Carnival Cruise Lines managing director Adolfo Perez has issued an apology to the travel trade for ‘failing to deliver’ following the engine fire on Carnival Triumph last week.
He said everyone at Carnival deeply regrets "the hardship our guests had to face during their days on board the ship" and promised to continue to fully investigate what happened.
Perez said preliminary investigations indicate the cause of the fire was a leak in the fuel return line for the one of the diesel generators.
The damage meant that 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew were stuck at sea for five days, without power and short of basic supplies.
Passengers on board complained that conditions were "hellish", with human waste overflowing into corridors, food and water being rationed, and fears of looting.
Perez told agents that Carnival staff, on board and shore side, had worked "tirelessly" to take care of passengers and minimise their discomfort and inconvenience.
"We also focused on making sure their loved ones had a direct link to our Family Support Centre where they could obtain round the clock information on their family and friends on board," he said.
He said Carnival valued the trade’s support and appreciated that cruise customers have a wide choice of cruises holidays.
"We know that holidaymakers can choose from a vast variety of options, and that they – and you – expect a fantastic cruise holiday from us. We are very sorry that this time we did not deliver," he said.
by Bev Fearis
