Carnival Dispatches 3rd Tugboat To Assist Triumph

When Cruisin' Goes Wrong . . . Passengers report the top deck looks like a shanty town with tents made out of sheets, and mattresses everywhere. Food supplies have been low, and without working toilets passengers have been forced to use bags 

The ship is currently being towed to port in Mobile, Ala., and expected to arrive some time Thursday. A third tugboat was dispatched from Louisiana Wednesday to help the towing efforts.

Passenger with pre-existing medical condition was transferred to the Carnival Legend 

Carnival has reserved 1,500 hotel rooms for passengers in Mobile and New Orleans, along with 20 chartered flights which will transport passengers to Houston. Each passenger will also receive a full refund, future cruise credit, along with an additional $500 in compensation. 

Now Here's The Big Question - What's The Deal With The On-board Safety Systems? 

Cruise ships should have a high level of plant redundancy to prevent a total loss of power when a single engine catches fire - in other words - BACKUP!  

Half of the ships capacities should remain in tact after a single failure. It appears with the previous fire in 2010 on the Carnival Splendor, and this current situation on Triumph, engine and monitoring systems are not coping with multiple failures.  

What we know about the fire on Carnival Splendor is that two individual engine rooms shut down due to the fire, along with every backup electrical system - and this is a newer ship.   

Unlike the newer Splendor, the The Triumph is one of the older ships (launched in 1999) in Carnival's fleet, and is based in Galveston sailing 4-5 day trips to the Caribbean. 

Mechanical Issues On Triumph Last Month

While it is not known what caused the fire abroad The Triumph, was is known is that the ship was having issues prior to this cruise. 

The ship was due to depart mid day from Galveston on January 28, and was delayed until about 8:00 p.m. due to propulsion issues. Due to the delay passengers did not make the Cozumel port, and were given a $50 credit.  

Carnival Cancels Triumph's Next 12 Sailings 

Carnival has cancelled Triumph's next 12 trips, in addition to the two that were already canceled. It promised refunds to those who have booked voyages on the ship through April 13.

Passengers have reported over flowing toilets and sewage running down walls and halls. Carnival can sanitize and replace carpets and furnishings, but will those previously booked pick this particular ship when it resurfaces? 

Or perhaps the cruise line will sell it off to somewhere in Europe, where it will be renamed and continue sailing. That's what happens to older ships that can still be salvaged - they live again under a new name and company.  



Related links

Mobile, Alabama Prepares For Carnival Triumph Arrival As Cruise Ship Is Towed To Gulf Coast

Triumph Out of Commission

Carnival CEO says his company trying to make passengers as comfortable as possible

Carnival Victory Launches Year-Round Short Cruises from Miami

Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Victory arrived at Port Miami the morning of Feb. 4 and kicked off its new year-round schedule of four- and five-day cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas. 

Four-Day “long weekend” cruises depart Thursdays and call at Key West and Cozumel. 

Five-Day cruises that depart Mondays visit Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. 

Another Five-Day itinerary departs Saturdays and visits Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. 

The Victory replaces Carnival Destiny, which departed Miami the afternoon of Feb. 4 on an 18-day trans-Atlantic crossing that will end Feb. 22 in Venice, Italy, and the vessel will undergo a $155 million renovation. 

Carnival Destiny will emerge from the 49-day dry dock with a new name, Carnival Sunshine, and new restaurants, bars and entertainment.

By Theresa Norton Masek via TravelPulse

Carnival Triumph Dead In Water Off Coast of Mexico

The 14-year old ship is basically going nowhere, and is operating on emergency generator power after a fire Sunday in one of the diesel generators killed its propulsion. 

The fire was quickly put out by an automatic fire extinguishing system, and none of the 4,229 passengers or crew are said to be in any danger. 

“The cause of the fire is still to be determined,” said Carnival spokesman Vance Guliksen. In a brief news release, Guliksen said “there were no casualties to guests or crew.”

Carnival says tugboats are en route to the Carnival Triumph to tow it to Progreso, Mexico so that passengers can get off, but the process will take three days. The vessel is expected to arrive in Progreso on Wednesday afternoon, the line says.

All cruise passengers will be flown back to the United States and will be fully refunded. Carnival will cover any additional transportation expenses, and passengers will also receive a free future cruise.

According to Carnival, some basic auxiliary power has been restored, cabin toilets are working on part of the ship and some elevators are operational. The dining areas are serving hot coffee and limited hot food.

More updated news at USA Today Cruise Log

Crystal 2014 World Cruises

Crystal’s 2014 World Cruise consists of five 12- to 22-day segments visiting ports in California, Hawaii, Guam, Mariana Islands, Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Principe, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Portugal, and England.  

Full World Cruisers receive perks, such as a pre-cruise gala, complimentary chauffeured pre- and post-cruise transfers, souvenir gifts and shore-side events. 

Crystal Cruises has announced more than 200 exciting land excursions for its 89 day 2014 World Cruise schedule aboard the Crystal Serenity sailing January 18, 2014.  

Here's just a few of the new adventure excursions: 

• Helicopter rides over Hawaii, Hong Kong and Cape Town
• African Safari
• Overnight off ship in Vietnam and Cambodia
• Wine Blending near Cape Town
• Traditional Tea Preparation in Hong Kong
• Learn Creole Cooking in ; shopping in Mauritius, as well as shopping
• Visit WWII Pacific Theater sites from Tinian to Oahu - includes private lunch with captain of the USS Missouri.

Book the entire World Cruise by February 28th and save $3,900 per person. All-inclusive fares start at $39,280 per person. 

World Cruise segments ranging from 12 to 22 days in length, and if booked by February 28th begin at  $6,845 per person.

More info on 2014 World Cruise

SeaDream Yacht Exotic Far East Savings

SeaDream Yacht Club is offering an additional 10% off reduced fares on its 2013 and 2014 exotic Far East Asia voyages 

This is a limited time sale and applies to all 18 scheduled Asia Voyages, and must be booked by February 28, 2013. The voyages are seven to 15 days, and most can be combined as back-to-back sailings.  

SeaDream II sails from November through April 2014, and itineraries include Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), East Timor, Northern Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong. 

Prices start at $3,599 per person for a Christmas voyage. Use promo code ASIA10 to receive the additional 10% when booking. 

http://www.seadream.com/

Take Your Sweetie to Tahiti

Tahiti and French Polynesia - Home of The Gauguin

Paul Gauguin Cruises is celebrating Valentine's Day with the "Take Your Sweetie to Tahiti" cruise package. 

Reserve this sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin by February 16, 2013, and receive this $230 value:

• $200 per-stateroom credit at the onboard Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm
• Box of Godiva chocolates
• Flower turndown service
• In Addition - 50% Savings and Air from Los Angeles

Head to the site for more info - http://www.pgcruises.com/take-your-sweetie-tahiti

Avalon Waterways Adds Three More Suite River Ships

Avalon Waterways is adding to the surge in river ship new builds, announcing it will bring three new vessels into service in 2014. 

Avalon Impression, Avalon Illumination and Avalon Poetry II will bring the line's total number of suite ships to eight. 

The three ships represent the line's single biggest fleet upgrade since Avalon launched in 2004. They will be sister ships to Avalon Artistry II and Avalon Expression, which are debuting in April and May of this year. 

Avalon Waterways is the third line in as many months to announce expansions to its fleet of river cruise ships. 

In December 2012, Viking River Cruises ordered 10 more Longships for its fleet for delivery in 2013 and 2014. And in January of this year, Tauck announced it will welcome two new river ships into its fleet in 2014. 

By Dori Saltzman, News Editor Cruise Critic

Windstar One Week Sale - Up To 65% Savings

Book Windstar Cruises by February 11, 2013 and receive savings of up to 65 percent off of select voyages - as low as $1,299 on Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises.

Wind Surf world’s largest sailing yacht 







Wind Star, sleek, four-masted sailing yacht accommodating 148 guests

Wind Spirit features wide open, teak decks—quite unusual for small ships.





Check out fares for one week sale cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Northern Europe, Italy and Transatlantic. 

Windstar One Week Sale

Quantum Leap Forward in Cruising

Royal Caribbean announces the name as well as the start of construction on its newest class of ships, formerly known as Project Sunshine. Quantum of the Seas℠ and Anthem of the Seas℠ are a leap forward in both innovation and design. 

The first ship is expected to be delivered in Fall 2014, and the second ship in spring 2015. There will be enough space for up to 4, 100 passengers. 

Saving On Cruises In 2013

Great cruise tips from Gadling ...

Cruise travel in 2013 is a done deal for many seasoned cruisers; they bought 2013's sailings more than a year in advance. Cruise travelers on the cutting edge of buying cruise vacations are working on 2014 now. 

Traditional buying strategies for cruise vacations include buying as far in advance for the best cabin location and often, the best price. But depending on your tolerance for price fluctuations, buying far in advance might not be the best idea in 2013 due to changes in the way cruise lines promote fares.

Make no mistake about it: buying a cruise is getting to be more like buying a commodity or volatile stock. Buying far in advance to get a preferred cabin location – like mid-ship for those prone to motion discomfort – is still a good idea. There are only so many cabins on the ship and the good locations sell first.

Still, buying a flexible fare that allows changes later without penalty can often end up with the best value. Here's how:

Say we buy a seven-night Carnival cruise for two at the lowest possible price, one that has restrictions and charges penalties for changes made after booking. At the time of buying, we're happy because we got our preferred cabin location and the price seemed quite reasonable, a year or more in advance of sailing.

A few years ago, that strategy had a much higher chance of bringing home a win. Odds were that the price paid so far in advance would be the best available and that price stuck.

But that was a few years ago - Continue reading 

Breakaway Will Offer Fireworks On Every Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Breakaway, scheduled to enter service in May in New York City, will have a fireworks show on every cruise. 

The environmentally-friendly display will take place on the second-to-last night at sea each week, after the ship departs Bermuda during its summer inaugural season.

The produced show will be set to a playlist of classic 1980s hits including “Come on Feel the Noise” by Quiet Riot, “Whip It” by Devo, “Cherish” by Madonna, “Final Countdown” by Europe and “Purple Rain” by Prince.

The 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in its year-round home-port of New York City on May 7, 2013. 

The ship will begin seven-day cruises to Bermuda on May 12. From October through April 2014, the ship will offer cruises to the Bahamas & Florida and the Southern Caribbean.

Theresa Norton Masek for TravelPulse

Explore The Exotic With Seadream Yachts

Only 112 Guests - 95 Awaqrd Winning Crew - 5 Star Cuisine - Inclusive

From October 2013 through April 2014, SeaDream II will explore new ground as she visits Asis's most striking locations, from the hustle and bustle of international shopping havens Hong Kong and Singapore, to the undisturbed charm and tranquility of Myanmar and New Guinea. 

In Asia you will find a little bit of everything: busy commercial centers, serene temples, rainforests, and white sandy beaches. 

Voyages from 7 to 15 days will explore Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, East Timor, Austraia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong. 

http://www.seadream.com/

Australia and New Zealand Competitive Cruise Destinations

The Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and ... the Tasman Sea?

Photo Credit - Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

The rapid expansion of cruises out of Australia over the past five years has been one of the biggest stories in the industry, and the next five years could bring even more of a boom in the region, say executives.

"It's a great market, and it certainly has room for growth," Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein says . "It's one of the primary markets that have emerged in the last five to 10 years in a meaningful way."

Cruises out of Sydney and other Australian cities to ports in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific have taken off with Australians eager to explore their homeland and other nearby locales with the ease that cruise ships offer, Goldstein says. But it's not just a local crowd filling ships.

Continue reading at USA Today - AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: Experience the wonder Down Under by boat

What Were The Top Cruise News Stories of 2012?

The Costa Concordia tragedy, disruptions caused by Superstorm Sandy to onboard fires, overboard passengers and several unlucky excursion-related incidents, cruise lines battled what seemed to be a never-ending barrage of misfortune in 2012.

Costa Concordia - Photo Credit World Maritime News

Here are the news articles Cruise Critic readers read and talked about the most:

The Costa Concordia Tragedy
On January 13, 2012, Costa Concordia hit a rock off the coast of Italian island of Giglio. Within hours the ship had capsized, 4,000 passengers and crew evacuated and 32 people had died. 

Superstorm Sandy Wrecks Havoc on Cruises
Hurricane/superstorm Sandy might easily have been one of the most disruptive weather forces the cruise industry has faced, with 10 days of itinerary changes and rough at-sea rides. In all, some 50 itineraries were upended with some passengers forced to remain at sea longer than scheduled, while others were short-changed or had their cruises canceled entirely. 

Carnival Introduces All-You-Can-Drink Package
In August 2010, Carnival announced it had begun testing a flat-fee, all-inclusive beverage program called the "My Awesome Bar Program" on Carnival Victory. 

Carnival Passengers Robbed on Excursion
Just because an excursion is ship-sponsored doesn't mean things can't go wrong, something 22 Carnival Splendor passengers learned when they were robbed at gunpoint in February while in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. No one was injured, but most lost a variety of valuables, as well as passports and other forms of identification. 

Royal Caribbean Passengers Injured on Excursion
Carnival passengers were not the only ones to learn ship-sponsored doesn't always mean "safe." Eleven Royal Caribbean passengers were injured during a traffic accident while on a ship-sponsored shopping tour in St. Thomas in late January. The passengers were traveling in an open-air "safari cab" when it collided with a parked car. 

Shipboard Fire Doesn't Dampen Passengers Spirits
On March 30 a fire broke out aboard Azamara Quest while the ship sailed off the coast of Manila. 

Cruise Line Cabin Gaffe Infuriates Passengers
Nothing infuriates cruise passengers like believing a cruise line is sticking it to them, and that's exactly how a number of Royal Caribbean cruisers felt after the line took away their prime location cabins and "accidentally" sold them to other passengers. Yikes!!

Cruise Critic Predicts 2012 Trends
Fewer new-builds but growth in refurbishments, more fee-based offerings and the rebirth of Mississippi River cruising were trends Cruise Critic accurately predicted for 2012. 

Passenger Overboard
Every year the cruise industry sees several people go tragically overboard, and this year was no different. The story of a female passenger who went overboard from Allure of the Seas in September caught the attention of our readers. 

Crown Princess Dethroned by Noro
Few things make cruisers cringe more than the thought of contracting noro-virus while at sea. So when Crown Princess was in the news because of noro-virus twice in a two-month time span, Cruise Critic readers took notice. 

Read more details on each of these stories at Cruise Critic

10 New Cruise Industry Safety Procedures

Nearly a year after the Costa Concordia shipwreck, a cruise industry panel formally summarized 10 new safety practices that have been adopted to protect passengers.

The industry reacted quickly to the widely publicized Jan. 13, 2012, incident in which the Costa Cruises ship crashed off the Italian coast, killing 32 passengers. It established a safety panel and began implementing new procedures less than two months after the accident.

Passengers may have already noticed one new policy, adopted last February, which requires cruise lines to hold muster drills before ships leave port. Previous regulations called for them within 24 hours of departure.


Another new policy, adopted in April, severely limits bridge access during arrival and departure from port and any other time when increased vigilance is required, such as during heavy traffic.

"The industry's commitment to the safety of passengers and crew remains our number one priority," Christine Duffy, president and CEO of Cruise Line International Association, said in a statement.

Other newly enacted policies include:

• Excess life jackets: Cruise ships must carry additional life jackets, having more than the number of passengers aboard.
• Location of life jacket: The jackets must be stowed near muster stations or lifeboats and be easily accessible.
• Securing equipment: Cruise lines must enact procedures to secure heavy items such as pianos and televisions.
• Passenger nationality: The nationality of each passenger must be recorded and easily available to search-and-rescue workers.
• Musters and emergency instructions: During musters and emergency situations, cruise lines must communicate 12 basic elements to passengers, including the location of life jackets and how to recognize emergency exits.
• Lifeboat loading training: Crews responsible for lifeboats must practice loading and handling one full boat at least every six months.
• Passage planning: All bridge team members to be briefed on passage plans.
• Consistent bridge procedures: Large cruise companies must have consistent bridge operating procedures across all its brands.

The safety review was led by cruise industry members with the advice and input of an independent panel of safety experts, including Mark Rosenker, former chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board; Stephen Meyer, former Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy and Head of the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch; Dr. Jack Spencer, former director, Office of Marine Safety, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and Willem de Ruiter, former executive director of the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Source: USA Today

This item was written by Larry Bleiberg, former Travel Editor of The Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine. Bleiberg is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.