Congress wants answers on cruise ship debacle

[t1adams]

SERIOUSLY???! We go on vacation to get RID of people like the U.S. GOVERNMENT! I'm already sick to DEATH at how they've managed to take over EVERY.ASPECT.OF.OUR.LIVES!!! Our Forefathers would be soooo disappointed in the direction this country has turned. :mad: Government, government, government!!! They're telling us when we're sick, they're telling us when we've had enough sugar, they're monitoring everything we do now! Does not anyone else see how many liberties we're losing since this "president" has won re-election????!

 

Like our FIRST President, George Washington said....."If our Freedoms are taken away, then dumb and silent we may be lead, like sheep to the slaughter."

 

Would someone please go flick-thump their (our Government's) noses away from my vacation???? It's My only last source of escape from what is happening to this place?:rolleyes::cool::cool::cool:

[PlanoTim]

Ok all you congress haters....ever think maybe, just maybe...something good COULD come out of having the US government look into this?? I for one would welcome having Carnival being held under the micrscope on this. I'm not a Carnival hater...and I've been on the Truimph each of the last two years...and booked again this November. And while its true the media goes way overboard with their negative coverage, it is true the ship sailed after having just expierenced some engine room troubles. Was this a coincidence?...maybe it was...maybe it wasnt...but lets not just accept everything Carnival tells us. They afterall make bookoo amounts of $$$ if they can keep their ships in the water. Could there be just a little chance they get complacent or careless?? If so, I'd like to know before I step onboard. I love cruising..love it a lot....but I kinda like living too. Ever wonder what could have happened to that ship if it would have conked out while trying to avert a hurricane. I know thats a worst case scenario maybe, but even a big thunderstorm would have made life very scary onboard. So my theory is let congress look into it. Maybe they will help, maybe I'll be laughing along with the rest of you when they are done, but these guys get paid a lot of money to represent us...and we DO elect them. I just hope this whole issue gets fixed, and these ships remain safe to sail.:)

 

I think the US government will look into this. Agencies like the US Coast Guard and maybe the NTSB will be involved in the investigation. But Congress, in my opinion, has more-important things to occupy their time.

[rocker57]

They should not have lingered in the water for four days- since they were close to Mexican ports and to US ports. They should have made everyone swim since they were so close. Lazy bastard passengers.

 

 

Okay, that made me laugh out loud! Perhaps if they weren't so busy gorging themselves on the food, they could of done it.

[broberts]

Actually I am wondering about the response to this incident.

 

Heaven forbid this happened in the Pacific Ocean. There should be a response by the cruise line- to cancel or empty another vessel and send that vessel to pick up the stranded passengers.

 

or they should have chartered some boats to come and retrieve the passengers- make hotel and travel arrangements for all of the passengers.

 

They should not have lingered in the water for four days- since they were close to Mexican ports and to US ports.

 

This was obviously a cost saving measure on the part of Carnival and they didn't give a crap about the passengers. I would not want to be one of the passengers on Triumph when they begin sailing again and I suspect that most people have cancelled cruises on Triumph. This really makes Carnival look bad and their stingy-ness is going to bite them in the you know what.

 

The question about such an incident happening further from land is a good one, especially as more and more itineraries cross various oceans.

 

Triumph was dead in the water from about 5:30 am on Sunday to about midnight Monday when tugs took her under tow. By the time the tugboats were able to reach Triumph the current had pushed her further north. It was determined that with prevailing winds and currents Mobile was time wise closer than Progreso. Mobile was the closest port, time wise, that could accommodate Triumph.

[luvtocruise4001]

The "Rush to Judgement" is on!

 

Nobody, probably including the Engineering Department on TRIUMPH", knows yet what caused the fire. We all know, thanks to our ever-diligent but clueless media, how much of a "Cruise from Hell" those aboard endured, but I suspect that within a week to 10 days the furor will die down and in 5-6 months a report will be issued giving the "probable cause" of the fire.

 

But I do have some questions to ask. Why did CNN make an issue of TRIUMPH being foreign-flagged when most all cruise line vessel are foreign-flagged? Why did the CNN reporter stutter when their "expert" who worked for CARNIVAL brought to her attention that a cocktail waitress on Carnival could make about $4000.00 a month?

 

This was a mechanical breakdown of equipment. No one died; no one was seriously injured. The fire suppression equipment did what is was supposed to do. Let's get on with what is truly important in Congress and let the regulators and Carnival do their jobs with some dimwit in Congress with no knowledge of marine engineering waste our tax money!

[luvtocruise4001]

Here! Here!

[dclark]

Since all the CCL cheer leaders are cognitively impaired, I'll try to make this simple.

Congress should launch an investigation into CCL. Why? Why you ask?

There are a lot of reasons, but I'll just address one:

The USCG spent money helping out the Triumph. The helicopter drops of food, supplies, generator and cable cost money, a lot of money. So did the USCG boats that escorted the Triumph.

Now, do you know where the money comes from to pay for all this? Do you?

It comes from the U.S. taxpayer:)

Now, congress is supposed to oversee all expenditures and they should investigate CCL. Did shoddy maintenance/inadequate staffing cause this? Who knows? What is known is the lives of U.S. citizens was put at risk and this cost the taxpayers $$$$!

Funny thing- if you have a medical emergency and have to air lifted off the ship, CCL makes you sign a contract that you, not CCL will pay for the flight.

Yet, with all the copters dropping supplies, CCL signed no contract. Why should passengers have to pay, yet CCL gets the U.S. government (the taxpayers!) to pay??? Do you think they reimbursed the U.S. Navy for the cost of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan to come and drop off supplies for the Splendour? Why do you think CCL should have the U.S. govt pay for problems they cause?

Again, it is quite clear that you CCL cheer leaders have lost all sense of logic with this.

[Almost Packed]

Despite my feelings of Congress, I am glad there is an investigation going on. Had this been an aircraft, people would be screaming left and right.

 

There is a bigger picture here. We need to remember safety should always come first and I do not feel CCL put safety first in this case.

 

I seriously hope there is a nice overhaul of passengers right's while cruising, something similar to what airlines have.

 

No one died while sitting on the tarmac for 10 hours either, but there sure is a ton of people who cry and moan about that. Imagine that environment for days....sure you can move about the ship but would you want to with overflowing sewage on the floor, and the horrible smell?

 

Yes indeed I'm glad someone from the outside is looking in to CCL's practices-and for that matter, all cruise lines that call on the U.S.

[zenful6219]

Because of the Republicans in the Senate, our country is currently without a Secretary of Defense. Doesn't that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

 

Congress should look into the cruise ship maintenance issue, and, specifically, the fact that cruise lines like Carnival dodge paying their fair share of taxes due to registration in foreign countries. However, until Republicans decide to stop abusing the silent filibuster, Congress has much bigger fish to to fry.

[RikkuCat]

Congress' main focus right now should be figuring out how to avoid the "sequester" (the fiscal cliff) that will take place on March 1 if they do nothing.

 

Agreed - their number one priority at present should be avoiding sequestration.

 

That said, senators watch the news, too. They also get lots of mail, which their staffers follow up on. I'm sure numerous people wrote Congress about the Triumph incident, which prompted the request for an investigation. It probably took this senator all of five seconds to say 'Someone draft a letter to the Coast Guard about that cruise ship' - if he even personally initiated it at all. Keep in mind that they have lots of staffers - he didn't sit down and spend several hours researching the issue and drafting this letter himself; he just read it and signed it.

 

It will take the Coast Guard a while to compile the data that Rockefeller has requested, and the report on the Triumph incident will likely take even longer. By the time the Senate Commerce Committee receives a report, the deadline for avoiding sequestration will have passed. Even if the info is received sooner, I seriously doubt that Congress will be discussing cruise lines regulations with the clock ticking on sequestration.

 

I agree with you in spirit - they certainly have much bigger fish to fry at the moment, but I think it is ultimately a good thing that this is being addressed. Hopefully it will result in safer ships across the cruise industry.

[clackey]

Isint congress one big debacle themselves?? They havent done anything else right lately.....

 

Didn't you mean to leave off the "else right lately." The best thing that they could do is STAY OUT OF IT.

[dclark]

If CCL doesn't like congress doing an investigation, then the answer is simple:

They should stop having their ships stranding thousands of passengers, subjecting them to days of misery, and costing the U.S. taxpayer $$$$!

Isn't that simple?

[Don Haynes]

If CCL doesn't like congress doing an investigation, then the answer is simple:

They should stop having their ships stranding thousands of passengers, subjecting them to days of misery, and costing the U.S. taxpayer $$$$!

Isn't that simple?

 

How soft America has become. The Pilgrims didn't sue after enduring weeks of sailing at sea without electricity and indoor plumbing. Appears some Americans have never gone camping in the great outdoors. And as far as the odor aboard the ship, we folks in the country call it fresh country air.

[Hunwolf]

How soft America has become. The Pilgrims didn't sue after enduring weeks of sailing at sea without electricity and indoor plumbing. Appears some Americans have never gone camping in the great outdoors. And as far as the odor aboard the ship, we folks in the country call it fresh country air.

 

And the Native Americans didn't sue when the Pilgrims gave them nice warm blankets for the long winter.

[psikic]

The coast guard knew that there was a problem with the Triumph on January 28th.

 

Vessel reported a short in the high voltage connection box of one of the ships generators causing damage to cables within the connection box. The condition of the ship and its equipment shall be maintained to conform with the... ..regulations to ensure that the ship in all respects will remain fit to proceed to sea without danger to the ship or persons on board. 50AC SOLAS 2009 CH1 reg 11.

 

http://cgmix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIXDetails.aspx?VesselID=495593

 

The real issue is the coast guard said it did not have to be fixed until February 27th. Carnival therefore is still in compliance. The coast guard did not think it was big enough of an issue to worry about it right now. So the coast guard is just as much to blame as anyone else.

[DShock]

Just what we need...our Federal Government coming to the "rescue" again!

[Arwen]

SERIOUSLY???! We go on vacation to get RID of people like the U.S. GOVERNMENT! I'm already sick to DEATH at how they've managed to take over EVERY.ASPECT.OF.OUR.LIVES!!! Our Forefathers would be soooo disappointed in the direction this country has turned. :mad: Government, government, government!!! They're telling us when we're sick, they're telling us when we've had enough sugar, they're monitoring everything we do now! Does not anyone else see how many liberties we're losing since this "president" has won re-election????!

 

Like our FIRST President, George Washington said....."If our Freedoms are taken away, then dumb and silent we may be lead, like sheep to the slaughter."

 

Would someone please go flick-thump their (our Government's) noses away from my vacation???? It's My only last source of escape from what is happening to this place?:rolleyes::cool::cool::cool:

 

 

I agree.....and the POTUS and congress do not seem to want to get to the bottom of Benghazi....what actually happened....have the terrorists been caught and questioned? Where are the other survivors?......don't get me started. I am sick to death of government interfering in my business. I live in Seattle, and it has become more miserable with each passing year. For crying out loud, I cannot even get a plastic bag when shopping anymore and I have to pay extra money for my license tabs to pay for SOMEONE else's free bus tickets! And on, and on....low flow toilets, CFL's (mercury ladened), etc. O.K, I feel better now.

 

Please govt, STAY out of our vacations! If anyone should investigate, let it be the U.S. Coast Guard.

[RikkuCat]

The coast guard knew that there was a problem with the Triumph on January 28th.

 

 

 

http://cgmix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIXDetails.aspx?VesselID=495593

 

The real issue is the coast guard said it did not have to be fixed until February 27th. Carnival therefore is still in compliance. The coast guard did not think it was big enough of an issue to worry about it right now. So the coast guard is just as much to blame as anyone else.

 

Very interesting - I hadn't heard this. So both CCL and the CG were aware of the problem on 27 Jan. If I'm reading this right, the most recent inspection before that was 15 Nov? It seems like a fair assumption that 30 days is the standard amount of time given to fix a problem, unless the CG feels it to be an urgent safety issue.

 

So CCL must have had plans to fix the problem before 27 Feb, yet they hadn't made any plans that impacted sailing schedules. Have they said anything about this yet?

[richard1s]

"Don Haynes How soft America has become. The Pilgrims didn't sue after enduring weeks of sailing at sea without electricity and indoor plumbing. Appears some Americans have never gone camping in the great outdoors. And as far as the odor aboard the ship, we folks in the country call it fresh country air."

 

This could very well be the most insensitive, mean spirited comment I have read so far on all of this. I don't think it can get any more absurd than this lame insight.

[Hunwolf]

To be fair, I'm almost positive Don Haynes was fishing with that comment.

 

Come on people.

[RikkuCat]

Please govt, STAY out of our vacations! If anyone should investigate, let it be the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

It will be the Coast Guard that investigates. Congress does not personally conduct these investigations - they direct the agency responsible to conduct the investigation, in this case the USCG. This is clear in the letter. The USCG will do their job and report their findings to Congress, who will do whatever they do with such reports. But yes, it will be the USCG who conducts the investigation, not Congress.

 

You are aware that the Coast Guard is a government organization, aren't you? They fall under the Department of Homeland Security.

[cruzincurt]

Since all the CCL cheer leaders are cognitively impaired, I'll try to make this simple.

Congress should launch an investigation into CCL. Why? Why you ask?

There are a lot of reasons, but I'll just address one:

The USCG spent money helping out the Triumph. The helicopter drops of food, supplies, generator and cable cost money, a lot of money. So did the USCG boats that escorted the Triumph.

Now, do you know where the money comes from to pay for all this? Do you?

It comes from the U.S. taxpayer:)

Now, congress is supposed to oversee all expenditures and they should investigate CCL. Did shoddy maintenance/inadequate staffing cause this? Who knows? What is known is the lives of U.S. citizens was put at risk and this cost the taxpayers $$$$!

Funny thing- if you have a medical emergency and have to air lifted off the ship, CCL makes you sign a contract that you, not CCL will pay for the flight.

Yet, with all the copters dropping supplies, CCL signed no contract. Why should passengers have to pay, yet CCL gets the U.S. government (the taxpayers!) to pay??? Do you think they reimbursed the U.S. Navy for the cost of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan to come and drop off supplies for the Splendour? Why do you think CCL should have the U.S. govt pay for problems they cause?

Again, it is quite clear that you CCL cheer leaders have lost all sense of logic with this.

 

Really cost extra? The CG and Navy are tooling around practicing. We are already paying them to be on station. Now they actually did something constructive with their time. If they weren't going out to help what would they be doing? Sailing around in circles burning fuel doing nothing, but practicing to do what they were called on to do. Now we get something for all the investment.

 

I think it's all George's fault:rolleyes:

[Hunwolf]

Apparently some on here think the USCG is privately funded.

[Cyn7]

Because of the Republicans in the Senate, our country is currently without a Secretary of Defense. Doesn't that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

 

Congress should look into the cruise ship maintenance issue, and, specifically, the fact that cruise lines like Carnival dodge paying their fair share of taxes due to registration in foreign countries. However, until Republicans decide to stop abusing the silent filibuster, Congress has much bigger fish to to fry.

 

If Obama offered a viable candidate for the position, then the Republicans would approve of them. I for one would be scared to have that moron Hagel approved to be Sec. of Defense.

 

As far as Congress looking into this and possibly holding hearings...that is a waste of taxpayers money.

[BeagleOne]

What's the opposite of PROgress? ;)