Carnival, Take a Lesson from Royal Caribbean!

A Monday morning blaze aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, which affected four decks and required two hours to extinguish, may remind travelers of the sage of Carnival’s Triumph. But the two cruise lines treated their passengers very differently – and Carnival execs should study the swift and appropriate response of Royal Caribbean. As reported by USAToday and others:

• Passengers report being fully informed throughout, and had been prepared with a safety drill at the cruise’s inception
• Crew members were well-trained and performed their duties effectively
• Royal Caribbean promptly – without lawsuits or hassle – agreed to refund the cost of every passenger’s cruise, as well as provide a voucher for 25% of that fare to be used on a future cruise. They also arranged flights home for all 2,000+ passengers.
• Royal Caribbean’s CEO headed promptly to the Bahamas to meet the ship and greet passengers personally.
• Refunds will be processed within the next three weeks.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2013/05/29/royal-caribbean-cruises-fire/2370515/

Images of the ship on it dedicated webpage (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipCode=GR), refurbished just a year ago, show an elegant vessel, which received strong 4-star ratings from several cruise review sites:

Royal Caribbean announced that the fire damage will require six weeks to repair, and will affect their earnings by 10% per share, or about $22 million. The goodwill engendered by the steps outlined above should far outweigh that amount, as passengers return home and continue to post comments, photos and videos lauding the company.

Carnival, are you listening???