s/o If you were on a cruise ship without electricity, what kind of passenger would you be?

[Lisa R.]

Without debating how difficult the Carnival cruise's ship's conditions were, let's just set up our own ship.

 

Our cruise ship was left without electricity for three days. No hot water. No working bathrooms. Food was available, but you needed to wait in long lines as there was only one working kitchen. Cabins were technically inhabitable, but you had to tolerate the lack of a/c and heat and darkness. Certain areas of the ship smelled bad.

 

We are under the impression that the cruise line is trying to help out the passengers, but we do feel they could do more given the difficult situation. Crew is fantastic.

 

Would you be the complainer or the person who tried to see it as a different sort of adventure?

 

Would you be a low-maintenance passenger or high-maintenance passenger?

 

Would you consider bringing a lawsuit?

 

Overall, how would you handle yourself in the three days out at sea?

[Lara in Colo]

I would not be much of a complainer. I would try to make the best of it.

 

My attitude would really depend on how other people were acting. If I wait patiently for food and someone else takes more than their fair share/buts in line, I would get testy.

 

I doubt I would sue, but if the company didn't treat me fairly, then I would consider it.

[Miss Peregrine]

I would try to make the most of it, unless it was that Time of the Month.

[Joker]

If I was by myself or with dh, we would probably be low maintenance and just roll with it.

 

If I had my kids with me, it would probably be a different story (especially in regards to food).

 

I know for a fact I wouldn't be thinking lawsuit unless something serious happened to one of us.

[Arcadia]

Since I am a hyper picky eater, I would be digging out my flashlight from my handbag and munching my own granola bars.

However the ship crew better be distributing out mineral water bottles to everyone on board as you (general) can go without food for a month but you cannot survive more than three days without water.

I tend to puke on stench so I would probably stay on deck as long as I can every day.

 

ETA:

If my family is with me, we will all be parked at the deck. Both my boys are prone to puking like me. My handbag usually have enough dry rations for my whole family for at least a day.

[qtkimi]

I would stake out my lawn chair on deck and make sure myself or hubby inhabited it at all times to avoid the stench. I would be irritable about the food because I'm really not a nice person when I'm hungry and would call out any other passengers who were being unfair. I don't think I would bother with suing unless I got really sick or hurt.

[bettyandbob]

I want to believe I could roll with it.

 

BUT, my family does not regularly take vacations and trips we do take are super cheap. (we did do WDW 5 years ago and I still sigh with happiness when I think about how great that was.). Additionally, I know I stress about unknowns and being off schedule.

 

So, I think if I were taking a "dream" vacation and my cruise ship just stopped moving and they could not tell me when the trip would end (initially it took time get the tug). There's a good chance that I would be wrapped up in how "ruined" my once in a lifetime trip was and I would be worried about missing time at work because things were so off schedule. Hopefully, I'd also slap myself into finding some peace, begin to look for some new little pleasures. Hopefully, I'd quickly remind myself that the situation isn't going to change with my grumbling so I just needed to relax.

[gingersmom]

Unhappy.

 

I spent 7 days during hurricane sandy with no electricity. I did have hot water though none of my neighbors did. Food was takeout (expensive and gets old after 1 meal)

 

Lack of toilets would put me over the edge.

[lavender's green]

I'd grumble quietly but not raise a stink as long as I could get food and water, my family members and I were in good health, and general ship-wide conditions didn't become insanitary. I'd happily accept the compensation and not pursue a lawsuit or talk to the media, although I might moan about it to my friends and family. I wouldn't be at all happy and wouldn't regard it as an "adventure" but I'd suck it up and deal with it the best I could.

 

Edited because I read it over and realized I should add that I'd want my family to get food and water too. :)

 

Also, I'd be really upset if my husband or I were employed by a company that took a really hard line about extra days off and we couldn't get back in time.

[Rosie_0801]

I would make the best of it because doing anything else would only make things worse. I'd probably offer to wash dishes and tell anyone who argued that was against rules, that unless the rule makers were ordering ship wide pizza delivery they needed all the help anyone would offer.

[twinmami01]

I want to believe that I would not complain. I would be concerned about having my boys with me. With their special needs, they get sick easily and this results in seizures. Not having electricity and water would make this difficult to deal with. That would be my main concern. However, we don't travel much for that very reason. We just deal with it. However, I can't see trying to sue. It's a chance we take. It's not like it was something that was done on purpose, this is beyond their control.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm sorry to admit that I'd probably be very unhappy and complain a lot. There are big reasons I'd choose a cruise over, say, camping, and I wouldn't be thrilled to lose the amenities.

 

That being said, I likely wouldn't sue as long as the cruise company made restitution of some kind.

[Jennifer in MI]

I want to believe that I would not complain. I would be concerned about having my boys with me. With their special needs, they get sick easily and this results in seizures. Not having electricity and water would make this difficult to deal with. That would be my main concern. However, we don't travel much for that very reason. We just deal with it. However, I can't see trying to sue. It's a chance we take. It's not like it was something that was done on purpose, this is beyond their control.

 

 

This would be my concern. If it were just dh and me I'd probably see it as an adventure. I'd try not to complain and make the best of it.

 

But, with my kids. Different story. I have one who needs a daily medication and needs electricity to take it. That would've been a HUGE worry of mine. And, my dd is a VERY picky eater. I'd be nervous with the lack of availability that she just wouldn't eat what was available and would get sick.

 

I also wouldn't sue. Sounds liek the passengers were well compensated.

[mommymilkies]

I don't consider myself high maintenance and I almost never complain. I'm of the "leave fuming" type. However, with those conditions, I would certainly consider being part of the lawsuit. That sounds dangerous and unsanitary. I am broke enough that I would have been beyond pissed off with that happening when I spent that much for a cruise.

There's books, right?

[Impish]

I'd be absolutely miserable. Pregnant, sense of smell working a bazillion times stronger than normal, issues w/low blood sugar...yeah, I'd be a complete sea witch. Yup, yup, yup.

[Rebecca VA]

When I'm unhappy, I tend to go quieter and quieter. I would probably get very withdrawn, but try to stay polite and not complain. I wouldn't sue, but I would expect to be reasonably -- not lavishly -- compensated.

[IsabelC]

I'd be quite happy to make the best of things, as long as I was assured that we'd either get a refund or be offered another cruise free of charge later on. But if we were told it was just bad luck, no compensation of any kind, I'd be overcome by the injustice of it all.

[Remudamom]

I'd be the one looking for the rum.

[Tasia]

I would complain loudly, but only to Dh. A few years ago, this would have been incredibly stressful if my youngest was with us, but now I think all the boys would hold up pretty well and make the best of it.

[runbikeswim]

I would be fine. I have lived through some tough times and while I might whine a bit to Dh, i have no doubt I'd be okay and drama free. I could even use the bathroom in a bag. My line would be water....if water ran low i would panic.

[Scarlett]

As I mentioned in the other thread the lack of waste disposal would be my big issue. I could get by on very little food and I could sleep in a chair on deck....but I'd be mental living in sewage. But if I had dh with me he would figure out a way for us to avoid that. :)

 

I'd consider it an adventure. I wouldn't sue unless they refused to give my money back for the ruined trip.

[Mama Geek]

Give me my own personal sailboat any day over a cruise ship. If things go wrong dh or I fix it. :auto:

[Amira]

It would be an adventure, especially if we could find some other like-minded adventurers with us.

 

But then again, a cruise doesn't sound like my idea of fun. Unless, of course, I knew the electricity would be out. Because then it would be an adventure.

[Murmer]

If it was just hubby and I or just me by myself I would be hoping I had a balcony and take it as an adventure...with a little bit of complaining on the side. BUT I have a child who has food allergies in addition to high functioning autism and epilepsy...it would have been a NIGHTMARE! She must be fed and watered every 2 hours in order to keep epic meltdowns at bay and if she eats her allergen there is a chance of an anaphalactic response which at sea with no way to get her to a hospital scary. So waiting in line for 4 hours hoping and praying that when I get to the end there is something that she can eat that will not cause her major health issue yeah lots of complaining.

[nono]

I'd be the one looking for the rum.

 

 

And, I'd be the one with the rum. :tongue_smilie: C'mon over to my area on the deck. Fair warning, I'm prone to singing when drunk.

[bettyandbob]

I originally responded assuming I was alone or with dh (who has stated he will never go on a cruise for the last 20 years). If my dc were with me, I would work really hard to have a calm facade in front of them. Perhaps take on an act of "isn't this a great new adventure", but I would be freaking out my youngest has intellectual disabilities, and I think my oldest would just be a royal pain in the rear, add to that three out of five of us required gluten free and it would be a real problem.

 

The truth is you book a cruise for certain amenities. You aren't thinking "camping" and you do not pack like "camping".

[Annie G]

I wouldn't complain while on the ship because the crew can't do anything to fix that situation. And I'm not lawsuit happy. However, I heard they were so late getting back to port that some people lost a whole week's worth of work. (If I recall, they were supposed to dock Monday but pulled in Thursday and still had a long bus ride to get somewhere to fly home). In that case, I *might* join a lawsuit because dh and I shouldn't have to eat a week's worth of pay due to that. But certainly wouldn't look for big bucks or to make the crew's life miserable.

[Wheres Toto]

If it was just dh and I, we'd probably be fine. I tend to go with the flow and as long as I have books to read, I'd be okay. But, I did hear that the stability system for the ship wasn't working so it was a rough ride. That would be bad. I will get sea sick, even on a large cruise liner, if the ride is rough.

 

With my kids, it would be much harder. Ds is very very picky about what he eats and has sensory issues, including an extreme sensitivity to smells. Although the picky eating might have me packing snacks and food for him in my luggage, which could be a benefit.

[Sukale]

I would be cranky. Bad smells would make me very cranky. I would hopefully just complain to my husband and not to everyone else. I would be very worried about my food and prescriptions. I am on an insulin pump. Sometimes I would not be able to wait in line for food. If the ship broke down because something weird happened I would expect a sincere apology and a refund. I would have no thoughts of a law suit. But if they knew the ship needed repairs and ignored the problem I would think about joining a law suit..

[Impish]

I'd be the one looking for the rum.

 

 

And, I'd be the one with the rum. :tongue_smilie: C'mon over to my area on the deck. Fair warning, I'm prone to singing when drunk.

 

Oh well, if they had rum, I might feel I had something to live for.

But, but but...I'm pregnant, and would be stuck having to be sober! *sobs*

[Lara in Colo]

 

Hm...That's a tough one.

 

Would you really want to be on a cruise while pregnant though?!

 

 

 

Yeah, I find it implausible that you would be there in the first place (pregnant on a cruise, that is)

 

keep'n it real

[LarlaB]

I would probably be pretty chill... I've been w/out power for 4-5 days due to hurricane, so I'm not just making it up :) My husband would make it an amazing situation, and would be the creative solutions guy :) I smile just thinking about that :)

 

I would be frustrated if there were false promises from crew etc, and frankly probably a little scared on some level. But my biggest struggles would be if kiddos were along and the sanitation & food aspects related to kiddos...

 

However, what keeps playing thru my head is that the conditions on the ship is STILL better than some folks ever have in a lifetime. I know that's kind of an unfair aspect to throw around, by my sisterinlaw works in Haiti....for most of us, those tent camps defy comprehension.

 

Of course, I'd saunter up to No-no and beg for rum.

[Jenny in Florida]

In general, I tend to be a pitch-in-keep-smiling-make-the-best-of-things kind of person. When we've had storms here and been without power and water and such, I hold it together and stay pretty cheerful for at least a few days. Mostly, I manage to view the whole thing as a creative challenge: What can I serve for dinner given the foods and equipment I have on hand? How long will it take to boil enough water to wash the dinner stuff using my camp stove? It helps that my son is usually on the same page, ready to figure out how to make things work.

 

As others have said, though, some of how I'd react in the cruise ship kind of situation would depend on:

 

1. How other passengers were behaving.

2. Whether we were getting fed.

3. Whether we had enough books to read.

 

That second one is a special challenge, because we're vegans. And both of my kids tend to start crashing, emotionally, after a couple of days of not eating well. So, the mood could shift toward unpleasant pretty quickly if we couldn't figure out how to accomodate the food thing.

 

Assuming the majority of the passengers and crew are behaving fairly pleasantly and cooperatively, that we're not either going hungry or having to get by with dry white bread and fruit and that we have enough books to read while we camp out on deck and watch the ocean, I'd be more likely than not to view it as an adventure and the makings of a great story.

 

Edit: I forgot about the lawsuit question. No, as long as I thought the company and crew were making reasonable efforts to get us back to port promptly and we were reasonably compensated (cost of the cruise, lost time at work, a little something extra in the way of apology), I wouldn't sue. Stuff happens.

[LarlaB]

 

 

 

Yeah, I find it implausible that you would be there in the first place (pregnant on a cruise, that is)

 

keep'n it real

 

 

Really? Some folks do....I just returned from a cruise this past weekend, and saw more than 1 preggo. But moreso, I went on a cruise w/ a dear friend who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time..... (You can't go past 24 weeks I think). She had to provide a bunch of paperwork from her Dr, but had a great time- bikini and all :)

[justamouse]

It totally depends on who was with me.

 

Me and Dh? I'd get a book and enjoy the lack of motors.

 

Me and a baby or child? I would be complaining. You always pack extra, but unless you packed a LOT extra, you had no diapers and no formula. That would get old VERY fast.

 

Otherwise, I take that stuff in stride.

[justamouse]

 

 

And, I'd be the one with the rum. :tongue_smilie: C'mon over to my area on the deck. Fair warning, I'm prone to singing when drunk.

 

Man, that's like a dare, now.

[Lara in Colo]

 

 

Really? Some folks do....I just returned from a cruise this past weekend, and saw more than 1 preggo. But moreso, I went on a cruise w/ a dear friend who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time..... (You can't go past 24 weeks I think). She had to provide a bunch of paperwork from her Dr, but had a great time- bikini and all :)

 

 

We're talking Impish.

I cannot see her voluntarily going on a cruise pregnant.

 

Someone else, yes, Impish..... not seeing it.

[LibraryLover]

Pretty sure I would be worried/ cranky. If my dh thought it was not Costa Concordia, my dh would be all "It's going to be OK. They will not charge us for this cruise, and will give us money. Woot! Free vacation & compensation!"

 

I am the sort of person who say Hell, yes! to being in the exit row on planes. I am the one who wold probably be directing, "Move your asses this way! MOVE!"

 

If the whole ship was afloat, and without rushing us to life- flight helicopters, I would be all about drinking the free booze, and so would dh (although we are not 'like that'). lol

 

Of course, we hate a-holes, so we would steer clear.

 

If it didn't seem that we were all going to die, I would be OK with whatever. Of course, I do not hate camping. I have also spent time on Greek ferries-- outside. It's super cold, and you might get a blanket if you ask nicely and show teeny bit of boob flesh.

 

Peeing is not an issue. lol Especially for guys.

[MrsBasil]

Taking a vacation that cost that kind of money is not the norm for us at all, so I would be sad at what I saw as a ruined vacation that we would be unlikely to do again. I would not complain to the crew, because I know it's not their fault at all. I would try to make the best of it. I'm usually an optimist, have a terrible sense of smell, and over packs books for a weekend at my parent's house so I I think I could cope. I wouldn't take my own kids, at their current ages, on a cruise so it would just be me and DH surrounded by people, smelling poo, and eating cold food....I have a toddler and a 4 year old, so yeah, I could cope if the other people weren't total jerkfaces.

[LibraryLover]

Taking a vacation that cost that kind of money is not the norm for us at all, so I would be sad at what I saw as a ruined vacation that we would be unlikely to do again. I would not complain to the crew, because I know it's not their fault at all. I would try to make the best of it. I'm usually an optimist, have a terrible sense of smell, and over packs books for a weekend at my parent's house so I I think I could cope. I wouldn't take my own kids, at their current ages, on a cruise so it would just be me and DH surrounded by people, smelling poo, and eating cold food....I have a toddler and a 4 year old, so yeah, I could cope if the other people weren't total jerkfaces.

 

 

Except, you get all your money back, plus some. The situation itself would bite, but if I was not in danger, I would totally be thinking about my refund and compensation. If people were being jerkfaces, I would look for the nice people, or maybe try to hang in the cabin with some water.

 

I never want to experience such a thing! However, if we had what we thought was enough water, I think we might manage ok. Thinking one is going to die is the issue. We have children, so we would not go gentle into the night, but I *think* seeing press, cargo ships etc., would keep us in decent spirits.

 

I now know that if we ever go on a cruise, we want to be on the highest deck possible!

[MrsBasil]

Except, you get all your money back, plus some.

 

 

True, but DH doesn't get paid vacation and it's hard for us to arrange child care, so going in the first place wouldn't be easy. :)

 

In a world where I didn't have to worry about that? I'd just go with the flow and find the alcohol...

[Audrey]

The power is out for 3 days? I'm okay with that because we Canadians know how to deal with long stretches of no power and dire conditions.

 

That's why there's little Canadians. ;)

[Impish]

 

Hm...That's a tough one.

 

Would you really want to be on a cruise while pregnant though?!

 

 

We're talking Impish.

I cannot see her voluntarily going on a cruise pregnant.

 

Someone else, yes, Impish..... not seeing it.

Oh hey now...go some where that other ppl are doing the cooking and cleaning? In a HEARTBEAT!

The power is out for 3 days? I'm okay with that because we Canadians know how to deal with long stretches of no power and dire conditions.

 

That's why there's little Canadians. ;)

Well...that and NHL strikes...which may well come under the heading of 'dire conditions'

[LibraryLover]

True, but DH doesn't get paid vacation and it's hard for us to arrange child care, so going in the first place wouldn't be easy. :)

 

In a world where I didn't have to worry about that? I'd just go with the flow and find the alcohol...

 

Sure. That happens all the time when the weather is crappy. At least this way you get your money back--- and come out ahead for the next vacation.

 

If we got sick on the cruise due to pouring fecal bacteria etc? No way would I be happy with $500. I would sue. These folks need to maintain their ships. If I got ill at a hotel who ignored protocol, I would do the same. Cruise ships take risks. They are are moving boats the size of cities. I don't see why they would get a free pass. Maritime law has problems. The more these ships are sued, the safer it will be for travelers. They get away with things no hotel could. It's ridiculous.

[Parrothead]

Would you be the complainer or the person who tried to see it as a different sort of adventure?

Different sort of adventure. As I get older I get more philosophical.

 

Would you be a low-maintenance passenger or high-maintenance passenger?

Low maintenance

 

Would you consider bringing a lawsuit?

No. Accidents happen.

 

Overall, how would you handle yourself in the three days out at sea?

Try to swim as much as possible, read, do whatever.

[LibraryLover]

Overall, how would you handle yourself in the three days out at sea?

Try to swim as much as possible

 

 

 

In the pee-filled pools without any filtration systems? The ocean?

[Parrothead]

In the pee-filled pools without any filtration systems? The ocean?

 

 

Ocean.

[LibraryLover]

Ocean.

 

 

 

Aim away! :) Boys are so much better off in such cases.

 

I am pretty sure I would stop eating.

[jujsky]

Without debating how difficult the Carnival cruise's ship's conditions were, let's just set up our own ship.

 

Our cruise ship was left without electricity for three days. No hot water. No working bathrooms. Food was available, but you needed to wait in long lines as there was only one working kitchen. Cabins were technically inhabitable, but you had to tolerate the lack of a/c and heat and darkness. Certain areas of the ship smelled bad.

 

We are under the impression that the cruise line is trying to help out the passengers, but we do feel they could do more given the difficult situation. Crew is fantastic.

 

Would you be the complainer or the person who tried to see it as a different sort of adventure?

I would probably try to be patient the first day, maybe even part of the second. Then I'd turn into a bear. I don't do well with strong smells, cramped quarters, and no AC would put me over the edge. I'm not a super vacation person anyway. DH has to badger me to take one. If I took one and was that uncomfortable, I might even take it out on him. I would be a horrible, miserable creature. No one would want to be around me. I wouldn't want to be around me.

 

Would you be a low-maintenance passenger or high-maintenance passenger?

See above.

 

Would you consider bringing a lawsuit?

DH and I discussed this last night. Normally I wouldn't, but in that case I would. If the cruise line covered all the expenses of that trip -- like every single dollar I spent -- I wouldn't. From what I understand with this case, they covered $500 in travel (could those people even get last-minute flights/hotels out of Alabama for $500?) and gave them a voucher for another trip on the same cruise line. Sorry, I wouldn't want to travel on that cruise line again, so that would be useless to me. If they covered everything for THAT trip, I wouldn't sue. I know accidents happen, and I would consider that fair and reasonable compensation.

 

Overall, how would you handle yourself in the three days out at sea?

Like I said, I'd be a bear. I don't like feeling trapped. I need my own space, even on vacation. If I didn't have that, I'd lose my patience very quickly.