I read an article today on CNN about a Carnival Cruise that got stuck at sea off the coast of Mexico after a fire in the ships engine room took out most of the power.
Based off the article, it sounds like it’s been a pretty rough few days for the passengers and crew – no hot food, no hot showers, no lights, etc. It’s an awful way to spend a vacation, and I sympathize for the guests on the cruise. It’s also a nightmare for the crew, who is trying to do everything they can to make these guests as comfortable as they can, while enduring the conditions themselves.
All in all, it sounds like a place I’m glad I’m not.
However, because I like to have opinions about things that have no bearing on me, I’d like to say that this part kind of annoyed me:
And while Carnival Cruise Lines said Wednesday that most passengers knew that the Carnival Splendor’s crew was doing the best it could, there were reports of passengers pledging not to take up the company’s offer of a free replacement trip.
Carnival has offered to refund the original cruise cost to everybody, give them a free replacement trip, and pay for people’s travel arrangements since the boat is docking in San Diego instead of Long Beach like it was planned, and yet people still have a fit about it. Bad things happen sometimes. Yes, it’s a bad few days, but this is pretty much the epitome of a First World Problem. You think that was a bad three days? There are people that LIVE like that, all the time.
I’m not saying that I wouldn’t be unhappy about what happened if I was there. I’d do my fair share of grumbling for sure; it’s the people saying “You’ve ruined cruises for me forever!!! I’m never going to have a good vacation or take a cruise again!” that I think need to relax. It’s not the end of the world, especially since it sounds like nobody got injured or seriously ill, just inconvenienced. This is the first time something like this has happened in Carnivals 35 years, and it’s not likely to happen again. Take the money back, go on your free replacement cruise, and have a great time then. Chalk this one up to “one hell of a ride!”
What do you think? Are you “OMG never going on a cruise” because of this? Do you think I should shut my big mouth cause I wasn’t there (of course you do)?
