Cruise control

Transparency key when it comes to issues on board,

Several weeks ago, when the Carnival Triumph had its problems with a fire, the cruise line took some heat — and deservedly so.

However, last week’s incident with another Carnival ship, the Dream, was not similar to the Triumph incident.

The Dream was in St Maarten tied to the dock when Carnival decided to stay there because a backup generator failed to work after testing.

Cruise Critic member Zen88, who was on board, weighed in via email: “All is great. Having the best vacation ever. Enjoying all of the free beverages and fun. News is a total lie. Really awesome place to be stranded! People are great.”

Cruise Critic reporter Andrea Bennett, who was in St. Maarten covering the story, added that debarked passengers said Carnival also offered free Wi-Fi and phone use, plus free water taxi tickets.

As I noted in my column on the Triumph fire, with the success of cruising comes microscopic scrutiny — and it appears Carnival recognized the need for transparency in this case.

Phil’s Pick: This Celebrity Equinox cruise puts you right in the middle of Venice’s historic Festa Del Redentore (Redentore Festival), which dates back to 1577 and celebrates the city surviving a plague. The Equinox will be there for two nights during the festival. The 12-day return trip will start July 16 in Barcelona. See Celebritycruises.com or call a travel agent for more information. Visit portsandbows.com for the latest cruise news. Phil can be contacted at portsandbows@gmail.com.