Grandeur Returns to Service But Bumps Passengers

Grandeur Returns to Sea

Following the fire onboard Grandeur of the Seas at the end of May, the ship was taken out of service to complete the necessary repairs.

The ship will sail its first cruise July 12th and is currently sailing a 1-night cruise for media and travel industry partners.

Repairs Not Completed

As was the case with the recent return to service on Carnival Sensation, despite best intentions, not all of the necessary repairs have been completed on Grandeur of the Seas.  Therefore, Royal Caribbean has "re-accomodated" passengers from 78 cabins to allow room for the repair crew that is onboard. These passengers will be provided with full refunds and an incentive for a future cruise.

It is hoped that all repairs will be completed during this cruise so that passengers on the July 19th sailing won't be impacted.   Unfortunately, this is the risk one takes when booking the first sailing following a dry-dock of this nature.  

For more information about the fire, see our previous article:  Fire Onboard Grandeur of the Seas

Carnival Triumph Retun Delayed Again

Carnival introduced a dedicated space where all your questions,
concerns and feedback can be addressed.  (click image)

CARNIVAL TRIUMPH

Carnival Cruise Lines canceled two additional five-day sailings of Carnival Triumph to make repairs caused when the ship was torn away from a shipyard in Mobile earlier this month. The ship will return to service June 13 rather than June 3.

The additional cancellations are the result of damage to the ship when it broke away from the pier earlier this month.  This has delayed the overall repair schedule by 10 days. Attempts to return the ship to the shipyard failed and repairs are being done at the Mobile cruise terminal. Final repairs will be completed in The Bahamas.

Passengers on the latest canceled sailings will receive full refunds, reimbursement for travel expenses and future cruise discounts of 25 percent. 

If you missed what happened earlier this month, we have included Carnival's update from their Facebook page.

Update on Carnival Triumph in Mobile, AL April 3, 2013, 7PM ET  Earlier this afternoon, due to strong winds that reached speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour during a severe storm in Mobile, Ala., Carnival Triumph, which was in wet dock at a Mobile shipyard, broke away from its moorings. The ship drifted, and was secured. With the assistance of tugboats on site, the ship has been moved to the Mobile Cruise Terminal. Lines have moored the ship, and, as a precaution, tugboats will remain alongside the vessel as well. All of the approximately 600 crew and 200 contractors who were onboard the vessel are safe and have been accounted for through a roll call. There are no reports of injuries. While assessment of damage to the ship is ongoing, initial indications suggest the damage is limited. According to reports, two shipyard employees on an adjacent pier fell into the water. One has reportedly been rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and the search continues for the second. Our thoughts and prayers are with the missing shipyard employee and the family.

In Other News....

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES ANNOUNCES FLEETWIDE $300 MILLION PROGRAM TO ENHANCE OPERATING RELIABILITY AND GUEST COMFORT        

[ Read more ] Carnival Fleetwide Reliability Program

Avalon Panorama Mid-Cruise Repairs

Newest Avalon 

River Cruise Ship

Panorama

Unexpected Dry Dock

A brand new kind of ship, the Avalon Panorama set sail in 2011, taking inspired design to a whole new level. A unique 'Suite Ship', the Avalon Panorama was the first of its kind in the industry - with two full decks of suites featuring a Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window that transforms the living space into a unique Open-Air Balcony.

    Built: 2011        Length: 443 ft.        Crew Members: 47        Staterooms: 17        Suites: 66

Propeller Repairs Needed

Avalon Panorama was unable to cruise at maximum speed due to a propeller problem that developed last Wednesday evening.  The cruise continued as planned, albeit at a slower speed, until Friday when passenger accommodations were made in Vienna hotels.   The cruise itinerary  then continued via bus while the ship underwent the propeller repairs in a dry dock facility in Linz.

The passengers and ship were scheduled to be reunited this morning in Krems where the cruise would continue as planned.   The next scheduled departure for Avalon Panorama is August 24th for a 14-Night Magnificent Europe, Budapest to Amsterdam cruise.


Had this same situation occurred on a large cruise ship, it may have meant the termination of the cruise.  The logistics to accommodate 166 passengers is much easier than for more than 1,000 passengers on the larger vessels.  We applaud Avalon Waterways for making every effort to continue the cruise.


If you aren't familiar with river cruising, we invite you to view our special page about the differences.   Warning - once you try river cruising, you might have a hard time returning to larger ships.

Carnival Splendor Heads North for More Repairs

Carnival Splendor after fire in November, 2010

Carnival Splendor Sails to San Francisco for Further Repairs

Many of you have been checking back for updates on Carnival Splendor.  As we mentioned back in mid-December, the Splendor would have some repair work done in San Diego and then sail to San Francisco to have work completed at a dry dock.   That was scheduled for mid-January. 

Today marks a major milestone in the long journey back to service for the Splendor.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 2, 2011 (click following link for latest)

Carnival Splendor to Leave San Francisco and Return to Service

Carnival Splendor Sails North Today

It's hard to believe it's been two months since the Carnival Splendor was towed into San Diego following the engine room fire.   The ship will leave the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal today and sail under its own power to a dry-dock facility in San Francisco, where repairs will be completed.

Carnival Splendor has been out of service since Nov. 8, when a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room during a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. The 952-foot vessel was left without power while offshore of Ensenada. With more than 3,000 passengers aboard, Splendor was towed by tug boats into San Diego Bay on Nov. 11, led by the U.S. Coast Guard. Passengers disembarked at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal and the ship was then moved to the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal on Nov. 18 for the industrial portion of the repairs.

“It’s really a testament of how San Diego came together, including the Port of San Diego, to assist an important customer, Carnival Cruise Lines,” said Joel Valenzuela, director of the port’s maritime operations. “It required working with all of our partners, and our customer base at the cargo terminal to coordinate shipments of goods and space allocation for imports while the Splendor was under repair.”

Carnival Splendor will be accompanied by two tugs as a safety precaution during its multi-day voyage north, according to Coast Guard officials.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Carnival Cruise Lines is still saying that  Carnival Splendor  will return to service February 20, 2011.  It operates year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Long Beach.  Since Carnival Splendor is one of the last ships in this market, this is very important to the West Coast economy as well as tourism in the Mexican Riviera.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Cruise Cancellations Extended
Carnival Splendor Repair Status
Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire
Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

Carnival Splendor Cruise Cancellations Extended

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES CANCELS

ADDITIONAL VOYAGES 

OF CARNIVAL SPLENDOR 

AS REPAIRS CONTINUE

Ship Now Scheduled to Re-Enter Service February 20 

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced additional cancellations of Carnival Splendor.  The January 16, 23, 30 and February 6 and 13, 2011, voyages were canceled to allow for additional repair time following the engine room fire aboard the vessel in November. 

UPDATE FEBRUARY 2, 2011 (click following link for latest)

Carnival Splendor to Leave San Francisco and Return to Service

Update:   The investigation is ongoing, but the U.S. Coast Guard has released preliminary findings

USCG Generates Recommendations Following Splendor Fire

Carnival Splendor needs new generator, alternators, switchboard parts

Carnival's statement indicated that as the repairs have been progressing, additional problems were uncovered requiring additional repair time.  In addition, some parts were unavailable and had to be manufactured in Europe.

The ship is currently in San Diego, however, it will sail to San Francisco in mid-January where repairs will be completed at a dry dock facility.

"We sincerely apologize to our guests for having to cancel these additional cruises," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival's president and CEO.  "We made our best effort back in November to estimate the necessary repair time with a strong goal of not having to modify it at a later point in time.  Unfortunately, as the repairs have progressed and we have discovered additional issues, it is now clear that we need more time.  We know this is extremely disappointing for our guests and particularly disheartening for those who already had their vacations cancelled once and are now being affected again."

As has been the case with the earlier cancellations, guests booked on the cancelled voyages will receive a refund or future cruise credit equal to the amount paid, along with reimbursement of air transportation-related change fees. Those who re-book may also receive a 25 percent future cruise discount and/or onboard credit depending on the ship and sailing date of the new booking.

Additional details can be found in Carnival Splendor's Travel Advisory statement.

While this is disappointing, Carnival Cruise Line has once again tried to accommodate guests impacted by this accident.   We all look forward to the day when Carnival Splendor will once again be sailing the seven seas with passengers enjoying the repaired ship.

Related Blog Posts:


Carnival Splendor Repair Status
Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire
Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Pictures Tell The Story

Carnival Splendor Repair Status

Carnival Splendor Being Towed to San Diego
Photo courtesy John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Splendor Repairs Underway
UPDATE:

Carnival Splendor to Leave San Francisco and Return to Service

UPDATE:  NOW EXPECTED TO RETURN TO SERVICE FEBRUARY 20, 2011

Carnival Splendor Cruise Cancellations Extended

UPDATE:  JANUARY 19, 2011 (click following link)

Carnival Splendor Heads North for More Repairs

After Carnival Splendor arrived back in San Diego and the passengers headed for home, the long process of determining what happened and returning the ship to service began.   A joint task force made up of Carnival technicians, NTSB, Panama Government representatives, USGC and others descended on the vessel and started the process.

After an initial assessment, it was decided that cruises needed to be cancelled until January 16.  This left passengers and their agents, including yours truly, scrambling to reschedule stranded passengers who had planned holiday sailings on the Splendor.

You might recall that during the incident, Captain Cupisti had to order the release of CO2 in the engine room to distinguish the cables.  The fire crews had also used water to cool down the engine room.

Thus, the engine room must be cleaned up from the CO2 and water before the actual damage can be repaired.   As you might expect, this is a huge job.  We will bring you updates as we learn more about the cleanup and repairs.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire
Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Pictures Tell The Story

Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Mexican navy vessel P110 holds position off the
port bow of the Carnival cruise ship C/V Splendor
(Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy)

Carnival Splendor Out of Service

Miami - November 16, 2010 – 11am

Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled voyages of the Carnival Splendor through the departure of January 9, 2011, to allow time for repairs following an engine room fire last week. The ship is scheduled to re-enter service on January 16, 2011.

Guests who were scheduled to sail on these voyages will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and air transportation costs, along with a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

Carnival Splendor was towed to San Diego following the fire which occurred off the Mexican coast on November 8. A team from the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB and flag authorities, along with Carnival's engineers and technicians, is currently on board investigating the cause of the fire. Carnival personnel are being assisted by representatives of the shipyard that built the vessel and other manufacturers of engine room components in assessing damage and necessary repairs.

"We realize how much guests look forward to their vacations and know that they are very disappointed by this news. We too are disheartened that we are not able to fulfill the dreams of those who have entrusted us with their important vacation plans. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was scheduled to sail on these cancelled voyages and look forward to welcoming them aboard in the future. Now that we have a full technical team engaged in the assessment, we wanted to provide this information as quickly as possible," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

Carnival is contacting travel agents and guests on the affected sailings and providing assistance in finding alternate cruises. Travel agent commissions on the cancelled sailings will be protected.

Please continue to check back here for updates. 

If you are affected by this, please click here for an important notice detailing your options.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire