I was on the Carnival Conquest Saturday, when a passenger spotted a raft. The ship mad a u-turn and went to investigate and there were thirteen Cubans, floating with no power and no food or water.
They reported it to the Coast Gaurd, which in turn ordered the Conquest to pick them up and to go back toward key West to meet a cutter half way.
That made us late arriving in New Orleans. That’s about 2000 people inconvenienced, but it was the right thing to do. I’m sure this cost Carnival thousands of dollars. I wonder if they got any credit for saving the lives of those thirteen destitute Cubans? I personally was proud to be late, knowing lives were saved.
The 13 Cubans assumed a risk, were in international waters and weren’t in distress; why was it necessary to give them a free ride to America? Carnival should have called Cuba and told them some of their citizens needed help. This isn’t an on-point example of rendering an assist to “real boaters” with an emergency. Fact is, the only one that can assist a huge cruise ship is the Navy or Coast Guard. We’re not talking pleasure craft here. Neither the Navy nor the Coast Guard is in the business of aiding cruise liners with routine mechanical problems. Since lives weren’t in danager, Carnival should have hired a commercial salvage company to get their boat, not get a freebie from the U.S. Ad to the fact they’re dodging taxes, we shouldn’t be playing nice with them. Close American ports to Carnival and see how fast they offer to pay.
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I was on the Carnival Conquest Saturday, when a passenger spotted a raft. The ship mad a u-turn and went to investigate and there were thirteen Cubans, floating with no power and no food or water.
They reported it to the Coast Gaurd, which in turn ordered the Conquest to pick them up and to go back toward key West to meet a cutter half way.
That made us late arriving in New Orleans. That’s about 2000 people inconvenienced, but it was the right thing to do. I’m sure this cost Carnival thousands of dollars. I wonder if they got any credit for saving the lives of those thirteen destitute Cubans? I personally was proud to be late, knowing lives were saved.
The 13 Cubans assumed a risk, were in international waters and weren’t in distress; why was it necessary to give them a free ride to America? Carnival should have called Cuba and told them some of their citizens needed help. This isn’t an on-point example of rendering an assist to “real boaters” with an emergency. Fact is, the only one that can assist a huge cruise ship is the Navy or Coast Guard. We’re not talking pleasure craft here. Neither the Navy nor the Coast Guard is in the business of aiding cruise liners with routine mechanical problems. Since lives weren’t in danager, Carnival should have hired a commercial salvage company to get their boat, not get a freebie from the U.S. Ad to the fact they’re dodging taxes, we shouldn’t be playing nice with them. Close American ports to Carnival and see how fast they offer to pay.