Carnival said Tuesday morning that tugs are expected to reach the stricken Carnival Splendor off the Pacific coast of Mexico by mid-day local time. The tugs will tow the vessel to Ensenada, Mexico in an effort to get the guests off the ship and home as quickly as possible.
While the fire is out and no injuries were reported to the 3,299 guests and 1,167 crew onboard, the ship's engineers have been unable to restore additional power from the engines. The ship's current location is approximately 150 miles south of San Diego. The U.S. Coast Guard has also deployed aircraft and cutters to the cruise ship’s location. Due to continuing power issues, Carnival has cancelled this Mexican Riviera voyage from Long Beach, CA.
The line also said that, last night, the ship’s engineers were able to restore toilet service to all cabins and public bathrooms, as well as cold running water. The ship’s crew continues to actively work to restore other services. Several key hotel systems including air conditioning, hot food service and telephones are not available. Currently, the Carnival Splendor is operating on auxiliary generators.
While guests were initially asked to move from their cabins to the ship’s upper open deck areas, Carnival said guests now have access to their cabins and are able to move about the ship. Bottled water and cold food items are being provided. Guests on this voyage will receive a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.
"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience," said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. "Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible."