Fire Suppression System Causes Flood

Late last week, video footage from a Carnival cruise ship went viral when a malfunction in the ship’s fire suppression system caused one of the ship’s decks to fill with water. The Carnival Dream had departed New Orleans on April 29th and was making its way from Belize to Cozumel, when the water line break took place.

A passenger aboard the ship filmed the event and posted the footage on social media. Many who viewed the video noted that the gushing water and filling hallways appeared eerily similar to scenes from the ill-fated and infamous Titanic. Fortunately, in this situation, the problem was not an iceberg, but a technical issue and a fairly simple one to solve. In all, the flooding impacted 50 staterooms on the cruise.

The flooding began around 6pm Thursday evening and crew members quickly set to work, removing water from the hallways and drying carpeting in the impacted area.   Nonetheless passengers were forced out of their staterooms and required to sleep on yoga mats in the spa for the night.

The company explained, “Our onboard teams began cleanup immediately related to this clean water from a fire suppression system,” and later released a statement saying, “We appreciate our guests’ understanding and sincerely apologize. We also thank our crew members for their quick action and hard work.”

As a further apology for the inconvenience, Carnival provided impacted passengers a full refund on their cruise and 50% credit toward a future cruise, along with the option to fly home early.

Cruise Lines Should Be Held Responsible

In the wake of this incident, we are glad to know that no one was injured in the process. An unexpected event such as this, while rare, can present several risk factors for passengers, in addition to damaged or lost personal items. As a result, we are glad to know that all impacted guests are safe and that the faulty technical matter has been repaired.

That said, we know that not all situations turn out as positively. In this case, Carnival jumped into action, acknowledging its fault and taking the necessary steps to get everything back in order as soon as possible. This is the very least that any cruise line should do, after inconveniencing its passengers in this way. However, we know that not all cruise lines are willing to own up to their mistakes or take responsibility when things go awry.

Our Maritime Lawyers Can Help

If you have been injured on a cruise ship, then you may know just how challenging it can be to get the attention and assistance that you need in order to move forward with your life. At Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., we understand the uphill battle that injured cruise passengers and crew members can face. That is why we are here to help.

An accident caused by unsafe conditions aboard a cruise is not your fault. Holding the cruise line accountable is a necessary and important step in signaling to the industry that safety should be everyone’s top priority. So if you have questions about your case and are seeking advice you can trust, our maritime lawyers can help. Simply contact us today to get started.