 |
| Carnival is investing heavily in new safety measures. |
To avoid problems similar to what it experienced with Carnival Triumph and, to a much lesser extent, other ships recently, Carnival Cruise Lines said last month that it will spend $300 million to upgrade mechanical systems and provide back-up generators for its ships. It’s also creating a new safety and reliability review board to monitor the line’s operational performance.
Travel Agent talked with several travel industry executives as well as a crisis communications/accident investigation expert about Carnival’s announcement. Are the steps enough? Is the timing right? Will this ease public concerns—and enhance bookings? “There is usually concern by consumers when multiple incidents happen with the same brand or company,” says Dwain Wall, senior vice president and general manager, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
Those showing the most concern are typically first-time cruisers who don’t understand the rarity of these occurrences. “Carnival’s commitment to new enhancements and additional safety measures is a great step in easing the minds of consumers and a positive selling point,” Wall says.
Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners, says what the travel industry as a whole needs to communicate is that cruising is safe. “We, as advocates of the industry, must continue to be positive and upbeat when speaking to the public,” she says, adding that agents must use statistics and facts to show cruising is and continues to be the safest mode of travel.
Carnival began its own operational investigation of the Carnival Triumph incident immediately after it happened. Internally, the line has been very comprehensive in reviewing and evaluating its operating procedures, existing ship hardware and potential mechanical fixes.
Clearly, a thorough review takes time. And the line’s investment for any fixes is sizable. Still, some wish the line’s response, with many positive operational steps, had come a bit earlier to help ease consumer concerns, better maintain the industry’s safety reputation and avoid critical commentary from government officials.
Among them is Agnes Huff, Ph.D., president of Agnes Huff Communications Group Los Angeles, a transportation crisis management and response expert, who says some consumers might perceive that “only when government scrutiny was imminent and public sentiment at an all time low, did they choose to act.”
Will the announcement help move the public’s perception toward a more positive outlook for Carnival?
Fee says her agents report that past cruisers emphatically state that these incidences earlier this year will not stop them from booking a future cruise. “Do we know the extent of the damage to a non-cruiser?” she asks. “Probably not. My guess is it’s just ‘wait and see.’ ” She noted, however, that Cruise Planners’ current bookings don’t reveal any signs of a slowdown.
From Wall’s perspective, “People will appreciate the fact that Carnival recognized that action needed to be taken,” but again notes that it’s the first timers, those making up much of Carnival’s target market, who need extra assurances that a cruise vacation is a safe choice.
“Carnival’s new operational program is just a starting point to try to regain public confidence,” says Huff. She says it’s a process that will take time. That effort’s success will ultimately depend on Carnival’s ability to concretely demonstrate to the public that it has learned from the past and is doing everything possible to prepare for and prevent future incidents or accidents, Huff notes.