"Just hours after the Carnival Triumph was towed in from the Gulf of Mexico and finally docked in Mobile, Alabama, Congress began asking questions of the U.S. Coast Guard on the incident, trying to find out whether there is a larger safety issue that needs to be reviewed involving large passenger vessels.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, fired off a letter to the Coast Guard Commandant, asking for a review of the incident and others that may be similar in the last six years involving large passenger vessels."
[QUOTE=catherder;99093]I’m sure, like everything else in Congress lately, this is just attention whoring that will go nowhere. Hope I’m wrong.[/QUOTE]
You are probably right but I hope at the very least that Congress thumping its chest will shine some very unwanted light on the looney-toons who run Carnival. I don’t consider this an industry problem, I consider it a Carnival problem and a corporate America problem. If they were talking about something that would affect all of us, like not allowing diesel engines on ships anymore because they have crank-case explosions that cause situations like this, then there would be cause for alarm. However, in this case, I really do believe that Congress can do all the rabble-rowsing they want and it will probably only be for the good of the industry as a whole, even if the only result are some heavy fines for those nincompoops down in Miami.
[QUOTE=AHTS Master;99121]I don’t give a rats ass about what congress wants. They should be worried about the economy and not the problems with a cruise ship fro the Bahamas.[/QUOTE]
Neither do I but hey, if they really decided to make it harder for (essentially) foreign companies to do business here it would help the economy.
But don’t hold your breath. I don’t even turn on the TV much these days.
I have to say that I am surprised that Congress is doing what they are, I thought they would just ignore it. I would really like this to bring to light how these U.S. Owned and Operated Companies only fly a F.O.C., but then again I believed in Santa Claus for a long time.
It is the duty of congress not to fix the economy but to ease interstate commerce. The coast guard should be asking congress why they don’t have more jurisdiction over carnival not the other way around.
On a more political sidenote the failure of banking oversite by Dodd and Franks should not have led to their being in charge of fixing the problem.
So the coast guard would be the right organization to ‘fix’ FOC cruise lines as they are not currently in charge of inspecting them, but that would require an act of congress…
[QUOTE=catherder;99133]I want to know where Mickey Arison (CEO of Carnival corp and owns the Miami Heat) shelters the company money. And his own.[/QUOTE]
Like father like son so they say … daddy Ted was a real gem.
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;99094]You are probably right but I hope at the very least that Congress thumping its chest will shine some very unwanted light on the looney-toons who run Carnival. [/QUOTE]
Its hard to have much faith in Congress, but wouldn’t it be nice if Congress would require ships that operate in the US (i.e. on the OSC, drill rigs, construction vessels, shuttle tankers, and cruiseships) to reflag US, pay US taxes, and hire Americans.
[QUOTE=Kingrobby;99126]Along with pretty much every other cruise line that operates in the US[/QUOTE]
It would be a lot nicer for US mariners if the cruise lines employed more US citizen mariners, simply 'cuz I are one.
But thinking back, I had the chance to visit the back office operations of several cruise lines over the years for busness reasons, and they employ thousands, and I mean thousands of US citizens managing and supporting the operations of the ships. Many cruise line headquarters can be found just west of Miami Airport, and the vendors are clustered around there. The buildings have no signs, but when you go inside - holy cow - logistics operations like you never thought possible. A few buildings over, ship managers, superintendants, purchasing departments, finance and accounting… the list goes on.
I’m not at all pleased with any offshoring of operations, profits or flag of convenience ship registration situation - especially given the size of the cruise market in the US. But while solving that part, it isn’t realistic to forget the balance of the real shoreside jobs that are filled right now, by Americans.
Should the US have an international registry? That is, allow vessels in foreign trade to flag or reflag US, but only require that a certain percentage of the crew (mostly officers) be US citizens. I believe that this is what some of the European countries do.
The only reason a ship owner will flag US is because it is not legal to do otherwise for whatever operations they need to complete.
I been doing this for over 30 years, and haven’t seen it any other way, unfortunately. I don’t like it, but that is the way it will be for the remainder of my lifetime.
A form of a US International ship registry already exists. it is called Marshall Islands …a well run registry, but no nationality requirements.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;99163]Should the US have an international registry? That is, allow vessels in foreign trade to flag or reflag US, but only require that a certain percentage of the crew (mostly officers) be US citizens. I believe that this is what some of the European countries do.[/QUOTE]
There is no quota that exists of officers belonging to the same nationality of the flag of convenience or second registry. The owner has the last word on the matter. If you consent to sign the article of agreements on the condition of that flag and on the owner’s will , you’re in business, if not, forget it.
Why would congress intervene here? I would say that’s a little bit of micromanaging going on. Let the respective registry/flag state or USCG investigate the incident. I didn’t know that part of the prerequisites to being a congressman included marine inspection and investigation. Like someone said earlier, let them work on the economy, it’s only been 4 years since we’ve had a budget!
The media is treating this like the sinking of the Titanic. The cruise passengers ate cold food, used buckets for restrooms and didn’t have air conditioning for 4-5 days. That’s a standard daily regiment for commerical crab dredgers! Instead of investigating a fire onboard a cruise liner, perhaps congress could divert some attention to Benghazi?
[QUOTE=ForkandBlade;99172]The media is treating this like the sinking of the Titanic. The cruise passengers ate cold food, used buckets for restrooms and didn’t have air conditioning for 4-5 days. That’s a standard daily regiment for commerical crab dredgers! Instead of investigating a fire onboard a cruise liner, perhaps congress could divert some attention to Benghazi?[/QUOTE]
I’ve had the tube on this morning and they have a CNN presence at the shipyard. It’s certainly overkill at this point. The pax leaving the ship the other night looked none the worse for wear and were smiling and laughing so no real harm done. Don’t hold your breath on Bengazi. Hillary is out of office and I think the subject is dead in the water.
Maybe we’ll see some engine room pics later. I’m sure there will be an “official” photo or something leaked.
I’d like to see Congress solve the looming budget crisis…it’s two weeks away till sequestration, and I live in the Ground Zero of defense outside of DC- Norfolk. A lot of people are about to get furloughed. And the Navy is also operating under a continuing resolution from 2012 so they are double screwed. People don’t realize just how bad this is going to be. Shipyard work is being deferred, deployments cancelled and even airshows are cancelled (and they never cancel those).
Fasteners holding a fuel line backed out from vibration with resulting fuel fire. I think these may be the same type Wartsila engines from the same time frame, 1990’s. Triumph was built when, 1999? There was a technical bulletin out about these which called for a modification and inspection every 2000 hours.
I wonder if we are looking at something similar here. I’m eager to see what the CG finds out. Anyway, worth a gander.