# Why haven't they rescued the cruise line passangers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 13, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135 "2013-02-13T00:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/21 "2013-02-13T17:30:32Z")
The toilets are overflowing and people are getting sick all over the place, but there’s plenty of free booze. Sounds like undergrad. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/22 "2013-02-13T17:37:59Z")
If I’m reading the article correctly, they are now on their sixth day of a scheduled 4-day cruise. Doesn’t sound exactly hellish to me. Surely they’re having to stretch a bit on food, but I very much doubt people are starving to death, and I doubt even more that sanitary conditions are as bad as some are making out. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/23 "2013-02-13T18:39:54Z")
I read one story where someone was quoted saying, “[There’s fecal matter coming down the walls](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/12/stranded-cruise-goers-husband-she-said-theres-feces-all-over-the-floor/).” :eek::eek::eek: Now they’re saying food is limited; onion sandwiches are a popular fare. Only about a dozen “operational” bathrooms (4,200 people on board). Ya might as well crap over the bow. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/24 "2013-02-13T18:52:58Z")
I took a cruise on the carnival triumph once and find this hilarious.I dont recall a helo landing pad on deck. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/25 "2013-02-13T18:56:01Z")
Yeah, as if there weren’t enough smells onboard already, now the passengers are eating onion sandwiches. So there’s about 1 working bathroom per 600 people and folks are encouraged to poop in a ziplock and leave it outside their door. If I’m crapping onion sandwiches by god it’ll be over the balcony rail. I bet that ship is gonna look like a giant zebra by the time it’s towed into port. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/26 "2013-02-13T19:10:20Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > If I’m reading the article correctly, they are now on their sixth day of a scheduled 4-day cruise. Doesn’t sound exactly hellish to me. > > Surely they’re having to stretch a bit on food, but I very much doubt people are starving to death, and I doubt even more that sanitary conditions are as bad as some are making out. Nobody’s going to starve to death, but I bet the ship is creating a giant stink zone like the one surrounding Pig-Pen in the Peanuts comics. It doesn’t take long without working toilets before the whole place just stinks of human waste. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/27 "2013-02-13T19:19:24Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Yeah, as if there weren’t enough smells onboard already, now the passengers are eating onion sandwiches. > > So there’s about 1 working bathroom per 600 people and folks are encouraged to poop in a ziplock and leave it outside their door. If I’m crapping onion sandwiches by god it’ll be over the balcony rail. I bet that ship is gonna look like a giant zebra by the time it’s towed into port. :D:D ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/28 "2013-02-13T20:56:04Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > If I’m reading the article correctly, they are now on their sixth day of a scheduled 4-day cruise. Doesn’t sound exactly hellish to me. > > Surely they’re having to stretch a bit on food, but I very much doubt people are starving to death, and I doubt even more that sanitary conditions are as bad as some are making out. Ever been on a cruise? Any cabin that is either inside or which has a window that does not open is going to be pretty hot and stuffy and hellish. I read that people are sleeping on the decks, and I can’t blame them. I can imagine it being worse than the reports say. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/29 "2013-02-13T21:01:02Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I know before this happened, my mother declared she’d never go on a Carnival cruise. Apparently a group from her church recently went on one and there were lots of robberies aboard. She implied that perhaps a band of thieves took the trip specifically to rob passengers. > > Personally, I decided I’d never go aboard a Carnival vessel after enduring their obnoxious commercials with (I think?) Kathy Lee Gifford. As good a reason as any, right? She’s be very limited in what she went on, then. [Carnival](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Corporation_%26_plc) owns plenty of non-Carnival brands, including the infamous Costa, Cunard, and Princess. This kind of disaster seems to be happening more frequently lately. The cruise lines are trying to build business on lower prices and more shipboard charges, but I suspect they are cutting corners also. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/30 "2013-02-13T21:24:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > She’s be very limited in what she went on, then. Carnival owns plenty of non-Carnival brands, including the infamous Costa, Cunard, and Princess. > > This kind of disaster seems to be happening more frequently lately. The cruise lines are trying to build business on lower prices and more shipboard charges, but I suspect they are cutting corners also. they did in Italy. ---
**Author:** ![TimToyGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@TimToyGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimToyGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/31 "2013-02-13T22:12:55Z")
I worked for one of the bigger premium cruise lines for a while, and the slogan in the industry was that Carnival was everybody’s first cruise and nobody’s second cruise. I’ve been aboard a few cruise ships without power or plumbing (staying aboard during dry dock), and it’s not pleasant, but it’s survivable, and given good weather and alcohol it’s kind of fun, more like camping than anything. I wouldn’t want to do it for two weeks, but a couple of nights is no problem. The smell is another thing - cruise ships often fall prey to plumbing issues, and can become foul smelling even when everything’s working correctly. Carnival and some other cruise lines have gotten in trouble before for dumping sewage waste-water (or sometimes just used shower and laundry water) at ports. Carnival and other big cruise lines are going to do what they usually do, just give out alcohol while the passengers are on the cruise, and offer refunds and vouchers as they’re leaving in exchange for waivers. It usually works. Tim ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/32 "2013-02-13T22:21:32Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I took a cruise on the carnival triumph once and find this hilarious. Wait- the ship everybody’s pooping on is called Triumph? ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/33 "2013-02-13T22:45:13Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Wait- the ship everybody’s pooping on is called Triumph? Seriously, it’s been a great cruise… [for me to poop on](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph,_the_Insult_Comic_Dog)! I keed! I keed! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/34 "2013-02-13T23:07:30Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > …Surely they’re having to stretch a bit on food, but I very much doubt people are starving to death, and I doubt even more that sanitary conditions are as bad as some are making out. According to an interview I just saw with one of the passenger’s son not only are the lines really long when food is served the staff are allowing passengers to take as much as they want. Which sucks for the passengers at the back of the line because people are hoarding food and it’s causing fights. > [@Voyager](#): > > Ever been on a cruise? Any cabin that is either inside or which has a window that does not open is going to be pretty hot and stuffy and hellish. I read that people are sleeping on the decks, and I can’t blame them. I can imagine it being worse than the reports say. At least the people with balaconies can air out their cabins and have some private deckspace. Aren’t most cabin windows non-opening anyway? The inside cabins aren’t only hot & stuff, they smell like a sewer, and are pretty dark given the power problems. That sounds pretty hellish to me. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/35 "2013-02-13T23:35:49Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I bet that ship is gonna look like a giant zebra by the time it’s towed into port. It’s called [dazzle camouflage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage). ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/36 "2013-02-13T23:52:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Have they said why there’s no apparent interest in rescuing the cruise liner passengers? > …it seems like people get rescued from ships in distress pretty quickly. As others have indicated, there’s insufficient distress. Bad smells and less than wonderful food don’t justify the risks and cost of evacuating passengers. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/37 "2013-02-14T00:02:12Z")
Because anyone stupid enough to sail on a megaship isn’t worth rescuing. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/38 "2013-02-14T05:31:12Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > As others have indicated, there’s insufficient distress. > > Bad smells and less than wonderful food don’t justify the risks and cost of evacuating passengers. We’re not just talking about “bad smells” – these are bad smells from raw sewage. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/39 "2013-02-14T06:42:58Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > At least the people with balaconies can air out their cabins and have some private deckspace. Aren’t most cabin windows non-opening anyway? The inside cabins aren’t only hot & stuff, they smell like a sewer, and are pretty dark given the power problems. That sounds pretty hellish to me. People with balconies are probably doing relatively okay. The last one I was on had a fairly large window, but it sure didn’t open. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135/40 "2013-02-14T06:47:02Z")
> [@TimToyGeek](#): > > I worked for one of the bigger premium cruise lines for a while, and the slogan in the industry was that Carnival was everybody’s first cruise and nobody’s second cruise. > > Tim Interesting. I take it you mean Carnival passengers are first time cruisers. (They seem to go to first time destinations.) Are they relatively cheaper than premium lines to attract first time cruisers? I’ve never been on a Carnival line, so I only know the impressions I get from their ads. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-rescued-the-cruise-line-passangers/650135.md?page=3)