Triumph of the human spirit

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – There’s nothing like adversity to challenge the human spirit, and when it does, the human spirit prevails. The most recent example was the ill-fated trip of the Carnival cruise ship, Triumph. Aptly named, those who set sail triumphed over the most adverse of conditions, as relayed by J. J. Kuykendall of Cruise Planners, who booked passage for several of her clients.

Having just returned from a cruise on the same ship two weeks earlier, J.J. contacted her clients immediately upon their return, to check on their welfare.

“To a person, everything I heard was about the heroic efforts of the crew, who endured the same conditions, but who went above and beyond the call of duty to see after the passengers and make them as comfortable as possible,” said Kuykendall.

Of the over 4100 people on board, just over 1000 were crew members, so approximately 25 percent of the ship’s population were impacted as well, but worked round the clock to aid the passengers.

“The staff on board was exemplary,” remarked one of the passengers, said Kuykendall. “They were most helpful, and remained courteous and friendly; far exceeding what was expected of them.”

Kuykendall was told the Cruise Director worked tirelessly to keep the passengers spirits up, and resolve problems.

“In truth, some of the passengers made the situation more trying than it had to be, for themselves and others,” said Kuykendall. “They refused to cooperate with the crew, they hoarded food that others needed. The situation could have been more bearable if it hadn’t been for the behavior of a small percent of the passengers.”

Fortunately the mechanical malfunction that resulted in a fire in the engine room occurred on the return trip. The passengers were able to enjoy all the ports of call which included Cozumel.

“In life, things happen. Unlike a plane when it malfunctions, the ship remained afloat with no loss of life,” said Kuykendall. “There were numerous stories about how passengers looked after the elderly and those with disabilities. In addition to the crew, there were many unsung heroes.”

Some just had better coping skills. One passenger said her Girl Scout training was instrumental in getting her through the ordeal.

“She told me that as a Girl Scout, she was always told to ‘be prepared.’ She had packed flashlights, extra water bottles, and snacks,” said Kuykendall. “Some good lessons came out of this. No matter how you travel, you should always take extra medicine, a flashlight, some nutrition bars, wet wipes and water.”

Kuykendall emphasized that when signing up for a cruise, one of the documents that you signed is the cruise contract that states that the cruise line is not obligated in any way, regardless of the circumstances. Yet Carnival Cruise lines made the following restitution:

- Refunded the cruise fare

- $500 rebate

- A voucher for another cruise of the same value

- Incurred the expenses of hotels and transportation costs to accommodate the passengers for their return home

- Waived bar tabs

Just a rough estimate of Carnival giving each passenger $500, multiplied by the over 3100 passengers, is over one million dollars. That doesn’t even include the cost of the 2 free cruises and travel reimbursements. Kuykendall went on to explain that Carnival also refunded the fares for the cruises on the Triumph, that have been cancelled through April 13, and any nonrefundable transportation charges to get to the port. They also reduced fares by 25 percent for a 3-5 night cruise, and 15 percent for a 6-7 night cruise, when the Triumph sets sail again; again, well above and beyond the call of duty.

Kuykendall said one couple taking their first voyage, said they would definitely take advantage of the free cruise that was offered.

“It was the trip of a lifetime. Our next cruise will probably be boring compared to this one,” Kuykendall said her client remarked. “Occasionally life deals you lemons. You can either pucker up or make lemonade,” said Kuykendall.

Or In the indomitable words of the disastrous Apollo 13’s flight director, Gene Kranz, who lead the Mission Control and the engineering team instrumental in returning the flight crew safely to Earth…”This was our finest hour.”