THE GLOBE’S Feb. 16 editorial contributes to the media obsession about the discomfort of passengers on the cruise ship Carnival Triumph and displays a disturbing lack of perspective (“Cruise ship owner: Facing the Heat”). The significant problem is the fire in the engine room that destroyed most of the power-generating equipment and propulsion, causing the ship to be towed to port.
There were no injuries or deaths. The passengers should have nothing but praise for the crew that extinguished the fire and should stop bellyaching about the unpleasant conditions that followed. They could have experienced much worse — like days in lifeboats — or suffered even more dire consequences.
Comments
When I have to carry my own p**p around I'll remember not to complain.
Obviously the Commander subscribes to the theory:
"The beatings will cease when morale improves!" (been waiting a long time to use this one, roll with it)
Commander: The ship was not a US Navy vessel where the passengers should be "grateful" just to be alive. They PAID to be on that ship, to have FUN. You neglected to notice that the COMPANY did not do a bang up job seeing to it that things were properly maintained.
If the sailors on your Naval vessels had been paying to be there, you would have found things to be quite different in the U.S. Navy. For instance, the sailors would have been telling YOU what they expected rather than vice versa.
The Commander just doesn't get it. There's a huge difference. Military personnel don't pay their hard-earned dollars for accommodations on their ships. On the other hand, the passengers on the cruise ship did pay thousands of dollars for their accommodations and rightfully expected particular standards, which obviously were not met. They have every right to "bellyache"!
I'm glad I wasn't stationed on HIS ship!
I heard there were 25 personal injury lawyers handing out their business cards when the passengers left the ship. One of them had a large sandwich-style sign that said, "Let me be your ATM machine."
Of course, the cost of defending the lawsuits will eventually be passed on as higher fares to consumers.
Commander, in this day and age the conditions that resulted from the fire should not be tolerated by paying guests.
Commander, you may have noticed from the posts but you don't get whingers to stop whinging by telling them they are whinging. The passengers should be grateful the fire was contained and they weren't forced into lifeboats, a much more dangerous ordeal then pooping in a bag. Of course this doesn't mean they need be happy about the ordea.
what's a whinger?
Rich, whinger is british for whiner. sort of. someone is trying to be "global"