On December 30, 2024, Carnival Sunshine returned to the Charleston Cruise Port in South Carolina for the second to final time earlier than switching to a brand new homeport.
Whereas nothing uncommon occurred because the Captain and his crew docked the Sunshine-class vessel, it was a foggy morning that required using the ship’s foghorn for security functions.
In low visibility situations, foghorns primarily operate as an “acoustic lighthouse” – warning different vessels of the cruise ship’s presence to stop collisions and guiding ships away from different potential hazards.
However for one passenger who was onboard the crusing – which was a 4-night cruise to Nassau, Bahamas – the noise of the foghorn took away from her magnificence sleep. She was indignant sufficient to put in writing to Carnival Model Ambassador John Heald on his Fb web page to demand compensation.
With security all the time the highest precedence, Heald understandably couldn’t present any of the compensation she was on the lookout for.
As an alternative, he wrote out how he imagined the slightly laughable dialog would possibly go in a fictional world the place he referred to as the ship’s captain to ask him to attenuate the noise:
“Me: Hey Captain it’s John.
Captain: Who’s?
Me: John Heald, Model Ambassador.
Captain: Ahhh sure, why you name me on the bridge at 5 a.m.?
Me: Sorry to disturb you Captain however a girl has written to me. I do know you could have some thick fog this morning. You’ve the foghorn sounding as required by maritime and US Coast Guard legislation however this girl has requested me to inform you to “flip it off“ as a result of it’s disturbing their sleep.
Captain: “TURN IT OFF” ARE YOU STUNARD?!!!!!!!!! Now we have de bigamist John. Now we have a to sound de horn to warn different ships. It’s for his or her security.”
Heald ended the imagined dialog with the captain hanging up on his name.
Visitor Receives Backlash for Foghorn Complaints
It ought to go with out saying that the lives of the as much as 3,002 passengers and 920 crew members onboard are extra vital than one visitor’s sleep – though she would possibly wish to pack ear plugs for future cruises so she isn’t woken up once more.
If Carnival didn’t use the foghorns to accommodate one aggravated visitor – which must be loud to be able to be efficient – folks might be harm or killed.
Within the over 650 replies Heald’s put up acquired, his followers expressed their shock at how unreasonable the complaining passenger was being.
“I’m on the Sunshine now and my cabin on Deck 12 is seemingly proper below the horn. Sure, it has saved me up since 3am ish, however I want to be awake as an alternative of dwelling an actual life muster drill! Thanks for holding us secure Captain,” a visitor of the identical crusing wrote.
“That is outrageous!!! How dare Carnival observe the foundations and use the required security protocols to guard ship, passengers, crew, & anybody else that may be in proximity to hazard. I imply what had been they pondering holding this poor girl awake simply to keep up security…. The Nerve of this, Captain!!!”, one other follower quipped.
Learn Additionally: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Dangerous Climate
But when it’s any comfort, this passenger can relaxation assured she is going to seemingly not must expertise one other foggy morning in Charleston on a Carnival cruise ship once more – or a minimum of not within the close to future – because the cruise line is ceasing operations on the East Coast port.
This variation was not a shock, because the South Carolina Ports Authority confirmed again in 2022 that it might not lengthen its homeport pact with Carnival past 2024 in order that it may redevelop Charleston’s Union Pier Terminal.
After the annoyed visitor and her fellow passengers disembarked, Carnival Sunshine carried out her ultimate embarkation from the port on the afternoon of December 30, 2024, for a New 12 months’s voyage to the Bahamas – which can go to Nassau and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s non-public vacation spot.
After this voyage, the 2013-launched ship will quickly go away service to go to dry dock from January 4 to February 15, 2025, earlier than being redeployed in Norfolk, Virginia.
