"Socialism" is wrong on this. Carnival et.al. register their crappy ships in third-world countries to escape regulations on health and safety that apply to US flagged vessels. Do you think those US health and safety regs are frivolous? I would bet you that they're pretty commonsense and reasonable, but in the interest of GREED, Carnival skirts them. So what happens when things go wrong? Sh!t happens, that's what. NOW how unreasonable are the regs? So what's the only recourse? Civil suits in the US. Like it or not, civil suits are often the ONLY way crappy companies like Carnival can be made to behave. Make it too expensive for them to operate in a slipshod 0.5-ass way. Operating without oversight has to be made economically impractical -- and civil suits, when they inevitably screw up because of rampant corner-cutting, are about the only method available.

S**t happens, get over it. These people and the media are acting like they were stranded on the moon for the past 5 years, when they were simply forced to camp on a boat for a few days. Yea, lets give them all a million bucks.

So youd be fine sitting on a boat with carpets soaked with feces for days? Doesnt matter how big the boat is, youd be crying like a girl.

There are plenty of things in life I'm not fine with but I don't go around suing every time I experience some discomfort. I would be more than happy with a free cruise, airfare, and $500, which is what these people received.

If there is a God he would never show his presence because people like you would sue him for every one of your flaws (which I have no doubt there are plenty of).

Most of the passengers interviewed said that the crew did an exceptional job under very trying circumstances.

why in the world would ANYONE bring politics into this?

"Mom, did you ever face hardship when you were younger?"

"Well there was this one time I was stranded on a LUXURY CRUISE ship. It was just awful."

I agree with the beginning of this thread. The passengers and crew experienced a period of discomfort and inconvenience. For those in poor health, it could have been threatening (heat, lack of ventilation, poor sanitation.) This is a good reason for those in poor health to avoid cruises - going to sea can be dangerous and stressful. That's one reason that the Navy will not reenlist anyone who is on maintenance medication - sea travel isolates everyone from complex medical care.

I would love to see a quote from a passenger that says "Thank God they managed to put the fire out. Half of us could be on the sea bottom and the other half floating around waiting for rescue vessels." I doubt that a mid-Gulf disembarkation from a burning ship would have gone more smoothly than the Concordia. There's no finer adventure than trying to swim through a few hundred yards of flaming, oil-covered sea.

The people should have just did their toilet over the side Hang the rearend over the water and there would have been no problem..Oh I forget a lot of americans don't like to see butts hanging over the water to do their thing..LOL

Those saying that Carnival did not do anything wrong and defending this as just an unfortunate accident obviously do not bother reading about what went on. Carnival made a massive mistake when they decided to tow this ship all the way across the gulf instead of into the closest Mexican port. They did not do this because it was the best thing for their passengers, they did it to save themselves the additional costs of then having to have the ship towed a second time to a port with repair facilities. The tow into the closest Mexican port would have been less than half the distance it was to tow it to Mobile. The reason they towed it to Mobile is that there are a number of repair yards in Mobile that can fix the ship, not because it was the fastest way to get the people off the stricken vessel. In addition, the compensation they offered was inadequate. A refund, a voucher for another cruise, and I think $500 is not great compensation. Most people end up with a hotel room either before the cruise, after the cruise, or both depending on where they are coming from to take the cruise and the sailing time for the ship. Add two nights in a hotel and the airfare together and $500 will not cover it for many people. Also, people get very little vacation time these days and many people may not be able to use the free cruise voucher, particularly since they probably have it expire after one year. The reason they like giving vouchers is that they know that many people will never be able to use them, or after the terrible experience will not want to go on another cruise. Carnival has done what is good or Carnival in how they handled this, not what wold have been best for their passengers. While I do not promote people suing and think that it happens far too often for stupid reasons, in this case Carnival has brought on themselves.

JS, we're not usually on the same page but this time I actually agree with you. :) Most the people I know who go on cruises are hard working people (of both political parties); and they've sacrificed minor luxuries to be able to afford a cruise. Myself, I've never been on a cruise as I've never felt especially comfortable about being out in the middle of the ocean (just in case something like this happened). My idea of a great vacation is just dump me on a beach for a week with no schedules to have to meet; no pressure!

For those passengers of this cruise who choose to sue Carnival, in this case it seems they are totally justified. As JS said, most people have very limited time off from work and to have this kind of experience is the exact opposite of what they paid this company to provide (rest, relaxation, and a bit of pampering that they don't get as a normal part of their day to day lives). 20/20 had a show on last night about how some of these cruise companies operate.. and there's VERY LITTLE REGULATION. I'd be furious if I was one of those passengers.

While I empathize with these cruise ship passengers,Carnival has offered every passenger their money back and another cruise, on the house.When all is said and done, these passengers will not win that much money in court nor should they.Yes,it was miserable and yes they were inconvenienced but nobody died.Carnival is notorious for not maintaining their ships or sanitizing them very well.they are one of the bargain cruises out there.The saying, "You get what you pay for" ,rings true with Carnival cruise lines.

Expect the lawsuits to start piling up on this one

Carnival (Carnival, Princess, Cunard, P&O, Holland America and Costa) is incorporated in Panama. Royal Caribbean (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and 2 or 3 additional lines) is incorporated in Liberia. Norwegian is incorporated in Bermuda. There are only 1 or 2 ships that sail under a US flag. They are international corporations that sail around the globe. They incorporate they way they do because of taxes and regulations that make the cost of doing business as a US corporation cost prohibitive. Since they are not US corporations and the ships are not flagged in the US they are able to hire international crews without the cumbersome employment restrictions of the US. These crew members work extremely hard and actually earn more than most could in their home countries - they get room and board and are able to send their wages & tips home to family.

The Triumph underwent its annual USCG inspection this past summer. The NTSB and USCG are involved in the investigation of the engine room fire. Since they make home port in the US, there are certain laws and regultions that they must adhere to. The reason that they towed the ship into Mobile was for two reasons - by the time they got the tugs to the ship, it had drifted to the point where they deemed it advantageous to return to US port. Also, they had approximately 900 passengers on board without passports which would have presented some problems getting them ashore and out of Mexico.

Unless you have 1st hand knowledge of the cruise industry or have cruised numerous times, your comments on the ship and the industry are just your personal opinion and not based on any facts. Were the conditions less than desirable? Yes, of course they were. Were there things that could have been done better? Of course. Does this warrant lawsuits? Nope. Passengers got their money back and had most expenses waived. They received a credit. They received $500. They had hotel rooms made available for them. They had their travel home arranged for them. Did anyone get hurt? Not that we know of. Did anyone get sick? Not that we know of and according to medical experts it is unlikely that anyone will (there was no outbreak of illness after Katrina). The accusations that Carnival allowed the Triumph to sail knowing it was not seaworthy is a story made up by passengers that want to set the stage for lawsuits - there is absolutely no proof that they knew there was anything wrong when the ship sailed. Carnival actually has a record of pulling their ships and cancelling cruises if their is a problem. Cruise lines do maintenance on their ships 24/7 to keep them in good running condition - quite often making repairs and adjustment when they are in port during a cruise.

I will bet there were more lowlife lawyers waitng for the people to get off that ship that there were family or friends....know the difference between an lawyer and a carp? One is a scum sucking bottom dweller and the other one is a fish....no, really...

"I will bet there were more lowlife lawyers waitng for the people to get off that ship that there were family or friends....know the difference between an lawyer and a carp? One is a scum sucking bottom dweller and the other one is a fish....no, really..."

Don't make it lawyers fault. They are very useful creatures, especially when you are the one who needs their help, and the image you created to yourself is not exactly what they are. They tend to work a large amount of hours, and if you divide their salaries by the number of hours they don't make that much anymore.

-Not a lawyer.

THIS is a big reason why the rest of the world hates America.

Foolish me. I actually expected stories of how an overwhelmed crew went over and beyond the call of duty to help many of the frail passengers and children. I really thought we would hear of healthy passengers assisting the crew in every way possible while under stressful conditions themselves. After all, they were literally all in the same boat.

Lorielle, this boat does not have an annual USCG inspection. It had an inspection because of an electrical fire. A deficiency was written up, but the vessel was allowed to sail before the deficiency was corrected.

Anybody want to bet that this deficiency had something to do with this disabling fire?

Four on board fires since 1999? Really Carnival? You hire the cheapest 3rd world country employees and expect them to maintain and operate your vessels in the standards of US employees who expect to be paid a decent wage?

Hmmm. Judging by the comments on here, looks like the plaintiffs aren't going to get much sympathy from a jury.

If it was So bad they should have jumped overboard.

i agree-it is soooo disgusting.it's not enough that the jerks have to throw their money around to impress the rest of the world...& go on their plushy little cruises...people of this attitude should spend a week in a warinfested country.,where there IS no food-no-water-no shelter,& no mercedes...see what they complain about then..no one died-no one was hurt-,& it was an accident,...but wait----there IS no such thing as accidents...according to them

Socialism has all of his/her life savings, 85 dollars, invested in Carnival. Enough said.

UH NO. ive sailed carnival once and preferred royal carribean. if youd read a cruise ticket contract there is stip[ulations in the contract freeing the cruise line of any unforseen events. this person paid for a ticket and therefore signed a cruise ticket contract. they have no grounds to sue.

I am not surprised that a young independent 25 year old woman was the first to
file a law suit with Carnival claiming physical and mental damages. This is
today's TMZ woman. I haven't heard or seen senior woman on the cruise
complaining because they lived through much worse pain.

I agree...and unless she can prove negligence on the part of Carnival, I hope she doesn't have a case...but then again this the US, home of the frivolous lawsuits, who knows. So tired of these entitled people. Even if she does win some compensation, I hope it is so little that the court costs etc actually cost her money.

Hell, it sounds like she didn't even UNPACK first.

Scumbags...shame on them.

I hope they sue the pants off Carnival. And win.

This was Not an "accident". It was the result of negligence and possibly a violation of maritime law to set sail with a ship that had known problems.

It wasn't seaworthy, but Carnival took a chance. And they lost. So did the passengers who paid hundreds, even thousands to enjoy a safe, comfortable voyage.

My best to the litigants. May you be justly compensated for the five day nightmare you were forced to endure.

Hey, I'm as against frivolous lawsuits as anyone, but this one may be a case for it, depending on Carnival's responsibility. Greed goes both ways. IF Carnival cut corners and was lax on safety, engine maintenance, and other things that cut cost at the expense of the safety and comfort of the passengers, then they are the ones being greedy. They gambled that they could get away with safety requirements for the sake of maximizing profit. That's greed.

Not saying they did - that's all being investigated. If an investigation does find negligence in safety, or if they could've rescued the passengers days sooner, but simply chose the most cost-effective way to bring them back, then a lawsuit may be in order. If the ship was not negligent, and it was truly an accident/freak mechanical failure that caused the fire, and Carnival truly did everything they could to take care of passengers, then no lawsuit should be allowed.

I think for the horror that the passengers went through, the compensation was not enough. The reimbursement was a must, but offering a free cruise will be insulting to some because they may never want to cruise again after this. And the $500 isn't much either - people were days late returning to work, and may have lost more income than that. Plus, what happened on board wasn't just a bit of inconvenience. Conditions were horrendous.

there are many,many good people writing on this blog,that i agree with.thank you.it is refreshing to know that there are still REAL people out there,that don't put on the dog.,that have TRUE values.i guess they "suffered"all the way to their lawyers...the judges should throw every one of them out...,then charge all of these guys with extortion....

Cruises suck. Its an all inclusive bus ride and mall for all purposes. Lemmings being led to short ports of call at pre-arranged shopping destinations and pre arranged programs...yuck. Never again.

i hope Carnival eats it

TRUE values.i guess they "suffered"all the way to their lawyers...the judges should throw every one of them out...,then charge all of these guys with extortion....

So you have feces and rotting food in the hallway, your on rations of food, no air conditioning in tropical heat, urine all over the boat and its time you will never get back. And being late to port all these people likely lost wages. And your compensated by getting a free ride on their garbage scowl.

I say sue the b^%tards

If I were deciding liability, what would matter to me is if they could have safely gotten the passengers off the ship sooner at another port, even if that would have been more inconvenient to them. If so, they deserve to be sued. If, instead,Mobile was the nearest safe port of debarkation, then my sympathies are not so much with the passengers, who did, after all was said and done, survive.

What a ridiculous comment. Oh, yeah, you're a zombie so you're already dead. Well have anice trip on your way to hades!

I think they make more than that. My son worked on a cruise ship as an entertainer, so he was probably on the high end of the pay scale. But when you work on a cruise, you don't have any expenses - room and board are all covered. Unless you go blow it all in the casino or at the ports, you can come home with pretty much everything you made on board.

Other than the pay, I think the crew had it as rough as the passenger, but had to go through it with a smile while literally cleaning up other people's sh*t. So, I hope they all get some bonuses out of this, because it had to be far worse for them than the passengers.

The day the ship came in, they said that most people on the ship are paid 17 cents an hour, and only make the extra from tips.

I worked on cruise ships as a server, in the eighties, and we only made 50 dollars a month from the company . (yes fifty), the rest being tips. We managed to make about 800 to 1000 a week in tips, cash, so it was good. But when you consider you are working 15 hour days (breakfast/lunch/dinner) 7 days a week, no day off, you know you are being exploited by the company, and they rely on the passengers to pay your wages. What offsets the ridiculous pay is the free room and board, food, and the fact that your money is tax-free.

Keep in mind this is for the dining room. Other employees ( entertainers, casino etc...) are compensated differently.

Being on a ship is like being in jail with the possibility of drowning.

(I forget who said that.)

Actually, winwin, their wages are that low and they do not get any time off for weeks. Ironically, I believe it was 60 Minutes that showed how deplorable the working conditions are, quotas they have to make (particularly housekeepers), to where they equated it to pennies on the dollar. The entertainers are the lucky ones.

And, although I'm a paralegal and am one of the few that do not advocate frivolous lawsuits, I've been on Carnival cruise. Besides the inflated beverage prices and phone surcharges, that last day when you're returning to port, they virtually shut down the entire ship, make you wait for hours on the deck, with no food, water and the plumbing system is shut off for port entry. And the rooms already smell mildewed without this added horror story. I'll never go on another cruise.

However, I also agree that there is a liability disclaimer on the back of the ticket. Good luck with that one!

I got a cruise email from CruisesOnly the day they finally got into shore with "BIGGEST BLOW-OUT SALE EVER!" Ya don't say!

The service crew, (restaurants, housekeeping) comes from places like Indonesia and Philippines. They are hired through local hiring agents on 1-year contracts. Starting pay is around $800-$1000 per month and a commission to the agency amounting to 1 month pay is deducted from their monthly pay, bit by bit over the course of the contract.

I got news for you - it's not the definition of "suffering" to have no working toilet, cold sandwiches to eat and having to sleep outside.

That sounds like camping and there are millions of people who spend their lives "camping" every single day.

People are spoiled rotten and truly do not understand the true meaning of SUFFERING. Perhaps each of these people need to be shown what true suffering really is or use another adjective for what happened top them, one comes to mind quickly - inconvenience - wah wah.

Pleasure and enjoyment is what they paid for, inconvenience does not sale well.

That sounds like camping and there are millions of people who spend their lives "camping" every single day.

Kimbo, campers don't share their one and only poop pit with 1000 other people, or is that your experience? Try another metaphor... it ain't makin' it, sport

I gather public opinion is not quite behind any of these whiny passengers filing suit against Carnival.

Well....um....that doesn't matter unless you were the one wading in poop and urine in 90 degree heat for over a week....and then not get towed to the nearest port to boot. Your opinion from a legal standpoint (or mine or anyone else's) don.t mean squat

Funny how so many stooges on here defending a non-American company...reminds me of that other British company that poisoned and stunk up the gulf...who were they again,. of yeah, BP..lol,,,yeah Carnivals getting sued.

I don't think they should get a million dollars each, but I would say an award along the lines of $15,000 each covering reimbursement of hotel stay and airfare they incurred )and a weeks wages for those passengers and for a limited amount of pain and suffering, would be more fair. Hey better Carnival settles for less than $3 Million with a decent settlement most people would take what they are going to pay now.

Carnival low balled these folks and now they are going to pay a LOT more.

If they gave 3000 passengers $15000 each, that would total $45 million.

If you google Carnival you can pretty much find 1,000's of people who say the same thing you did "This line is infamous for its lousy service, lousy food, and deplorable conditions of its ships."

Having said that why would anyone cruise Carniva?. Not for me to answer but I pretty much research anything I do including the 4 cruises I took and never would I have booked a cruise on Carnival. Just saying.

Also the disclaimers you agree to by stepping foot on any cruise ship will pretty much wipe out any chance of winning a lawsuit unless of course you can prove the cruise line intentionally did something to you then you may have a chance.

Oh well!

Sorry bud, I'm not a troll and I have never taken a cruise with Carnival or any other cruise line. If you have the dough to fork over for a cruise on a ship, you don't need any compensation for anything--you are already more blessed than most in this country and certainly more than most in poverished nations overseas.

The fire was not their fault, nobody set it. And I guess Carnival is to blame for the scumbags on the trip that were looting from other people's cabins? Yeah...right...they were just scumbags looking for an opportunity to take advantage of someone else.

All 3,000+ can sue, but based on the fact that the fire happened in international waters, it's not even US jurisdiction (go do some research), and Carnival is not incorporated out of nor based in the US, nor licensed in the US, it will be unlikely they will receive a penny and I hope they don't. In fact, I hope that Carnival doesn't give any refunds, $500 or a free cruise to ANYONE that elects to sue.

And if Carnival is SO INFAMOUS for lousy service, food and conditions on their ships - then explain how come they are booked solid for cruises EVERY month and that they have REPEAT customers that cruise over and over on their ships?

Me thinks the only TROLL on here is YOU!

Kimbo47, get over yourself. First of all, a cruise like this isn't really expensive, so these passengers aren't likely overly "blessed" as you suggest. You save up your money, you go on vacation, and end trapped up in a stifling, stinking, listing boat, crapping in plastic bags, spending hours in line for food. Yes, it's a tragedy that people in third world countries live in conditions like this, but you really think that makes it okay that these people lived in those conditions for five days? Please.

I'm not sure the lawsuits are the way to go, not my style, but these people had a rough five days.

"Looks like Carnival has hired a bunch of posters to troll web sites (like this one), and tote the Carnival line."

I couldn't agree more.

Kim -

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you're off base. You are absolutely right that much of the world lives in horrible conditions. And people do need to appreciate what they have. But that doesn't make it ok for a company to cut corners or be lax on safety standards, or put people at risk - just because lots of people live that way.

People paid for a service and had an expectation of a reasonable amount of safety. I, for one, would not sue if I knew Carnival was not negligent. But I might sue if all this happened due to THEIR greed.

There are a lot of stupid lawsuits out there, that should be thrown out. However, a lawsuit is an individual's only defense against a large corporation who has the power to take advantage of its customers. If you remove a person's ability to sue when they have been wronged and harmed due to negligence, then you give corporations a free pass to do as they please, overlooking any sort of safety standards to gain the biggest profits.

They do. Like you said it's all in the fine print.

Whether or not it's true that she is your aunt, the disclaimers will stop any kind of lawsuit like 50 million! What a joke! Even if they are able to be sued one would only get a small amount! Thank God!

Isn't it obvious???

Like you have no idea that there is a possibility of everything breaking (like a car or an airplane ha ha)