Hiral Patel Essays (409 words) - Cruise Ships, Shipbuilding

Hiral Patel Essays (409 words) - Cruise Ships, Shipbuilding Hiral Patel BA 2196 Section 703/Paul A. Evangelista Crisis Communication, Spring 2017 On February 10, 2013, the Carnival Triumph cruise ship's engine caught fire, stranding 3,100 passengers. The engine fire left the cruise ship floating in the Gulf of Mexico for nearly five days (Thomaselli, 2013). Shortly after the outbreak, worried passengers discovered that the ship's maintenance and inspection reports stated that a disaster was developing and the ship should have never set sail (Griffin, 2013). The ship's diesel generator that caught fire, No. 6, was long overdue for maintenance and Carnival was well aware of that (Griffin 2013). The company's documents also stated that leaks were visible in the fuel lines. One of Carnival's ships had caught fire in February 2012 due to a fuel leak (Griffin 2013). Carnival Cruise Lines continuously told the media that the fire outbreak was merely an accident. The company had also agreed to invest money in safety upgrades. For five days, passengers had limited food, power, and raw sewage. Their vacation trips turned into nightmares . Passengers sued the cruise line for an unsafe trip and inadequate food and supplies. However, the company pointed out that the ticket contract did not specifically guarantee adequate food, and safe living conditions. Despite the proof of the ticket contract, Carnival offered all passengers a full refund and $500 compensation (Cahill 2013). Carnival appropriately handled this crisis because its CEO Gerry Cahill agreed to offer full refunds and compensation that lend credence to the company's attempts in restoring passengers' faith in the cruise line. Carnival inappropriately handled this crisis because it allowed Carnival spokesperson Joyce Oliva to tell media that the company has no plans at the moment to reassure its passengers of the disastrous trip. References Bartlett, D. (2013, February 15). How Carnival can clean up the PR mess. Retrieved March 8, 2017, from cnn.com/2013/02/14/opinion/bartlett-carnival-pr-mess/ Bly, L., Clark, J. (2013, February 15). Cruise industry braces for rough waters after Triumph. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2013/02/15/carnival-triumph-cruise-travel-bookings-prices/1922915/ Cahill, G. (2013, February 15). Public Relations Expert: Carnival's Poor Reaction Will Hurt Company, Cruise Line Industry. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/02/15/public-relations-expert-carnivals-poor-reaction-will-hurt-company-cruise-line-industry/ Thomaselli, R. (2013, February 14). Carnival Doesn't Shy Away From Triumph Crisis But Is Damage Done? Retrieved March 8, 2017, from http://adage.com/article/news/carnival-cruises-pr-response-triumph-crisis/239819/