# Oh the horror! Cruise ship story **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446 "2010-11-12T16:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/1 "2010-11-12T16:53:02Z")
I felt great sorrow over the report from one of the “survivors” of the cruise ship episode. This poor lady said that it was so horrible not to be able to have a cup of coffee for four (whole) days. I wonder how she could possibly survive. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/2 "2010-11-12T17:04:55Z")
I haven’t read any of the accounts, but I wonder where they were going to the bathroom. Did they go in a bucket and throw it overboard? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/3 "2010-11-12T17:06:53Z")
I caught one of the “survivors” on BBC, and he was saying something about there being a lot of puke in the dining room or kitchen and a pervasive smell of vomit. That’s all I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/4 "2010-11-12T17:25:07Z")
The bathrooms were only unavailable for a short period. How long that short period was, I don’t know. But hey, they got to drink all the free booze they wanted. Plus they got their total costs (including travel to the ship) reimbursed, plus an additional free cruise at a later date. I would easily take this deal right now if offered to me. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/5 "2010-11-12T17:26:08Z")
I completely missed all this. Anyone have a link to it so I’ll know what y’all are talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/6 "2010-11-12T17:29:22Z")
[BBC story](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11739570). ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/7 "2010-11-12T17:33:46Z")
On the one hand, yes, it’s ridiculous that the news reports are trying to turn this into a harrowing saga of horror and slight inconvenience. On the other hand, I find I can’t get all that irritated with the passengers, because with (I’m sure) a few exceptions, they’re not trying to get their faces plastered all over the television and asking for telethons. It’s the media that’s blowing this out of proportion, not the people involved. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/8 "2010-11-12T17:35:42Z")
Media blows something out of proportion? (Pictures at 11:00) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/9 "2010-11-12T17:40:51Z")
I live in SD county where that damn story has been headline news for several days. They even showed (live) the ship being towed into SD bay like it was returning from war full of wounded veterans. Now, I understand this type of coverage for the people who were on Capt. Sullenberger’s flight into the Hudson, but there is nothing special about this. They merely pee’d over the side and ate cold hotdogs for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/10 "2010-11-12T17:41:54Z")
It woulda really been interesting if one of the Chilean miners was on that cruise. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/11 "2010-11-12T17:42:23Z")
I liked the way the passengers were all debarked one at a time, in a steel tube with the Chilean flag painted on it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/12 "2010-11-12T17:43:15Z")
I think the biggest deal about the whole episode has got to be the stench of the shear volume of rotting food onboard. It’s illegal for them to toss it overboard so all that unrefrigerated lobster and and stuff just sat there and rotted. The only way this situation is any better than a cruise on a research vessel is that aboard a research vessel you throw in the pervasive smell of diesel exhaust. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/13 "2010-11-12T17:45:13Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The bathrooms were only unavailable for a short period. How long that short period was, I don’t know. > > But hey, they got to drink all the free booze they wanted. Plus they got their total costs (including travel to the ship) reimbursed, plus an additional free cruise at a later date. > > I would easily take this deal right now if offered to me. A full day, from the reports I heard. Mix that with free booze and I think I know why there was a pervasive smell of vomit. And no, I would not be happy with that kind of “vacation” - they were short on food and finally got to eat bread and Pop-Tarts from supplies sped in by the military, the toilets didn’t work for a day or so, etc. If I wanted crappy conditions I’d pack inadequately for a camping trip. You take vacation time and buy airfare, and end up with a minor disaster and “better luck next time!” The cruise line is doing the right thing, so that’s good of them. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/14 "2010-11-12T17:49:51Z")
The Navy sent Spam. They never ate it. Jeez, that’s a surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/15 "2010-11-12T17:52:29Z")
The wife and I love Spam. But then, we used to live in Hawaii, where it’s the state dish. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/16 "2010-11-12T17:52:34Z")
I’m afraid anything short of being stuck underwater in a sunken ship off the Chilean coast for 70 days is going to be perceived as a relatively miner incident. ETA: Shakes fist at kayaker and Elvis1ves. That’s what I get for letting a work call take priority. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/17 "2010-11-12T17:56:52Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > A full day, from the reports I heard. Mix that with free booze and I think I know why there was a pervasive smell of vomit. > > And no, I would not be happy with that kind of “vacation” - they were short on food and finally got to eat bread and Pop-Tarts from supplies sped in by the military, the toilets didn’t work for a day or so, etc. Sounds like how I spent my 20s. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/18 "2010-11-12T17:58:02Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > not to be able to have a cup of coffee for four (whole) days. Actually this is the one hardship I can get behind. I’ve had to put up with much much worse than cold hot dogs and non-working toilets in my travels, but after four days without caffeine I would make the Tasmanian Devil look relaxed. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/19 "2010-11-12T18:07:39Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I think the biggest deal about the whole episode has got to be the stench of the shear volume of rotting food onboard. It’s illegal for them to toss it overboard so all that unrefrigerated lobster and and stuff just sat there and rotted. The only way this situation is any better than a cruise on a research vessel is that aboard a research vessel you throw in the pervasive smell of diesel exhaust. Really, even in an emergency, you’re supposed to live surrounded by biohazardous rotting food? You can’t throw edible, biodegradable matter overboard? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/20 "2010-11-12T18:12:03Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Really, even in an emergency, you’re supposed to live surrounded by biohazardous rotting food? You can’t throw edible, biodegradable matter overboard? Apparently not, unless it’s on a hook and attacked to a line. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446.md?page=2)