'It says right here in the fine print…'

In all the cruises we have taken, we have not read the ticket contract you pay little attention to until you're ready to board the ship. Not once. Nada. Sign here, initial there and let us take your picture and an imprint of your credit card. Contract? Incidental. Why are we so delinquent? Probably because… Continue reading 'It says right here in the fine print…'

The Triumph Fire That Refuses To Go Out

  This week, CNN broadcast an investigation into the Carnival Triumph "tragedy" — the five days the disabled ship spent floating without power in the Gulf of Mexico, a cruise which has indelicately been labeled "the poop cruise." Don't expect to find that listed on any cruise ship itinerary. Having read and heard much about… Continue reading The Triumph Fire That Refuses To Go Out

'Splendor' Wrong Word for Report

As the investigation begins into the horrific plane crash in San Francisco this month, one of the possibilities is that the accident was due to pilot error, but it will of course take time. The investigation into the fire that left the Carnival Splendor drifting off the coast of California is now complete — it took… Continue reading 'Splendor' Wrong Word for Report

Concerns over Grandeur of the Seas?

The fire-damaged Grandeur of the Seas returned to Baltimore this week and one of the first questions that passengers' boarding the ship were being asked was: "Do you feel safe getting on this ship?" Think about that. To begin with, fires on cruise ships are rare. Grandeur of the Seas has been out of service… Continue reading Concerns over Grandeur of the Seas?

Maritime Lawyer Raises Questions

Like most people who cruise, we tend to accept the occasional accident or fire or incident on a cruise ship. Yet we do so without knowing what "occasional" really is. Jim Walker thinks he knows. Walker is a well-known "maritime" lawyer, which means he provides a legal voice to anybody in the cruise industry who… Continue reading Maritime Lawyer Raises Questions