"E.k.R." wrote in
news:vQWAf.1828$vp6.403@bignews6.bellsouth.net:
> A ship is a mechanical object. One "pod" hit an underground channel
> while departing Ft. Lauderdale. It certainly wasn't intentional, and
> accidents happen. "Mechanicals" happen onboard airplanes all the
> time, and certainly you don't receive a 50% refund.
While this is true and cruise lines always reserve the right to alter
inteneraries for any reason including mechanical problems, based on what
I've read on this incident, Cunard scrwed up badly.
Passengers were informed of the decision to skip all ports and sail
directly to Rio only after the ship was underway. The accident with the
pod occurred as the QM2 was leaving Fort Lauderdale. Cunard had the
opportunity to inform the passengers while the ship was in port and give
them the opportunity to dissembark then and there.
This is why many passengers describe the feeling as "being held hostage by
Cunard and he felt like a prisoner."
The only reason I can think of for Cunard doing this is that they didn't
want to take the time, or didn't have pier space available in Fort
Lauderdale to allow passengers to dissembark and wanted to salvage the
sailing anyway they could. |