Did the Cruise Ship Survive in 2012?

By Michael Ferguson

The cruise ship industry has been around since the early part of the 20th century, and is considered one of the most popular forms of leisure travel. The industry saw a steady growth throughout the decades, and in 2012 it was estimated that over 21 million people worldwide chose to take a cruise. With an ever-increasing demand for cruise ships, many companies have begun investing heavily in the construction of new vessels, as well as refurbishing existing ones.

In 2012, one of the biggest stories in the cruise industry was that of the ‘Carnival Triumph’. On February 10th of that year, a fire broke out on board the vessel while it was en route to Cozumel Mexico from Galveston Texas. The blaze caused extensive damage to both the ship’s interior and exterior, and left 4,200 passengers and crew members stranded at sea for five days without power or working toilets.

The incident garnered a lot of media attention both nationally and internationally, with many questioning whether or not this would spell the end for the cruise industry. However, after a thorough investigation by both Carnival Cruise Lines (the owners of ‘Carnival Triumph’) and US coast guard officials, it was determined that most of the damage was due to an engine room fire which had been caused by an electrical malfunction. Despite this setback, Carnival Cruise Lines managed to maintain their high safety standards and continued operating as normal.

The ‘Carnival Triumph’ incident did not deter passengers from booking their next vacation on a cruise ship; in fact bookings increased by 5% in 2012 compared with 2011 figures. The industry also saw a number of new ships being built during this time period such as Royal Caribbean’s ‘Oasis Of The Seas’, which set sail on its maiden voyage in December 2009.

Conclusion:

Despite experiencing its fair share of tribulations in 2012, it can be said that yes – the cruise ship industry did survive in 2012. Despite having to deal with some very serious incidents such as that aboard ‘Carnival Triumph’, not only did they manage to weather through these difficult times but they also managed to come out stronger than ever before – with bookings increasing by 5%.