Again

The line of people, looking like ants takes my breath away. Literally, when I saw that, I gasped and felt sick to my stomach. Really truly, I absolutely felt aghast.

Carnival, shame on you.

I can only speak for myself, and what MY experiences on cruise ships have been. I do not hang in the largest drinking areas of the ship, when that is what is going on. Some of the things I have seen or heard of happening on the ships is gross. Americans have no class when it comes to traveling abroad. I’m sorry for this.  DEEPLY SORRY.

At the same time, Carnival makes money on booze. That is what drives them from the red, to the black, and it doesn’t happen till the last full day at sea.

In each and every cruise I have been on:

9/11/2011	Carnival Splendor	MEXICAN RIVIERA	1026	7
5/30/2011	Carnival Paradise	Catalina & Ensenada	V36	4
11/15/2010	Carnival Imagination	KEY WEST & COZUMEL	V21	4
4/11/2010	Carnival Splendor	MEXICAN RIVIERA	6426	7

We had mandatory safety meeting at our assigned muster stations. This was done before we left port, and as we departed in each and every cruise. I don’t feel we were let down there. However, I wasn’t on the Splendor months later when it had a fire and was dead in the water for days.

I’ve silently watched in horror and been able to partly imagine what it must have been like for people. I’ve sort of been rendered speechless but part of me cries inside every time I see what those people went through.

I think the Captain is a coward. For a Captain, there is no bigger failure than to abandon ship. There is no honor in abandoning your ship or the people you have sworn to protect. EPIC FAIL! Sitting in his house on house arrest, is too good for this man. He ought to be in a jail cell.

I don’t care if he did a great thing by bringing the ship in closer to the rock and land to reduce loss of life. He never should have been as close to shore as he was in the first place. It was the show-boat move that caused this:

THIS, should have never happened.

The passengers should have had muster drill. If they were at sea long enough to be dressed and seated for dinner, they had time to do their muster drill.

The fact that this GASH and giant rock sliced through the hull says the ship was where it shouldn’t have been. The fact the “Captain ” then steered it further onto rock, thus GROUNDING the ship caused the ship to list, rendering lifeboats on HALF THE SHIP inoperable. EPIC FAIL.

The fact that the Captain never made a single fucking emergency exit announcement, nor guided HIS passengers to a safe exit, is again another EPIC FAIL.

The fact that this man tripped and fell into a lifeboat will condemn him to a fate I wouldn’t want.

I’ve been silent on this, but it has shaken me.

Do I still love cruising? Some of it. Will I ever cruise Carnival again? I doubt it. I have met some very nice people, a few amazing people in fact, but most of the people I have traveled with on Carnival, I couldn’t stand in a voting booth with, and it wouldn’t typically be because they are of different political belief than me. It would be because I have more information to base my decisions on.

Carnival owns the cruise line that ran the Costa Concordia aground, 100 years to the day of the Titanic sinking.

May the people they haven’t found, be at peace.

May the families and friends left behind, find whatever it is they need to come to terms with the irresponsible behavior of one man.