Sarge6870

Welcome aboard Caroline (and hubby). Were glad you joined us. I agree with P.C. and the ease of check in. Were cruising for the first time from Tampa this November so that will be a new experience for us!!

First off, I wonder how many cruises Mr. Schumer has been on. With the current state of our country, not to mention the state of his own State where a Mayor wants to control the sizes of your soft drinks, I think there are more important pressing issues. Let's break it down in MY opinion....... 1. The right to disembark a docked ship if basic provisions cannot adequately be provided onboard. In the event of the Triumph, it's kind of difficult to disembark a vessel AT SEA!! If the ship was foundering, the ship could be evacuated. 2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is abruptly canceled due to mechanical failures. Um, Carnival did this!! 3. The right to full-time, on board professional medical attention in the event of a major health crisis. Cruise vessels DO have 24/7 medical staff onboard in the event of an emergency or even for passenger discomfort. 4. The right to real-time information updates as to any adjustments in the travel plan of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency. Looking at how many people panicked AFTER the ship returned to dock, what good does it do to tell them you are working on correcting the problem. The word "Problem" when used on a disabled vessel provides a "Problem" within itself!! 5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures. The crew onboard ARE trained in emergency and evacuation procedures but it is ultimately the Captain of the vessel to give those directions and orders. 6. The right to backup power in the case of a generator failure. There ARE redundant systems in place on newer (post 1980's) cruise ships. In the event of the Triumph, they worked but understand, they are there for EMERGENCY appliances such as lighting, communications and equipment to keep the ship afloat. ALL of which functioned properly on the Triumph. Stay focused on items that concern our Country FIRST Mr. Schumer. The vast majority of these cruise vessels are not even registered in the U.S. so your "Bill of Rights" is moot!! Again, just in my opinion!!!

Finally, an interesting story by CNN regarding the cruise industry. I am supplying the link only because there are pictures that compliment this story. Make sure you see picture #13, it shows the interior of the grounded vessel in it's CURRENT state. Click here.... http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/world/europe/duke-of-lancaster-abandoned-ship-graffiti/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

OK, you have to picture this as you read it! Back in 1992, we were sailing on the Celebrity Meridian (which was the flagship for Celebrity). The Meridian was originally built in the 1960's and changed names a few times before Celebrity acquired her. We were sailing from N.Y. to Bermuda on a October sailing (yes, hurricane season). During the crossing over the mid-Atlantic we encountered rough seas due to two hurricanes that were spinning in the Bahamas and since the Meridian was built in the '60s, there were no stabilizers to help with the "Rock & Roll" of the ship. The ship decks were virtually empty with passengers that were around the ship wearing the seasick tabs behind their ears. My wife was also greatly affected by the movement. Me and my brother, NOT SO MUCH!! We went bar hopping, went to the empty casino and finally wound up in a "Crew Only" area of the ship. My wife went to the infirmary where for a small fee was injected with something and given some Dramamine in case it was needed. She went down to sleep for a few hours as directed. After 2 or so hours of bar hopping, my brother and I went to check on her in the cabin. While walking down the hallway of the deck to our cabin, we were bouncing back and forth due to the movement of the ship. When we reached the cabin, I leaned on the wall across from the door of the cabin and got my key card out. I aimed the keycard at the door and took one step when the ship rolled to the Starboard side. I was thrust towards the door with the key card being perfectly entered into the slot, me leaning on the door latch and opening the door all in one movement. The door swung open, my brother and I running into the dark cabin. Just as we got near the bed where Chrissy was sleeping, the ship then listed to the Portside and we ran backwards out of the cabin with the door slamming shut behind us and we landed on top of each other on the floor laughing. My wife opened the door, still half asleep saying that she had to make sure what she just saw really DID happen!! True story!!! Chrissy was fine for the rest of the cruise and didn't even need the Dramamine they gave her. Don't know what was in that shot she got but it worked!!

I do agree that it is kind of insensitive for Carnival not to at least offer them to rebook for a later date and instead will just keep the cruise fare. BUT, they do have an agreement, or "Contract" if you will, described in the terms and conditions of their agreement. Pregnancy is as dangerous as any other surgical procedure and may require early or extreme delivery procedures in the event of something going wrong and the facilities onboard the vessel can not supply the means for many of those types of emergencies. My point is that as with any other written agreement, you as well as the cruise line must abide by certain regulations or rules. If you make concessions for one item in the agreement, it opens the door for more exceptions and failure of both parties to abide by the agreement. I feel Carnival is doing what is in the best interest of the unborn child but still feel they should have supplied the cruisers with credit towards a future cruise.

The hyperlink you posted in the story is a dead link giving a " Error 404-PAGE NOT FOUND" response. Please check the link and repost. Thanks.

8 here...soon to be 9 on the Brilliance in November 2013!!!

Show off!!!!

Here's my opinion Bill......I sailed on the Dream back in 2010 and ABSOLUTELY loved it!!! We had one of the new Cove Balconies and would recommend it to anyone. The new design approach Carnival has taken and getting away from the "oranges" and Greek designs, totally brought me back to Carnival. Back when the Dream first sailed, there had been complaints about the smell of sewerage which was immediately addressed by Carnival and when we sailed in 2010, we were mid-ship and had no complaints (and no smells). The reports did not keep us from sailing. As for CNN, understand that they are scraping and clawing for viewers. Without any major news to report (such as with the 24 hour coverage of the Triumph), CNN is losing viewership and sponsors so they will take an issue and beat it into the ground. As I have posted in many areas of Cruisecrazies, it seems that new or ill-informed cruisers are the major people that react to these stories. There are so many way's and internet sites to retrieve current information from past cruisers that have sailed on any passenger vessel. For anyone not to take advantage of the resources of the internet to research their vacation produces a poor vacation. If your client is going to base their decision not to sail because of the report of one passenger (that may have backed up the toilet themselves or just their cabin had an issue), the question is if they really wanted to go in the first place. A story reported ESPECIALLY by CNN stating the issue wouldn't keep me from going...not when the cruise date is so close!!!

...if the ship sinks!!!! That would stop ANY cruise!

"Corporate officials portrayed Carnival's trio of troubles last week as mostly normal incidents that would not have drawn intense media attention had they occurred over a longer period of time." . I totally agree with this statement!! Planes are delayed and diverted EVERYDAY yet you NEVER hear of the constant reporting of that. With so many things going on in the world today, the media...ALL OF THE MEDIA need to find some REAL stories to report for a change!!! The only people in my mind that would have these cruise ship issues deter them from cruising are new people to the cruising industry. Only 8 months till MY cruise!!! Just my opinion!!!

The Carnival Legend and its approximately 2,500 passengers and 930 crew members has docked in Tampa after moving slower than normal because of propulsion problems.The issue forced the cancellation of a stop at the Grand Cayman Islands. The Legend is still expected to depart as scheduled on a Caribbean cruise later Sunday afternoon with a modified itinerary, Carnival officials said Friday. The ship, however, joins the Elation, Dream and Triumph as the fourth Carnival Cruise Lines ship in five weeks to experience problems at sea. Corporate officials portrayed Carnival's trio of troubles last week as mostly normal incidents that would not have drawn intense media attention had they occurred over a longer period of time. However, the first and most serious of the recent events – the shipboard fire aboard the Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-February – led to a review throughout Carnival's fleet of redundant shipboard systems designed to contribute to safety. Cruise line officials predicted they'll turn to a well-known practice to lure back customers during times of bad publicity: discounts. "I do think there will be price promotions," Carnival chief operating officer Howard Frank said in a conference call Friday. The Legend is one of five cruise chips to serve the Port of Tampa during the height of the Caribbean cruise season. Carnival operates two ships year around, while three other companies operate during the peak season, which is nearing its end. Any fallout from the Legend's problems, which forced cancellation of a port call Friday at Grand Cayman so the ship could arrive in Tampa on schedule while traveling at slower speeds, could take weeks to surface. Carnival officials attributed the Legend's trouble to problems with a combination propulsion and steering unit. Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the problem will slightly change the itinerary for the ship's scheduled Sunday departure from Tampa for another seven-day cruise. Instead of stopping in Grand Cayman, the ship will stop in Costa Maya, he said. "The other ports on the itinerary, including Cozumel, Belize and Mahogany Bay, Roatan, remain as scheduled,'' Gulliksen said. "The ship's safety systems and hotel services are all functioning normally." Legend passengers on the current cruise will receive a $100-per-person credit, a refund on pre-purchased shore excursions for Grand Cayman and half off a future Carnival cruise, the company said. Those scheduled to sail Sunday were given the option of canceling and receiving a full refund or rescheduling for a future departure date. Miami-based Carnival Corp. is the parent company of 10 cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises, the Southern European company whose cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Tuscan Island of Giglio in January 2012, killing 32 people. SOURCE: tbo.com

EXCELLENT reply Peddler. And let's get a few things straight because I am getting tired of the "Carnival Bashing" that has been going on since the incident on the Triumph. "According to the Carnival website, the ship can fit 3,646 passengers and a crew of 1,367. But Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said Thursday there were 4,300 guests aboard the Dream and about 1,100 crew members." The Carnival Dream can sail with (NOT FIT) 3,646 passengers BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY but CAN hold up to 4,631 passengers which means it was some 985 passengers short of sailing at capacity! This vessel has sailed since May of 2010. If you do the math, if it sailed with 3,646 passengers per week since then (31 months) that would be 452,104 past passengers that had a great cruise vacation over those 31 months (including myself on the Dream in 2010). This vessel operates 24/7 for 31 months. Nothing is perfect and I am sure this would be a non-story if the Triumph incident didn't happen! Once again CNN edits a story to fit their own needs (viewer drawer). I have sailed on Carnival (including the Triumph & Dream) 5 of the last 8 times I have cruised and would NOT hesitate to sail with them again.

I have to agree!! I think 2 weeks, either straight through or on a B2B would be the max for us. On the other hand, anything LESS than 7 days for us is just a waste of good vacation time.

We have tried some of the "Specialty" restaurants onboard different ships. It was an added cruise experience. Just keep in mind, like the casinos or the spa's, you don't HAVE to go!

Excellent Carole!!! Your in the "double Digits"!! Soon to be in the single digits. Just remember, don't rush it too much because you don't want it to end too soon! Gotta love that pre-cruise feeling!!!

Just to give a little personal insight, back in 1992 we sailed aboard a ship called the Celebrity Meridian which was the flagship of Celebrity cruise lines. It was an older ship that was originally built in the early 1960's so it didn't have stabilizers. We sailed to Bermuda from N.Y. and the Atlantic crossing to the Island was a bit choppy. Many were wearing those patches behind their ears but my wife became very seasick. She went to the doctor onboard and he gave her a shot and a few Dramamine tablets in case she needed them for the way home (which she didn't). After the shot, as she was told, she went and napped for about 2 or 3 hours and was right as rain for the trip AND the return trip home. But just to reiterate what other posters have said, the newer ships have stabilizers that compensate for the roll of the vessel. He'll be fine!

Hey man, my most sincere condolences. I can relate to your love of Zoe. We have always had a dog during the almost 23 years we have been married. We now have Codi, a 113 lb lab mix and 2 Cockatiels, a male(Kicko) and female(Spike). All of our pets have been rescues. When we adopted Codi, she was about 4 months old. Halifax Humane Society gave her all her initial shots, installed the microchip and spayed her. About 2 weeks after we got her home, she contracted Parvo which is a deadly bacterial disease that devours the intestines. My research into Parvo found that 85% of dogs that contract the illness perish even if treated by a vet. We weren't going to give up that easy. She spent 5 days & 4 nights with the vet with me visiting Codi everyday like she was a child in the hospital (well, she kinda was) and she would always put her two paws on my shoulders, I.V. plugged into her leg and look at me as if to say "can we go home now"?. I'm happy to say that $1800 later, she was 100% cured!! I really think she remembers those bad days of sickness. Codi is now 8 yrs old. It is obvious Zoe had a great life with you and you loved her very much or you wouldn't be praising her here! Kudos to you my friend :)

Today a fire leading to significant smoke formation broke out on a cruise ship newbuilding (the Norwegian Getaway) in the covered building dock II at the Meyer Werft shipyard, according to a prepared statement from the yard. At present the shipyard’s fire brigade and members of the Papenburg fire department are still in operation at the yard. The affected production areas and the shipyard’s visitors center were evacuated. As of now there are no detailed indications as the reason for the fire. “In general we install large-size safety and detection systems on our ships as early as in the construction period. Hence we could react very quickly,” explained the yard’s safety manager, Markus Wähler. As it stands at present nobody was injured. In the current situation nothing can be said in regard to material damage. Completion of the newbuilding in 2014 is not at risk according to information currently available, and construction is set to resume on Wednesday March 6. SOURCE: CruiseIndustryNews

I agree with gogetter!! Belize was my worst!! The only thing for me that was exciting was the 30 minute tender ride in to the port!!! There is a "restaurant" on the dock right when you get off the tender. We decided to go there for lunch. Half the items on the menu were no longer available and the service was slower than molasses!!! All the port of Belize was, was one big flea market!!

"It tells you that there is a demand for the berths out there," he said. "But when you are in demand you expect that to happen". Ummm, NO YOU DON'T!!! And I'm sure the 4000 passengers aboard the Epic would agree with me!!!

We ordered gifts and cabin set-ups many times when cruising Carnival. Always was nice to enter the cabin for the first time with hors d'ouevres waiting for us

First off, I would like to welcome all the new members we have aboard the M/S Cruisecrazies . Regardless of whether you are new to cruising or if you are considering your next cruise, the members here have all of the answers to your questions! No matter how many cruises you have been on, you will find that cruising is always an exciting and learning experience. No two ships (even within the same cruise line) are the same. We are here to make the planning of your next or first cruise vacation as stress-less and smooth as possible. It is so easy to ask your questions and there actually two ways to do so! You can either click the tab "Forums" to the upper left, then click the "Let's Talk Cruise" button to post a question, or you can actually send a question directly to a member that may have mentioned a topic you have a question about (such as a ship you have been thinking of sailing on) by clicking on their username and sending them a personal message!!! It can't get an easier than that!!! So ask away!!! Were here to help. "Sea" you onboard!!!

Great BLOG Jan!! One of the complications you continuosly mention throughout the "Battle for the Belt" is the car. With the price of fuel constantly rising, that puts a HEAVY burden on your vacation finances. We flew to Aruba years ago as part of our resort exchange and it was in no way inexpensive. We had to pay for our meals and even though we had a full kitchen with a refrigerator in our room that we stocked from the local grocery store, the prices of food on Aruba was high. Then you factor in you don't want to eat-in every meal. You want to try some of the local restaurants. Another expense!! And of course, we rented a car to traverse the land, getting lost numerous times. When we would drive through Oranjestad, we would see cruise ships docked there and I remember wishing I had been a passenger on one of them!! And I won't even mention the 6 hour flight there from Florida (including delays). Let's see, Flight to Aruba, 6 hours. Drive to the port of Tampa, 20 minutes. Cruising is an easy winner here!!!

One of the world's largest cruise ships was turned away from Nassau in the Bahamas last week after the port forgot to save it a berth, the Nassau Tribune reports. The Tribune says the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic was unable to dock as scheduled on Feb. 22 because all the berthing spots already were taken by other ships. The news outlet blames a mix-up with the port's berthing schedule. The Norwegian Epic visits Nassau every Friday during the winter on seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailings out of Miami. The Tribune says port officials wouldn't discuss the matter, but local business owners were flabbergasted. "This is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world. How can they just allow it to be turned away?" one business owner was quoted as saying. "How do you overbook a cruise ship anyway?" A Norwegian Cruise Line spokeswoman confirms to USA TODAY that the Norwegian Epic was unable to call in Nassau on Feb. 22 due to what she called a "scheduling error" by the Nassau Port Authority.