The Cruise Ship and Cruise Line Discussion Thread!

[cfc]

^And don't forget that Kathie Lee Gifford was their spokesperson for a number of years.

[snoflake15]

The only way Carnival can possibly escape the flak is to pin it all on Schettino - say he lost the plot and did all these things wrong and we couldn't have prevented it.

 

Problem is they employed him.

[robbalvey]

Problem is they employed him.

Exactly. And apparently today, his employer referred to the guy as an "idiot."

In an interview with Italian daily newspaper Il Corriere Della Sera published today, the chairman and managing director of Costa Cruises, Pier Luigi Foschi, expressed sadness and regret over the Costa Concordia disaster, while indirectly referring to Captain Schettino as "some idiot."

 

"I'm not being rhetorical when I say I'm going through the most distressing period in my life since my mother's death," Foschi said. "...You carry on doing your best and then... some idiot appears on the scene."

 

Then, when pressed to expand on his opinion of the captain, Foschi said, "He has always been regarded as extremely valid from a technical standpoint... but he may have the odd little character problem, although nothing has ever been reported formally."

 

Which really makes me question the decision of any company who could put someone they feel is an "idiot" and has some "character problems" in charge of a 1/2 Billion Dollar ship and over 3,500 peoples safety?

[Jew]

^Agreed. There's only 15 ships in their entire fleet...makes absolutely no sense to select someone you think has character issues to be the captain of one of your largest ships!!

 

Side note: Oddly enough, the Carnival Splendor (the one left stranded at sea for 3 days after an engine fire) is a sister ship to the Costa Concordia...

Edited January 21, 2012 by Jew

[Swiminn6]

Carnival ships are horrible EXCEPT the Dream Class. Seriously try the Dream class before you say everything about Carnival sucks. I wouldn't go on any other class of there ships. I said it before, my family is RCCL fans but our Carnival Dream cruise was enjoyable.

 

As for the captain, he's an idiot! Now he was saying he "tripped" into a lifeboat. LOL. What next? He should stop while he's at it before he digs himself too deep of a hole...If he already hasn't.

[robbalvey]

Carnival ships are horrible EXCEPT the Dream Class. Seriously try the Dream class before you say everything about Carnival sucks.

While I REALLY WANT to believe you....

 

Just returned from my 8th Carnival cruise which was on the new Dream class ship. I wish to warm those who cruise to have fun to avoid this ship.

 

The Dream did not meet our expectations for being a new ship. First of all, The sewage smell was awful! Cabin – Dirty, period. The bathroom had sewage smell, called for repair/clean up twice, never fixed. We also had a power outage 2 times in which we were late getting to dinner on the second formal night. Our son dropped his toy under our bed so he used a hangar to get it out, he then got the toy out, as well an opened condom package, a piece of chipped toe nail and something else disgusting that looked like rotten food.

 

Unless someone gifted a cruise to me I will never sail on the Carnival Dream again.

 

Dream becomes a nightmare

This is the worst designed ship ever,and we have been on 33 of them.

 

So Bad We got off in St. Thomas mid cruise

Yes, you read it right. We was on the Christmas cruise this week and asked if we could get off in St. Thomas and they said yes. They refunded unused portion of cruise and they flew us back to Orlando. I know what people say about one persons opinion, but everyone I spoke to on the cruise were just as unhappy. This was my 5th cruise on Carnival so I know what they are about. I Like Carnival, but will Not go back on the Dream!!

 

The dream is: Horrible Horrible and it literally smells like a toilet. NEVER CARNIVAL AGAIN!

Yeah, no thanks. If I'm going to sail the "Dream", it will be Disney's version!

Edited January 21, 2012 by robbalvey

[Troll]

Another body found BBC News

 

Costa Concordia disaster: Woman's body found on board

The body of a woman has been found on board the Italian cruise ship that ran aground and capsized a week ago, bringing the known death toll to 12.

 

The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, was found by divers on the fourth deck of the Costa Concordia.

 

Twenty people are still missing after the ship, with 4,200 people on board, struck a rock in shallow waters on 13 January off Tuscany's Giglio island.

 

The captain is being investigated for manslaughter, which he denies.

 

An unnamed police official said the woman's body was found at around 13:30 (12:30 GMT) and was taken to the mainland.

 

"They will have to rely on DNA tests now to identify the victim after a week in the water," he told AFP news agency.

 

Coastguard divers have been using explosives to blast their way into submerged areas of the vessel to search for those unaccounted for.

 

Earlier on Saturday, rescue officials said they would not end the search until the whole ship had been examined.

[robbalvey]

There was just amazing footage on the Today Show with a crew woman telling a huge group "Please go back to you cabins...this is just a power outage and it will be fixed shortly."

 

Insane....

 

Oh, and on 20/20 last night, they did a cruise ship exposé, on Carnival, and showed all these fights breaking out between drunk passengers on the Carnival Dream!

[megalyte]

Oh, and on 20/20 last night, they did a cruise ship exposé, on Carnival, and showed all these fights breaking out between drunk passengers on the Carnival Dream!

 

Haha, I was watching that last night and thought of this thread! I would never go on a Carnival cruise, everyone says they are awful!

[Swiminn6]

^^^^Valid points but online reviews are very biased. The Dream (Carnival or Disney) both have 1 star and 5 star ratings. People go on some ships with a closed mind taking into account the negatives they have read. Go in optimistic and you might have a great cruise. I stopped reading reviews a long time ago. Disney Dream,

 

Restaurant quality gets a fail. Most of our meals arrived cold, dinners were misplaced at the table, drink orders confused.

 

I don't agree and think the food on Disney was great! (Get my point there?) Most others talk about how crowded some areas are and how the ships essentially have nothing to do for the young adults whether they are 19 or 23.

 

My point is not to argue, but I am just saying be optimistic! Not everyone is going to have a great cruise and they will write all about it. In fact if you go on Cruise Critic, the Carnival version is only 5% less liked by members than Disney's. (Just comparing these two since you mentioned them).

 

Every line markets to different people, does that make them the bad guys? (At least Carnival is making obvious attempts to market to a broader audience with it's upcoming Carnival Breeze!) Sorry Robb, I just wanted to get how I feel out there.

 

 

Also on the Concordia subject,

 

Earlier on Saturday, crews removed oil-absorbing booms used to prevent environmental damage in case of a leak. Originally white, the booms were grayish.

 

Also, they mentioned some things that I never immediately thought of!

 

Although attention has been concentrated on the heavy fuel oil in the tanks, "we must not forget that on that ship there are oils, solvents, detergents, everything that a city of 4,000 people needs,"

 

What a mess. Think about all of that, the hydraulics, food, soaps, sewage... The list goes on. Hopefully crews can start taking the fuel out soon.

 

Search and rescue efforts for survivors and bodies have meant that an operation to remove heavy fuel in the Concordia's tanks hasn't yet begun, although specialized equipment has been standing by for days.

[Hotlanta]

Robb or Elissa,

 

Just like the park Index, is there some place where your cruise TR's are indexed? Every time someone says a cruise is boring i show them one of your trip reports and they always stop that talk. I am just talking because i thought maybe i looking the wrong place for those TR's.

[Mr Stratosphere]

There was just amazing footage on the Today Show with a crew woman telling a huge group "Please go back to your cabins...this is just a power outage and it will be fixed shortly."

 

Insane....

:

 

 

I really wonder what it must have felt on the ship when it hit the rocks. I would think its absurd to believe them saying it was a power outage.

 

I'm sure someone would have noticed the ship taking on water, am I crazy?

 

I also read that this ship was cursed from the get go with maritime traditions.

 

If maritime superstitions are to be believed, the Costa Concordia was doomed from the moment it was launched.

 

When a grand christening ceremony was held in July 2006 in the port of Civitavecchia, the ceremonial champagne bottle failed to smash against the hull of the luxury liner.

 

Just two years later, on November 22, 2008, the Costa Concordia suffered a second stroke of bad luck.

 

The ship was attempting to enter the post of Palermo, Sicily in a storm when it hit the dock and was damaged.

 

All coincidences I'm sure, but interesting nonetheless.

[tntornadox]

I thought the 20/20 special was disgusting, lazy reporting and a smear job against Carnival myself and I am not the only one... they mentioned the George Smith case but didn't mention it occurred on Royal Caribbean, yet never missed a beat when slamming one on Carnival. The first fight they showed was on RCI as well, but once again, wasn't named. It showed Princess as well, not named either. They did conveniently note their parent, Disney, has a cruise line and showed fireworks and everything when they showed their ships... but didn't call to attention the British crew member who went missing off the Wonder last year.

 

The fact is, passengers can be unruly on any line at any time when they have a bit too much of the creature.

[Hotlanta]

Hotlanta - we have a couple of our cruising TR's indexed here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/page.php?pageid=570

 

I plan on adding a few more of them soon!

 

--Robb

 

Thanks for the link Robb. I searched the index a couple of times but was looking for the cruise names.

[Chroniq]

I've never been on Carnival, but they are certainly targeting a specific market via their onboard activities, advertising, and pricing structure as compared to other cruise lines.

 

Are they ghetto? Probably more so than nearly all of the other cruise lines operating out of the US.

 

I think the only way to settle this is TPR going on a Carnival cruise and sharing the outcome of it with us here.

 

-chris "thats a trip report I'd read" connolly

[ginzo]

I thought the 20/20 special was disgusting, lazy reporting and a smear job against Carnival myself and I am not the only one...

 

I just watched that 20/20 episode and I don't agree that they were being overly harsh on Carnival. When you consider recent events, they were going fairly soft on them. Carnival has earned their reputation, but I didn't notice anything in that episode that specifically singled Carnival out as being worse than the other lines.

[Swiminn6]

Robb, yeah comparing carnival to Disney was not what I was going for, it was what you said (when you'd rather go on the Disney Dream).

 

Have you been on a Carnival Ship? I used to feel the same exact way...until I went. Btw I'm not sticking up for Carnival because I think they are horrible, Im sticking up for the Dream class. And I am a rccl fan, like you guys are.

 

Robb, I know your the owner of TPR! I wasn't trying to "disrespect" you. How else would I have said that? This discussion between us is annoying and I want it to end because I don't want to be your enemy, I was just saying what i did to the people who are accusing Carnival of sucking when they have never been on a cruise let alone a Carnival ship. Remember I am agreeing with you on everything except this class of ships. Sorry, again I don't want to be your enemy, I have always dreamed of coming along on a TPR trip and meeting you and Elissa.

[SharkTums]

^Robb and I have both been on Carnival ships.

 

Let's keep this back on track.

 

Now they're saying the captains hot young date was on the ship illegally!

[robbalvey]

Yeah, so the stories about the Captain just keep getting better! Apparently, this woman that he was with, wasn't actually on any passenger lists, and was technically "smuggled" on board!

 

http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/world/captain-cowardus-companion-u-mystery-blonde-was-smuggled-onboard

 

Captain Coward’s companion – mystery blonde was smuggled onboard

A mystery woman was on the bridge with Captain Coward – aka Francesco Schettino – when his ship sank off an Italian island on Friday night.

 

The blonde woman pictured with Schettino on the bridge, who some believe he was trying to impress, could be a key witness to the events leading up to the moment the ship ran aground.

 

She is believed to be a 25-year-old Moldovan crew member called Domnica Cemortan, who hasn’t been identified by investigators because she isn’t on any official paperwork for the Costa Concordia.

 

She is thought to be a passenger rep who was hired without a proper contract.

 

Prosecutor Francesco Verusio asked police to try and trace the woman, who witnesses believe knew Schettino.

 

She may have been seen dining with Schettino at around 9pm, just 30 minutes before the ship crashed.

 

Divers have resumed the search for the 21 people still listed as missing on the vessel.

 

Schettino earned the name Captain Coward after abandoning his ship while passengers were still on board.

 

He claimed that he “fell into a lifeboat”.

 

So far at least 11 of the 4,200 passengers and crew have died following the disaster off the Mediterranean island of Giglio on Friday.

[Chroniq]

via the captain- "I'd hit it" ( He meant the girl, not the rocks)

[ajinaz]

 

EDIT - I agree with Elissa - let's keep this back on track. If you like Carnival, that's great. You're "Wal-Mart class" in my mind, but hey, there's a reason why Wal-Mart is a huge success. But don't try to argue with me that Carnival is anything nicer than that. It's not. Deal with it. Done.

 

I've gotta agree with you. Cruising is probably one of the most "personal preference" vacations you can take. It just depends what you experience on YOUR cruise.

Been on several lines and have loved and hated Carnival. Love the Spirit-Class Aft Wraps. Also was on the Ecstasy in '98 when it caught on fire. Didn't love that as much.

Took an RCCL cruise out of San Juan a few years ago and was completely disgusted by the behavior of the passengers. I was even more disgusted by the crew response to the passenger behavior. Swore off them after that.

I've never had a bad experience on Celebrity but I'm sure if the stars align just right my April cruise on the Xpedition could go bad.

 

I think one rule of thumb to follow on most cruise lines: Less than 7 days = Guaranteed Walmart Crowd. 7 days = Target Crowd. Over 7 days = Crate and Barrel or One Foot in the Grave Crowd. Of course these rules don't apply on Seabourne.

[stellaclose]

Costa's '30 per cent off' compo offer leaves survivors stunned

 

So they almost killed you on your last cruise, and if you survived they're offering you a 30% discount on a future cruise! And if you're really lucky, they might even throw in a bucket of Bud!!!!!

 

The owners of the Costa Concordia have come under fire for offering survivors of the disaster a 30 per cent discount off future cruises as they battle to stave off law suits expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds.

 

One British survivor of the disaster, which claimed 12 lives with 20 people still missing, branded the offer as "insulting" yesterday.

 

It was also disclosed that in an attempt to help survivors, the ship's parent company, Carnival, has been telephoning passengers daily asking if they are suffering nightmares or sleepless nights. But that move also appeared to backfire when a psychologist said such questioning could trigger post traumatic stress rather than relieve it.

 

The stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia lies in shallow water off the Italian island of Giglio. Photo: Reuters

A little over a week after the ship capsized off the coast of Tuscany, it also emerged that:

 

- An emergency services log showed that the Concordia's captain, Francisco Schettino, abandoned ship more than four hours before the last passenger.

 

- A separate voice recording showed Captain Schettino pledging to be the last man on the ship, suggesting erratic behaviour and that he lied to the authorities.

 

- Divers recovered the ship's safe from the captain's cabin along with the body of a woman they found in a submerged corridor.

 

The offer for future discounts is being made by Costa Cruises, which operated the Concordia and whose parent company is Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator.

 

This weekend, passengers were also being sent letters by Costa detailing how to claim for lost valuables and offering a full refund on the voyage.

 

Lawyers plan to sue both in the US and in Italy, with more than 100 passengers already reported to have joined a class action that is to be lodged in Miami this week. Each is reported to be demanding between £100,000 ($148,500) and £1 million in compensation.

 

A spokesman for Costa Cruises said yesterday: "The company is trying to do everything they can for those passengers directly affected.

 

"The company is not only going to refund everybody but they will offer a 30 per cent discount on future cruises if they want to stay loyal to the company."

 

Costa's chief executive, Pier Luigi Foschi, who estimated that the impact of the disaster on his firm was £60 million, had expressed confidence that the group would be able to "find a solution that, in the material sense, would satisfy" the passengers.

 

However, Brian Page, 63, a retired accountant from Southampton, who survived by sliding from one side of the deck to another to find a lifeboat, said: "It is a ridiculous and insulting offer. I'm very disappointed in them. They are not accepting their responsibilities at all. Our only back-up is separate legal action."

 

Costa Cruises has laid the blame on Captain Schettino, who steered the liner on to rocks and then abandoned ship before all the passengers got off. But lawyers for the passengers will claim that Costa Cruise ships had "regularly" deviated from the correct route.

 

The ongoing civil legal battle is complicated by the criminal case against Captain Schettino and the specific contracts signed by passengers.

 

Last week, Carnival began phoning British passengers asking if they were suffering nightmares, sleepless nights and needed counselling. Mr Page and other passengers, including Janice and Ian Donoff, from north London, and Edwin and Liz Gurd, from Hampshire, received calls.

 

Lawyers, however, have questioned the company's motives. Clive Garner, head of the travel law team at Irwin Mitchell, who represents at least one British passenger, said: "I would advise Carnival to desist from doing this. In other large-scale incidents, defendants have been very keen to liaise with victims early on with a view to making low offers of settlement."

 

Jill Greenfield, a personal injury partner at Field Fisher Waterhouse who has successfully sued Carnival in the past, said: "The poor people on this ship will still be in shock and not yet realise what they have been through. It may be that Carnival are genuinely trying to help but what they should be doing is telling these people to get some legal advice."

 

Jennifer Wild, a consultant clinical psychologist at Oxford University and King's College London, said repeatedly asking victims if they were having nightmares breached guidelines on treating people after disasters. The questions are likely to feed anxiety and possibly even lead to post-traumatic stress, she said.

 

"They may be doing it because they just want to monitor people but this is not helpful," she said.

 

Further details of Captain Schettino's erratic behaviour were disclosed with the publication of the official log kept by the harbour master's office, which coordinated the rescue. The log shows how the captain, who is under house arrest, first played down the crisis and then abandoned ship more than four hours before the last passenger.

 

Further voice recordings add to the confusion, with Captain Schettino claiming to coastguards that he will remain on ship as the last man. "I'm the only one who will stay here," he told the coastguards in a tape that will be used by prosecutors to support their contention that he lied to port authorities on the night of the disaster and that he abandoned his post in contravention of the naval code.

 

Divers exploring the cruise ship recovered a safe from the captain's cabin on the instructions of the prosecutors. They believe it may contain documents or other evidence that could help their investigation.

 

The body of a 12th victim was found inside the hull of the £370 million, 300-metre vessel. The victim, a woman, was found wearing a life jacket on the fourth deck, close to a muster station.

 

The Sunday Telegraph, London

 

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/costas-30-per-cent-off-compo-offer-leaves-survivors-stunned-20120122-1qbvk.html

[tntornadox]

I have been following this aspect to the story as well, they are gonna have a very hard time trying to sue from the United States... the cruise line is Italian, the ship is Italian registered and the accident occurred off the Italian coast, many say it can't be argued from the US.

[disneyfan1313]

Also was on the Ecstasy in '98 when it caught on fire. Didn't love that as much.

 

Woah - wait... what? Please tell me you have photos of this!!!!!!!!

[ahecht]

Costa's '30 per cent off' compo offer leaves survivors stunned

 

So they almost killed you on your last cruise, and if you survived they're offering you a 30% discount on a future cruise! And if you're really lucky, they might even throw in a bucket of Bud!!!!!

 

The amazing thing is that in both the '98 Ecstasy fire and the '10 Splendor fire Carnival offered passengers a full refund plus a complimentary future cruise. In neither of those cases was anyone's life in real danger, nor did people lose all their possessions and in many cases have to swim to shore. A refund plus a 30% discount on a future cruise is just insulting.

Edited January 22, 2012 by ahecht