Ship Now Scheduled to Re-Enter Service Feb 20, 2011
As we suspected, the initial announcement of plans to return Carnival Splendor to service next month were a bit premature.Carnival Cruise Lines has now cancelled additional departures of the damaged ship including the Jan 16, 23, & 30 and Feb 6 & 13, 2011 voyages to allow for additional repair time following an engine room fire aboard the vessel in Nov 2010. The ship is now scheduled to re-enter service Feb 20, 2011.
As repairs progressed and damaged components were tested, other issues came to light. Also, some of the needed parts were not readily available and are being manufactured in Europe. Carnival Splendor is currently in San Diego; however, it will sail to San Francisco in mid-Jan where repairs will be completed at a dry dock facility.
"We sincerely apologize to our guests for having to cancel these additional cruises," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival's president and CEO. "We made our best effort back in November to estimate the necessary repair time with a strong goal of not having to modify it at a later point in time. Unfortunately, as the repairs have progressed and we have discovered additional issues, it is now clear that we need more time. We know this is extremely disappointing for our guests and particularly disheartening for those who already had their vacations cancelled once and are now being affected again."
Guests booked on the cancelled voyages will receive a refund or future cruise credit equal to the amount paid, along with reimbursement of air transportation-related change fees. Those who re-book may also receive a 25 percent future cruise discount and/or onboard credit depending on the ship and sailing date of the new booking. Additional details are available at Carnival.com.
Carnival is contacting travel agents and guests affected by the new cancellations to provide assistance. Travel agent commissions on cancelled sailings are being protected. Carnival Splendor operates year-round 7-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Long Beach, California.
I have never known a ship of major proportions that caught fire not to be plagued by lingering 'issues'. I hope that in their rush to get her back to sea they take some time to figure out why there was a fire in the first place.
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