Hi Everyone,
It’s Stephanie here again. Below is the latest update on the Carnival Splendor.
Miami, FL — November 9, 2010 (12 noon EST)
The cruise ship Carnival Splendor, which lost power after experiencing an engine room fire, is currently being towed via tug boats to San Diego. Based on favorable sea conditions, the ship is expected to arrive around midday on Thursday.
As the ship gets closer to coastal areas, guests are now beginning to receive intermittent cellular service. Additionally, the ship’s phone system is working on a limited basis and guests are able to make complimentary calls home.
A large Carnival team continues to work on hotel, flight and transportation arrangements for the guests and will be on the ground in San Diego when the ship arrives.Guests continue to be provided food and beverage service and a limited schedule of activities. Toilets continue to function in most staterooms and all public restrooms.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
At approximately 6 am Monday (U.S. Pacific Standard Time), Carnival Splendor experienced a fire in the aft engine room. The fire was extinguished. There were no injuries to guests or crew.The ship has been operating on auxiliary generators and engineers have been unable to restore additional power to the vessel.
The vessel’s command is in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard which deployed assets to the cruise ship’s location and provided additional provisions due to the lack of refrigeration on board.
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.
Carnival has also cancelled the Nov. 14 seven-day cruise from Long Beach. Guests scheduled to sail on this voyage will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and air transportation costs, along with a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.
Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed Sunday, Nov. 7, from Long Beach, Calif. The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The ship, which measures 113,000 gross registered tons and first entered service in July 2008, is carrying 3,299 guests and 1,167 crew.
“We sincerely apologize to our guests for this unfortunate situation and offer our thanks for their patience and cooperation during this challenging time. The safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to allow them to return home as quickly as possible. We also apologize for having to cancel the next voyage of the Carnival Splendor. We realize how much guests look forward to their vacations and we know how disheartening it is to have their plans disrupted,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.
Media contact information: 305-406-5464 or Media@carnival.com. Contact information for family and friends of guests on board: 1-888-290-5095 or
305-406-5534###
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.
John Heald “Cruise Director” had this blog and his name and Blog Photo on ABC World News Tuesday night
Here is the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/stranded-cruise-ship-headed-land-california-coast-broken-engine-12102566
You may need to copy & paste it into your browser.
Thanks Stephanie…I saw a photo of John’s FB or blog on ABC Nightly News last night where they called him by name. I know it has to be miserable but I am glad to see Carnival step up to the plate and do the right thing for these passengers.
THANKS, CARNIVAL, FOR YOUR MORE THAN FAIR CONSIDERATIONS. I WILL CONTINUE TO SAIL CARNIVAL, AS I HAVE IN THE PAST. OF COURSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED, BUT THEY HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS WAS AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT, WHICH PROBABLY WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THAT CARNIVAL IS GOING, PARDON THE PUN, OVERBOARD FOR THEIR GUESTS.
portofsandiego Port of San Diego
Great pix. RT @PacificFleet: 40+ photos added to set of USS Ronald Reagan’s assistance to @CarnivalCruise ship #Splendor http://ow.ly/37AWx
Thanks for photos of how supplies being delivered.
WOW, great pics, Mike. Thanks for sharing them with all of us. Please continue to post any updates, if possible.
With much appreciation,
Rich and Sally Head
Great link Mike. Looks like quite an operation. Good job to all. So proud of our Coast Guard. And the crew on Splendor isn’t too shabby either!
They all deserve a free cruise!!
Joyce
Joyce — The USS Ronald Reagan that gave assistance is a Navy ship not Coast Guard, so you can be proud of the Navy.
Stephanie, thank you for keeping us informed. I know everything is being done, that can be done. The guests and crew are in my thoughts. Also, I’m thinking about all those team members stateside, assisting in travel plans for the passengers. Please tell John, from his many friends, to take care of himself!
Looking forward to johns report on this. I do hope he is OK and being careful with his health.
Worried,
Frank and Bridie
I hope John is faring well along with everyone else and that the guests are not taking it out on him. |He might need a big group hug after this mini-disaster. It could have been worse, but still it is a trying time for the staff as they tend to take the brunt of the frustration from the guests….
Its been a long wait , I just pray for on all the splendor for their on going effort in keeping their spirit up.
thought to share some pictures I have posted a link.
We on the Elation are all with you in your thoughts.
Thank you for the continued updates, Stephanie. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone……John, the passengers, crew members, rescue team, & the entire Carnival family. This must be a very difficult time for all of you.
God bless,
Rich and Sally Head
Stephanie, thanks for all the updates during this unusual situation on the beautiful Splendor. We sailed with John Oct 3 on this trip and throughly enjoyed it. In fact after 40 cruises this was our favorite ship as far as amenities, crew and of course John. It was the first time we sailed with him and now want to only go on his voyagesl Can you please see if you ca post the 2011 CD schedule also so we can get booked for next year. I think someone said he will be on the Glory and Magic, right? Hopefully all will get back on track shortly when the ship docks and be fully restored to her full glory. I am sure that all the current passengers are experiencing the wonderful services of the crew and their aim to please attitudes especially under these conditions. Best Wishes and prayers to the crew and John.
Dear John & Steph,
Since the fire has left a smokey smell throughout the ship does that mean that the CCL Splendor will be the first smoking allowed everywhere cruiseship when it comes back online?
Or will the cigar lounge still not allow smoking?
I bet they will be serving smoked oysters on a half shell.
Sorry I thought it better to laugh than to cry. I hope you make it back to San Diego on Thursday and if you do go to Vincenzo’s in little Italy section of San Diego. Great Italian food and Canolis to die for.
The Cruzin2some
Stephanie:
Just a note to THANK YOU for all you do.
I can not imagine how credibly busy you are right now.
We appreciate the updates.
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Thanks Stephanie for keeping us in the loop. Hope John is doing ok. It must be a very trying time for everybody crew, passengers, higher ups…ect. Prayers are being said for everybody involved in this. I would probably want to burn my clothes after living in them for several days. Please keep us posted!
Carnival has really impressed me with how they are handling tis situation. Very class act!!
Thanks for keeping us updated Stephanie. I had to laugh when I saw a picture of a pallet of Canned Spam being prepared for delivery to the ship. Not quite what you expect to be eating on a cruise ship. Mike Burns, thanks for the link to the pics, they are great. Hopefully by tomorrow this time, all passengers will be on their way home. Keeping John, Captain, crew and passengers in my prayers as well as all the people who are supporting the rescue.
That photo of the spam being lifted on the pallet was super-imposed by someone trying to sensationalize this story…. it’s sensational enough without having to add spam and poptarts to the story…. I was on this cruise, and yes there was crab as the media reported, and it was delicious! Everything was prepared beautifully, given what the crew had to work with… just looking at that photo, you can see the spam cans sticking out, not quite fitting the photo correctly – bad photoshop job to whomever-you-are that did this spam insert!
We were just on the Splendor’s Oct.31 sailing . This was our 2nd time on the Splendor and we had an increasable time. John made us laugh more than we have laughed in years. John is a real gentlemen and when we told him that we enjoyed his blog he was genuinely happy to hear that we did. I am very sorry that he and his shipmates are having to deal with this unfortunate mishap. Carnival is handling this event with class. I will be taking my next Carnival Cruise on the Sprit #17 on Dec. 10th. Thank you John and Stephanie for making Carnival what it is.
Great job by the Coast Guard and Carnival Cruise Lines.
It will be interesting to hear all the passengers stories when they return.
John…
You are doing great and Carnival is going beyond as always.. too bad the news always interviews the negative….with so much good going on .. but we all know better….. I do hope someone is able to tell the positive side….
In our thoughts,
OMG Spam and PopTarts…
John …
Looking forward to cruising with you Nov. 28. I hope the damage is minimal and the parts are enroute to a San Diego shipyard. If it smells a little like smoke, that’s OK.
Please accept our prayers for all on board to come home safe and sound.
God Bless all of you.
Thanks John for keeping your chin up in such a difficult situation. Who would have imagined a nearly new ship being stuck at sea? Yet, you all have done the best that you can in this situation.
Hey John,
I work in the call center in Colorado Springs.I am in sales so no longer taking service calls but i know they are working mandatory overtime to take the calls we are getting.I am off today so have seen the news for the first time and they really do blow things way outta proportion.People seem to forget these ships sail every day year round and like an automobile will need some repairs from time to time.I am so glad to hear a lot of folks are making the best of it.It really is a “crappy” situation.I personally had booked my friends on the following sailing (11-14) and their family (5 cabins) for their 25th anniversary so i understand the disappointment.Keep up all the Great work John you are truly a great Cruise Director!!!!!!!!
Kudos to John, the carnival crew for doing EVERYTHING in their power to take care of their guests. I have been on the Splendor twice, most recently on September 26 and will book again soon. The guests were lucky to have you on board, John. I can’t think of another cruise director who could have handled this situation better. Take good care. Welcome to San Diego, my hometown, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
I am a veteran of 25 + cruises on Carnival and while I feel for the passengers I hope the crew is doing well too. I have had wonderful dedicated crew over the years and please let them know they are in our prayers too. They cared about all of us passengers 24/7 on all my cuises and let them know we all care about all of them from Captain to the newest crew member.
John and Carnival,
I just got home from “our little excursion”. I was in a balcony room on the 7th floor (yes right below you). I want to tell you that although it was not the vacation we had planned that Carnival handled it wonderfully. Were we without toilets for a while….yes. Were we without hot food……. yes. But considering what I imagine happened in the engine room, I was just happy to not be swimming home. I will be writing to carnival to let them know that I for one will be taking Carnival up on that second cruise. Because nothing in life is perfect or guaranteed and if you think it is, you might as well stay home and not chance anything.
Thank you for your humor and being MOSTLY honest with us (us sailors all knew that you were fibbing about the fire ). Thank you for keeping us informed and calm and I hope to some day meet you in person.