Carnival has had a streak of very bad luck. That would not stop me from cruising. I have not been on a Carnival Cruise for several years. I cruise with RCI and Celebrity. Last cruise was in Europe last fall. I do not have one booked, but look forward to booking a Scandinavia cruise.

All that being said, Carnival needs to address why they are having so many mechanical/engine problems. I am glad I do not own any Carnival stock.

"It's been a rough month for the Carnival Cruise Line" is probably a more accuarte statement.

There were 4 incidents within 30 days: the Triumph, the Elation, The Dream, and the Legend.

Here are some philosophical questions.

Q. Do you stop flying because of one jetliner crash?
A. Probably not.

Q. Do you stop flying with a certain airline because of their poor safety record and they crashed 4 planes in a month?
A. I would probably switch airline (if possible) but will continue to fly just the same. Note: the airline with the worst safety record also has monopoly on many routes so you have no choice if you are in that country and has to fly.

So, to answer your question, if I am booked on a Carnival ship, I have reasons to be nervours, and would consider switching cruise line. But if I am booked with another cruise line, I am fine.

Here is my take for what it is worth.

Most mechanical failure is avoidable and is indicative of subpar maintenance, be it the service frequency, workmanship, whatever. This is a failure rate of 16.7% (4 out of 24 ships), or 1 in 6!. Although the incidents are quite different, the end results and the cause of the failure are strikingly similar.

Fact: In the not so old days, factories used to change their light bulbs once they reached the end of the rated useful life (example: 10,000 hours) regardless if the light bilb is burnt out or not. They just replace them even if they are still working. Many factories still have this practice today.

Their reasoning is that the risk for a light bulb to burn out after the 10,000 hours is much higher than when it was new. They would not take a chance to leave the light bulb unchanged: as a failure of that light bulb at a critcial moment could possibly be very costly. This is preventive maintenance, just like replacing the fan belt in your car's engine before the belt broke.

Now, with cost cutting measures to "save money" or "being not wasteful" ("go green"), preventive maintenance are no longer the norm. Parts are replaced when they fail, or close to fail. So you put it off for a bit and hope for the best.

You don't change your fan belt when it shown signs of wear, you change the fan belt when it breaks. What happens when your fan belt breaks while you are driving? Simple, you get stranded.

I suspect that's what maybe happening here.

I do have cruise plans on the Emerald Princess (another Carnival brand) in September that I intend to keep. With all that has been going on with the Carnival ships I truly hope this is a wake up call to parent Carnival that they need to re-think very hard on their ship maintenance routine, crew training, emergency preparedness, cost cutting and green measures NOW! This kind of publicity is a definite turn off for potential cruisers and very hurtful to the cruise industry and will cost them in the long run of they do not take immediate action. I love cruising, but I have not been on one of the cruises from hell.

No plans, but no illusions. This involves one cruise line and one division of a holding company whose other segments - with one dramatic exception - have been very safe. Sounds like maintainance issues to me. Unfortunately, maintainance is the first to go when income gets tight. I would not hesitate to cruise, but not on Carnival or Costa. But then they are lines that have never been on my wish list.

I've cruised with Carnival 4 times. All have been successful cruises. Things go wrong on every mode of transportation that exists. It would not stop me from booking on Carnival or any other cruise line in the future.

I've been on 9+ crusies, mostly Carnival. I would not hesitate to cruise based on recent issues. As a friend reminded me, she would rather be on a cruise ship with a mechanical problem than in sky in an airplane with mechanical problems. I think the issues of late have been over-hyped. I've always understood that itineraries might change due to weather, passenger illnesses/injuries (ie having to turn around to care flight someone off the ship), and yes, if a mechanical problem occurs. I have always felt the compensation to be fair.

We are a sue happy nation always wanting a huge payout that is unearned and undeserved.

For the record, however, I do now tend to prefer land based vacations to cruising, for personal reasons.

I agree with E. 4 is for me too much for coincidence. I think CCL has to do something to revamp their maintenance procedures and be sure it's done in such a way as to convince the public their ships are safe and secure.

I have been a big fan of CCL over the years but IMHO this is too much to rationalize. I hope they fix this soon b/c I would like sail them again, especially on their newer ships.

Oh and yes I would cruise again in a heart beat!

About to take my 11th and 12th cruises in May and Sept. Six have been with Carnival. Love cruising, Carnival is our favorite cruiseline, will continue to cruise as long as possible.
hpeabody-We're also taking the Emerald in Sept. Are you on the Copenhagen to NY, Sept.10-26?

I might be more inclined than before to book on a higher end cruiseline. I remember when cruising was for the rich only. As lines marketed it for the masses, and then as a cheap vacation, complaints about amenities and quality of food and service grew. Although I have commented several times saying - what do you expect for less than $100/day for lodging, food, entertainment?

But now I find myself wondering if they are also scrimping on maintenance and safety in order to get the price per day even lower and lower.

1965..... Yes, I am

hpeabody-I just looked at the roll call and saw you there. We're very excited. This will be our first cruise in a long time where every one of the ports is new to us.We can't wait!!

1965... I am very excited too. I have been to Copenhagen, Oslo Belfast and Greenock/Glasgow on past cruises, but the rest are all new. I have never done a TA before. Have you signed up for any of the private group tours going on with the Roll Call? Is 1965 also your CC id?

I have a friend who has been on probably 30 cruises. She absolutely loves them. I have been on 2 and may look into doing one in Alaska.

The idea of a cruise first appealed to me when my husband and I were still working. The thought of a week of leisure with good food and entertainment was appealing. Our first cruise was on Celebrity out of Ft. Lauderdale and it was a great experience. The food was amazing and the entertainment was good. Our second cruise was with RCCL out of Galveston and it was OK, definitely a step down from Celebrity.

I have never considered a Carnival Cruise simply because of their reputation for being a party type cruise line. That doesn't appeal to me at this point in my life.

We will be taking our first European river cruise in May so I'm anxious to see how we like that type of cruising.

I have stated this more than once. "I will never get on another Carnival cruise ship even if it was free." I started stating this back in 2002 and I meant it. Seems like I have really good reason considering their numerous problems. They are the scurge of cruises line out there. The old saying "you get what you pay for" so applies. If others want to take their chances with them so be it, but not me ever again.

The problems with Carnival though would not stop me from cruising. I love Princess and so want to try Celebrity. What is stopping me from cruising is the exhorbant airfare prices to get to the depature port(s). It is beyond crazy. I can do an air/hotel package deal for the same price it would cost me to just get air to a departure city. Cruise lines really need to think about offering package deals also.

Since I live in the middle of nowhere my only choices of airlines are American, United and Southwest. I have personally boycotted American and will NEVER EVER EVER step foot on another one of thier airplanes. I hope the rot in bankruptcy hell. Since they have a monopoly over many flight routes, my selection of vacation destinations is greatly reduced. Cruising would solve me getting to various destinations if I could just get past the excessive airfare rates to get to departures ports.

I just got off a Carnival ship and was happy with it. Obviously they've been having issues, but the one we were on was fine, other than some rough weather, which is not something the cruise line has much control over, and we thought any safety measures taken (such as closing the exposed decks to passengers) were appropriate. There are ways in which it's apparent it's a low-end line, but the food and service are good,and at no time did we feel unsafe. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again. I would strongly prefer not to be stranded for 6 days on a stinky and becalmed cruise ship, but the risk of something like missing a port is not going to keep me up at night.

To me, as a solo, a cruise is a CruiseSpa...so many activities day and nite..food galore...folks to meet at the Meet & Greets and being pampered does one's soul good.

Just returned from a Feb 9dayer which also got me out of this infernal winter weather.

But I do limit my cruises to mostly Caribbean waters. When I go to Europe I want more intensive land touring which a cruise does not provide.

As to Carnival- never tried & never will.

hpeabody-1965 is my CC ID. We've booked two optional excursions through Princess-in Belfast we're taking a Giants' Causeway tour, and in Iceland,a fishing village w/lunch.
persimmondeb-I agree with you about CCL.We do cruise with other lines now and then, if the itinerary and price are right.But we keep coming back to CCL for the reasons you mention.The food,entertainment,cabins are comparable to the other lines,and the price is usually better.

We haven't finalized our fall trip destination yet, possibly Pacific coastal - it may be last minute decision, nothing to do with Carnival.

We haven't sailed with Carnival yet, and will hopefully never have. This cruise line is off our "allowances".

You couldn't pay me to get on a Carnival boat, even before this litany of failure, and more so now. But you couldn't pay me to get on any of the big cruise ships - the thought of arriving in a small port with thousands of other people, never mind being stuck in a floating town with them, makes my blood run cold.

When I get (even) older and more decrepit I may do a river cruise, I'd like to do the Hurtigruten trip along the Norwegian coast, and I have considered the Cunard Transatlantic route as an alternative to flying, but that's about it. After visiting Patagonia last year (which included four nights on the Navimag ferry) I've moved Alaska up the bucket list, but I plan to do that on ferries, not a cruise ship. Of course cruises are not cost effective for me in the first place, since I travel solo. Seems like the cruise lines don't want me as a passenger, and I'm just as happy to oblige them.

To each his own, but the floating town is actually kind of cool. On a really big ship, you may see some people all the time, and others only once or twice, rather than being stuck with a small group all the time. The small port can be more of an issue, but usually everyone isn't trying to get off at one time, and once they are off, they aren't necessarily all trying to do the same thing.

What Thursday said!

@persimmondeb - well, the last time I was in Dubrovnik (arriving and leaving by bus), they were indeed all trying to get into town at once. Or at least enough of them that you had QUEUE UP to get into the old section. And I'm not generally "stuck with a small group" as I mostly travel independently.

For all intend and purposes, cruise vacations are not meant for solo travellers; and as an extension, any type of organized tours (be it bus tour, train whatever) by nature means you are stuck with a group for the duration, not a particular pleasant thought if your desire is going solo, and if there are people within the group that may get on your nerve for whatever reason (the way they dress, the way they talk, whatever).

I love to go solo but I can't as I am married. I am sort of stuck with cruising or go with organized tour as DW likes to travel with a group rather than going just the two of us. She also understands that I like some solo time and she doesn't mind that I wander off "solo" with my camera, while she was with a group or other family members, or resting teh cabin /hotel room or wharever. It's a compromise we made.

Unfortunately, popular destination equals crowd, even at Patagonia. I would have love to be there with a very small group, say a handful of people, rather than a ship load of a hundred. I want pictures of the natural beauty and not with random people in it.

Even on a cruise ship, I would often get up real early and enjoy the sunrise, camera in hand, while everyone else is still in bed. You have the vast ocean, and just you: best solo time ever.

Regardless how small a ship, if you don't like any type of line up, a cruise ship is not the place for you. The common myth is that the smaller the baot, the shorter the line up.

We have been on ships with less than 100 passengers. There are still line ups everywhere you go. Larger ships have more facilities so although there are more people, lines are more scattered. Smaller ships have less facilities so everyone is on the same line, be it for embarkation, buffet, whatever.

You can be on a ferry or a row boat. When you land at a port and if a mega ship just docked, there will be lines everywhere. Cruise ships are not the problem for solo travellers. The destinations are.

When I want a true solo trip, I back pack and wander off into the wilderness.

My wife and I used to enjoy ocean cruising until we experienced European River cruising and now I'm hooked. We decided that our days of being a part of a huge mob of sheep and paying for something every time we breathed was no longer for us. These days we save for the convenience of having everything included and no surprise bills at cruise end.

I find it funny that on some cruise chat/forum websites the contributors list all the cruises they have been on. No idea why they feel the need to do that. It just wastes space when someone comments then has a 3 inch footer declaring they went somewhere 20 years ago.

MissGreen, good point, and we don't do it here!

Didn't bother us in the least bit in part because we avoid the economy lines and probably would not have Carnival or any mega ship on the radar. However, our first cruise was with Carnival in 1990. The last three out of four cruises have been with Holland Am which we tend to prefer these days. Currently looking at some fall European cruises with the hope of finding some deep discounts because of the recent bad publicity. Don't stop driving because of car accidents or flying because of airplane being stranded at the gate.

Hi Amy_D. I wasn't sure if I was going to post information here about our upcoming vacation because it seems like everyone has very strong anti Carnival opinions. Since you asked we are scheduled to cruise in the next month or so on the Carnival Liberty. We booked right before the whole Triumph fiasco. If I would have known what was going to happen I may not have booked, but it's done so we're going. Any vacation is a good vacation to me.

We usually take land vacations and stay in smaller boutique style resorts. Due to work issues we couldn't go on a fall vacation last year so I'm really in need of one now! For our own reasons this time we didn't want to be lying out in the sun all day, so I thought a cruise would give us a balance between the beach and inside activities.

We wanted to take an easy week long jaunt and I wanted to go somewhere that we hadn't been before. We decided to go on a cruise to Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I like the idea of Belize, but wasn't sure of taking a week long vacation there. I can't wait to try Belize's cave tubing. It might entice us to go for a longer land vacation there later.

I've been on two Carnival cruises and enjoyed them both. It would have been very difficult for me to go through what the people on the Triumph had to, so I hope we don't have any problems. I like Carnival because they have the sing along piano bars and a fun environment. On our Grenada land vacation I didn't like the vibe at Calabash because it was too stuffy and I think some of the more expensive cruise lines might have attitudes like that.

I'll post a review when we get back. I'm hoping it will be fun and relaxing. I told my husband that he gets to choose where we go in the fall this year so I'm sure it won't be a cruise then.

My family is booked on the Carnival Breeze for June. We are all very excited and can't wait. We sailed the Carnival Dream last summer and had a wonderful time. The issues will not stop me from cruising on Carnival. It's in my price range and they provide a good vacation for everyone in the family. We will be booking with them for next summer as well.

travelenthusiast, can't wait to read your TR. Have a great trip!

Thanks Eshew. You know I'll write one!

Just received an announcement from Holland American. Several European cruises this fall for less that $100/person per day. Prices are falling. May have to book one of those trips.

Same here. I'll look for that review!

Thanks jacketwatch. I've been on a break from here, but it's nice to know I can return.

We have done two cruises and have two more planned. First one was a Mediterranean cruise with Oceania and we loved the Riviera ship. Second cruise was on Celebrity to the Caribbean and a late summer Baltic cruise will be another Celebrity. A winter cruise to Tahiti will be on the Oceania Marina. Carnival is considered a mass market line and we would not consider it. Cruising is a lazy way of travel but fun to mix it up with other travel plans.

Actually Celebrity is considered a mass market line too. So is HAL, Princess , RCI and NCL. U could add Costa and MSC in this group as well. I any case prices are competitive and no where near the prices on what are considered luxury lines like Silversea, Regent, Seabourn and Crystal. Oceania and Azamara fall somewhere in between.

Shop till you drop.

Cruise till you ?? (Crash? Ooze?) Any suggestions for word that rhymes with cruise?

Don't be silly, of course we will keep on Cruising!

Snooze

Cruise for all the booze (well, after you fork over a few hundred)?

thursdaysd, thank you!

Shop till you drop, cruise till you snooze! Perfect

Just booked Holland Am for 22 days late September. Less than $100/day. How can you not do it?

Very easily.

June 4, $349 Diamond Princess Alaksa Northbound. 7 days. Wow!

See my new topic about cruising and how the cruise lines screw their employees and the environment.

Kenav, you are dead wrong!

Explain "screw their employees" when the ships are providing employments at a much higher wage than what the staff are getting from their home country? And how do you explain the crew from countries like Canada, Australia, UK etc? If the wages are so low, why are they there?

As to the enviroment, we are the most guilty of polluting the enviroment with our carbon emission and the wasteful consumerism, filling up landfills with reusable goods. Stop driving your car and running the AC in your house before we start going down the enviroment path. Stop applying double standard or take some author's word as gospel. Have an open mind and do your own research!

"If the wages are so low why are they there"? Tips and they need a job.

I don't drive a car.

I have a friend who spent several years working on a cruise ship and LOVED it. Her wages were substantially lower than what she had earned doing similar work in the U.S. (she's a hairdresser), but she got substantial tips, and her living expenses were very low, so she was able to bank most of what she made, and she got to to travel to places that she might otherwise never have gone too.