Carnival Cruise Line responds to troubling Netflix documentary
The disturbing documentary comes at a really bad time for Carnival’s PR team.
Netflix probably couldn’t have chosen a worse time to release its documentary on the infamous Carnival Triumph disaster of 2013.
The new documentary looks back on the truly crappy results of an engine room fire on board the cruise ship that left a cruise carrying 4,000 passengers stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days amid a foul mess.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line makes sudden cruise cancellation
After the ship lost electricity as a result of the fire, passengers were no longer able to flush toilets, and the situation quickly turned dire and disgustingly unsanitary.
Netflix’s new documentary released on June 24, “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise,” covers all the nasty details and the media frenzy surrounding the ordeal.
As if reliving the awful incident through the documentary wasn’t bad enough, Carnival just so happens to be dealing with another public relations nightmare at the moment of the documentary’s release.
Carnival’s most loyal passengers are currently revolting against the cruise line’s plan to link status to spending through a new Carnival Rewards loyalty program rolling out in 2026.
Despite these setbacks, Carnival Corporation is well positioned for continued growth and success after reporting record-breaking financial results for Q2.
Doug Parker shared details on Carnival’s response to the new Netflix documentary, as well as its record revenue, on the June 25th edition of Cruise News Today.
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Carnival releases statement on Netflix’s “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise”
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Wednesday, June 25th.
Carnival Cruise Line has released a statement regarding the Carnival Triumph incident, which unfolded 13 years ago and is now the subject of a Netflix documentary called “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise.”
The statement says in part that the Carnival Triumph incident was a teachable moment for the entire cruise industry. It goes on to say that it resulted in a thorough investigation that revealed a design vulnerability, which was corrected.
Carnival then spent more than $500 million dollars to implement a fleet-wide program dealing with everything from fire prevention and suppression to enhanced management systems.
You can read the entire statement from Carnival Cruise Line as well as our review of the Netflix documentary at cruiseradio.net.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line promises loyalty will be better rewarded
Carnival Corporation reports record Q2 profits
And Carnival Corporation just posted record profits saying that demand has never been higher. The cruise giant reported $6.3 billion dollars in second quarter revenue driven by strong onboard spending and last-minute bookings.
It also hit a record $8.5 billion dollars in customer deposits with more guests booking further in advance than ever.
Adjusted net income — well it was also up there as well — it tripled over the same quarter last year, and all of their ships are now sailing over 100% occupancy.
Disney Cruise Line raises prices for adults-only restaurants
And Disney Cruise Line is raising prices at its adult-only restaurants, but only on select ships. Dining venues like Palo, Remy, and Enchanté are seeing five to 10-dollar price hikes.
The changes are rolling out gradually starting with Disney Wish and Disney Treasure and then reaching Disney Fantasy in November. For now, only U.S. and Vancouver sailings are impacted.
This comes just days after Disney lowered its cruise deposit requirements.
Related: Disney Cruise Line quietly makes big change passengers will love
And cruise stocks ended higher on Tuesday. Carnival Corporation: up 7 percent, 25.70. Royal Caribbean: up 2 percent, 280.47. Norwegian: up 4 percent, 19.40. And Viking: up 3 percent, 51.38.
If you have a lead on a story let us know. Tips@cruiseradio.net.
Have yourself a great Wednesday.
I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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