Carnival Miracle Collision
An Eyewitness Report
By Mike Groves
On 09 February 2010 I received an interesting email from a passenger and who was on board the Carnival Miracle when she sailed into Port Zante, St Kitts and promptly collided with the pier. Here is what our source wrote in their second email to me although some aspects have naturally been removed to protect this person -
Only USA Today and two Caribbean press outlets covered the story. I contend the larger story to be the 5th Carnival ship to crash in as many months. Accidents of this number would indicate something more than just 'bad luck', but perhaps a more systemic problem from deeper inside the corporation.
There were [x amount] of us in our group on the Carnival Miracle sailing of 1/23. The Captain, the most senior Capt. of the fleet with 35 years, hit the dock during docking maneuvers in St. Kitts on 1/28- our last port of call. No one was injured during the incident however, despite conflicting reports from the Captain that morning, 3 crew cabins were damaged and crew were quite rattled as a result. According to[crew member name withheld] he "ran naked out of his [crew] cabin screaming like a little girl".
Like all the other passengers, I took my camera to the 'scene' and snapped photos. It was quite apparent that Carnival's "crack security team" picked up on me right away. Their stares, or rather glares and attempts to block my camera view were a bit disconcerting.
Not a word was spoken, but actions sometimes speak louder than words. I spent a few moments on the dock, watching the repairs. It was what many of us were doing. There was a 30 foot gash in the bow of the boat close to the waterline. I was interested in what was being done.
At one point, I happened to see something from inside the hole of the boat; I picked up my camera and snapped away to catch a [ship's employee] taking a [shot] of me. It was creepy. Still is.
Carnival Miracle Collision
An Eyewitness report
By Mike Groves QGM
Cruise Bruise Security And Safety Advisor
February 19, 2009
It's also why I'm uncertain about "going on the record" with what I believe needs to be known. I feel a bit 'vulnerable'. So, I ask your discretion.
I have been a bit apprehensive to write much more about it [due to some specific retaliatory fears]. There was no way I was getting on the same ship, with the same crew, the same Captain, with a hole in the boat that is not expected to need further repairs nor is scheduled for dry dock.
I applaud them [Carnival] for doing the right thing in this circumstance. I do not give them any props for their patch of a gaping hole, the 24 knots (remarkable even by sea trials standards) they maintained to get us back to Ft. Lauderdale with a hole in the boat, their starboard docking to 'hide' the patch from on coming passengers, and their stance that she will not need further repairs. I'm not an engineer, but I wouldn't sail on her until integrity can be restored to the bow. That, I believe to be the story here, the safety concerns.
My story is longer (this was our [specified number] CCL cruise in just over [specified number of] years), the idiocracy from embarkation throughout the 8 day adventure, the cut-backs... I could go on. But what truly matters is safety.
Did I mention the Captain did not allow cell phone communication the entire time we were in St. Kitts? It wasn't until well after we set sail on the 29th that cell phone service was reactivated so family's could call home, change air travel and other plans. Kinda... odd.
I also attached a photo someone else took of the girders/supports that were installed. Again, not an engineer but I would not have trusted the quality of work that I saw taking place. Carnival reported they flew in 12 welders and they worked the entire night as the Miracle was to have set sail at 4pm on the 28th to make port on time in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday morning. We left St. Kitts early on the 29th.
The Captain also reported that the welders came with us on our journey home and that they would be working day and night from the inside of the boat. Oddly, that seemed to comfort some passengers. I felt that, if the ship needed to be worked on for another day or two, perhaps she shouldn't be at sea doing 24 knots for 50 hours straight with a hole and a temporary patch in her bow. Again, not an engineer.
I do ask your discretion and would like to remain anonymous, if at all possible. I also believe that other's have the right to know the condition of a ship they are about to embark on. That fact is not readily available.
Remarkable email is it not? More so because here we have an eyewitness, clearly a sincere and intelligent person who has been able to lead me through a consistent change of events through our correspondence together with photographic evidence. I do not doubt this individual's integrity or motives for a moment.
Furthermore our source has highlighted the glaringly obvious discrepancies surrounding this incident and accounts spun out by the Carnival Corp PR machine, but what is of obvious concern and indeed it should be, is the glaring breaches in passenger and vessel safety by putting the Carnival Miracle back to sea and sailing at 24 knots?
Carnival Miracles maximum speed is actually shown to be 22-knot (41 km/h; 25 mph). With a favorable warm undercurrent 24 knots may be possible but can not be substantiated at this time.
My question is simply this, was the ship inspected and cleared by a Maritime Superintendent, the company’s insurance brokers and/or the United States Coast Guard? (USCG). To date I have been unable to locate any such reports or acknowledgements from the company or any other official body for that matter?
