Triumph under Tow: When Carnival Cruise Vacations go Dangerously Wrong
The sad saga of the Carnival Triumph becomes more alarming each day. For instance, now we’re hearing that passengers had to fight for the limited food supplies. Passengers stand in lines for up to 4 hours or more to receive food, and those at the end of the line may receive nothing but an empty bun and ketchup while those at the head of the line helped themselves to as many burgers as they pleased.
Free Alcohol to Help Stranded Passengers Forget their Woes?
And reports are saying that after earlier enforcing a ban on alcohol, the Triumph crew is now passing out free wine and beer to passengers. Our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys wonder if perhaps the Carnival cruise line hopes that imbibing passengers will disembark later today with a hazy memory or no memory at all of what sound like an abominable vacation experience. Or maybe that the alcohol will minimize the chances of germs on the dirty ship breaking out into relentless illness.
Raw Sewage and Sweltering Heat Creating a Cruise Vacation Nightmare
The Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are fortunate that we only have to imagine what the voyage has been like. We are not among those unfortunate passengers and crew who had to experience it and smell it. Apparently waste water and feces run freely aboard the ship, with some cabins flooded. And with no air conditioning aboard and the ship cruising under hot, sunny skies, the foul odors must be reaching epic proportions.
Our Galveston cruise ship injury attorneys are pleasantly surprised no serious illnesses have broken out. Cruises without other problems have suffered outbreaks of the Norovirus for instance, where a majority of passengers and even crewmembers succumb to the unpleasant illness.
The Triumph’s Cruise was Intended as a Reward for Some Company Employees
Some news reports have mentioned that among the 3,000+ passengers aboard the Triumph are about 350 employees of McDonald’s and their family members. The cruise was supposed to be a reward for a job well done. After this cruise, cautious employees might think twice about working hard and choose to slack off and stay safely home instead. (Note to boss: next time a cash bonus in lieu of a cruise would be appreciated….)
On paper, the 4-day scheduled cruise must have sounded like a low-risk cruise. Going to and from Galveston within the Gulf of Mexico, it avoided the obvious risks of longer cruises or more adventurous travel destinations. Since the fire though, a Coast Guard boat has been protecting the Triumph as it’s been under tow into port. So at least pirates would not find the crippled ship an easy target. Actually, sensible pirates would probably choose to target a cleaner ship.
Continue to Part 2 to read about Carnival’s reaction to the crippled cruise and the upcoming NTSB investigation.