NEW ORLEANS – Water gushing down a hallway — crew members forming a bucket brigade to bail it into buckets — sleeping on yoga mats in the ship’s spa. Some of the passengers on the Carnival Dream will have a nightmare to tell when the ship returns to port in New Orleans on Sunday.
One passenger, Marla DeAnn Haase, posted pictures and video to Facebook of what she saw happening on the ship Thursday, May 3.
Confirmed to WGNO by Carnival Communications Director Annemarie Matthews, the ship left New Orleans April 29 for a seven-day cruise of the Western Caribbean. But on Thursday, a broken water line in the sprinkler system sent “clean” water into about 50 cabins on Deck 9. Matthews says those guests who were “impacted” by the flooding will receive a full refund, plus half off a future cruise.
Still, some passengers might pass on the offer. Besides having to sleep on a yoga mat, Haase described a small fire in the sleeping area which she believed was caused by one passenger’s “cpap” breathing apparatus shorting out in the damp conditions.
Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts told WGNO that his parents are on the cruise. Roberts said his brother spoke to their parents, who described an “out of control” situation Thursday evening. But Roberts says his parents’ room was not affected by the water and they opted not to leave the ship in Cozumel, where passengers were allowed to disembark if they didn’t want to finish the cruise in New Orleans.
Communications Director Matthews praised the ship’s passengers and crew for being “amazing” during the ordeal.
“Needless to say,” wrote Matthews in an email, “the tremendous positive attitude of our guests and crew is proof of why we are America’s favorite cruise line.”