The No-Love Boat

[marmar]

Passengers on the fire-damaged Carnival cruise ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico have reported worsening conditions including scarce running water, no air conditioning and long lines for food.

Carnival said original plans to haul the crippled ship to Progreso, Mexico, have been scrapped because the ship has drifted about 90 miles north because of strong currents. Instead, the Triumph will be towed to Mobile, Ala., and should arrive Thursday.

For the more than 4,200 people on board, Thursday could not come soon enough.

"Conditions are getting worse by the hour," passenger Debra Rightmire told ABC News in a text message. "Cabin carpets are wet with urine and water. Toilets are overflowing inside cabins. We are having to sleep in the hallways. Onion and cucumber sandwich last night," she added. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://gma.yahoo.com/passengers-text-dire-conditions-cruise-ship-081005868--abc-news-topstories.html

[HappyMe]

1. I wouldn't go on a

cruise if they paid me.

Between stuff like this, and the stories of rampant norovirus.....

[blueamy66]

9. I'm with ya.

Couldn't pay me to go on a cruise. I'd rather hang out at a beach to enjoy the ocean.

[tblue]

2. AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

The Cruise from Hell. Honestly, doesn't that sound like the very definition of hell?

[Fumesucker]

3. Sort of like a floating Superdome n/t

[justabob]

4. wtf?

Why are the passengers being forced to stay on the ship for days and days? Carnival is supplying the ship, why can't another liner go fetch the passengers?

[niyad]

5. that would seem sensible. or could our navy help?

[justabob]

6. or the Coast Guard?!

Really.... The passengers may not be in danger of going down with a sinking ship, but damn...

[niyad]

7. had meant to mention coast guard--but was thinking of the sheer numbers

[justabob]

10. right... there are a lot of people for the USCG to manage nt

[actslikeacarrot]

11. Doing an open water transfer of that many passengers...

...is too dangerous. Especially with the one ship with no power, and I believe listing? The Navy and Coast Guard does them, but only reluctantly and usually with a helicopter. Even if you used the life boats that the stranded ship has, the danger at this time is just too great, as anything could go wrong. Unless the ship is sinking, towing is their best option right now.

[niyad]

12. thank you for that information--makes sense

had been wondering why the carnival ship that brought food could not take at least some of the passengers, but understand now.

[justabob]

14. fair enough... I somehow missed the part where the ship is listing

I get why the cruise companies cram as many people as possible onto those ships, but at some point I think the dangers outweigh the profit gain. In recent years there have been so many crashes, diseases, fires and whatnot that they may want to reconsider that model. I guess as long as passengers are willing to book the tickets and subject themselves to the risk, it will continue. As someone else said, you couldn't pay me to board one of those ships.

[niyad]

8. in reading that article--thinking that carnival is going to have to reimburse everyone, and either

gut, or totally overhaul that ship. quite an expensive cruise, not to mention the emotional distress for all involved.

[catbyte]

13. You couldn't pay me enough to board one of those floating prisons

Forget the rampant food poisoning and stopped up plumbing, just the thought of being trapped with a few thousand strangers with no privacy makes my blood run cold. Yeesh!

[Amaril]

15. Right there with you

I have friends that LOVE cruising, and can't understand why I have no interest in going with. They, to a one, insist that if I would just "try" it, I would be hooked as well.

No thanks. I would rather stay my butt at home than be trapped in one of those human habitrails. Then again, I have never been one for any kind of organized tourist excursion. I would rather visit a place I have never been & see it as it really is -- not the homogenized, Disney-fied tourist version.

[catbyte]

19. "Human habitrails". Perfect. LOL!

I'm with you too about traveling. I went to the Soviet Union when it was still the Soviet Union and we were tightly managed in Moscow, Leningrad & Kiev. It was an awesome experience, but too stifling for me. I never went on a guided tour again. I'd much rather discover things on my own & go at my own pace.

[Cooley Hurd]

16. By the time they hit Mobile, it's going to be 4 fucking days on that scow...

I love the sea and I love ships, but Cruise Ships (not Ocean Liners, but ships designed strictly for cruising) are an abomination. And the conglomerate Carnival is the worst of them.

A few of Carnival Corp's recent mishaps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Splendor#2010_fire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster

[Warren DeMontague]

17. That sucks.

Hope at least they've opened the bar and are giving away free booze.

[PufPuf23]

18. Carnival could easily get adequate food and water and

remove at risk passengers via helicopter.