CNN reporting another Carnival Ship having trouble (The Dream)

[Safetyal]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

 

St Maarten has a full sized airport. I can handle up to 747's.

[reallyitsmema]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

You would assume wrong. Google Maho Beach and you will see the planes going over the beach.

[cruising cockroach]

A.K.A. Garry Cheaphill

 

Don't put all the blame on him. He's only doing what he's ordered to do by Arison.

[Watson's aunt]

they could fly the passengers in Florida down to ship and pick up the passengers headed to Florida. That way they would not have to send a empty plane down

[Momto5]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

 

St. Maarten had at least three large jets (not sure what constitutes Jumbo, but the Air France and United flights were pretty big planes) land between noon and 2 pm when we were there in January at Maho Beach.

 

We also drive when we have our kids with us and would have issues with luggage. I assume Carnival will have to pay baggage overage fees as well.

 

Even if they don't this is going to be another costly venture for Carnival. Planes rarely fly empty these days!

[JoJoLess]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

 

As a frequent visitor to St. Maarten, I can assure you that the airport can handle jumbo jets. 747's used to fly in almost daily from France. Not sure if they still do, though.

 

I would love to be "stranded" on a cruise ship in St. Maarten. Better than a sea day, for sure!

 

We sailed with Carnival in December 2012 and would not hesitate to sail with them again.

[BuffaloBoy]

I actually enjoy all my cruises on Carnival just as I do the cruises I take on Celebrity, NCL, Princess, and HAL. I would not keep spending my vacation money a "crap cruise line" if that were the case.

 

The Vision of the Seas recently had a significant Noro problem that was in the news. Is RCCL a "crap cruise line" because some of their ships have been affected by the Noro virus lately? I mean I'd rather be stuck in a port than stuck in my room sick with Noro any time.

 

Lastly, cruise ships are moving, working machines and malfunctions happen from time to time. If I remember correctly, there were a few ships in the last few years that have had major engine troubles (azipod problems) causing ships to be late to ports and even some cancelled forcing impromptu dry docks. Recently, the Celebrity Reflection had a problem with one of its generators causing the ship to miss a port on its transatlantic and sail at reduced speed to Florida. The problem was later fixed a couple of months later.

 

The point is, these problems have happened and will continue to happen from time to time. Although the timing is unfortunate for Carnival, there is no reason to write them off.

 

I've cruised nearly every cruise line. Carnival is by far the worst. You can see how cheap they have become just by looking at how much they have cut back on their finance reports. Its a matter of public record. I'm glad you enjoy your time with them. To each their own I guess.

[bedfordmom]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

 

Princess Juliana Airport next to the famous Maho Beach where the 747s land practically over your heads !

[cruising cockroach]

Totally lost credibility when saying your AC in your car needs the alternator. Totally not true. Your car ac needs the engine running because the compressor is belt driven from the engine. Has nothing to do with the alternator.

 

You can have the engine running to run the compressor but unless you have electrical power to the HVAC fan that blows through the evaporator coil, you're not going to have much cooling effect. Sure, you can run the fan for while from the battery but assuming no electrical power being generated, your engine is going to stop running (unless it is a diesel) soon enough with the fan and ignition sucking all the power.

[kerovick]

Seems I might be in the minority here, but if I were on this particular cruise, I would not be THAT upset. IF what is being reported is correct.

 

It is now being reported the one public bathroom flooded. Fine, can happen anytime. Only one guest cabin requested clean-up. Only one? Toilets & elevators were not working for a short period of time. I can handle that.

 

The cruise was almost over. They're missing one sea day. They are being flown home at no expense of their own. They are allowed off the ship in the beautiful St. Maarten. They also arranged complimentary water taxis to explore other areas of the island.

 

They are receiving a refund for THREE days of cruising. And 50% discount on future cruise.

 

That's just me............. (and don't you dare call me a cheerleader:eek:)

 

I'm with ya! I'll take that deal all day long.

[ymillo]

Seems I might be in the minority here, but if I were on this particular cruise, I would not be THAT upset. IF what is being reported is correct.

 

It is now being reported the one public bathroom flooded. Fine, can happen anytime. Only one guest cabin requested clean-up. Only one? Toilets & elevators were not working for a short period of time. I can handle that.

 

The cruise was almost over. They're missing one sea day. They are being flown home at no expense of their own. They are allowed off the ship in the beautiful St. Maarten. They also arranged complimentary water taxis to explore other areas of the island.

 

They are receiving a refund for THREE days of cruising. And 50% discount on future cruise.

 

That's just me............. (and don't you dare call me a cheerleader:eek:)

Agreed!

[ducklite]

Per Carnival:

"All guests are being flown via a combination of commercial and private chartered air to either Orlando, which is the closest air gateway to Port Canaveral, or to their final destination depending on their individual needs."

 

 

 

I doubt there are too many, if any, direct flights from St Maarten to MLB or SFB so in that sense, MCO is the nearest gateway. And I would suspect that connections to most of the rest of the country are more convenient out of MCO. Probably where most who flew in for the cruise arrived too.

 

I'm not denying that, just pointing out an inaccuracy.

[Warm Breezes]

You can say that but at some point the bad publicity is going to have an impact. Most people don't have loyalty to a brand. If someone looking to cruise sees all the issues that carnival corporation and carnival cruise lines are having it might make them decided not to sail on Ccl. Honestly if I was looking to cruise in the near future I probably would not go with carnival. Yes things break down but two incidents in a month or two would make me question their maintenance.

 

 

I don't have loyalty to a brand either. I don't sail Carnival because I am loyal to them (look at my cruise history and my upcoming cruises). I sail them for the value I get for my money. I'm hoping the impact from this is some more price drops on my August cruise so I get even more value.

 

We had 2 different issues with our 2 different cars this month too. I don't blame DH for not maintaining our fleet :D. Things happen. We fix them and move on. Carnival was just unfortunate to have things happen so closely together. It happens. Unfortunately for them the media is out to make things look worse than they are. Sometimes we run into a string of unfortunate incidents. I am not a Carnival cheerleader...but I also don't expect Carnival to perfect and all knowing. No one is. I do need to respect how they handle the situation...so far I do. Others don't that is their choice.

[MissKIA]

 

That's just me............. (and don't you dare call me a cheerleader:eek:)

 

I pretty much said the same thing and have been harassed and ridiculed for being a cheerleader, just to warn you lol :rolleyes: (even though I also stated I was second guessing my future cruise with Carnival but they conveniently skipped over that part.)

[reallyitsmema]

they could fly the passengers in Florida down to ship and pick up the passengers headed to Florida. That way they would not have to send a empty plane down

Why would they do that if the ship needs to be repaired? None of us knows if the ship can be repaired in St Martin. They may need to take it to another island with an appropriate shipyard. Makes no sense to put 4,000 passengers on a ship that is not fully functioning.

[azpilot]

This just came up in the news -

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/14/power-outages-overflowing-toilets-reportedly-plague-another-carnival-cruise/?test=latestnews

[CruisenFunToo]

So.... I bring a lot of stuff on cruises because I usually drive. So 4,000 plus people, many of whom have far more than the allowable weight of baggage... And I assume St. Maarten can't handle jumbo jets... What a logistical nightmare it's going to be to get everybody back home.

 

They can take all the big jets on the island. They land right over a beach and people have been known to hang out at end of runway for the take off jet wash.

[Haoie]

We know there have been questions on the conditions onboard Carnival Dream last night and wanted to update you. We have had multiple conversations with the ship’s management team. Based on the ship’s service logs and extensive physical monitoring of all public areas, including restrooms, throughout the night, we can confirm that only one public restroom was taken offline for cleaning based on toilet overflow and there was a total of one request for cleaning of a guest cabin bathroom. Aside from that there have been no reports of issues on board with overflowing toilets or sewage. The toilet system had periodic interruptions yesterday evening and was fully restored at approximately 12.30am this morning.

 

Is that all?

[GTO-Girl]

Everyone needs to go to the Cruise Critic main page and read their article regarding the Dream.

 

There is a direct quote from a passenger onboard who doesn't seem the least bit "deprived"......in fact she seems to be making the very best of the situation.

 

I tend more to believe a quote from someone onboard than from the crazy media......

 

And no, I'm not a cheerleader either......:D......

[broberts]

That doesn't mean that those without passports won't face longer waits and scrutiny when they reach the US. Frankly if the INS people just let them all through without additional screening, it makes me really question their policies.

 

Why would one question a CBP decision to waive normal air landing requirements and institute closed-loop requirements for passengers who departed on a closed-loop cruise? They do after all have a detailed passenger list. They know exactly who exited the country with BC & photo ID.

 

It seems to me that it would be the height of senseless bureaucratic red tape to insist that Dream passengers returning under what can only be considered emergency or extra-normal conditions conform to air landing requirements.

 

In fact the only reason I can see for insisting on additional screening would be a misguided attempt to encourage passport ownership.

[johneeo]

As far as US INS and CBP is concerned, yes, they can.

 

And just what authority do US INS and CBP have for someone getting on a commercial plane coming to the USA originating from Russia, Germany, etc etc.?

 

I will answer my own question, none.

 

And you will need a passport no matter what US INS, CBP, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny position is on this.

[darrengs]

...In fact the only reason I can see for insisting on additional screening would be a misguided attempt to encourage passport ownership.

 

Exactly!

[jsmeeker]

What day are they flying out? Today? Tomorrow?

 

 

As far as presenting passports when LEAVING a country? Beyond airline agents checking, some countries DO have formal passport control (i.e. govt. customs/immigration/border patrol/whatever officials) for flights departing the country. The USA is not one of these countries. Mexico does. They even have a departure tax they collect.

[johneeo]

As far as US INS and CBP is concerned, yes, they can. Otherwise people would need to show passports to board private jets, which just isn't the case. Those private jet passengers, just like all charter and commercial jet passengers, do need to produce a passport when they land on US soil.

 

True, but as far as the Easter Bunny is concerned, you will not need a passport to board.:rolleyes:

[Watson's aunt]

so Ducklite what happens when they get back to florida? All hotels rooms are booked. They missed thier flights back home. Is the cruise line going to pay them the penality? for changing flights.

 

Mary