Fire on Carnival Triumph. No engines, running on emergency generators.

[philmcallister]

Wouldn't it make more sense to let passengers use their staterooms? The ship isn't sinking.

 

possibly because the rooms are to warm because the back up generators don't power the A.C. Also, it could be for other safety reasons. For example, if things were to go south, it would be much easier to evacuate the ship if everybody was in a common area, than it would be to evacuate all the passengers from each individual room. It may even be a law that in "emergency situations" on cruise ships, in international waters, passengers must stay in common areas for safey. Who knows??

[philmcallister]

Good point, Berry. I might pack an extra day, but I don't normally have 3 or 4 extra days of meds.

 

Wow. Haden't even thought about this. It would be hard for people that are on insulin to pack an entire weeks worth of backup?

:mad:

[ccruisequeen]

Meds should Never be in packed luggage. Everyone should have a carry on with meds and electronics as well as a change of clothing. I seriously doubt the crews would order Everything packed in bags.

[CoconutJD]

In an emergency I have little doubt that a passenger could be evacuated from the ship or medicines and other supplies delivered.

 

There is a coast guard cutter in route to escort the ship back to progreso. I imagine it has a rescue helicopter and would be able to provide meds or emergency care to anyone that needed it.

[dforeigner]

A couple of notes -

 

The US Department of State in coordination with ICE has the authority and ability to override entrance requirements to the US. Passengers without passports but with proper ID may get some extra screening when they arrive, but it can be managed fairly easily, especially if they are moved en masse via charter flights to one location and they can get US Customs officers to that airport or the dock. The State Department could issue temporary passports but probably won't. Until the details are finalized however, options remain open.

 

Second, Carnival itself reported the ship is on emergency power, so that

 

Not sure where you are getting your information but ICE does not admit people into the US. They will not get involved with this incident. The correct agency would be CBP.

[dbogusch]

Wow. Haden't even thought about this. It would be hard for people that are on insulin to pack an entire weeks worth of backup?

:mad:

I'm on IV meds and it takes a whole suitcase by itself...

[jimboridesmtb]

possibly because the rooms are to warm because the back up generators don't power the A.C. Also, it could be for other safety reasons. For example, if things were to go south, it would be much easier to evacuate the ship if everybody was in a common area, than it would be to evacuate all the passengers from each individual room. It may even be a law that in "emergency situations" on cruise ships, in international waters, passengers must stay in common areas for safey. Who knows??

 

You're probably right. They can probably leave the stateroom lights off and the elevators wouldn't be working either. I read after the other Carnival mishap that people in interior rooms were sleeping in the halls so I just assumed that staterooms were accessible.

[San_Antonio_Ex]

I just read 25 pages of mostly BS. There were a few good posts mixed in. First off, I am going admit I have a "soft spot" for Triumph since my wife and I spent part of 2 week honeymoon on her back in '04. I would also like to add that I worked in the Marine Industry for 10 years and while my work was mostly with the non-commercial side( I did a lot of work with mega-yachts, you know the stuff we all oggle over, usually over 100' in length) my company did alot of commercial work, including the cruise industry. So while that doesn't qualify me as an expert, I have seen ships fail and the parts on them fail. The average commercial vessel will dry-dock approximately every 5 years. The cost, as already mentioned, can be hundred's of thousands of dollars just to lift the ship out of the water, plus any repairs and/or modifications done. Companies don't like to do this, but realize it is a necessary evil . To say Carnival is delaying these dry-docks to help the bottom line is downright clueless statement. Ships are dry-docked on a regular basis not because the company may want too, but because doing so is also part of CG certification process to allow the ship to carry passengers.

 

There appears to be alot of "experts" here when in fact we really don't know any of the facts. All WE know is the ship is without power and floating adrift 150 miles from shore in the Gulf of Mexico. We know it is being towed to Progesso, and we know that the Carnival Elation has come along side and transferred supplies. We don't know the reason why, we don't know how, we don't when it will be fixed. That also means we don't know if this incident is related in any way to the issues described by posters back in December. It could be, it could not be.

 

In reference to those generators, most don't realize that those generators have been running non-stop almost since they were put in service. Even when the ship is docked, swapping out passengers between trips, or in dry dock, the generators are running to provide power, so to have one fail, it CAN happen. If that was the case here, what can you say? Yes, it sucks that people were inconvienced, I feel bad for those have had their plans changed, lost vacation, pay etc. but it is a mechanical part and will eventually fail. To say Carnival has been negligent in maitanance is just not fair. Not until we know the true cause of the siuation and that is proven as the truth.

I like that people are on here talking about this, discussing it, but let's sort fact from fiction , truth from fairytail and see what plays out over the next few days, weeks etc.

For the record, I also think Carnival is being fair in their compensation. I am sure no one will walk away from this trip feeling as if they haven't been compensated. For those who think I am drinking the Carnival Kool-Aid, so be it. I am just not one to start posting or making speculation till I have all the facts of an incident.

Scott

 

Thank you for the voice of reason and experience!

[Poseidon Patty]

I bet there's some ruby slipper clicking on that ship tonight...

[BeagleOne]

Thanks for the info, Phil. I hope some people thought to pack extra clothing in their carryons instead of their checked luggage so they at least have some options for the next couple of days. Especially people with young kids.

 

It would stink (literally and figuratively) to have to wear the same clothes for three or four days when your clean clothes were just a few decks away in your suitcase.

 

It would also stink not to be able to go back to your cabin to use a marginally-cleaner toilet. If the ship is reasonably stable at this point, with emergency lighting, I wonder why they wouldn't allow people to go to their cabins? I know if I had a balcony I'd far rather try to sleep there than on a public deck.

[philmcallister]

Thanks for the info, Phil. I hope some people thought to pack extra clothing in their carryons instead of their checked luggage so they at least have some options for the next couple of days. Especially people with young kids.

 

It would stink (literally and figuratively) to have to wear the same clothes for three or four days when your clean clothes were just a few decks away in your suitcase.

 

It would also stink not to be able to go back to your cabin to use a marginally-cleaner toilet. If the ship is reasonably stable at this point, with emergency lighting, I wonder why they wouldn't allow people to go to their cabins? I know if I had a balcony I'd far rather try to sleep there than on a public deck.

 

I am going to call back later. Perhaps things will change. Certainly they can't expect them to live in common areas until Wednesday?

[laser110]

Thank you for the voice of reason and experience!

 

 

Welcome. Just makes me mad to see people speculating when we don't know anything yet, excpet some scant details, but I guess that's human nature.

 

Scott

[pbsteve]

I'm thinking the no going to your stateroom is out of safety more than anything else... Who wants to walk through dark halways with no windows trying to get to your room.... who else is walking... What might happen to someone in a place with little lights... Remember the horrors of the stadium in New Orleans. I would not want my fiance walking down to our room if it was dark.

[Poseidon Patty]

Can you open your cabin door, with the power off?

[philmcallister]

I'm thinking the no going to your stateroom is out of safety more than anything else... Who wants to walk through dark halways with no windows trying to get to your room.... who else is walking... What might happen to someone in a place with little lights... Remember the horrors of the stadium in New Orleans. I would not want my fiance walking down to our room if it was dark.

 

Great point. Being from Houston, I remember the horror stories about what happened in the Superdome, as well as the Astrodome. However, I would like to think that since they have water, food, and are in public areas it isn't nearly that bad for the passengers.

 

Also, anybody that has family onboard the triumph the # for family to call is 305-406-5534

[BeagleOne]

It would be hard for people that are on insulin to pack an entire weeks worth of backup?

 

I would hope that the ship's clinic would have some insulin in stock. It's a fairly commonly-used medication and if a passenger were to break/lose his own insulin vial, or go into a diabetic coma, or not have enough insulin for the extended "cruise", it would be good if the clinic had its own supply.

 

At least the ship is close enough to the U.S. and Mexican coasts that if someone were to be taken really ill, a helicopter evacuation could be done.

 

I feel very sorry for people with mobility issues who can't use stairs.

 

They must have some emergency lighting in the hallways. What if the ship needed to be evacuated at night and the main power was out? How would people get to the lifeboats? So people ought to be able to find their way back to their cabins on the Triumph, if the emergency lighting is working.

[caribill]

Cellular at Sea

http://www.cellularatsea.com/roaming.htm

 

 

Probably not working with most of the power out.

 

Local TV station said some were able to make contact when the Elation was close enough that it's celllular connection could be accessed.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Welcome. Just makes me mad to see people speculating when we don't know anything yet, excpet some scant details, but I guess that's human nature.

 

Scott

 

Perhaps too much TV and vivid imaginations?

 

I'm thinking the no going to your stateroom is out of safety more than anything else... Who wants to walk through dark halways with no windows trying to get to your room.... who else is walking... What might happen to someone in a place with little lights... Remember the horrors of the stadium in New Orleans. I would not want my fiance walking down to our room if it was dark.

 

There is emergency path lighting and other emergency lights in public areas, just not so much in the actual staterooms.

[BeagleOne]

Can you open your cabin door, with the power off?

 

IDK...someone posted earlier on (I think) this thread that on one of his cruises the cabin steward had to change the batteries in his door lock, so if they're battery-powered, they wouldn't be affected by the power failure.

 

Or maybe the locks' default setting if the power goes out is "unlocked". Otherwise how would the stewards check the cabins during an evacuation, to be sure no one was inside, or reach someone who might not be able to get out under their own power, if the main and backup power were out?

[broberts]

To those that seem to have so much detailed information of what the passengers are experiencing aboard Triumph: I really would like to know how you have obtained this information. If there is a link, that would be nice.

[gnocchi_mommy]

I am one of those people. I will be sailing on Carnival in 12 days and I can't wait!!

No one is in danger right now. They have food and drink. They have 3 extra days to sit on the Lido looking at the beautiful ocean. Carnival is compensating them very, very well. A bad day at sea is better than a good day at work, cold and snow. Crap happens. Just go with it.

 

Thank you for providing such a hearty laugh on such an otherwise depressing thread. A bad day at sea is better than a good day at work? A bad day at sea is worse than... well... everything. Only someone who has never actually had a bad day at sea could say otherwise. Granted, "bad day at sea" doesn't generally happen on cruise ships, but any of us who have ever faced that "bad day" (probably on vessels far less cush than the Carnival Triumph) are just shaking our heads in amazement at that statement.

[gnocchi_mommy]

To those that seem to have so much detailed information of what the passengers are experiencing aboard Triumph: I really would like to know how you have obtained this information. If there is a link, that would be nice.

 

Waaaay back in the thread some of the posters stated they are family members of people on board, who had cell signals when there was another cruise ship pulled up alongside (they used cellular at sea)

[gnocchi_mommy]

Wow. Haden't even thought about this. It would be hard for people that are on insulin to pack an entire weeks worth of backup?

:mad:

 

The US Coast Guard can, does and would evacuate any crew or passengers on board who had a medical emergency.

[broberts]

Or maybe the locks' default setting if the power goes out is "unlocked". Otherwise how would the stewards check the cabins during an evacuation, to be sure no one was inside, or reach someone who might not be able to get out under their own power, if the main and backup power were out?

 

Stewards have cards that let them into rooms in their section. Other personnel have cards with wider access.

[broberts]

Waaaay back in the thread some of the posters stated they are family members of people on board, who had cell signals when there was another cruise ship pulled up alongside (they used cellular at sea)

 

Thanks, I missed those posts. The ship would have been Elation.