# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/21 "2010-11-12T18:23:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > 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. Me too except that I would probably be unable to move. I am curious if the cruise line will be charged (money) for the “rescue.” ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/22 "2010-11-12T18:26:22Z")
I read that each passenger will get a refund on the cruise, free airfare, plus another cruise as compensation. How long before one of them retains Gloria Allred to sue Carnival for emotional distress and punitive damages? They had to resort to eating SPAM, after all! “I sweah I shall nevah go hungry again!” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/23 "2010-11-12T18:40:19Z")
It was a hardship and totally sucked what these people had to go through. It doesn’t have to be the wost experience ever by mankind to be terrible. Don’t lie and say you would have enjoyed this. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/24 "2010-11-12T18:48:14Z")
I haven’t heard anything yet that made me go, “Oh, you poor people! I hope you get over the trauma of it all!” Yeah, it would be the suckiest vacation of all time, but I haven’t heard of a true hardship yet (I heard that they didn’t have working toilets for 18 whole hours - well, that would suck, but close the lid and deal). ---
**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, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/25 "2010-11-12T19:06:18Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > They had to resort to eating SPAM, after all! > > “I sweah I shall nevah go hungry again!” I keep a can of Spam in my cupboard to remind myself that, no matter how bad things get, I still haven’t had to eat the Spam. Actually, I kind of like Spam, but I only eat it when I go camping. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/26 "2010-11-12T19:12:58Z")
I tried Spam again last year. It made me almost puke. Add in a rocking ship and I’d be vomiting Spam the whole time. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/27 "2010-11-12T19:16:44Z")
I like Spam, and eat it about once a year. I don’t want cold Spam though. I think that would be gross and slimy. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/28 "2010-11-12T19:18:36Z")
I had the same “Oh the horror” reaction at first, but at the same time, 4,500 people is a lot of people, that’s basically a small town. If one of the suburbs by me had emergency-only electricity for four days, and could only be reached via helicopter, then I might be checking the news every few hours to see how they’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/29 "2010-11-12T19:30:24Z")
Like **Morgenstern** , i live in San Diego, and people around here could be forgiven for thinking that there had been nothing else going on in the world over the last couple of days. It’s worth noting, too, that the passengers could all have been off the boat a day earlier. The original plan was to tow it to Ensenada, in Baja California, which was considerably closer to where the ship lost power, but the company apparently decided that the people would be more comfortable on board a powerless cruise ship than they would be in Mexico. And i read a couple of reports noting that, when the announcement was made that they were towing the ship to San Diego, all the passengers broke out in cheers. One interviewee said she was relieved that they wouldn’t have to deal with the border crossing. Others expressed relief that they wouldn’t have to be bussed from Ensenada to San Diego. ---
**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, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/30 "2010-11-12T19:32:04Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > They had to resort to eating SPAM, after all! Hopefully the ship’s band played _Nearer My God To Thee_ right before handing it out. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/31 "2010-11-12T19:37:40Z")
I found what I think is the actual quote from the “Oh, the horror, I had to go without coffee for 4 days!” person. > [@](#): > > “We have not had a hot cup of coffee in four days,” said passenger Fahizah Alim, 26, of Sacramento, who ate at night by flashlight. “This was my first cruise and it was no luxury, no fun.” Well, cue the outrage! She didn’t think that being stranded on a cruise ship with no power was luxurious or fun! What is wrong with kids these days! Rabble rabble rabble. [Here’s the article](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRJh-ItW7ydGLXDXKYOIZ7lXqesw?docId=2b0437e241b241778f497e44a6ee489f) in case anyone else wants to be further outraged by comments from people who had the temerity to express that they would be happy to again have warm food, or who outrageously were not thrilled about having to bail out their toilet using a cup. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/32 "2010-11-12T19:40:43Z")
We deep sixed a portion of spam once after a particularly disastrous crossing as appeasement to Neptune. The bloody stuff FLOATS! So in fact if the worst came to the worst they could have rafted it all together … ---
**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, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/33 "2010-11-12T19:41:06Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Don’t lie and say you would have enjoyed this. _Scanning thread, searching for how many people said this_ _ZERO_ _Rescanning_ _Rescanning_ It appears my sensors need recalibration. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/34 "2010-11-12T19:56:56Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > _Scanning thread, searching for how many people said this_ > _ZERO_ > _Rescanning_ > _Rescanning_ > > It appears my sensors need recalibration. I swear that I read it, but now I can’t find it. This thread does seem to be just on the verge of saying “what a bunch of whiners”, though. It seems to me that based on the passenger comments, they seemed to keep their spirits up despite what were pretty unpleasant conditions. I’d be bitching and moaning a lot more than that if that was what my vacation turned into. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/35 "2010-11-12T20:01:53Z")
I’m constantly amazed at how badly the journalist profession has fallen. This story has been headline news this week. I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant on that ship. But, it was only three days. The exaggeration and sensationalism of the news reports is pretty sad. I miss the days when journalism was a noble profession. I read there was a magicians conference on the ship. Over a hundred of them. They volunteered to entertain and keep spirits up. I imagine a lot of people pitched in to make the situation better. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/36 "2010-11-12T20:07:31Z")
I had family on that cruise, although I didn’t know it until they got home last night. They were so looking forward to it, and it sure turned into the vacation from hell. One of them posted a photo of luggage in the water as they were leaving the dock on the first day too; a bad sign, I’d think. No, it wasn’t a humanitarian catastrophe, but it surely sucked mightily. ---
**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, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/37 "2010-11-12T20:09:01Z")
There’s nothing wrong with journalism. The media only give the people what they want. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/38 "2010-11-12T20:11:18Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I swear that I read it, but now I can’t find it. > > This thread does seem to be just on the verge of saying “what a bunch of whiners”, though. It seems to me that based on the passenger comments, they seemed to keep their spirits up despite what were pretty unpleasant conditions. I’d be bitching and moaning a lot more than that if that was what my vacation turned into. You’re probably thinking of this: > [@Leaffan](#): > > I would easily take this deal right now if offered to me. I was on a 10-day cruise this summer. I won’t lie, I’d be a tad whiny if it got cancelled because the boat broke. It used up a good chunk of vacation time from work which I really like to spend on my own terms. It’d be a drag to lose the time in exchange for a healthy helping of suck even if my expenses were addressed favorably. Kudos to the cruise line, by the way, for not making a bad voyage worse. But I think the attitude is coming from…well, there’s a difference between 4,500 people getting inconvenienced for a day or two on a luxury cruise gone wrong and, say, a cholera outbreak in the earthquake-devastated capital of a nearby 3rd world country. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/39 "2010-11-12T20:12:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I read there was a magicians conference on the ship. Over a hundred of them. They volunteered to entertain and keep spirits up. I imagine a lot of people pitched in to make the situation better. I was SO hoping for a punchline. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446/40 "2010-11-12T20:27:39Z")
I have to say, my reaction hearing the endless coverage of this was, “Oh noes, they’re stranded on a CRUISE SHIP, whatever will these poor people do??” Dude, lay out in the sun on a lounge chair and make the best of it. I mean, yeah, a lot of people got screwed out of a great vacation, but it’s not a frigging EPIC TRAGEDY, and it’s getting more coverage than Haiti. There was a fellow quoted in one article (who had a daughter on board, he wasn’t there himself) saying “There wasn’t anything like THIS listed in the brochure.” :smack: I laughed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-the-horror-cruise-ship-story/560446.md?page=3)