12 Cruises Canceled After Carnival Fire Fiasco
As of today, 12 cruises have been canceled in the wake of a Carnival Cruise fire that resulted in the stranding of a vessel in the Gulf Of Mexico and some very unpleasant conditions for the passengers aboard the damaged ship.
On Wednesday, 12 cruises were canceled by Carnival for the Carnival Triumph after the fire and subsequent on-board issues, and the announcement affects voyages scheduled from February 21 through April 13.
CruiseCritic.com reports:
“Passengers on all canceled sailings will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, as well as nonrefundable transportation costs, pre-paid shore excursions, gratuities and, government fees and taxes. They also will receive a 25 percent discount on a future three- to five-day Carnival cruise or a 15 percent discount on a six- to seven-day cruise.”
The fire aboard the Carnival Triumph prompting the 12 cruises to be canceled is the second such fire in recent years for the cruise line resulting in the need of a tow, and reports have since emerged from passengers aboard the stranded vessel describing unpleasant conditions.
Carnival CEO Gerald Cahill responded to the critique, saying:
“All of our guests are safe, and we’re doing everything we can to make them as comfortable as possible.”
Carnival has been using Twitter to disperse information as 12 cruises are canceled, explaining to followers and cruise fans how the situation is being handled and how it affects scheduled voyages:
We have apprx 100 motor coaches; 1,500+ New Orleans hotel rooms; charter flights from New Orleans to Houston more. Details coming soon.
— Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) February 13, 2013
We evaluated a wide range of options incldng using another ship to transport guests but the safest solution was towing the ship back to port
— Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) February 13, 2013
?@veronicawills These situations are rare. Guest safety is our #1 priority our ships exceed all maintenance fire prevention requirements
— Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) February 13, 2013
It was not clear if passengers planning to travel on the 12 canceled cruises would be offered any rebooking priority.
