11/30/2010
The fire that broke out aboard the Carnival Splendor caused it to lose electricity since Monday, and subjected the passengers to various forms of difficulty. However, far from being furious because of the incident, most of the passengers seemed happy that the 13-story cruise line is willing to reimburse their expenses, as well as give them an opportunity for a free cruise with the liner in the future.
One of the passengers, Brian van Leeuwen, upon stepping off the slightly crippled Carnival Splendor on Thursday in San Diego said, “We’re on our way to a burger place because we haven’t had hot food in three days.”
He said that among the meals they had was a casserole like blend of hotdogs, fruits, and chopped vegetables. He also noted that as the passengers munched on this odd concoction, “There was mention of class-action lawsuit on occasion, but it was all just whimsical,” van Leeuwen said
Travel agents and lawyers are saying that it might even turn out for the better if the passengers would not pursue a lawsuit against the Carnival Splendor. This is because the ticket contracts that are signed by Carnival passengers literally protected the cruise line from future legal actions.
After it finally docked at a port in San Diego, Carnival refunded fully each passenger, as well as awarded each of them with a free future voyage. On top of these, Carnival also promised to reimburse the transportation expenses of the passengers when they travel back home.
As van Leeuwen said, “They gave us our money back. They gave us free beer. The crew was in good spirits and helped us with whatever we needed,” he said. “They’re giving us a free cruise at a later date. I’m grateful for that. I’m not the kind of person who’s going to go sue, sue, sue. Not me or my wife.”
