Hi Everyone,
It’s Stephanie here. As you may be aware, the Carnival Splendor experienced a fire this morning. John and everyone on board are safe. However, John has been unable to post any blog updates. Below is the latest information. We will post additional updates as we have them.
Miami, FL — November 8, 2010 (9 pm EST) — At approximately 6 am this morning (U.S. Pacific Standard Time), a fire was detected in the aft engine room aboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor. The fire has been extinguished. There were no injuries to guests or crew.
The ship has been operating on auxiliary generators throughout the day and engineers have been unable to restore additional power to the vessel. As a result, the current voyage is being terminated. Tugboats are currently en route to the ship which is located off the coast of Mexico, approximately 150 miles south of San Diego. The tugs will tow the vessel to Ensenada, Mexico in an effort to get the guests home as quickly as possible.
Currently several key hotel systems, including air conditioning, hot food service, flushing toilets and telephones are not available. The ship’s crew is actively working to restore partial services.Regular announcements apprising guests of the situation began at approximately 6.30 am. Guests were initially asked to move from their cabins to the ship’s upper open deck areas. At this time, guests have access to their cabins and are able to move about the ship. Bottled water and cold food items are being provided.
The vessel’s command is in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard which has deployed aircraft and cutters to the cruise ship’s location.
Guests on the current voyage will be receiving a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.
“We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience. Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible,” said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed yesterday, Nov. 7, from Long Beach, Calif. Today was a scheduled day at sea. The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The ship, which measures 113,000 gross registered tons and first entered service in July 2008, is carrying 3,299 guests and 1167 crew.
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
My thoughts and prayers for all those involved. That they return safe and sound back home
God speed to the ship and her crew and passengers. Fire on the ocean is a terrible and most dangerous thing. If not for proper training, attention to detail, and not to mention a little luck along the way, things could have been much worse for the Splendor today. John I hope you are well tonight and understand the stress that you must be feeling. We will pray for everyone’s safe return to home port and a quick repair and return to service for the Splendor. Know that we will be awaiting your news. With greatest respect and admiration for the job that you do, I remain faithfully yours.
Glad all are okay. I’ll pray they all get home safe and sound. Judy Glory bound April 10-17 2011
Yikes! I hope all is well. I want to know details as soon as John has time to write another post.
The most serious thing that can happen at Sea is to have a FIRE. Having spent 23 + years in the US Navy our greatest fear was always a fire on board at Sea.
This is also why it is mandatory for the Safety and Lifeboat Drill on the first day of every cruise …..
People may laugh and clown around during the drill, but when this sort of thing happens – everyone will think about what was said during the Safety Drill.
Thank GOD that all Crew and Passengers are Safe.
Wow! My wife and I were on the Spplendor on her maiden US cruise! She is a beautiful ship and one of my favorites! God bless everyone and I am glad that all are safe. Get her back on track soon!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!! John we had no idea!! our thoughts are with you and the whole crew right now! this can not be easy! john we know you will pull through this! thinking of you!!
Frank and Bridie
I am glad to hear all are safe.
God’s speed to all.
Be well, safe travels.
The Crew Prayer
Dear Lord, In your great wisdom you gave me this wonderful new extended family.
Will be praying that all goes well for all.
Dear Lord, I pray that in your great wisdom you watch over all of them.
Dear Lord, I ask that all their prayers to you be also my prayers.
Dear Lord, I pray that you keep them safe in all their travels.
Amen
by: Ed Konefe
Amen Ed. Thank you for the prayer. I’m concerned for our friend John, the crew and the passengers of the beautiful Carnival Splendor.
This is the time for our prayers and not thoughts of what CCL should be doing regarding compensation.
I returned yesterday from a wonderful week on board Carnival Legend and my heart is sad thinking about the hard working crew and what they do everyday to ALWAYS make our vacations special. We MUST remember what is important here.
Again, thank you Big Ed. You make me proud to be a member of your Crew.
Sincerely,
Steve Owen
P.S. Not to be confused with the “other” Steve above, please.
Steve O.
You are one of a kind (and a true jewel)…no way would we confuse you for the “bus rider Steve”……
Glad you had a great cruise….wish we were sailing together again …..
Magic Nov 14th ????? we have a cove balcony !!!
Linda
Thank you, Ed… that was well-said! And to all of the other positive comments on this blog, I feel the same way. Praying for a safe debarkation and return home for the guests, and a more comfortable layover for the crew.
Amen Ed,
Just wanted to add my thoughts and prayers to those of all of us who count John as a friend.
While this is a very serious situation, I think the Passengers & Crew on the Splendor have the best CD available to help get them through. I know John will shine as he always does.
God Speed to you, John, and to all aboard the Splendor!
Jay
Well Said Ed
Well said, Big Ed! My prayers go for the John and the crew! Bless their hearts! I hope everyone is okay, with no major medical emergencies!
Thank you Linda. I HOPED no one would confuse me with “Steve, the BUS RIDER” but was a little concerned. I CERTAINLY don’t want to have people think I would ever talk like that.
Hey, DS has a Cove Balcony on the TA…..maybe you’ll be moving in to hers (2277) when you get on Nov. 14th. I wish we could do that trip with the Powell’s and Combs’ but alas, I have to return to work
)
No flushable toilets?? POOR KETUT!
Amen! Poor Ketut!
Definitely a bummer for the passengers, but very generous compensation on Carnival’s part.
Not as generous as it should be if you ask me. Those people are stranded at sea with no Air Conditioning, no Hot Food, and NO TOILETS? 3000 paid customers and 1100 staff and no toilets? That ship is gonna be nasty in no time…they better get a little more generous to make this right…..brand new ship and they have a fire that knocks out all of those critical systems….poor design. That’s what you get when you spend money on decorations rather than critical backup systems.
Seriously? Dude go back to your cave
Good Evening !!
I am so sorry that something like this happened in such a nice and new ship.
MY PRAISE GOES TO THE CREW AND IN PARTICULAR THE CAPTAIN AND YES JOHN HEALD FOR TAKING CHARGE AND DOING WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THEM. For everyone that complaints about the Muster Drill, today it proved why it is so important to attend it and follow directions.
And to everyone that has complained about no flushing toilets, no a/c and no hot meals, I think the only ones that have a reason to complain are only the guests on the ship.
I know that John’s Girls are very proud of their Husband and Dad — I am very proud to have cruised with John on 2 Carnival Transatlantic Cruises of 16 days each…. he is a Great Individual and Cruise Director – he has my full respect and admiration.
Knowing him he is probably dressed as Dolly Parton right about now : )
Looking forward to everyone’s safe return to Ensenada… God’s speed to all !!
Man, you’re all heart aren’t you? Not one word of concern or compassion for those involved, just thoughts of bigger compensation.. Nice…
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone onboard.
You have ZERO idea what backup systems are in place. Your saying that they spent money on decorations instead of backup systems just shows your ignorance…. I would say the fact that they survived a fire at sea with no serious injuries to guests or crew shows that they are prepared for this. Remember the ship passed a USCG inspection the day before. Getting a refund, travel costs covered AND a free cruise in the future… What else do you want??? I’d say they are being taken care of just fine…
@Steve, there are far worse things than no hot food and no air conditioning. The guests are being taken care of with cold food and bottled water. In fact, I am sure they are being taken VERY good care of. As far as the flushing toilets, I am willing to bet that Carnival has a backup plan for that. Play nice, Steve.
if u have nothing good to say…just don’t say anything at all!!!!! we all are thinking about the crew and passenger’s safety and you here talking trash…GROW UP!!!!
Steve, it is people like you who give cruise passengers a bad name. I work for the cruiselines doing shoreside assisstance on turnaround days. Believe it or not, it is a tough job getting hundreds of people off of the ship along with all of their baggage in a very short time period so that we can get the next hundreds of passengers on to begin their vacation and leave on time. Often things will happen that are out of the cruiseline’s control ( which I am sure they did not purposely set the fire ) and may cause the ship to come in later than expected. These are very hard days for us because people are angry and take it out on the shoreside assisstance people who are only trying their best to get you on your way. Trust me, we hate those days. These problems can becaused by medical emergency’s, unexpected ship malfunctions and especially weather. ( What if it was you or your elderly parent that fell on the walkway to the ship entrance, should we just allow other passengers to step over top of you or gawk at you just so they are not inconvinenced.) On days like these, all ship crew and shoreside crew do their best to make everyone happy. and make things run more quickly and smoothly. BUT… there are always the complainers who think we are purposely ruining their vacation. Trust me when I say, we want to get everyone on their way as quickly as possible because do you think we like inconvienenced passengers bitching at us? And then the nasty ones all want to know what the cruiseline is going to do for them and what are they going to get for free. Come on… you are going on a really nice vacation the end of the day. It is just an inconvinence, and it was not what you expected or experienced in the past. I just do not understand some people. The complainers know who you are. Get a life, crap happens.
Most people are victims of their OWN attitude. I am sure the majority of the passengers onboard will be thrilled with the care and compensation they will be recieving. But there will always be a handful that are greedy and want and expect way more than anyone else. It was inconvienence……. not tragic. I commend the officers and the crew for I am sure what is a tremendous job. No one has been hurt and that is what matters in the end. I am sure this will be something the passengers onboard will talk about for a long time, but will not keep them from cruising in the future because they did have excellent care from the crew during this unfortunate situation. I commend the officers, crew and yes the guests onboard because yes, most step up and make the most of the situation. I am sure from your comment that if you were in their shoes, you would be one of the complainers belittling everything the crew was doing to make you comfotable. Maybe if you walked in their shoes for a cruise turn, you would see things differently and not expect the world for free.
Steve:
Spoken like a true BUS RIDER.
Linda
You have got to be kidding me! A tragedy occurs and all you can think of is more compensation. You are truly one selfish person!
Thank heavens no one was hurt and I believe that the compensation that is being given is generous.
what a moron!!
I see we have another moron here who needs to be banned. What a jerk
It’s a cruise ship designed for the family to have fun on and the ships safety devices and training is standard or higher…The ship is not designed to go to war in…fool…besides my son is the assistant cruise director on the Triumph…he trains semi-monthly
Very generous indeed. And also glad that everyone is safe.
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Including the “swaggering, tin-plated dictators with delusions of godhood” who will be screaming from the rooftops that this ruined their vacation, life, ability to reproduce, and/or set into motion the domino effect that will bring about the doom of the human race in two year’s time.
I whole heartedly agree with your comments. Why do some self indulgent individuals seek retribution for any event that is a freak of nature, an electrical fault or a result of an accident want to sue & receive total recompense for something that spoiled one 7 day vacation?
Having been on several Carnival cruises, I have been faced with itinerary changes becase of hurricanes & their after effects. I have been disappointed but have never considered seeking full reimbursement of my fare nor demanded a future free cruise in compensation for something that is outwith Carnival’s control.
These whingers need to get a life & understand that is not just the Big Bankers who are threatening the world economy. These individuals are contributing to the problem in a big way by drastically pushing up the cost of insurance to the cruise lines, but more importantly to all of us who enjoy adventures that contain a wee bit of risk.
I applaud your statement & I would be happy to outline some of my experiences of “disruption” during my 18 year love of the “Fun Ship Experience” .
By the way, I live in Scotland & it costs me considerably more than many of the compensation seekers just to reach my embarkation port, let alone my cruise costs.
Power to your elbow. I am sure that many loyal & realistic guests support your comments
Regards
Grizel, from stormy Scotland
HA!!!Bravo!!!!!
Glad to hear that all of the passengers and crew members are safe.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We were just there in Sept. Be safe.
We just sailed on the Splendor in Sept. Sorry for the passengers that are forced to end their vacations but glad everyone is unharmed after the fire. Hope the Splendor is back in service soon. Waiting for John to be able to update all his blog readers – he has sure had an interesting stint as CD this time around!
I pray that everyone is alright, and that no harm comes to anyone. Please give them our warm thoughts and love if you can, Stephanie. We are like a family on here and it hurts to know that this happened. Hugs to all
I am glad that people were only inconvenienced, and no one was injured. Just goes to prove that the safety practices that Carnival and other cruise lines serve a very valuable service to all of the passengers and crew members.
Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers that you
may all arrive home safe and sound.
I would like the complete crew to know that my famiy will keep you all in our prayers.
We are sending up a special prayer for you John, Raul, Sam and Pokee. Please let them know that we are thinking of them.
We are also happy that the passengers are safe.
Wow and to think I just departed that very same Ship on Sunday, Nov 7th. We had a great time on our cruise just last week. The crew is awesome and my thoughts and prayers are with all of them and the passengers currently aboard the Spendor. Return home safely my friends.
Thank the lord everyone is safe and well.john you and the crew are in our thoughts and prayers as you continue to work diligently to get your guests home safely! I think I can speak for everyone when I say there is no better person to have on your side during a crisis then CD john heald. God bless everyones safe return and Carnival for doing all they can in a tough situation! Kim and Mark OBar
I am praying for the safety of everyone. My Husband and I were recently on this ship, it is gorgeous. I am happy to see that Carnival is giving the passengers a great refund and compensation for their vacation, but of course Carnival wouldn’t do anything less.
i JUST got back fom that cuise yesteday omg i cant believe this
looking for anyone in SOCAL who just returned from their trip on the splendor. pete wilgoren KCBS.
Just got off yesterday, what do you want to know?
I’m from SOCAL but didn’t just get back, Got backon the 17th, was on the cruise where the crew member jumped overboard. Kinda makes you wonder if this ship, The Spendor is cursed. Of course. it isn’t, but so much drama in one month whew!!
I just got of the Carnival Splendor Nov. 7 too.
we were on this ship 09/19/2010 for the 7 day cruise.
not all that great. sent my thoughts to carnival but did send any back to me.
carnival is very cheap/ like the air lines now .
very poor set up to board the ship in long beach.
requested kleenex for the room for 3 days got them the 4 th. day. same for ice for the room was advised not until after 4;30 same day. purchsed the soft drink unlimted drink for $ 54.00 but would have had to pay $12.95 more for the plastic cup
cheap. (came with before)
it was my birthday on sept 25.th wife requested the small cake on the 24. th for the next day.
did not come she was advised the night of the 25.th she would have had to go down and buy a large full birthday cake. a/c/ very cold over most of the ship.
far to much pink color of all the inside of ship.
food only fair some was very good.
its not all the fun ship …
dave bayliss
My hopes and prayers are with all on the Splendor. My experience there for the Mexican Riviera was wonderful. The staff could not do enough for us.
My traveling companion was handicapped and they went out of their way to make things go well for him.
I would definitely cruise with Carnival again.
My husband and I returned to Long Beach, California on that ship from a 7 day cruise yesterday morning. It was the same itinerary.
Glad everyone is ok, and I hope all passengers and crew return safely soon. Thought of you, John, as soon as I read about this on Cruise Critic earlier this afternoon.
Wow, glad they are all ok, have been without air and electric after hurricanes and it is not picnic, can’t even imagine how those restrooms must be by now…eeek
Fire is so scary….what ever happened about the fool woman puffing a cigarette with her oxygen machine a foot away from her??
I also hope this makes Carnival think about stopping the in room and balcony smoking…yes I know this was not caused by smokers, but I feel the Star Princess was
It is scary to think of smokers getting drunk and falling asleep with a lit cigarette
My brother and sister-in-law were on that ship as well, in fact their room was one of the many that burned that day. He is a smoker, but since that fire, he will not smoke in the house and the same when he is on a cruise. He smokes in the designated areas and to him he balcony is even off limits.
John, I will keep you and the crew, as well as the guests in my prayers. This must be a trying time for you, so hang in there and don’t let the Turkeys get you down, I think you know who I mean, the few guests who are not going to be happy no matter what Carnival does for them.
Good grief!!!
Maybe it was caused by a lady and her hair dryer and they should now ban all hair dryers.
Makes just as much since as what you just wrote. lol
I can read the headline now… Lady torches ship after passing out drunk while using a hair dryer. lmao!
Get a life
The fact is, that the other fire WAS caused by a cigarette you idiot. And the fact that mature adults know the damned difference, and can distinguish when and where it is a good or a bad time/place to smoke. Some just don’t get it, and will smoke wherever at any cost. This one was not caused by a cigarette and Kathy was speaking of a particular incident. It is fools like you that need to get a life and while you’re doing that…grow up.
You must be a smoker, nothing is ever a smokers fault…..
This is just a very stupid and senseless comment on a very serious subject. Although this fire was caused in the engine room (hairdryers not permitted) smoking on board cruise liners should be forbidden.. Like airports ,special facilities for smokers should be set up. Celebrity and other lines have now band smoking in cabins and verandas and Carnival is long overdue in enforcing this rule both for safety and comfort of passengers..
Dear Randfall, (Rainfall may be a better name) in a fire on board a ship, your very childish “get a life” comment you use through gross ignorance,” that life may just be your own”.
My best advice for child fools like you is “put brain(assuming you have one) in gear before opening your big mouth. Oh also..”.dont cruise”
Next time your in a Carnival cruise lines cabin look up on the wall, you’ll see a sprinkler head, it is more than capable of dealing with a room fire, if you doubt me, hold a lighter under it for 30 seconds…Then please post the pictures.
Next time you get a brain, look at the pictures of the Star Princess fire. Then try to process the information.
LMAO…exactly!!!!!!
Good point Dave. There is no reasoning with some non-smokers and their constant badgering of smokers.
They won’t be happy until all smokers stop cruising and their cruise rates triple in cost to replace the revenue lost. lol
And Arlene, cursing is not necessary to try and make a point, you’re the one who needs to grow up. lol
My sister and I just got off the ship on Sunday. I feel so bad for the passengers and crew. Poor John and staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
First of all, I’m very happy to hear that everyone is safe and sound and my prayers and thoughts are for everyone who have had to deal with this serious situation.
As far as for Steve, your attitude sucks. What a poor person you are. You must be one of those Champions of RCI who care little for the safety of the crew and passengers of a Carnival ship. Every cruise company should be happy that everything turned out for the best. It could have been their cruise ship that experienced this situation.
John, Mary Lou and I are happy that you and everyone are safe.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Glad everyone is safe on the ship. Also, nice to see that Carnival was prompt to communicate their plans to do the right thing for those passengers (reimbursing transportation costs, refund of this cruise plus a complimentary cruise). God bless.
Carnival,
The very first cruise that my husband ever took was on the Carnival Conquest. Our room flooded within about an hour of ushav ign checked in. Carnival did such a wonderful job making sure that my husband and I still had a relaxing and canrival cuise. You all had taken so many steps before we even left port to make sure that we were taken care of, such as having our wet clothes that we hadn’t even had a chance to unpack laundered and pressed and had all of our belongings moved to a different cabin when the plumber could fix the problem to your satisfaction. Your expectations for our cruise were higher than the ones we had set and for that we were so greatful that we have NEVER cruised with an other cruise line. You went beyond the call of duty for us and we were not “suite” customers, we had booked an interior cabin on the Riviera deck. You proved to us that you value all your customers regardless if they are traveling in a suite or in a more money budgeted interior cabin. It is for this reason you have won our unwaivering loyalty.
I am very pleased to hear that there have been no injuries as a result of the fire. I am saddened that so many Carnival guests have had thier vacation plans cut short, but I hope they can see that this could have ended so much worse than the tugboat powered non-air conditioned ride back to California.
I know that they are all in very capable hands and you will have their best interests at heart just as you did with us.
Thanks Carnival for not treating us as just another passanger or a number but rather as valued guests in your home.
Mari Ortiz-Mena
You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Especially the Captain and crew. May God keep everyone in his care and see you all home safely.
Hang in there John, I’m sure this is one of the most extremely difficult times you’ve have to deal with.
Ditto to all of the thoughts and prayers that are going up now and also for calm heads and nerves for the crew and the passengers. This is a trying time for everyone on board and I pray for the crew as they try to reassure the passengers that they are safe and that they are doing everything humanly possible and as quickly as possible to get them to land and for the passengers that they understand this was out of Carnival’s hands and that the crew had their safety foremost in their mind every step of the way.
Hope everyone gets back soon and safely. According to the local news in San Diego, as of around 7:00 P.M. local time, they are still at sea. I am sure John is doing his best to keep spirits up. If anyone can do that, it’s John.
I am so sorry to hear about the beautiful Carnival Splendor Ship. My family had a fabulous time on this very same cruise ship on October 17th. The staff was attentive and courteous. I am sure they are doing their best under the circumstances to keep everyone as comfortable and safe as can be. I hope this ends soon with a safe ending for everyone. John we miss your blog.
Gosh what an awful situation. Glad to hear Carnival is handling it appropriately. John please post or someone let us know how he is. The silence is worrisome.
We just got off the Carnival Splendor yesterday and spent our time waiting to disembark watching part of the Coast Guard’s quarterly safety inspection drill. Having a real emergency just 18 hours after passing the Coast Guard’s test surely aided in handling this fire.
John and the crew handled the two emergency’s on our cruise smoothly and efficiently and I am sure they are handling all this as best as humanly possible.
After all the issues on the Splendor the last month I am sure John is wishing it was Dec 12th already!
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My prayers and thoughts are with everyone on board for a safe return home. Carnival has always been great and met our expectations on our yearly cruises. Now perhaps just being a bit selfish but I’m adding a prayer for everything to be up and running for our cruise on Splendor in two weeks. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let everything be fixed in two weeks. I sure Carnival will take every precaution necessary and learn from this incident. I can’t wait to sail on 11/21/10!!!!
Im glad to know that everyone is alright, thanks goes out to the wonderful Crew for taking fast action to ensure that everyone on board was kept out of harms way. Cruises can be replanned, but lives can’t be replaced… John, you and your crew should be commended on a job well done… I hope to hear from you soon, and I hope to see the Splendor back in action…
Best reguards,
Maurice.
Wow! I am so glad that John, the crew, and the passengers on board this cruise are all okay! Kudos to Carnival for the amazing compensation, for getting the situation under control, and for no riots occurring. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone, and we hope that they return home safe and sound…
Good for Carnival for provided such above and beyond compensation. I would have expected a full refund, but the free cruise is outstanding. Bad stuff happens all the time, and hopefully the people on this ship aren’t giving John too hard of a time.
Dear John,
Since your arrival to California you have had nothing but headaches. From the start with the flop house that you had to sleep at after you were bumped from your hotel and then all of the passengers from California who drink more Red-Bull than on any other Carnival ship. To the ever ending list of guest’s that fight with each other and get tossed off for hitting your security staff. Every week you seem to have more than your share of crazy’s on board. Even this last cruise with a 15 year old girl who’s brother fell ill and had to be taken to shore hid out on board because she was having too much fun. Her Idol in life is Lindsay Lohan no wonder she acted like that. What’s a CD to do.Thank god your had your girls leave a few weeks back. You need a vacation. As soon as you unload all of the passengers, Go up on the lido with a nice Cigar and take a break….
God Speed to you and all the crew……..
We just got off Splendor on Sept 12… (John is truly amazing!)
We were on the Star Princess in the ’06 fire….that one was big–destroyed 160 cabins (and contents)…the crew was amazing…and Carnival reps (Princess is part of the CCL brands) were quickly on scene when we got into Montego Bay…arranging for 3000+ people to get back home from Jamaica during spring break. Of course there were glitches and some inconvenience, but I still can’t believe how smoothly they pulled it off.
Praying that they can improve conditions on the Splendor (toilets especially!).
This is tough on the wait staff and cabin stewards too…when there’s no cruise, there are no tips…a big part of their income.
db
‘
My prayers are with all onboard the Splendor. Specially you John , I know how you must be feeling.
OMG John, I hope you and everyone on board are alright. How scary. What will happen when you get back to California? Surely, the ship will go into dry dock. Having said that, will you be transferring to another ship? I know it is much to soon to speculate but Mike and I will be on the Miracle Dec. 5th for an 8 day cruise to Aruba, Curacau, Grand Turk and Dom. Republic.. Carnival is really generous to all the passengers for what they are doing. God Speed! Linda & Mike
In this situation, they couldn’t have had a better leader. Praying for a sense of calm, and cool tempers while this emergency plays out.
True character is revealed when you come face to face with adversity. Your wonderful sense of humor will get you all through.
I am praying for everyone in this situation. I am grateful there were no injuries. I know the conditions are rough and I can in no way know how everyone is coping, but knowing Carnival, I know they are going above and beyond to make a bad situation as bearable as possible.
God bless each of you, specially John and Ketut.
Thank God that all crew & passengers are ok!! I’m so sorry for all of them but so very grateful that the situation was not as disasterous as it could have been. My prayers go up for all concerned, especially John & the crew. In such a difficult situation, I can’t imagine what it is like to be responsible for the lives of 3000 people, some of whom no doubt having the attitude of Steve.
all staff and passengers in my thoughts, I don’t envie anyone on this ship, Staff have a very tough job, lot of passengers will be ok and understanding but it is going to be that one special passenger who no one can make happy that makes those around them really grumpy.
Gosh, I have so many friends on board Carnival SL as I recently worked on the ship…my prayers goes out to all crew members (monkeys:-)…hope you all okay and thanking God for looking after them. CCL knows how to react in any situation and always delivers good costumer service.
Good luck to all
*NeLLy*
Wow. So sorry to hear about the lost vacations. But then again, no one was hurt and they are all OK to vacations again some other day. YEA!!! John has his work cut out for him. Prayers to all for a same journey home.
Prayers to the entire crew and passengers….glad everyone is ok; have a safe trip home…..that is what is the priority, “Steve”, not how much compensation……….take care, John…….
I have been on ten carnival cruises and will be leaving for another in 6 days. You always see the crew working all the time and practicing drills for the safety of the ship and passengers. John Heald is a great cruise director who loves his job and cares about his passengers. Yes it is awful that the passengers have to deal with no air conditioning it can get very hot in the rooms when ac is not on and no flushing toilets is quite a problem with all on board but I believe the crew and captain are doing everything possible and think the compensation is proper for what they are going through. I am sure there will be passengers who will curse at carnival and no matter what carnival will comp them will not matter at all. I do think it is a very tough situation to be in but believe they are doing all they can. I still plan on going on my cruise and. Will stay with carnival for every cruise I take. My prayers for a safe return to all involved
I wonder if the recent fire alarms were any indication of this? Something to think about. I am glad all are safe.
John…
I’m always reading … But this needs a post to let you know my prayers are with you!!! God Bless you and all the guests!!!
Love ya,
Lambie
Wishing all on board God’s peace and Safe travels home. Our prayers are with all.
John:
I know the cruisers are in great hands…..
but we worry about YOU.
BE SURE to take care of yourself in this situation.
I know you will be going 24/7 putting everyone else first….and you need to remember that you have medical needs that need to be watched closely !!!
Stephanie: Make sure John eats and watches his blood sugar levels.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
well i see old steve was here. buggers!
we’re all praying all is going well john and are very concerned for everyone. i know you are the best one for this job at this moment my friend and will live up to the challenge.
btw, did you think fast enough to toss in the dpd?
smiles, bee
xoxo
We hope all goes well in getting this ship cleaned up and all back to port.
Having confidence in the company and crew, we’ll keep our Feb 2011 booking and hope for the best.
Happy to hear there were no injuries, just unhappy vacationers and probably heated tempers.
Good Luck,
PRAYERS for everyone involved. Thank God no one was hurt. To all who feel this is not an Emergency, GET REAL!!! How would you like to be awakened at 6:30 am? Most run to the toilet, and it doesn’t work, think about that. Have some compassion, news reports stated 2 passengers had panic attacks, a panic attack has symptoms of a heart attack.
There should be NO! negative comments on this blog.
Stephanie,
Thank you so much for posting this information. Many times when disasters occur on cruise ships, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Please try to keep your many Carnival blog fans informed. Tell John that we are all thinking of him & his family at this time. To all the passengers & crew convey our concern.
Splendor is one of my favorite cruise ships. I’ve become rather fond of the PINK donuts & dots!
Joyce
Thank God it was not worse than it is. My prayers are with all involved. May they all get home safe.
I’m so very thankful it wasn’t worse and that everyone is safe. My thoughts are with all of you, and with you, especially John, as you deal with aftermath of this accident. God speed and safe travels.
Sending out my thoughts and prayers for everyone on board. I’m sure it’s a bit scary just floating dead in the water like that. Hopefully the passengers aren’t giving John too hard of a time.
Perspective:
I would rather lose the use of the toilets on a ship during a cruise than lose the use of an engine on a plane during a flight !!
Linda (Mom of DJ)
My thoughts and prayers to all on the Carnival Splendor.
UPDATE, 8:01 AM ET: A Carnival spokesman tells USA TODAY engineers on the Splendor have restored power to the ship’s cabin toilet system, and running cold water also has been restored to cabin bathrooms. Other systems remain down.
Let it go John.
You anti smokers will jump on anything even a engine room fire so you can bitch about smokers on cruise ships. Thank the lord all are safe but they will me miserable with no air and the ice will run out pretty quick. If you have not been on a cruise ship that is dead in the water thank the lord. I have been on 56 cruises and had only one bad round with no power issue.
I am so relieved to hear that there were no injuries, and that everyone is ok. My thoughts and prayers are all who are on the ship. I hope they get home safe and sound quickly. Kudos to Carnival for their compensation to the passengers. John, I just wanted to say – you are amazing. We miss you. Hope to hear you are all ashore soon.
Thoughts prayers for all involved. John, stay well, I know the passengers are so thankful you are there.
We just were on the ship on the same itinerary that ended on Oct 31. We’ve been following John’s blog for some time and now follow him on Facebook.
How terrible for everyone on that ship! It would be very scary and very stressful and hopefully they will arrive in Ensenada soon and be on their way home.
Prayers and best wishes for all involved!
Not at all surprised..I’ve always thought your company cut corners and put money ahead of passenegrs whenever you could get away with it.
Yes I know you will not print this..your blog relies on sachrin sweet postings to perpetuate the fantasy. I’m sure John’s reporting from onboard will be the equavilent to the second coming with all sorts of postings from him. But keep in mind there are people who do not buy inot this crap..who don’t believe what you post or the job you do.
Thank god you have comeptition.
Steve,
Try to use spell check when you post!
You get what you pay for, and for the money Carnival charges, is a bargain!! I’ve had less fun on other cruise lines and paid much more.
Scary how fast a dream vacation can become life and death. So glad that no one was hurt. Will be happy once the ship is back in safe habor. John, has sure had an interesting couple of weeks. Prayers for all the passengers and crew.
I am so sorry that this has happened to such a beautiful ship and so many passengers on their vacation….but things like this do happen. The most important thing is the safety of all on board and I believe the crew and Carnival has this as their number one priority. We are Carnival cruisers and just got off this ship on October 24th. We know how courteous and professional the staff is on the Splendar so we are sure they are doing everything possible to keep the passengers safe and comfortable under very scary and difficult situation.
I got back on Oct. 31st from my Splendor cruise and had a wonderful time. John you were the best cruise director and my heart goes out to you today as I know you are getting beat up! Beat them back with your kindness and quit whit! Good luck buddy to you and your crew.
One of my best freinds is adancer on this ship . . . I pray for her safe return x x
Have cruised w/ John 3 times.The best C.D. there is.Out of 12 cruises fire is my biggest fear.Thank God everyone is safe. Thats why life boat drills are so important to all as you never know.You can always do another cruise but you can’t replace a life.
Glory in Jan.2011.
John & all are in my prayer’s.
I’m so glad that John, the cruise and passengers are all OK on the ship.. A fire on ship can always be dangerous.
I hope they get all home safe and OK..
I know that it must not be easy for everyone on the ship especially with no air or power or hot water..
I know if I was on the ship I would have to wear a hat all day since I could not blowout my hair
Unfortunately this like this happen sometimes and everyone have to do there best to get through it.
One good thing is that they have John Heald as a cruise director on the ship..
If I ever had to get stuck on a Carnvial ship without no power it would be with John Heald as a cruise director only.. I know that the passengers are being well entertainment and taken care of during this terrible time.. John can cheer anyone up during bad times…
John speedy safe home.. Take care of yourself after this stressful cruise..
Carnival is a class act. Not only are they reimbursing the passengers for this cruise but have offered them a free cruise in the future. In my book that is generous!
My niece works for Carnival and Carnival is always a people-caring business. I have sailed on several of Carnival’s ships. Crew is outstanding on all Carnival ships.
I will pray for each and every crew member on the Splendor. I won’t single out one crew member above another but pray for them equally. I don’t know their names but that’s okay. God does.
God bless the Splendor and all who are sailing on her.
Well. I used to work on Carnival Ships as a waitress.
Although this fire has nothing to do with guests ,( engine room is far from guest area), Carnival should pay more attention on boat drills. Guests should participate the drill without exemption, for their own safety.
I used to stand on corridors and guide guests to their muster stations, and many of them tried to hide in the cabins, or on the balcony, or were already too drunk even to understand what was happening.
In a sinking vessel everyone has his own deck, and place where lifeboats are available for him. You can’t go wherever you just want, or you can end up without place in the lifeboat. Guests should take this more seriously, and watch carefully! It can be lifesaving!
Good grief……. what more do some of these selfish @#%&*( want? Gimme a break! The compensation is more than gracious. This is why I am going on my 9th Carnival cruise, as I know that the passengers safety and comfort is CCL’s first concern and will continue to sail CCL exclusively.
Thinking of all on board,Carnival rocks,and disclosures of unfortinate things along with the good prove this to be so,Everyone on board have a safe trip home…..
Left the Splendor on Sunday AM — leaving a larger than expected gratuity because of the amazing attention that was paid to everything — from simple maintenance and room service to a courageous helicopter rescue. Throughout the entire ship’s operations, a professional skill level and commitment to excellence was obvious. Service came with a sincere smile and an obvious attempt to provide whatever was needed. Eating in the buffet was no less tasty and varied than the food served in the dining rooms. It all was superb. These people ALL worked hard and we know that everyone is in good hands during this unexpected challenge because of the high quality of training and abilities of the crew members.
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Are the passengers still on board? I was under the impression they were on land…why would they still be on the boat? I could have swore I heard they were on land somewhere in Mexico. Seems to me Carnival would want to get all passengers off as soon as possible.
We were on the Splendor in October 2010 when a crew member jumped off the ship and was never recovered. They kept us floating in Mexican waters for over 7 hours until the Mexican Coast Guard took over the search and we missed large part of Puerta Vallarta…I think that ship is doomed. My kids were traumatized that a member of the crew took his life,….I am glad at least they are doing something for the passengers this time around because the” funship” wasn’t so fun after our experience.
I was on that cruise also, and thought it was handled quite well. Your children traumatized? They should have been sound asleep in bed, as the percentage of the time we were held up was from 1:20 a.m until 8:00
a.m. It was sad, but I still had a great time and expect nothing more. Somethings are out of the hands of the cruise line, and just an unfortunate experience of life that can happen anywhere, not just on a cruise ship. I’m sure your demeanor after the incident may have contributed to your childrens frame of mind. Everyone I saw still appeared to be having” FUN” on the fun ship, guess I missed you!
Hey John & rest of Carnival Staff & all Passengers…
Glad to know that no one is injured…Take care and
praying for a safe return for Everyone…We are all anxiously awaiting news of the safe return for ALL !
I am a Travel Professional and Carnival is a wonderful Cruise Line and just came off the Carnival FREEDOM
Our Group had a FANTASTIC Time….
John, I think you’re the funniest guy I’ve met in a while. I had the pleasure to meet you in August during my cruise. Your voice is just so romantic and calm. I will say that I had an amazing time. My heart goes out to you and all the people on baord. Unfortunate things happen. Thank God everyone is OK and there were no casulties. Now you will have one more story to tell (which you are really good at). Take care from a very pleased passenger of the Splendor.
.
I was just on the Splendor and disembarked on the 7th of November. We had a fantastic holiday and now I know why they do those mandatory safety drills that everyone hates doing and the Coast Guard came on board to check the saftey standards that they employ. Who would have guessed that something like this could happen. The Captain, John Heald and the crew are all amazing, and thank God everyone is safe. That is the important thing, no one died and the fire was contained.
God Speed everyone in getting home.