanks.
-Russ

This morning Royal Caribbean announced due to an unforeseen shortage they will be rationing sugar on their ships until further notice. "We just don't know where it all went" < G R I N> said a spokesman for the line.

In related news NCL announced a new towing a service ... "We thought we would give the other guys a rope to hang themselves."

It's getting bad out there.

I hope CCL is issuing rain slickers to all their executives because the passengers are going to know what to do with the gotten tomatoes now. I think it is time to start checking those maintenance logs.

Posts: 757 | From: New York | Registered: May 2008 | IP: Logged

FL_Cruiser64
First Class Passenger
Member # 13706

posted 03-18-2013 10:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by desirod7:

I got one too.

Posts: 219 | From: Florida | Registered: Feb 2008 | IP: Logged

linerguy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4289

posted 03-18-2013 12:30 PM

Too funny, Allan.

I was defending them at first, but now it looks like there are some major issues. Either shoddy maintenance, or a group in the engineering department is on RCI's payroll....

-Russ

Posts: 1486 | From: Bright, Indiana | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

Frosty 4
First Class Passenger
Member # 5826

posted 03-18-2013 04:23 PM

http://money.msn.com/investing/killer-companies-video.aspx?post=9956b20d-72b1-4528-baa1-9db56156b572

Watch the video if possible. I could have sworn that I saw the CEO of RCL.(Goldstein) see if you agree.

Frosty 4

Posts: 2531 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

linerguy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4289

posted 03-18-2013 05:02 PM

Yes, that is Goldstein....all the big cruise line execs were recently at the annual Cruise Shipping Miami conference.

Nothing unusual there.

-Russ

Posts: 1486 | From: Bright, Indiana | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

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