Cruise ship captains put the safety of their passengers over everything else.
That can sometimes mean forcing passengers to do things that at least some of them don’t want to do. The muster drill when you first board, for example, is a legal safety requirement.
Maritime law requires passengers to watch the safety videos or demonstrations and check in at their respective stations. Carnival Cruise Line pushes passengers to do that early on embarkation day by shutting off their accounts after two drinks if they have not checked in.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line takes on dangerous dining situation
In addition, there are times when the captain must interrupt a cruise for an alert. In the event of an on-board emergency, for example, the captain often will make a shipwide announcement.
That might break up your trivia game, wake you up from your nap, or otherwise inconvenience you. The captain gives that absolutely zero thought as safety matters more than anything else.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently fielded a question about another safety procedure that can disrupt a cruise for passengers.
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Image source: John Heald/Facebook
Carnival sounds the horn
Heald answers hundreds of questions each day. Many of them are not the best questions and some personally insult him, but he rarely shows any frustration.
A recent question, however, pushed him to the brink.
“Honestly, I feel like sending this reply to the lady who has written to me this morning telling me that ‘compensation is expected on Carnival Sunshine because the fog horn has kept her awake all night as the ship returns to Charleston this morning.’”
He then showed what that conversation might look like.
I called the Captain on the bridge, this is how the conversation went.
Me: Hello Captain it’s John.
Captain ” Who is?“
Me: John Heald, Brand Ambassador.
Captain: Ahhh yes, why a you call me on the bridge at 5 a.m.?
Me: Sorry to disturb you captain but a lady has written to me. I know you have some thick fog this morning. You have the fog horn sounding as required by maritime and US Coast Guard law but this lady has asked me to tell you to “turn it off“ because it is disturbing their sleep.
Captain: “TURN IT OFF “ ARE YOU STUNAD?!!!!!!!!! We have de bigamist John. We have a to sound de horn to warn other ships. It is for their safety.”
(“Stunad” is Italian/American slang that means “stupid.” Heald was clearly assuming an Italian cruise ship captain. Many cruise ship captains are Italian or Greek and speak good but not perfect English.)
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Carnival passengers sound off
Rick Akins seemed to be speaking for most of the commenters.
“How dare Carnival follow the rules and use the necessary safety protocols to protect the ship, passengers, crew, and anyone else that might be in proximity to danger,” he wrote. I mean, what were they thinking keeping this poor lady awake just to maintain safety. … The Nerve of this, Captain.
“Ok, but seriously folks, if you are expecting any kind of free s*** for Carnival following safety [protocols, let] me offer it to you now. You are FREE to stay home and not get on F*N SHIP. The rest of us actually want to be there.”
Rachel Harrington offered her personal experience on the ship.
“I am on the Sunshine now, and my cabin on deck 12 is apparently right under the horn. Yes, it has kept me up since 3 a.m.-ish, but I prefer to be awake instead of living a real-life muster drill! Thanks for keeping us safe, captain,” she posted.
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Ellen Vandenborn drove the point home.
“I guess this lady would rather the ship be wrecked so she could have her sleep. Then she would want compensation because the shipwrecked! Lady, they are not sounding that horn just to annoy you,” she added.
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