How common are engine room fires and other meltdowns on cruise ships?
Herring: Cruising is very safe. These incidents are very rare — maybe once a year, once every couple of years. You’re more likely to be hurt driving to the cruise ship terminal than are you actually being on a cruise.
Brown: Engine room fires happen, but 99 percent of the time passengers aren’t affected.
Is Carnival to blame?
Herring: It could happen anywhere. Any ship at sea is at risk for a mishap.
How serious was the situation?
Herring: On a scale of 1 to 10, Costa was a 10. [Last year’s Costa Concordia accident in Italy caused 32 deaths.] This is a 5 or 6.
Did Carnival handle the disaster well?
Brown: This is a textbook case of how not to react. Nothing about the handling of the situation seemed well done.
Any heroes deserve a mention?
Brown: The crew kept everyone safe. The cruise line had better be generous to the crew.
Do you think Carnival’s compensation package — reimbursement for the trip, credit twoard a future cruise and $500 — is fair?
Herring: I think the compensation is more than adequate.
Will this event affect future bookings?
Brown: Not only virgins [newbie cruisers] but people who have cruised before are skittish. It’s a challenge to get past it. But if we can get past Costa, we can get past this.
Any advice for people now nervous about cruising?
Brown: Any ship designed after 2010 must have two engine rooms. If you have any concern, go for a ship that has this new feature.
Would you still sail Carnival?
Brown: I would take Carnival tomorrow. This was an aberration.
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