From Fires to Family Moments: The Reality of Cruising in the Modern Era

Cruising: Blissful or Catastrophic?

Cruising can be one of two things — blissful or catastrophic. The outcome may be up to you, but lately the media has been showing some negatives of cruising.

Just last week, Netflix released a documentary entitled The Poop Cruise. This cruise took place in 2013 and has given the Carnival Cruise Line some negative backlash — as if it doesn’t already get enough. Each cruise is very harshly ranked by frequent cruisers, and Carnival tends to be near the bottom. One of the most common nicknames people give it is “Walmart of the Seas.”

I believe it gets this name from the party aspect of the ships. A lot of cruise goers choose to cruise for the relaxation. Carnival is not known for relaxation. To each their own, I presume — but the ones who like to party have the best time.

The name also came from people taking pictures of rusted railings or leaving negative reviews calling the ships “old.” The Carnival ship I went on was one of the older ones, and it was just as nice as any of the others. People really pay attention to the details when it comes to cruising.

Poop cruise

Getting back to the Poop Cruise — the catastrophe began when the engine room caught fire on what was supposed to be the last night of the trip. Instead of going back home, passengers were stranded in the middle of the ocean for four days. With little to no electricity, they were surviving off of whatever food the staff could put together in small portions.

I won’t get into why it was called The Poop Cruise… but no electricity = no working toilets = plastic bags. You get the idea.

Unfortunately, this incident has caused Carnival to live up to its nickname — to some. Others recognize that all ships can have faults, whether we see them or not. This just happened to be a worst-case scenario.

MSC Ship

I was on an MSC ship last year, and there was also a fire on board — one of the first nights. This fire wasn’t nearly as bad, but it still had people shaken. It started in the elevator shaft and was handled quickly. We were extremely lucky not to have any major damage. The elevators were out for a few days, but then it was good as new. We also received a 20% discount on our next cruise for the inconvenience.

Not as bad as the Poop Cruise fire, but it did have a lot of people worried. Many said they would never sail with MSC again.

What I’ve learned from cruising is that it’s insanely hard to please people — even with something as amazing as a floating all-inclusive resort.

Fire??

Granted, a fire on a vessel in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight is quite alarming.

The impact of incidents depends on the ship and the scale of the issue. There’s a certain protocol in place for when something goes wrong. Like I said, being on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean is terrifying when even a small issue pops up. So, the big things? They’re frightening.

Just a few days ago, I came across a TikTok video reporting that someone had fallen overboard the Disney Dream ship. I clicked on the profile — the video had only been posted 40 minutes earlier. More information flooded in quickly.

A little girl had been placed on the railing of a lower deck to take a photo with her dad. In the blink of an eye, she lost balance and fell backward into the ocean. Within seconds, her dad jumped in after her.

Danger

Thankfully, the ship happened to be moving slowly, and the water was calm. The staff was alerted and launched lifeboats immediately. Both the little girl and her father were safely returned to the ship. It was a wonder she stayed afloat long enough for him to reach her.

It’s so important to pay attention to railings on cruise ships. While some are nearly impossible to fall over, others are flimsy and unsafe to lean on.

The truth is, anything can happen anywhere — at any time. All it takes is research to find the cruise that works for you. You can choose your destination, your cabin type, and even the cruise vibe — whether you want tons of kids around or none.

Party or relax?

Celebrity Cruises, for example, is excellent at targeting adults rather than families. There’s a more relaxed atmosphere, and not as much late-night partying or dancing. It’s a great option if you want a calm vacation with minimal distractions.

At the end of the day, a cruise is what you make it. You can take the time to fully relax or party until sunrise. Each cruise line is unique — and experiencing at least one cruise in your life is an absolute must.