FLL tragedy - sailed Conquest NYE 2016

[BallFour4]

Step back and look at Carnival's Point of View.

 

 

 

1. Port Everglades was closed and the Captain was not sure if they would be able to dock there or have to go to Miami. This also would require notifying Harbor Pilots, and PAYING for the dock Fees. They did not know until 10:30 at night that Port Everglades would be open. And they did not know if Customs would be available.

 

Every bit of this post is wrong. The port never closed. The captain made an announcement in late afternoon about our arrival time. We were in the channel at 4:45am and completely docked at 6.

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[jimbo5544]

"What would you have liked them to do?" was rhetorical because you believe they made the right decision. So why did you ask it? Are you looking for others opinions, or did you just want to tell others they can't possibly be right and only Carnival is always ever right?

 

 

 

A number of us just think carnival should have communicated that there were events unfolding, not all details known, possible travel impacts, here is WiFi to check for yourselves. Not that they should have started changing flights for people. not that they should have had wall to wall coverage of the events. Not that any of this was in any way carnivals fault. Just that keeping people 100% in the dark was not the best choice.

 

 

It was rhetorical because I was not there and having the same information they had at that time. I have no idea what all those factors were. I don't know whether giving a little information was (or is) better than doing nothing, thinking it would be worked out by the time the ship docked. Who knows...

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

We were on the Conquest for the NYE cruise and saw the report of the shooting in early afternoon on the last day at sea. I logged on with my iPad and read the minute by minute updates on news websites. Media outlets reported the airport as what it was, a crime scene and they didn't share firm plans for flights resuming until after we got back to the cabin after the evening show.

 

Carnival is in the people pleasing business, If they'd reported airport closure and speculated a reopening time and a flurry of people change flights all hell would have broke loose. Then the potential exists for a delay and Carnival (and the 5 other ships headed back to the port) are loaded with mad guests having changed and potentially paid for flight changes.

 

Southwest Airlines website crashed. My family had a flight from FLL at 5:45, and it was well past midnight before we got boarding passes on their app, and that was with Early Bird.

 

The airport reopened at 5:00 am on Saturday morning. Individual airlines opened at a varied schedule, and only the two flights prior to ours headed to HOU weren't cancelled. The Delta counters looked like a madhouse with an estimated 2000 people lined up outside.

 

If you aren't reading there is not a solid story Carnival could have told us then I'm out of reason for you. Why would a cruise director or captain fuel mass anxiety about an event that was fluid until well past bedtime for most aboard the Conquest?

 

Go look at the threads on Cruise Critic about fog here in Galveston. Some posts are borderline mutiny based on the unknowns of traveling from our port in winter. If Carnival had solid news that would benefit their guests they'd tell us. Galveston has an average of ten arrivals and departures impacted by fog. If you read what some of your CC peers post they are calling for the Vista to be pulled from here before it arrives.

 

Relax. Companies that depend on tourist dollars want you and I to be happy. Get some frozen yogurt, put your feet on the coffee table.

 

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Nice post

 

 

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[meatloafsfan]

I don't think it's Carnival's responsibility to inform the masses of world or local events. There are news channels playing 24 hours a day on their ships - if you want to know what's going on, it's your responsibility.

 

A lot of people don't want to be disturbed on vacation with what's happening in the real world. For those people, they have to expect that cutting yourself off for a week from news means you're going to miss stuff.

 

For those who - even on vacation - make time for news, they would know as much as Carnival higher ups did about what was going on and they could make decisions for themselves on how to proceed.

 

I'm not a child. I don't need anyone else to do my thinking for me.

[jimbo5544]

I don't think it's Carnival's responsibility to inform the masses of world or local events. There are news channels playing 24 hours a day on their ships - if you want to know what's going on, it's your responsibility.

 

 

 

A lot of people don't want to be disturbed on vacation with what's happening in the real world. For those people, they have to expect that cutting yourself off for a week from news means you're going to miss stuff.

 

 

 

For those who - even on vacation - make time for news, they would know as much as Carnival higher ups did about what was going on and they could make decisions for themselves on how to proceed.

 

 

 

I'm not a child. I don't need anyone else to do my thinking for me.

 

 

Nice post and thanks for saying it better than I did.

 

 

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[BDRebel]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking.

We have just been informed of a mass shooting at the FLL airport in one, and possible two baggage claims area. The situation is unclear because of the wide-spread panic in the area. The airport may or may not be closing. If it does close, we have no idea when or if it will reopen. Being that we are so close to land and need use of the satellite system, we are not able to offer unlimited wifi use to everybody at the same time."

 

Something tells me that the only thing this would have accomplished is wide-spread panic on the ship, which the Captain deemed (appropriately) would do too much harm and accomplish nothing useful.

Edited January 16, 2017 by BDRebel
Grammar

[Elaine5715]

Every bit of this post is wrong. The port never closed. The captain made an announcement in late afternoon about our arrival time. We were in the channel at 4:45am and completely docked at 6.

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The Port was closed immediately after the incident and super high security in place.

[sweetsixteencruisers]

The airlines and the cruiselines were in utter mayhem during this horrific situation. I think the cruiselines just wanted the chaos to simmer down a bit.

 

There was little can they could do. There was thousands of people in a bad situation.

 

The line at guest services would have been crazy with people wanting answers, which they didn't have. Just my 2 cents.

Edited January 16, 2017 by sweetsixteencruisers

[cloudninecat]

Since you can't hear the announcements anyway can't you just imagine how that would sound. '....man.....gun....shooting.....' and here you are captive on a ship in the middle of an ocean. :eek:

[BoDidly]

Since you can't hear the announcements anyway can't you just imagine how that would sound. '....man.....gun....shooting.....' and here you are captive on a ship in the middle of an ocean. :eek:

I would not be captive on a ship in the middle of an ocean :D.

 

I would be safe and away from harm.

Deliver a letter under the door , worded properly wouldn't have caused mass hysteria .