In
the wake of Carnival Triumph the past February, Carnival Cruise Lines
announced today that they’ll spend $300-million to enhance guest
comfort and operating reliability should a Triumph-like situation
repeat itself. Carnival’s CEO first outlined
this plan last
month at the annual State of the Industry speech in Miami, Florida.
Both
Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Triumph have been given an extended
dry dock to implement these new changes.
“All
of Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships operate safely today. Each vessel
already has effective systems in place to prevent, detect and respond
to emergency situations, and we meet or exceed all regulatory
requirements,” said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival
Cruise Lines. “However, by applying lessons learned through
our fleet-wide operational review after the Carnival Triumph fire and
by taking advantage of new technologies, we have identified areas for
enhancement across our operations.
So,
what is going to be done with the $300-million?
The
cruise line will install an extra generator in each of the 24 ships,
giving every stateroom flushing toilets and running water. The
installation will also give power for cold food storage, cooking
stations, telephone and internet connection during power
interruptions.
Emergency
Diesel Generator. photo: CCL
The
company is also making investments in the most technological and
advanced fire suppression systems made today. “On Carnival Triumph,
our fire systems were effective and our teams performed well in
controlling and extinguishing the fire. However, we want to take
advantage of the latest and most-advanced generation of fire safety
systems to enhance the current extensive capabilities across our
fleet,” added Cahill.
Fire
Protection System. photo: CCL
All
of Carnival’s ships have two separate engine rooms. During this
phase, the cruise line is going to reconfigure the engine room so if
one engine gets knocked out the other can still operate.
A
Safety and Reliability Review Board is being formed to ensure all the
bases are covered when it comes to making and implementing the
changes. The Review Board will be comprised of five external members
with previous experience in organizations such as the U.S. Navy, U.S.
Coast Guard, and National Transportation Safety Board, as well as
leading airlines and equipment manufacturers.
“The
formation of our Safety & Reliability Review Board is an integral
part of how Carnival Cruise Lines will drive continuous improvement
across our fleet. We will be responsive to its recommendations,”
said Cahill.
Aside
from Carnival Cruise Lines, parent company Carnival Corporation &
plc have announced a fleetwide review and implementation of all 101
ships across all brands. This project is expected to cost between
$300- to $600-million.
