$697 Million Sure Doesn't Buy Much These Days

[unhappycamper]

The Carnival Splendor at sea. A fire which broke out in the engine room left passengers and crew on the cruise ship stranded.


Carnival Splendor fire leaves cruise passengers stranded
Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 9 November 2010 19.18 GMT

A cruise ship stranded offshore after a fire in the engine room cut its power supply is being towed slowly into a Mexican port, but it will not arrive until at least Wednesday night, the US coastguard said today.

None of the 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members on the Carnival Splendour was hurt when the fire broke out early on Monday 200 miles south of San Diego, California. The cruise operator, Carnival Cruise Lines, based in Miami, said the ship's air conditioning, hot water and telephone service were not working, but auxiliary power allowed toilets and cold running water to be restored by Monday night.

The coastguard, along with the US and Mexican navies, deployed aircraft and ships to help the stricken vessel, which was drifting about 55 miles off the coast of northern Baja.

Two Mexican seagoing tugboats, contracted out of the port of Ensenada, are expected to have returned with the ship, escorted by a coastguard cutter, by about 8pm tomorrow.

Passengers will be taken by bus to California, said Joyce Oliva, a Carnival spokeswoman. Once passengers are dropped off, the Splendor will be towed back to Long Beach, California – a journey that will take days, which is why the passengers will be dropped off in Mexico first.The US navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was diverted to help the ship. Supplies, including bread, utensils, cups, milk, canned food and other items, will be flown to the Reagan, where helicopters will transfer them to the stricken cruise ship.




unhappycamper comment: It won't even buy one of these:






But you can buy almost seven of these:






Or you could almost buy two of these:

[leveymg]

1. All I have to say is, I hope they have an open bar.

Can get might hot in those waters without AC, even at this time of year.

[unhappycamper]

2. A kick for the morning crowd.

:kick: