Triumph’s failure and its effect on cruising
‘Anightmare.” “A cruise from hell.”
These were just two descriptions used by Carnival Triumph passengers after a fire in the engine room disabled the electrical system and left 3,143 passengers and the ship’s 1,086 crew members afloat in the Gulf of Mexico for five long days.
This extension to their cruise would have been more tolerable if passengers had access to the “luxury” of lighting, air conditioning and sanitation. Unfortunately, none of these was available, so the heat and stench soon became unbearable.
Was it just an accident or could it have been prevented?
Stories had been circulating that the Triumph had propulsion problems on an earlier cruise. Is there a connection? We won’t know until the investigation is complete — and that is another story.
The ship is registered in the Bahamas, so the lead investigators will be from there. My concern is: If a country allows a cruise ship to fly its flag, said country better have the resources and talent to investigate when necessary. Personally, I will put more stock in the U.S. Coast Guard’s report.
Steps were taken in July 2010 to prevent such incidents on newer ships. Among rules instituted by the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea was the Safe Return to Port, which the International Maritime Organization was helping member organizations implement. Prompted by the everincreasing size of ships, this regulation requires ships to have a backup power plant, provide sanitation, food and water and prevent heat stress when passengers are subjected to breakdowns like this.
Here’s the rub: The new rule applies only to ships built after 2010; the Triumph was built in 1999.
The volatility of passengers on the Triumph is understandable. And, in the wake of this debacle, what will the cruise industry face, besides the inevitable lawsuits? Will the impact reach into the pockets of cruise lines in another way — through sales?
When the Costa Concordia capsized in Italy in January 2011 and left 32 dead, travel agents saw cruise bookings immediately plunge. As I write these words, anecdotal news from cruise travel agencies is that they’re getting lots of questions but few cancellations.
One of the few good things that came out of the Triumph’s date with distress was commentary about the ship’s crew.
While some passengers were venting, many more were lauding the efforts of the crew from the time fire broke out until the customers were on the buses.
However, Carnival executives should have been in front of those cameras more often. Transparency in these situations isn’t just the best alternative — it’s the only alternative.
Cruise Lines International Association, the organization that represents most cruise lines, was nowhere to be found. It also should have been front and centre.
Cruising is a safe way to travel 99.9 per cent of the time. And with cruising’s rapid gain in popularity comes more scrutiny.
This story is far from being over.
PHIL’S PICK OF THE WEEK
I’ve combined two Celebrity cruises — a Transpacific and an Alaska trip — that is loaded with value and boasts an exciting itinerary finishing in Vancouver.
The first leg — Shanghai to Seward, Alaska in 15 days — departs April 25 and the starting price is $1,019 per person (double occupancy). The second leg — Seward to Vancouver in seven days — starts at $509. That’s 22 nights for just $1,528.
Ports include Jeju Island, South Korea; Kobe, Japan; Yokohama, Japan; Petropavlovsk — Kamchatskiy, Russia; Seward, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier, Alaska; Juneau; and Vancouver.
Prices were correct at the time of writing.
Get more information from Celebritycruises.com or your agent.