Carnival Cruise has announced that the vessel 'Legend' suffered a mechanical failure on Friday, forcing the vessel to cancel a scheduled stop and return home early.
"Carnival 'Legend' is experiencing a technical issue with one of the ship's Azipod units that is affecting the vessel's sailing speed," the company said in a statement on Friday.
"The ship's safety systems and hotel services are all functioning normally."
The incident occurred following a scheduled call to Mahogany Bay on the final leg of the vessel's Caribbean itinerary. Because of the reduced speed, the vessel had to return to its home port of Tampa, Florida, instead of one last stop at Grand Cayman.
"Guests will receive a USD100 per person credit and a full refund on pre-purchased shore excursions for Grand Cayman. In addition, guests will receive 50 per cent off a future Carnival cruise," the statement concluded.
The incident follows a disastrous year so far for the cruise company. The same week of the 'Legend' malfunction, the Carnival 'Dream' was stranded in St. Maarten on Thursday after the failure of an emergency diesel generator, reported Reuters.
Further, the Carnival 'Elation' required a tug escort on the Mississippi River after a mechanical problem the weekend before, said the news agency.
But the most high profile of them all occurred last month, when the Carnival 'Triumph' was left stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, following the loss of power, amenities and sanitation following an engine room fire. Stranded for several days, the vessel had to be towed to the Alabama port of Mobile via tug, with passengers and crew suffering appalling conditions on board.
On Friday, Carnival lowered revenue and profit forecasts for the year, Reuters concluded.
Sources: Reuters, Carnival
Image Source: JV & Lynda
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