I am a travel agent. I was on the sailing and had 119 people in my group.
I would like to make 3 important comments:
1. I am sorry to say that the media has made it sound much worse than what it really was. There were obviously problems and challenges for guests and the crew but I do not see why there can’t be accurate reporting of the facts. (Most all of my group considered it an adventure and are looking forward to cruising again!) One of my couples even got engaged on the sailing!
2. I have not seen any media report that tells what the compensation really is and what Carnival did for everyone! What Carnival is providing and has provided is way beyond my expectations and what I told my group to expect.
- Full refund
- Future credit equal to total of what was paid to be applied to a future cruise and must be used within 2 years.
- Refund of transportation costs to the pier and from San Diego back home. One person said they took a bus from Las Vegas to the pier and Carnival (besides putting them up in San Diego is flying them home.)
- Overnight stay in San Diego for those who requested it AND a daily stipend.
- For those who had flights Carnival made the changes for them.
- Any charges made on Sunday on the guests “Sign and Sail card were forgiven!!! (This included spa treatments, alcohol, purchases in the gift shop AND even gambling losses in the casino slots!!!
- All photos taken by Carnival of the guests were put out in the photo shop and guests were invited to come get their pictures at no charge!
- On Tuesday and Wednesday Carnival opened some bars. Alcohol, wine and beer was given to the guests.
- Carnival advised the guests that everything in their mini bars was free! (My minibar had 6 sodas, 6 beers, and 10 or 12 shot bottles of alcohol.
3. The crew did a remarkable job. i.e. With no elevators there were human chains of crew members from the bottom of the ship going up to deck 9 to haul up the food, drinks, plates etc.
Special praise is due to John Heald, the Splendor’s Cruise Director , who made almost all PA announcements. His calm demeanor, very likable personality, and sense of humor was greatly appreciated and did much to assuage the guests concerns.
I sincerely hope that all this information is disseminated to the public whether I am contacted or not.
If desired I do have photos of the helicopters, ships and boats including one that has the tug, The Ronald Reagan, the Mexican ship and a Coast Guard small craft all in the same shot.
Respectfully Yours,
Glenn Jaffrey
Owner – SJB Travel Established 1989
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.
thank you for the info, sound like an adventure. My I have info for away to see the photos?
I am interested in the photos too… perhaps it would be good to send a copy of one to the Mexican Navy…
From what I understand they left the Public Information Officer stuck on shore… to load emergency equipment instead. In a carrier you have a photographer. In a small boy, not so much.
Thank-you,This is why I spend my Vacation dollars with Carnival have in the past and will continue to do so,Im already planning mine and my daughters and a couple friends 5 th cruise ,this time on the Carnival Miracle,Excellent!!
-Sandra
NB Canada
Glenn, thanks for sharing, We all need and appreciate accurate info. and that is what you provided.
My travel agent has over 120 people scheduled for the 12/5 departure (me included) and we are all anxiously waiting for info. about repairs.
Well Said Mr. Jaffery I was also on the Splendor and the Media reports made it seem we were close to death!! I received my refund yesterday and will absolutely take another cruise with Carnival!!
C’mon media, talk about THIS not spam and poptarts.
Thanks for posting this, John!
PS– I’ve had some friends and family talk about what they saw on the news, and as Sarge Charlie’s granddaughter I super appreciate the kindness you’ve shown him and I took personal offense to those comments. Don’t worry, I set them straight and they know what really happened! Still trying to talk my dad into cruising– it’ll happen sometime soon for sure
Great comments, Glenn. It was certainly an experience that no one will soon forget. Carnival obviously went way above and beyond to make a very bad situation into a very tolerable experience. Thanks for sharing.
They have yet to follow through on their reimbursement claims after dozens of calls to thier officials.
Hey,
While I was not aboard this particular cruise, I can honestly say, I as well, appreciate the magnificent job Carnival handled the situation. They made a disappointing vacation bearable for everyone on board! I was on the Splendor a few years ago, and she truly is a beautiful ship! Carnival is the only line I have ever sailed, and will continue to be my preferred cruise line! I would like to see the pictures, if you have them at your disposal.
Bravo! Well done for reporting the real version and you reinforced what loyal bloggers always knew was the truth.
This is why we are loyal ( soon to be platinum) CARNIVAL CRUISERS!
Smooth sailing everyone.
Canuck Cruiser
Good to hear a real account of what happened on the ship. Carnival is the best and it will continue to be my cruise line of choice when making cruise plans
Thanks for an objective, accurate report of what happened on the Splendor. Unfortunately for some of the media the only news is hyped- up bad news, repeated over and over again. As a two time Slendor guest, I believe that “guest safety and comfort” was the primary goal of all Carnival employees. Hopefully your report will get some media coverage!
Glen, Thank you very much. I will take you up on your offer and repost this on my blog. The story is so much better when it doesn’t have the presses negitive spin put to it.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/
BIG Ed
Glenn, feel free to go here and put a comment with your TA contact info if you wish. Even a link to a website if you have one.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/a-message-from-a-carnival-splendor/
Thank you again
BIG Ed
Big Ed,
Thank you for appreciating and reposting the blog!
It’s only fair that the truth comes out! In my over 20 years as a wholesaler I have seen too many times when the media gives a negatively skewed report.
Glenn Jaffrey
Owner – SJB Travel Established 1989
6451 Stanford Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92845
WHOLESALE Business & 1st Class Airfares,
Conferences, Cruises, Packages, Tours and Groups.
(714)898-2001 (877)752-8785 toll free (714)897-5700 FAX
Glenn:
Thank you for being a voice of reason, understanding the limitations and truly appreciating all that Carnival did during this incident.
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Glen
Thank you for your input. It seems that the media always wants to report on the negative or report things out of context. Thank you again from one TA to another
I followed this story beings that I have sailed with Carnival before show s me that this is a very classy cruise line .
Good to now that if you are on one of their ships in a crisis that you will be well taken care of. Planning to sail on the Magic out of my home port of Galveston when it gets here.
Way to go Carnival.
Thank you Glenn. Your explanation of what was happening from a guests perspective is most appreciated. I’m SURE that CCL and dear John will be very, very pleased to see your comments.
I, for one, hope to one day see that photo you have that includes the entire flotilla of rescue craft.
Thank you again Glenn,
Steve O
Thanks for posting this. Carnival will come out smelling like the rose it is! Other companies can take a lesson in customer service from this incident.
well said! I’d love to see some of the pictures
Glenn -
Thanks for the accurate reporting of the events that occurred. It seems to me that your group was in doubly good hands – John’s and yours.
MTSFP
that is a wonderful tribute to the carnival corp. we all know and love. congratulations carnival, well done!
smiles, bee
xoxox
We are so proud of Mr John and the whole Carnival crew, customer service people, GREAT JOB and thank you all!! We’ll see you soon on the Splendor for our next cruise oh Yeahh!! Thanks Rita and Jorge M
that is really really nice
Very Well said…you will always have a select few who like to stretch the truth a bit to make is sound more interesting…..I am so thankful that everyone was safe and it would be an adventure for sure….I have cruised many times with John and am looking forward to cruising with him in Feb again…… This was a great hands on learning experince for Carnival and all its crew…and they can learn from mistakes and better the drill if something like this was to every happen again…..Once again I am glad every one is safe and sound and job wll done to Carnival and all its staff and crew doing all they could to make the mishap more bareable…..
Pingback: A MESSAGE FROM A CARNIVAL SPLENDOR « “BIG” ED KONEFE
I just knew that you would come through Host Mach, Wasn’t this a wonderful and enlightening post by Glen?
Should have known Carnival would go beyond all expectations, as usual.
Hope that John sees this.
I find it very interesting that no stories showed up in my local paper (the printed version) the very next day Splendor landed in San Diego – guess the reporters couldn`t find a Mr. Angry!
This is excellent and I just wonder why the media is being so biased. It was an adventure that turned out very well.
I couldn’t agree more – rather than making an example of how Carnival did all they could from a business standpoint to make things right for their paying customers, and how the crew worked to no end to ensure the comfort of their guests, the media focuses on the nitty gritty, providing soapboxes for those guests who would rather see how they can benefit from this unfortunate event through a lawsuit or feeding their sense of entitlement…it’s no wonder the media is so despised in all facets of our lives.
two thumbs up! I was on that ship along with my kids, mom, dad, sister and her family. Despite of the challenges we found ourselves making the best of it. And yes, it was scary at one point, but having John on the PA at all times keeping us updated made a big difference. There are those that will take advantage of the situation and if it does happen, I think it’s unfortunate because Carnival did everything possible to take care of us. Great Job John and staff!!! oh, and I will be booking my next cruise soon.
Sonia
The media always likes to make everything sound as bad as possible. That’s why I hardly ever watch the news anymore, it’s not accurate!
Please note that you call them the media, remember when they were newsmen and journalists? Not anymore, that’s why!
The media like to flower things a whole lot, but in this case, some reported total untruths–say anything for sensationalism! What happened to the good old days of printing and broadcasting only confirmed facts. I go back to that old adage, “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see!” By the way, we are sailing on the Conquest next Sunday, and have no fear of doing so whatsoever!
Sounds like Carnival did a great job at turning what could have easily been a public relations nightmare into keeping their brand image sparkling among those who choose to cruise. It could have been a lot worse and it sounds like the level of professionalism among the passengers and crew should be applauded.
Thank you Carnival for doing what was right!!!
Kudos to Carnival! The actions of the Splendor crew, captain, and Carnival management has taken a potential and probable PR nightmare and turned it into an example of the way customer service and satisfaction should be handled. I have never cruised on Carnival, but I have now booked my first cruise with Carnival (Pride). Now I’m just hoping that this level of service is across the board and on all the ships! LOL. Not that I’m looking for a repeat of the Nov. 7 sailing!
It’s also very heartwarming to hear the stories from the passengers and how they recognized all that was being done for them. I didn’t hear one complaint about seat saving – and they all missed “cruise coffee!” Who woulda thought. . . .
Awesome! THAT is what customer service should always be about – not what your bottom line stands to be, but how you take care of your customers and to what extent you are willing to go to see to it that they are looked after in a situation like this. This alone has made me a Carnival cruiser for life!! Way to go Carnival!!
John Heald was the CD on our Dream cruise last March and he was the one to have on the Splendor in such a trying situation. All the guest were blessed to have him. He has a gift of humor and caring that comes across to all the guests the first time you hear him on the PA or in person. Great job, John, you are such an asset to Carnival!
I just want to say to everyone that my friends and I all had a wonderful adventure aboard the splendor and what happened to the ship was in no way to be blamed on carnival and the wonderful crew on the ship. Accidents happen and that is just the way it is. the media takes what they want and turns it into dramatic stories that people want to hear. nobody would follow a story that said our ship broke and that we were all having a great time despite. I had people asking how horrible it was to have no toilets, running water ar food for days? what the heck were they talking about?? The toilets and water were only down for part of the day, we never had NO food, and as far as the spam goes; I love spam and would have been perfectly content if they had served it to us (which they didn’t). My concern was for the poor crew that was working their tails off to keep things going and not getting any rest. every single person working on that ship did their very best to accomodate us and to clean up after the mess. most people made the best of it in light of the situation but ther were those that felt that carnival owed them the world and were definitely trying to take advantage of their generosity. (I really dislike those types of individuals) to them I would like to say, “shut the hell up. nobody owes you a new dress or a weekend at disneyland.” as for our cruise director John Heald; my friends and I looked forward to the announcements and hearing you make light of the situation. We cnnot wait to have you as our CD again. and our travel agent we love so much, Glenn Jaffery, you are the best.
Thanks again Carnival for all that you have done!
Ron… I agree with regaring your comments was the staff did an excellent job under the circumstances and worked very hard. My guess you were not walking thru the aft section of the ship much. The majority of the aft section did not have have their toilets flush until late Tuesday. So from Monday morning; this was more than just a few hours. Not to mention our neighbours toilet overflowed because of a water problem into the hallway with contaminated sewer water that leaked to the doorways of several rooms. There were lots of towels put on the floor to soak up the water. There were sewer smells on several floors. We never did have running water in our cabin the whole time. As a result we were given access to an empty room or else use the spa bathrooms to shower in. So yes it was an adventure; but not one that I want to remember.
Bravo to Carnival Cruise Lines! My husband and I did the Mexican Rivera cruise on the Carnival Pride 4 years ago. We continue to cruise. Really, it is the ONLY way to travel!
Someone should write a book on this “Splendid” adventure! As Jay Leno said, this may be the first cruise where guests Lost weight! Climbing those stair cases is very good exercise (or so I’ve been told!)
If I was stuck out at sea for any length of time, I would most definatly want JOHN as our cruise director. I said with him last April on Conquest and he was AWESOME and SO SO Funny!!
John, please reply, when you have had the chance to reply to the many messages of congratulations from US passengers.
As I have been working long hours here in the UK since my return from BtoB on C Victory in early June, I have been following your Blog faithfully & making the occasional contribution to your site.
However, following the events of the last few days, it has taken me so long to read comments that I have had no time to respond.
I applaud your honest comments on the events on C Splendour & your command in leading the crew throughout a rigorous ordeal for which they were ably trained to handle. You have displayed prowess in the management of people & resources, coupled with a repartee & understanding of the Ship’s Captain’s ultimate responsibility for the safety of passengers & vessel.
The C Splendour incident was an instant reminder to me of the one faced by C Ectasy in late July 1998. This event occurred just a few weeks before I joined you on C Destiny for a BtoB East/West Caribbean Cruise. I still possess a hard copy of the coloured print report published in the Scottish Daily Record on 22/07/08 & will be happy to provide you with a copy or the original print. To my mind, this incident was more serious due to the extent of the fire damage & the lack of availibility of electronic messaging at that time.
Your account of the Splendour incident has confirmed my confidence in CCL & in you as the Senior CD.
My regards to Heidi, Kye & you
Glenn,
Thank you so much for sharing the truth with us! It’s awful what the press is reporting and I hope your letter gets the attention that it deserves!
We knew what we were hearing was not the truth. We knew Carnival and John were doing everything possible. Thanks for being able to confirm that from a passengers view!
Doug Parker and Matt Basford interviewed two passengers who feel the same way! Check it out at http://www.cruiseradio.net
Thank you for a wonderful letter! This is why Carnival gets my business! Planning cruise #6 for next summer!
Unlike the media, it is good to hear the honest truth from a guest and from Carnival. We will only cruise Carnival because of their care for their guests.
I do want to mention that CNN and the online ABC News and my local paper have reported the info about the cruise refund and San Diego hotel and transportation.
Yes, CCL did so much better than Celebrity with their apparent rudder incident. At first I thought that CCL might try to shush John, but they have not. They’ve let him report on the details of what he experienced and have been quite open and frank about what happened. Kudos to the CEO for a different and refreshing approach to the media and public! In this day and age, trying to shush up what happened will backfire and lead only to more rumors. Bad stuff can and does happen during travel- I can only hope that all the information will help increase the attention level @ lifeboat drills and help captains feel justified in compelling pax to go to drills or else….
I can only hope that all the Lessons Learned from this incident will be shared with other cruise lines.
Well done Carnival! Can’t wait for my next cruise…39 days. Would love to see the photos you took.
Not surprised…I have sailed on Carnival many times and they never dissapoint!!
Wow I am so Happy to see a positive review…. John, you and the entire staff,,, should be so proud,,,,you truely were amazing……..Kudos to each and evry one of you !!!!
Warmest wishes,
Cheria
Bravo Carnival! Wonderful customer service! As always!
I was also a passenger on the Splendor. I was equally impressed with the entire crew and staff. They worked harder than anyone I have every seen – and with a smile on their faces. They were living in far worse conditions and had less sleep.
I was on board with seven girls and we enjoyed ourselves. We were never hungry and got plenty of relaxation. Sure, we never made it to Mexico, or got to go on our zip line tour, but there will be a next time.
I agree that Carnival has gone far above what was necessary to compensate the passengers, and for that I am truly grateful. I always felt safe and well informed.
John, our cruise director did an amazing job of updating the passengers on a regular basis and kept us entertained. My group of girls kept a list of some of his best lines. Thank you John! How about “diss-a-piss-a-tation”
I look forward to my next cruise and I hope John is the Cruise Director!
I couldnt agree with you more! I was on the ship as well and Carnival could not have done any more than they did to accomodate everyone! What an upstanding cruise line they really are!!!! I can’t wait to cruise with them again. I only wish that we could get John Heald on our ship when we travel again! He was so awesome! The media tore this cruise apart and it really frustrates me. I posted on Facebook and made my profile public so that everyone could see that we never ate Spam as reported by the media, nor were we ever concerned when our next meal would be. This was my second cruise and after this experience I will never cruise on any other ship than a Carnival Ship!!! Kudos to all the ships crew who worked day and night to keep us happy and safe! Love you guys!
im glad to hear some truth and what carnival did is truly awesome!
I have been thoroughly impressed with Carnival throughout this entire story. I was not on this cruise but sailed with Carnival last year and it was winter, we missed one day at a port but without even asking they gave refunded the excursions but also rebated back a full day’s cost of the cruise. This is stuff we know they have no control over like weather, etc so to go above and beyond like they do is just so comforting and makes you feel good about booking all of your cruises with them. They ALWAYS go above and beyond in good times and bad it’s just incredible and they should be an example for all companies for such amazing customer service!! I will only ever book on carnival!!
things like this is why i continue to cruise with Carnival. They always go over and beyond for there passengers and what they did for the passengers was more then anyone should have expected. People don’t realize it but this could have happened to any cruise line but unfortunately it happened to the best.
Fire or not i would still cruise with Carnival any day and wouldn’t mind sailing on the Carnival Splendor. Carnival is still the best.
Thanks for this up date on how wonderful Carnvial is. This is why I will be platnium on my next voyage.
This is also why I am a stock holder.
If something goes wrong beyond there control they go above and beyond to make it right.
I think all of the passengers were wonderful and helped make this bad problem liveable.
Happy cruising.
I appreciate reading this letter as it shows this incident in a whole different light. Carnival appears to have gone above and beyond and my desire to cruise w/ them has not changed! Thanks for sharing!!
Well done and amazaing. This is why I luv Carnival. I watched the media and yes it is a very unfortunate incident, a very costly one for Carnival but they made it right. Being without a warm shower or no hot food for 5 days – big deal- I think of those miners in Chili – 69 days or the people in Haiti still no home. A trip like this should make us realize how fortunate to even be able to afford a cruise, and best of all no injuries or loss of life. Media has been digging for dirt and could only report all the bad stuff.
Crew should be a big part in the appreciation, imagine what they had to deal with and I sure they still had a smile on their faces.
Great job Carnival and John Heald and of course the Captain and crew.
In my humble opinion, Carnival went above and beyond in their compensation for their guests, which is truly comendable. How any guest could complain after receiving all of the above is beyond me.
However, I do hope that Carnival will be as generous with the staff members on board the Splendor who survive on the tips provided by the guests, that most likely were pretty much nonexistent this time around. Despite knowing that they were not going to be compensated after this cruise, the Splendor staff also went “above and beyond” in making the guests as comfortable as possible, as evidenced by this letter writer. Their efforts should be recognized by Carnival as well.
Job very well done Carnival! See you again next year.
RESPECTFULLY, you are INCORRECT! John announced that Carnival had a special fund and would take care of the tips for the crew! (The $70.00 in tips for the week was NOT charged to the cruisers!)
Additionally, many members of my group, and I am sure, many others that sailed, gave tips to the crew.
I was also told today by a reporter that Carnival put the crew up in San Diego at a highly rated hotel for a few days and was sending them to Sea World.
As a passenger of the Splendor cruise to now where, guests asked about how the staff would be compensated and John addressed that to all of us over the PA. He let us know that all of them would still received their 15% tip. They apparently have insurance or a fund that helps in such situations. Also, guests on board were handing staff tips whenever they could.
I had one client onboard the splendor, Knowing john was onboard made me feel safe that my client was safe and sound. As a travel agent, I fight hard for my clients and I know carnival took great care of everybody.
Wonderful! Carnival I am glad you made the best out of a bad situation. Accidents do happen and you clearly made your guest as comfortable as possible in the midst of this terrible mishap. Thank God everyone made it out fine and Carnival was able to survive an unexpected tragedy on a good note dispite how the media viewed it. I cruised on Carnival once and I must say I look forward to cruising with them again. God bless you all.
Glenn,
I really want to thank you for sending the letter. It is nice to see someone in the “industry” who realizes how far and above Carnival treated the guests on this voyage. I appreciate you taking the time to spell it all out. It is my hope that the media who has wanted to dire this up from day one will finally get the hint. I truly found it funny when they kept trying to get passengers to bad mouth the ship, the crew, and Carnival in general that most did not. The media was not happy. Nice to see them sweat for a change! I love that Carnival took such great care of their guests, way to go Carnival!
I knew carnival was taking care of business, they are AWESOME at customer service
Pingback: Splendor CD back home - CruiseMates Cruise Community and Forums
YEA CARNIVAL! This is one of the many reasons I only cruise CARNIVAL. They are AWESOME! I will continue to give my loyal support to them! Go “FUN SHIPS”!!!!!
That was an awesome letter of TRUTH! I wrote almost the same thing on Carnival’s Facebook while they were still out at sea. I have cruised with John before and like I said on fb… If you’re going to get stuck at sea, he would be my first choice as CD! After reading all of the recent blogs he wrote about the expierence he, the crew, and the guests endured I feel they were in good hands with each other!
I too am soooo upset with the media, for I am a travel agent too, and standing in lines and hearing people talk about “what went on” omboard …I get very mad! Unless you were onboard then you do not know what went on and the media is to blame for all these lies and speculation.
I am spreading the word about how wonderful Carnival is because they are!
I would expect nothing else from Carnival. We have enjoyed our cruises with them.
I knew all along Carnival would go above and beyond for the guests of the Splendor. I felt so bad for the guests but they couldn’t have been in better hands! Love CCL! We were on the Sensation in May and I can’t wait to go again!!
wow just goes to show you dont trust media reports….most of the time they are sooooo wrong…nice going carnival you have just clinched all the cruises for the rest of my life with that kind of service!
Thanks for sharing the REAL story with us without all the drama-inducing crap that the media likes to use! Well done and well said!!
I wish you would have included your comments on the SPAM issues lol
I NEVER saw SPAM served to the cruisers. Possibly the SPAM was for some of the crew. There are countries where it is very popular.
Thank you for posting this letter from the travel agent. This is a person who is a professional traveler and knows very well what good and bad customer service can do to a company.
We were on a Carnival cruise earlier this year and our trip was cut short by a hurricane. Carnival is giving us all credits off our next cruise to make up for the “inconvenience”. We had a blast on the ship anyway. You make your own fun. Granted the guests on the Splendor had it much worse but it sounds like they all took it in stride also. And to have had John Heald as your cruise director??? That was the hand of God telling you don’t worry, everything was going to be fine. He’s the best people person. Way to go Carnival, hope to see you soon.
Thank you Glenn for posting this – John was absolutely wonderful – you were so correct at the cocktail party Sunday pm when you stated that some book their cruises based on whether John Heald is the CD. I’ve cruised in the past with other lines – but have never remembered much about the CD – I will never forget this cruise nor John. He was completely professional, calming and amazingly humorous. Carnival has already given us a full refund on the cruise and the excursion – I can’t wait to book our next cruise and subsequent cruises with Carnival (through SJB Travel, of course). Greta Marler
Thanks for the info Glenn! Complete and accurate detail is much better than what you hear from the media. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Nov 28th Splendor sailing!
Glenn,
Thank you for sharing!
Clair
It sounds like everyone still had a marvelous time even being stranded. Carnival came through for their passengers in a great way, but then they always do. I would not have minded being on this cruise, although the cruises’ I go on are more Easterly, I am from Louisiana.
Hats off to Carnival!!!
i love carnival 6 cruises. only cruise line i want to be on. they went above and beyond for everyone. thats great.
Great job to Carnival, have cruised with Carnival in the past and will absolutely continue to do so in the future, have two cruises with Carnival booked and paid for next year. A real customer service business, it’s not always about the bottom line. In this day that is a real commodity and hard to find.
This is a letter from my travel agent and everything he says is the truth. BTW, he is a great travel agent and was with us through it all.
Glenn,
Thank your for the detailed, ACCURATE account of what happened aboard the Carnival Splendor. I would love to see the media report this instead of making things seem worse than what they really were. Accidents happen, but it’s how the company handles it that shows if it’s one to be trusted. I’ve said it before this incident and will continue to say that I will be back on Carnival in ther near future. I want my mom to experience her first cruise on Carnival. While my fiancé and I were watching news of this incident, he said, “We need to be getting back on a Carnival cruise real soon.” It’s good to know that if an unfortunate event was to ever happen aboard a Carnival cruise, my loved ones and I would be very well taken care of.
Great job Carnival and continue to keep up the good work in demonstrating TRUE customer service in situations of the good, bad and ugly. Other cruise lines, take notes!
wow! Wish I was on that ship! Carnival, you did a great job! Carnival Legend was our very first ship we were on! We had a blast! I am so happy to hear that your cruise director John Heald did a great job! What a crew you have too! can’t wait to take another cruise with you guys! Saving my money right now! Keep up the good work!
Thanks but anyone who has ever cruised on the Carnival Fleet should know what a tremendous and outstanding job ALL of the crew members do Carnival is the only FUN ship regardless Thanks for all you do and we will sail again.
Hello,
I am so glad to read your comments. My family and I are sailing on the Inspiration in Dec. 2010 and honestly, I cannot wait. I think that every person on every vacation should think about what could happen on any trip at any given time. No one plans for a vacation to be less than perfect. I find Carnival’s reaction truly inspiring and I think that they have gone above and beyond what was expected. I’m sure there were some frustrating times, but that happens on a normal vacation. This incident will not stop me from crusing with Carnival. If anything, it leaves me quite optimistic that if something were to go wrong, all would be well.
The Media monster will forget this incident soon enough and then they will be onto another story that will be blown out of proportion.
I’m very excited for our family vacation next month!
Thanks for this letter. You know the media always tells the story different than it really happens. Carnival is the best……..this is the only ship I will travel on!!!!!
I love Carnival, they are always thinking about the customer. I sailed in January on the Paradise and had a really bad storm forcing the ship to make changes in our port…instead of ensanada and ixtapa we got to go to Cabo
and they gave us a gredit of $20 or $40 on our sign and sail cards…we had a great time…till we got back to san diego and our truck wouldnt start in the parking garage…lol had to have a friend 4 hours away drive up with her triple a to get it back home…totally not carnivals fault though lol
Mr Jaffrey: I would love to see your pictures. Where are they posted, please? Thank you for such a well spoken, unbiased review.
THAT is AWESOME customer service!!! KUDOS to Carnival!!!
I recently went on a Carnival cruise out of San Diego not the Splendor but another ship, and I am so grateful for the wonderful experience I had, and I am thankful that you have stepped up and posted the statement that you did. All we seem to have heard was how horrific it was for the passengers, I am sure it wasnt pleasurable, but in the end it seems Carnival went way above any customer service level expected. Kudos to Carnival and their Crew
As a shareholder I wonder how much of this is covered by any insurance Carnival might have?
We were told that Carnival carried insurance which would compensate the crew , especially those who depend on the tips which they were not able to collect from guests. That crew worked so hard every day. Many of us gave them cash.
i wouldn.t be surprised if Carnival carries insurance for cases like this. That does not diminish their professionalism in any way.
BRAVO!!!!! Thank you, Glenn, for this first-hand acount. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Carnival. We cruised once and were completely hooked – great value, AMAZING staff, and truly the best vacation of our lives! Can’t wait to introduce our 3 year old to the wonder of cruising…. on Carnival, of course!
My boyfriend and i and 1 other couple just enjoyed a wonderful cruise on carnival pride in october and we enjoyed it so much and even though splendor d had problems i believe carnival compensated all the guests i would love to go on another carnival cruise regardless of the problems splendor had and are going on another carnival cruise in 2012 and didnt even think twice about looking for another cruise line i look forward to my next carnival cruise
This is the reason we only cruise Carnival and hoping that our cruise on the 28th is a go. Nice to hear all the positive comments.
Way to go Carnival!!!!
My daughter works as an entertainment tech with Carnival. Although she was not aboard the Splendor, I have no doubt that any of Carnival’s crew and staff would have done the same fine job and handled the situation superbly. Carnival always has the interests of people first, and I am proud to read all of these positive comments. I, too, was very disappointed in the way the news media handled this story. It was gratifying to see that “Mr. Angry” didn’t seem to exist and that all the guests I saw on the news were more than happy to take the offer of a free cruise on Carnival. Smart people!
My praises to Carnival, and especially to John Heald, excellent job all around. There can be accidents, and tragedies in all walks of life, but this was far from that, yes, no a/c, electricity, elegant food, but Guess what people-not one injury, and everyone came out of this ahead in every aspect. Cheers to my hero-John!
The media made it sound much worse than it was? Really? You mean honesty and truth in journalism doesn’t exist? It exists! It just doesn’t sell. Taking things out of context and walking the legal line of defamation of character and slander is the key to making bucks and getting ratings. Want’ honest reporting in an entertaining way, watch the Daily Report or Stephen Colbert. They may report things in a satirical way, but they contain more truth than .. “THE MEDIA”!
Yours Truly,
An Ex TSA SCREENER!
Awsomea!
I am so glad that everyone made it home safe. I have only been on two Carnival Cruise ships and I love every minute of it. I had no doubt whatsoever that the people on this ship would not be helpful. Carnival always has the best crew members. Bravo to Carnival!
Thanks for the info…I must say Bravo to Carnival. John and the entire staff of the Splendor…..I have taken 5 carnival cruises and will continue to take a lot more…Thank you Carnival for showing all what a great company you are.
Glenn Jaffrey, thank you so much for taking your time and posting this. Maybe now some of the yellow journalists will take a minute to rethink their positions and write what really happened.
I live on the east coast but my company is nationwide and you can bet that I will be sending your contact information to the people in my company that book travel.
Thank you again,
Sallie Holland
I’ve used Carnival twice in the past and one coming up next year, have traveled throughout the world by air. Carnival was more than generous to their clients; no airline could compare. Further, what a treat being able to work on your suntan even longer, and miss work for a few more days. Imagine the fun at the water cooler when you are back to work and telling the stories! Makes me wish I was there! I love spinning a yarn!
Thanks for your input and for getting the truth out there. Awesome letter!
I was on the Splendor in October. It sounds like Carnival, the captain, and John made the best decisions possible given the circumstances. I had a great time on Carnival and would definitely sail with them again (especially if I could find a ship with John!).
I wonder, were any special provisions made for the crew? They work so hard, and even harder in situations like this one, yet they (those that have tipped positions, anyway) must not have received tips that week or this upcoming week when the cruise was cancelled.
Bravo Mr. Jaffery for sharing your story.
KUDOS to Carnival to the Best Staff that we know they are.
The Tuckers
Arnold & Elizabeth
Thanks for the info. I am not at all surprised by the great care taken by Carnival during the Splendor event. We have been on 9 Carnival cruises (including one on the Splendor) and 1 cruise on another line. One was enough for us to decide to return to Carnival. Can’t wait to book the next cruise.
This is great to hear – erm – read! I am very impressed to discover how well Carnival’s staff did to make the best of this unfortunate situation. This could have happened to any cruise line, but how it was handled is what is so telling of Carnival.
Way to go to ALL of Carnival staff – from the beards in Miami to the crew keeping everyone sane on-board.
Setting sail twice in February and can’t wait! See you on the Glory, John!
Awesome post. I read newspaper article where a couple stated there was no food until Wed.??? And another passenger who stated they were served spoiled cold cuts. I don’t know why people have the need to state such falsehoods.
Personal experience with ALL the various medias has shown me THAT THEY ONLY REACT WHEN THERE’S BLOOD OR GORE. THEIR REPORTS ARE BIAS TO THEIR POINT OF VIEW, AND THAT we the publis who hey serve NEVER GET THE TURE / WHOLE STORY. They milk it until the bloods and bones of the story are gone. fact is: their gone long before the story is over, and the turth be told / reported etc.
I was on the boat — and one of the 1st buses back to Long Beach. (Very Few Reporters) This story was dead when the boat got into SD Dock.
Thanks for telling everyone what really happened, that’s why I continue to cruise on Carnival, I will be going on my 49th and 50th cruise next year.
Carnival got this one 100% correct. And did so while the passengers were in the middle of it all. No one had to fight for it or go on some news site and complain. Really could not ask for any more in what was given to the passengers and how it was handled.
Me and my husband were on the cruise as well. We like to refer to it as; our Splendor adventure
We couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said! I’m pregnant and not complaining about the food or walking the stairs. It was an unforgettable cruise and we’re looking to go again, possibly on the splendor! We love it! I wonder too, why the media makes all these false statements up! sh*t heads.
You need to wake up and smell the roses. You want to know what Carnival is really like? Get this. We saved up for two years to cruise on Carnival this past January (2010) and were told 2 days prior that our ports were changing. Yes, they can do this. Do you feel they can do this when they had been having problems with their propulsion system for several months? No. To make matters worse, they waited until just 48 hours prior to departure to let us know. How is that for putting your customer first? Then, when we attempted to change our plane reservations it was going to cost us $400 per ticket (times 5). Our hotel would not let us cancel either because we were within 72 hours of arrival. If that wasn’t enough, our travel insurance (which we paid so dearly for) would not kick in because the Godforsaken cruise was not cancelled. So, we were stuck on the Destiny, at half speed, for our first (and last) cruise. Certified letters to the cowardly CEO-Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation) and Gerry Cahill (Carnival Cruse Lines) were answered by the same lady who answers the 800 number when you call the ‘lack of’ customer service. Great for you… you only received what you did because the media DID report it. Had they not, you would be fighting just like we have…to no avail. Carnival does not care about you. They only care about their bottom line. And, so long as there are people that will pay them, they will continue to crap on us. Good luck and good riddance. Hope you have a great time on your next cruise. But, beware, and do your homework on the ship…the only way to know what is going on it to spend an inordinate amount of time on research. Vacations are supposed to be fun, not work. Our wish is for Carnival to go completely under. They way they treated our family (who treats everybody as we want to be treated) is totally unacceptable!
Hey, Ken. Sounds like YOU are the one who didn.t do his homework. Changing ports is just part of the cruise deal. Sometimes, for your safety, ports are changed or rearranged – you still had a nice cruise. The ports of call are not always the main attraction. Be thankful that your cruise was not terminated like ours.
I still think Carnival values its customers, and yes, of course ,they have to also look at making a profit and keeping up their reputation.
As a seasoned traveler, I understand that things happen. That is why they call it “traveling”.
As an Accountant, I also understand that Corporations are indeed like people in some regards….they treat YOU the way that YOU treat them. And if you ranted to them in your letter the way you ranted here with generalizations and exaggerations, then they simply treated YOU like you treated them. ( since that seems to be the “point” of your rant)
But just to reassure you that the media had nothing to do with Carnival doing the right thing, our 5 day cruise out of Galveston (to 2 ports) was cut to a 3 day cruise to nowhere thanks to Hurricane Gustav.
Carnival gave us a 50% refund (the refund hit our credit card before we got home) and a 50% discount on a future cruise….and there was NO media involved.
Not a word…not a whisper in the news……
Nothing about our trip’s adventure was Carnival’s fault…it was Mother Nature. But Carnival did not use that as an excuse. They took care of us wonderfully just like they have done on our other 40 cruises with them.
And our next cruise….the Liberty and Destiny..the end of the month !!
It seems your biggest issue is being a “tourist” instead of a traveler and you should indeed stay home.
Linda
HI Anne– I was on the boat with you along with my wife and 3 daughters. The Media kept talking about Spam– Wondering if you got any haha..
I have not even really listen to the Media I have just been keeping up on it by the blog here. I can’t stand the news media they can try and make anything bad. That seems to be all they care about is doom and gloom. I have been SO SO impressed with Carnival I think they have went WAY up and beyond. I can’t wait to go on my first cruise it’s going to be GREAT. I can’t see going on anyone cruise.
Confirms what we have experienced on each of the 12 Carnival Cruises we have taken. It is sad to say that our society looks for the negative. It is the positive that gets overlooked.
GREAT job Carnival…. my next sailing is Jan 13th and cannot wait!
What a relief to find someone who has the ability to report the saga the way it REALLY was. I agree wholeheartedly that you will always get the negative spin to this type of unfortunate incident, some people need their few seconds of “fame” if approached by the media.
The compensation that Carnival has offered its guests goes above and beyond. It was a “lucky” (don’t get me wrong here) that this incident happened on the Splendor with John as the CD. His seasoned experience and excellent humour is something that helped keep the passengers calm and informed with the proper up-to-date announcements.
Without diminishing the seriousness of the situation, John was able to keep guests apprised of everything happening and that is a great philosophy to have in such a situation. How often has anyone been left hanging without any information, eg. airport delay, etc. and no one bothers to inform passengers about what is happening. My belief is better to be informed (good or bad) then no communication at all.
Thanks Carnival for being the type of cruise company we can depend on. John, Carnival is lucky to have you as part of their team. Carnival is definitely our cruise line!!
It sounds like Carnival went above and beyone, as they should have in a situation like that. Whenever I have gone on Carnival it seems like the staff always tries to go above and beyone and in a time of crisis and stress it sounds like they did exactly what they were supposed to. One thing I do not understand is why didn’t the cruise line just evacuate the ship through the life boats to get passengers to shore in stead of having them on a ship for 2 days without power. I am not critsizing by any means what they did, but it was just a thought I had.
I was there. ..Smoke was rapidly contained, and all the guests were ok. Nobody seemed to panic due to Cruise Director,John ;s, reasuring voice over the intercom system which worked perfectly. Evacuation by life boats would have caused more concern than I think was necessary.
Carnival absolutely did the right thing. The seas were very calm and I would not have liked being offloaded to somewhere in Mexico and on my own.
The cruise ship was pretty comfortable for most guests. Food was plentiful. We may not hve had meat, but I do remember eating salmon, shrimp, and crabmeat as well as fancy desserts as they began to thaw. We jad enough bottled drinking water.
Toilet flushing was a big concern which was dealt with by the end of day one. If sanitary coditions had gotten out of control, well then we may have wanted to leave the ship .but he USS Ronald Regan was right there should the situation call for evacuation. The Navy airlifted us food and supplies. So, we had minimal light and had to walk the stairs… one could hardly call that a disaster at sea. Thanks, Carnival, for keeping us safe !
Hey Jeff- I also was on the cruise with my wife and 3 daughters … I had the same thought – although as you think about it we where some 60+ nautical miles from shore, with not flat water.. then when we get to shore we would have to deal with the Mexican Government. I think that would of been Caos also getting 3300 passengers and 1200 crew into those boats in the first place. There are always pro’s and Con’s to any disaster. I do think they could have terminated the cruise a little faster. since we all new all along it was a fire — well I did I was on the bottom floor in the back where both my cabins had alot of smoke. ( the section of the boat where the water/toilets wernt working till Wednesday) I only had a few negatives and I am planning on going on another cruise I wont mention them. I would have loved to have gotten some spam though… …. Although I did get a pack of pop tarts. =)
I wasn’t on the Splendor this time;however, I cruise Carnival quite a bit, 3- 4 times a year. I am glad to hear all went much better than the media was reporting. I am taking a group this month for a 4 day to Mexico and one of my clients emailed to say she was afraid to go. She is from the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area. I asked her how many people were shot dead this past weekend in the Bay Area? How many school children were kidnapped in the nation this weekend,how many car accidents have happened this weekend, How many muggings? These are mostly daily events in the inner city and yet, you still go to work, shopping, the movies and anything else you want to do with little fear. The incident with Carnival is rare, NOT a frequent occurence. Stay positive and KNOW we will have a good time. Carnival is, in deed, THE FUN SHIP!
I went to Alaska on the Princess in September. Wish I had taken Carnival.
I am considering taking a group on the Princess, can you e-mail with some insight?
You may email me at glennatsjb@aol.com with any questions.
Fun ship? Ha! You need to wake up and smell the roses. You want to know what Carnival is really like? Get this. We saved up for two years to cruise on Carnival this past January (2010) and were told 2 days prior that our ports were changing. Yes, they can do this. Do you feel they can do this when they had been having problems with their propulsion system for several months? No. To make matters worse, they waited until just 48 hours prior to departure to let us know. How is that for putting your customer first? Then, when we attempted to change our plane reservations it was going to cost us $400 per ticket (times 5). Our hotel would not let us cancel either because we were within 72 hours of arrival. If that wasn’t enough, our travel insurance (which we paid so dearly for) would not kick in because the Godforsaken cruise was not cancelled. So, we were stuck on the Destiny, at half speed, for our first (and last) cruise. Certified letters to the cowardly CEO-Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation) and Gerry Cahill (Carnival Cruse Lines) were answered by the same lady who answers the 800 number when you call the ‘lack of’ customer service. Great for you… you only received what you did because the media DID report it. Had they not, you would be fighting just like we have…to no avail. Carnival does not care about you. They only care about their bottom line. And, so long as there are people that will pay them, they will continue to crap on us. Good luck and good riddance. Hope you have a great time on your next cruise. But, beware, and do your homework on the ship…the only way to know what is going on it to spend an inordinate amount of time on research. Vacations are supposed to be fun, not work. Our wish is for Carnival to go completely under. They way they treated our family (who treats everybody as we want to be treated) is totally unacceptable!
Dude……seriously, people are shaking their heads and laughing at you at this point…
move on….no one cares about someone who obviously can’t take care of himself or his family……
stay home….
Linda
Btw, I doubt this will do any good….but perhaps if someone explains to you that YOUR actions are just as responsible for your rant as Carnival….perhaps you will learn something.
1. YOU did not do proper research before buying cruise insurance. As with anything in life, there are all kinds of travel policies. There are even travel insurance policies that pay if you simply change your mind. It is called “cancellation for any reason”.
YOU did not purchase that kind of policy….this is NOT Carnival’s fault.
2. YOU decided what hotel to book. Not all hotels require a 72 hour cancellation notice. But YOU elected to book with one that does….this is NOT Carnival’s fault.
3. Airlines allow you to change your booking for less that $200 a person (which is why Carnival reimburses up to $200 a person). However, common sense should tell you that you are not going to be able to book a “hot flight” for the same price as an off season one. Again, this would have been paid for by your travel insurance IF YOU had purchased the right kind of policy.
Yes, the Destiny had issues. Ports being changed or skipped on cruise ships is NO BIG DEAL. This is a cruise ship….not a bus. If it was so important for you to go to a particular port, FLY THERE !
How fast or slow a ship sails has NO EFFECT on the cruise that you have. You still eat, sleep and have all the ship board activities.
But even with the majority of complaints being YOUR FAULT…had you written a well worded rational letter to Carnival…had there been a valid complaint…Carnival would have addressed it properly.
But again, if all of this is to much for you to handle…
STAY HOME…. but stop blaming someone else for YOUR POOR DECISIONS !!
Linda
Glad I found your blog. It’s not surprising to me that Carnival did the right thing by its passengers. Hearing about how everything played out firsthand is fascinating.
I think Carnival is a great company, and my husband and I are looking forward to our cruise out of Jacksonville in January.
This will be our third Carnival cruise in so many years. We’re working towards our platinum.
Hope we have you as our cruise director some day!
My family and two other couples from church are waiting anxiously for our carnival freedom cruise… 11/28.. Our faith is strong and we know that everything happens for a reason. Perhapse that incident happened because god knew he had all the right players in place, to show his love and mercy!!! Bravo Carnival…. Bravo!!!
I am a travel agent myself, and I think the customer service was excellent as well. Things happen! You can be walking or driving down the street and an avalanche fall on you, or driving in a car and it catch on fire. Because it was a cruise ship the media as with all things blew it way out of proportion, and I was appalled to read some of the comments people made about how they should not feel sorry for those on the ship because they were refunded ect. That is all they focused on and it was no mention of the fact you all were without basic necessities for a period of time. Some people are so small minded, and I will just pray for them!
Good Job Carnival,
I would not hesitate to travel this ship as we were just on the Splendor in september. John Heald is the best CD I have ever met and we cruise at least once a year!
We love Carnival, and know the staff and crew always makes their guests comfortable and I’m sure this was true in this case.
I saw the Today show and thought the questions were unfair and the reporting of events were also unfair to the cruise line.
things can go wrong, and luckily this was not a life threatening event due to the quick action of the crew and staff.
Bravo to all of you at Carnival. I hope to be back on the Splendor next year!
A s they say ship happens I have been on approx 6 cruises with Carnival and things will happen that nobody wants to happen but everyone did what needed to be done to get people home safely and I will sail with them again when the opportunity comes. Again nobody want to put anyone in this position but when it happens you do your best to take care of the customers and this is what Carnival did. Please don`t let this issue stop anyone form going on a cruise it is unbelievable. what a great time can be had. Thanks Carnival for the memories
I am a college instructor teaching business management majors. I promise you that the Splendor incident will be a case study used in business schools in the future to teach what a truly first class organization does to get out in front of a very tough situation and take care of their guests-no matter what the cost. Carnival earned a lot of new clients because they handled things in a truly first class manner.
Thanks to Glenn for the “Truth”…..
as this was not a joke to be put on the INTERNET sites, and / or to have the Media People spout the “Spam and Pop-tarts Bull”…. Real People were in a true perilous AT SEA situation that could have been a whole lot worse, and thank goodness, the CCL hires good hard working Crew and Management Personnel ( like John and the Captain ) to take care of the Passengers Safety, and well being first – and profits last.
WELL DONE !!!!!
Hey John! Anyone who “will NEVER cruise again” please send your voucher to cruise critic & see how many takers you will find!! Love you John!
Jan
Mr. Jaffery,
Thank you for posting this. I am stunned at all the cruisers received.
John,
Carnival is a wonderful company. I believe they went above and beyond the call of duty. Enjoy the time with the girls.
Julie
Way to go Glenn. No-where was it said that we had FRESH fruit and vegs every day and never even saw any spam. The crew was awesome. Carnival did absolutely everything possible under the circumstances.
I have been on 5 Carnival trips and have always had the best customer service and John was the Cruise director on one of our cruises we had a blast/. We cruise in a family group of at least 20 people. We have not always had the best of circumstances 1 trip our luggage was lost and carnival made arrangements for us. Another trip one of our family members had a heart attack and had to have the ship turned around to have him airlifted back to Miami. once again the crew were amazing keeping us posted of his situation and were exceptional they even gave grandma and grandpa another RT cruise and they did not have travel insurance. We are die hard Carnival lovers and hope to go again real soon.
Pingback: Fire on Carnival Splendor - Page 14 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers
The response by CCL makes me proud to be a shareholder in the company. We have sailed on Carnival several times and on HAL too. We also sailed on a competitive line this fall. Never again. It will be Carnival and the rest of the company’s divisions. Keep up the terrific customer service. Although this episode was extreme, you have the same terrific service on every cruise.
YAY CARNIVAL!!!!
THATS THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE WITH ALL COMPANIES. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL LEARN FROM YOU.
LOVE YOU GUYS!!
XO
JEANIE ROCKWELL
Without the media, the Splendor ‘guests’ /suckers would have met the same fate as those of that sailed on the Destiny over the past year or so. It is a crying shame that Carnival can retain any loyalty when they provide the worst possible customer service (or lack thereof) from the top down. Never in my life would I let anybody I care about even think about sailing on Carnival. They screwed us once and would not even blink an eye to screw us again. I know that for a fact. It is all about THEIR bottom line. So long as there are people that will sail on Carnival they have their bounty. But,, seriously, wake up and smell the roses…
“Never in my life would I let anybody I care about even think about sailing on Carnival.”
You must be a real treat to live with. What exactly would you do if you were to detect such thoughts? Lock them in the basement? Chain them to a tree?
So you had a bad experience. Hundreds of others in this thread alone did not. Do you think your spittle-flecked rants are going to change any minds?
You are making a jackass out of yourself. Ports change, that isn’t the end of the world. On a few of my past cruises we had to change ports. Once for a hurricane, once for a prenant woman delivering a baby, so what…we still had a great time. Your vacation is what you make of it. Stop being a cry baby, it could happen on any line, not just Carnival…wake up and smell the roses.
DO NOT SAIL ON CARNIVAL. THEY WILL EAT YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT. For those on the Splendor, just be glad you were the focus of the media or you could have met the same fate as we did. What an awesome feeling to see such misfotune meet Carnival…what goes around comes around for Carnival!
Ken:
In case you haven’t figure this out….you are making a fool of yourself.
Stop being a BUS RIDER….
Linda
We were aboard the Splendor last week, and we are so grateful for a successful end to the serious situation at sea. Captain and engineers : bravo! And john Heald, your calm voice and constant communications just made everyon feel safe. We are looking to sail again with Carnival and definitely on a cruise where you are the CD.
The media, as always, just focused on the negative. Sure, there were some cruise guests who were more uncomfortable that others, but food & drinking water were plentiful. We had fruits, vegetables, cheese sandwiches, and even ice cream ! Unless you were an absolute carnivor, your stomach was full.!
Thanks also to the dedicated crew members who lugged food and luggage up and down 9 flights of stairs several times each day. Crew members were also on hand to carry the infirmed or elderly up stairs whenever they needed help. Camp Carnival was up and running for the little children. And then the Coast Guard and US Navy, & Mexican tug boats came to our rescue – that was reassuring to see them. Towing us to San Diego was the best decision. Taking us off the ship would have only made everyone feel unsafe.
And WE WERE ALL JUST FINE! The media will print what they will – a good outcome never makes the news. Thanks, Carnival !
One reason I rank Carnival my favorite cruise line! I think everyone on Splendor did a wonderful job.. Nice to hear the “real” story. Sounds like Carnival and John did what they could do under an unusual problem. The way I see it no one got hurt, killed and you didn’t lose the ship.
I also think the Captain did his job great.. My dad is a captain on a merchant marine ship and has had a engine fire in the past. They are not something you want to have on a ship. But it does happen. These are machines that do break.
Kudos the Carnival staff and guest!!
I was so tired of the news casters making it sound so negative as if they where hoping to find a bunch of pissed off passengers….and when they didn’t, it seemed as if they where trying to tell them they should be pissed off…make such a big deal over spam…really? its not like its horse or something…I love Carnival, I love John Heald, and if this where to happen to me there is no other cruise line or cruise director more capable to make it right…I sailed on Splendor last year and sailing in 13 days on Spirit, I have all the confidence in the world in Carnival….and would eat spam everyday …..and be smiling the whole time!!!!
keep doing what you do!!!
Deborah Pitones
Glad to hear the real story–and NOT the way the media publicized it! Between Glenn’s letter praising the efforts of Carnival and John’s expert narrative of how the week really went–obviously the media is again exaggerating to try to make people not want to cruise with Carnival. I for one will always cruise with them–already a Platinum cruiser!
Glenn,
Thank you for your accurate and truthful comments. Our group of 6 from Lake Havasu City, AZ had great trip and an adventure we will remember for the rest of our lives. Yes, some catastrophic failures occured however Carnival dealt with the situation in the most efficient manor. John Heald was very informative and kept the atmosphere of the Splendor positive and at times he was down right funny. He kept us well informed without releasing info that may have jeopardized public safety. Carnival staff service was above and beyond expectations. They kept a postive demeanor and a smile on their face even though most were working almost around the clock. Food was ok for the circumstances given. No SPAM was every seen by our group. Lots of sandwiches!!
Our group is looking forward to booking our next cruise ASAP along with many of our friends that could not make this cruise.
I feel sorry for the negative people out there that have to complain about things not being perfect but given the circumstances, Carnival staff and executives treated us very well. Thanks again the the Coast Guard, The Ronald Reagan, and Mexican Navy for keeping us safe and the The Chihuahua, the Shitzu, and other tugs for getting us to San Diego!!!
Responsibility of the boat to take him to the complex.
Just heard a family interviewed on Boston’s Fox 25 when they arrived back in Boston and they had nothing but praise for how the situation was handled and called you out by name on how great you were in this situation.
That’s awesome. We went on Royal Caribbean several years ago. Were supposed to go to Belize, Cozumel, and Key West. Day before we left, they informed us we would be visiting everything in reverse order. So we arrived at Key West at 7am and left at 2 – the party hardly had started yet! Then at Cozumel we had to ferry in and out because we were off schedule and missed our excursion. Then thinking we were headed to Belize, we woke up the next morning, turned around, and heading for the RC private island in the Bahamas (a way cheaper cruise btw!). They claimed someone had a medical emergency and we had to turn around. While talking to workers on deck, we found out that there was an engine problem and they knew the ship didn’t have enough oomph to make the whole trip!! No reimbursements, no vouchers, nothing. Customer service told us we pay to be on the boat, not to go places – have they ever watched their own TV ads?!?!?!
Kudos to Glenn for putting out FACTS instead of SENSATION. Carnival is a terrific organization, and our cruise line of choice for the reasons that Glenn listed. And John Heald rocks as Cruise Director! We look forward to BC4 with him in February.
Duchess Sandy in GA
Evil Crew member, BC1
After the ship went adrift it was all over the news at home. I think the news was waiting for stories of the horrors (and how Carnival did nothing). I think they were let down.
It seems like most people made the best of a bad situation and the Carnival crew did what it could with limited resources.
Wow! I didn’t realize the whole scope of Carnival’s compensation to the passengers. Carnival, you are a class act! You went above and beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. Kudos to you!
I am so glad that if this had to happen, then it happened with John Heald as the CD. Not that any other CD wouldnt have stood to the challenge, I am sure they would have. But because John has a way about him, that truly makes people feel cared about. I would have felt safer with John.
To the gentleman telling everyone to wake up and smell the roses, just because you had a bad experience, does not mean everyone will. It also sounds to me like you had another CD, and may have been different people in place that did not care as much, but maybe you should give the others a chance. Regardless of the fact, I feel they went above and beyond what they needed to do to serve the customers on the Splendor and that is the issue at hand now. I cannot wait to get on my next Carnival Cruise in November. As Daryl said I too have faith and believe God makes things happen for a reason, and this time the right people were in place to deal with the situation. One bad experience should not spoil the show. You have a choice when you vacation, if Carnival is not your choice so be it, but do not spoil it for others!
The reports i saw actually said all of that…Very nice…especially considering i will be on that same ship in 3 weeks.
How many cruises actually have a problem like this? Come on, be for real, with the hundreds of cruises, thousands of guests, and the media focus’ on this cruise. Carnival will always be my choice, Keep up the good work!!!! Let the media concentrate on other problems,Carnival can handle their own!!!
Way to go Glenn. You hit it right on the head.John , youre the best.
I think Carnival was very generous. The minimum would have been a refund of this cruise. I think the extra free cruise was expected as well, along with the transportation arragements. However, for Carnival to pay for transportation to the port, free up the alcohol, clear out the S&S charges and offer any pictures for free was above and beyond. Plus the fact that the crew were well taken care of with tips.
The media seems to be perpetuating this cruise from hell and asking leading questions, while the people they interview keep saying that it wasn’t that bad and they’ll take the free cruise!
Btw…different Sarah from above.
Last week, the floating “resort hotel” known as the Carnival Spendor had an electrical equipment fire at sea and no one is injured or killed and it makes world-wide news for days on end. Years from now, people will remember this event that will unfortunately be known as a “spamcation” forever.
This past Sunday, a land-based “resort hotel” in Playa del Carmen, Mexico experienced an explosion that killed six people and injured approximately twenty people. This accident will be sadly forgotten by the public by tomorrow morning, except by the families of the victims.
Hi John,
First time blogger but big fan of Carnival
Three cruises a year when we can
I have to sail with you as I think you are absolutely hilarious (BTW I am a Scot now American citizen so you know that’s a real compliment)
Tell Jenn to get over herself & let her hair down & just laugh. it’s very good for the soul to laugh
A friend called to make sure I wasn’t on the Splendor & I told her I wished I was. You guys take such good care of your guests & all that free booze Woohoo!!!!!
Thank you Carnival & all youir hardworking, courteous & caring employees
Hope to sail Jnuary
The Carnival Splendor crew were amazing. They worked so hard to take care of us. Thank you Carnival!!!! We also loved our cruise director John. You are the best and so funny. We will be cruising with Carnival again. Thanks again.
I was not on this cruise & feel a dissappointment for all.When u own a business,u want EVERYTHING to go as the business advertises! AND when u are a consumer u want what you pay for! WELL a bit of unexpectancy happened and it just so happens that it happened vacation week!SOMETHING MANY LOOK FORWARD TOO!! WoW,I beleive thats LIFE every now and then!! I have been on 9 cruises, a couple w/ John Harold aboard.I expected nothing less than the best that they could do! Canrival-n- harold!!! What a pair!
Pingback: Carnival Funville Online Community | Cruise Blogs & Forums | Carnival Cruise Lines
I think if you look closely at the mixed reviews you will find most of the unhappy customers were on the lower decks.
I did see many people unable to walk up several flights only to find no edible food when they made it. One lady I remember was going from deck to deck with 2 small children in tow just to find something to feed them.
What I really dont understand is how they could run out of food so often. Perhaps if they had left oranges and snacks out the food lines would not have been so ridiculous, As for the spam I would have welcomed it.
I also wish they would not have told us they were contacting our familys as no one in our group ever had a call.
I did notice that the organization improved as the days went on.Hey! lets open the other dining rooms and perhaps the bars.
All in all we all survived! I ‘m sure carnival will have learned somthing from this. As for me I will never travel without emergency supplies and never! never! agree to a lower deck.
I had a group of 46 onboard during this adventure and they were ALL my family
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, neices, nephews, 2nd cousins etc. etc.
The onboard crew and especially John Heald were fantastic!
Yes…the situation sucked and yes… I am still having a problem eating any food. But I think that they handled what they could, the best way that they could.
I do have one suggestion though…. how about at least 1 emergency light in each cabin (especially the inside cabins) OR mabe glow sticks for emergencies?
My wife and I were on the cruise and I totally aagree with all that you have posted. The only inconvenience we encountered was having a cabin on the 10th floor which allowed me to lose five pounds (instead of gaining 5-10 pounds) which normally happens on a cruise.
Thank you Carnival, Crew and of course Mr. John, who made an unpleasant situation, as pleasant as it could possibly be. I would definitely enjoy meeting in person on my next cruise to thank you for all you did. All the best.
That is great news. My family is going on a cruise in Dec. and I know we will be looked after.
Thank you to Glenn for an HONEST account of the environment onboard the Splendor. Those of us who cruise often and work with TA’s know that they are almost always very candid in their accounts/reviews of cruises and such. It’s a shame that the media chose to make a bad situation even worse so they could have a “headline” story. Alas, this is all to common on many news stories in society today.
And John, nothing but KUDOS to you sir for your dynamic handling of the whole situation. The guests onboard the Splendor were indeed “lucky” to have you as their CD during this trying time.
Carnival was great! The media always makes so much more out of any incident. The food was not gourmet but it was healthy and fresh. The crew was outstanding. Everything Mr. Jaffey posted is true and I wouldn’t hesitate to cruise with Carnival again. I never saw anyone eating Spam!
Thank you, Glenn, for affirming our excellent opinion of Carnival, and of John Heald. SO glad to have this to share with skeptics, and with my group of first-timers who are cruising with Carnival next Fall.
Pingback: Top Posts — WordPress.com
I have never been on a cruise, can’t handle the thought of being cooped up for so long, but I’m sorry I missed this one.
No one hurt and the mother of all stories to tell for years to come. To top it all you get your money back, another free cruise and they pay your way home. Some people are so lucky and I don’t mean just because no one was hurt.
Hi friend.
Keep being creative and positive all the while,
keep putting yourself to the wheel.
God bless you always.
Carnival you have done the right thing even better than expected. You have handled this bad Situation with benvolence,understanding and Business savvy. Hope that you will have anymore such incidences in the future. Peace
I am a fan of carnival, a big cruiser, and sailed on Carnival Splendor the first month it sailed. Thank you for the honest account of all done for the passengers. I have really enjoyed John’s blog and his humor and now more than ever, I am ready for my next cruise.
Praises to Carnival, and a very special Praise to John Heald.
Carnival and the voice of “JOHN” made what could have been a disaster, a fun (and different) trip after all. Sure it was not what we paid for, nor not what we were looking for. But accidents do happen, we all knew it could have been worse.
“WE could have gotten wet”
I think Carnival did what they had to do and FAST, my Hat off to JOHN he kept us on top of it all.
John kept us all very calm and took a very scary innocent and reassured all the passengers it was going to be fine.
We all developed faith in what JOHN said. We believed him, he portrayed that to us.
John gave us up to one the minute information about the conditions, (Almost felt as if we were riding with the captain at times) we knew as much as the captain did, or so it did seem that way.
John let me know your next voyage, as I would like to cruise with you. YOUR THE MAN.
Glen, Our travel agent, you are a champ as well. You really knew how to keep us informed as well and you did take care of us to the end.
As for the crew members they also did a fantastic job, and it was Wonderful knowing we had The Coast Guard at our beck & call and the best yet, is “US” the passengers, for the most, we were great too. No bitch’n from my group. We all became friends and hero’s lets face it, it was history in the making.
What a team. Thanks to all.
Ya know there always is someone, ready to bitch about something. “some people will BITCH if they were hung with a new rope too”
Here’s to our next cruise…way to go CARNIVAL. I will be sailing with you again, and hope JOHN is on that cruise too.
I have already submitted my say Thank. you
I was on the Carnival Splendor a week before this incident happened and based on the customer service that I observed, there is no doubt in my mind that John and the rest of the Carnival Crew took care of the passengers on the cruise.
I have had only one question about this entire incident at sea. WHO made the decision to send SPAM & Pop Tarts to the passengers and why those food items? Thanks.
We may not understand the hard decisions that were made while we where out at sea on the Splendor. But we do know that Carnival and the crew of the Splendor took very good care of us. It was challenging at time but we were NEVER without food, it may not of been what we wanted but it was food. My hat goes off to Carnival and the crew of the Splendor for a job well done!!!!!
We will cruise again with Carnival
thank you for the post! I would expect no less from Carnival – we travel with them at least twice each year and I know my travel dollars are well spent.
John, how can I find out the name of the CD for the January 13, 2011 sailing of the Fascination? That will be my 13th Carnival cruise…. I have a request for the CD. THANKS for your BOLG – I really enjoy reading it. Carnical is fortunate to have you.
Why am I no longer receiving your daily blogs? My wife and I look forward to them.
This is above and beyond customer service. Thanks Carnival for caring. I have always recommended your cruise line to people I talk to about cruising. Now I can recommend with pride and knowing I am right when I say Carnival will fix it and make it right.