Carnival Corp. pays for 'cruise from hell'

Cruise lines try to cover themselves in the contract they sign with passengers in order to have limited liability should anything go wrong.

In most cases, that absolves them from any problems that arise due to bad weather. Generally, if a storm disrupts your cruise, the cruise line can do whatever needs to be done with limited responsibility to compensate passengers.

Related: Royal Caribbean passengers angry over major change

That means ports can change or be skipped altogether and passengers will generally only get port fees and taxes, as well as any cruise line-booked excursions, refunded. A cruise line might offer some onboard credit or another perk in the event of a major change, but they're in no way obligated to do that.

When extreme weather happens, the captain of a ship can order all on-board services closed and order passengers back to their cabins. That's done for safety reasons, but any major disruption to a cruise may not sit well with passengers.

One Carnival Corp. brand had what has been dubbed a "cruise from hell" and the company has opted to settle a class-action lawsuit brought on by passengers who were onboard the cruise.

Doug Parker has the full story and more on today's edition of Cruise News Today.

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Carnival must pay up over 'cruise from hell'

Transcript:

This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday, March 3. 

Carnival Corporation has agreed to pay over $2.4 million to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from what passengers are calling a cruise from hell.

The lawsuit involved a 2017 sailing of the P&O Pacific Aria, which departed from Brisbane and encountered severe weather from a Category 5 cyclone named Donna, resulting in rough seas, onboard closures and missed ports of call. 

Under the proposed settlement, approximately 713 passengers will each receive around $1,754 covering their cruise fare plus additional compensation. Legal fees and court costs also cost approximately $1 million.

Carnival denies wrongdoing explaining the weather's unpredictability but opted to settle passenger claims to resolve the lawsuit. 

Norwegian Cruise Line eyes return to controversial port; Holland America passenger rescue

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is considering a return to St. Petersburg, Russia as soon as 2026, reversing its 2022 suspension due to the Ukraine conflict. 

CEO Harry Sommer says the port's reopening could be an opportunity as he hopes for peace both for humanitarian reasons and a business boost.

The cruise line also plans to reinstate Israeli calls by 2027. 

Now, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings projects strong bookings and over $10 billion in revenue for this year alone. 

And the U.S. Coast Guard carried out an urgent airlift over the weekend from Holland America Line's Conings Dam after a 72-year-old passenger suffered multiple strokes onboard.

The ship was sailing 300 miles off Kona, Hawaii during a 35-day Polynesian voyage. First responders rendezvoused with the ship 57 miles south of Honolulu and transferred the patient to the Queens Medical Center. 

He is now in stable condition and expected to recover.

If you have a lead on this story, let us know. Tips@cruiseradio.net. 

Here aboard the Celestial Journey. We're sailing in the Persian Gulf, about to get into Dubai here in just a couple of hours. 

I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Monday.

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