Thanksgiving Reflections 2018

Thankful for ... 
Experiencing New Destinations & Ships

See More Southeast Asia Pics (here)


See our diary from our cruise to Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia

The weather in Southeast Asia in January is gorgeous compared to the cold and snowy winter back home.   The Caribbean isn't the only place you can escape the weather.   We encourage you to expand your cruise vacation destination list to beyond the Caribbean.

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here already. Where did 2018 go? As has become my tradition, I'd like to share with you some of the things that I'm thankful for and highlight some of my adventures this year.

I hope that you, your family, and friends have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. I know that I have plenty of things to be thankful for, including my health, family, and friends and the ability to share my love of cruising with all of you. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to explore new worlds with family and friends again this year.

The cruise industry is strong as ever with new ships and added capacity helping to keep prices reasonable for those that plan ahead.

The value of cruising has never been stronger. Even in these tough times, more and more families have taken to the seas.  Indications are that the record discounts offered the past two years will be coming to an end.  In the meantime those discounts have made cruising an even better value, and consequently we have seen a surge in first-time cruisers.

Thankful for ... 
Sailing on Brand New Ships

Q Smokehouse Norwegian Bliss

Cruises Inc., Cruise One, and Dream Vacations will hold the 2018 National Conference on Norwegian Bliss which just started its inaugural season.  We sailed out of Los Angeles for the Mexican Riviera, but were diverted to San Francisco, San Diego, and Ensenada due to Hurricane Willa.   We enjoyed experiencing this amazing new ship.  It was the largest ship to ever dock in San Diego, so there was quite a lot of excitement in the port area from locals.




We wonder what the Pilgrims, who came to the New World in Tall Ships, would think about the Norwegian Bliss.  Their ships measured 110 feet, held 150 passengers at most, and took months to cross the Atlantic.  The Bliss is about 10 times that length (1082 feet), holds 4990 passengers (double occupancy) and 1750 crew, and took just a couple weeks to cross the Atlantic.

We will be sailing a preview cruise on Celebrity Edge this weekend - this is the most anticipated new ship for 2018.  Be sure to follow us on our social media for live images.

Thank you for making our blog column a part of your lives in 2018.   I hope that the information we share helps you to dream about future cruises of your own. I'd be honored to help you plan those trips. I have the best job in the world - helping make dreams come true. For that, I'm truly thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

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Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire

Carnival Splendor  (Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line)

Carnival Splendor 

Dead in Water 

Off West Coast of Mexico

Following Engine Fire

Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed  November  7th from Long Beach, California when a fire was detected in an aft engine.  The fire was  extinguished and fortunately there were no injuries to guests or crew.

The ordeal started at approximately 6 AM Monday with guests initially being notified at 6:30 AM to move from their cabins to the ship’s upper open deck areas.  According to a statement issued by Carnival, "At this time, guests have access to their cabins and are able to move about the ship. Bottled water and cold food items are being provided."

Monday was a scheduled day at sea.  The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  The ship, which measures 113,000 gross registered tons and first entered service in July 2008, is carrying 3,299 guests and 1167 crew.

UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER

The ship has been operating on auxiliary generators following the fire and engineers have been unable to restore additional power to the vessel.  Consequently, without the additional power, several key hotel systems, including air conditioning, hot food service, flushing toilets and telephones are not available.  The ship’s crew is actively working to restore partial services.


As a result, the current voyage is being terminated.  Tugboats are currently en route to the ship which is located off the coast of Mexico, approximately 150 miles south of San Diego.  The tugs will tow the vessel to Ensenada, Mexico in an effort to get the guests home as quickly as possible.   The vessel’s command is in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard which has deployed aircraft and cutters to the cruise ship’s location.

CARNIVAL COMPENSATES PASSENGERS

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.

“We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience.  Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring.  The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible,” said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Contact information for family members: 1-888-290-5095 or 305-406-5534 


Source:  Carnival Splendor Update

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The emergency response to the stricken ship includes two seagoing tugboats, contracted out of the port of Ensenada, Mexico, U.S. Coast Guard aircraft and ships, as well as U.S. and Mexican Navy vessels.  According to Cmdr. Greg Hicks, about 70,000 pounds of supplies, including bread, utensils, cups, milk, canned food and other items will be flown to the nearby USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier where they will be transferred to the cruise ship by helicopters.

The plan is for the tugboats along with a Coast Guard cutter, to escort the ship to the port of Ensenada where passengers will be unloaded.    This process is expected to begin mid-day Tuesday and take until 8 PM Wednesday night.  

The passengers will be transported by bus approximately 50 miles to San Diego where they will begin their journey home.   After unloading the passengers, the ship will then begin it's journey back to Long Beach, California, a process which is expected to take several days.   The plan was developed so that passengers didn't have to stay onboard any longer than necessary.


FINAL THOUGHTS 

Carnival Cruise Line, and all the cruise lines, take safety very seriously.   The crews are trained to handle emergency situations and passengers must participate in mandatory safety drills.   From our vantage point, it appears that the training paid off this week as this emergency situation unfolded.   The fact that there were no injuries to guests or crew is a testament to a safety plan carried out well.


The cruise industry as a whole has an excellent safety record.   Situations like this fire are rare, but when they occur, are trying for all involved.   It appears to us that Carnival Cruise Line responded well both to the actual emergency and to the aftermath and is doing everything they can to assist the guests.   


It is too early to tell the impact on future Carnival Splendor voyages.  We will bring you updates as we learn more.