Carnival: No reimbursement to US for disabled ship

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

Carnival Corp. says all maritime interests must assist without question those in trouble at sea, a duty that would not include reimbursing the U.S. government nearly $780,000 for costs associated with the rescue of the crippled Triumph cruise ship.

Carnival released letters Friday replying to an inquiry by U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, about the Triumph stranding and the cruise line's overall safety record. Among Rockefeller's questions was whether Carnival would repay the government for Coast Guard costs in the Triumph case as well as $3.4 million to the Coast Guard and Navy from the 2010 stranding of the Carnival Splendor in the Pacific Ocean.

... In a statement, Rockefeller called the response "shameful" and that he is considering "all options to hold the industry to higher passenger safety standards."

Those options could include a congressional hearing and legislation, perhaps even a closer look at taxation.

Read more: http://www.wbay.com/story/21966720/carnival-no-reimbursement-to-us-for-disabled-ship

[AndyA]

1. CDC just inspected another Carnival ship, and it was infested with flies and roaches

Filth on top of poor maintenance, and taking advantage of good will at seas. Maintain and clean your ships, Carnival. Now Carnival is slashing prices to try to get people to sail on one of their broken down roach rafts. No thanks.

[mbperrin]

2. Oldest story in the criminal capitalist book: privatize the profits,

socialize the costs.

Let's invite Carnival to fly under another flag and never answer another distress call and publicize that.

I hear North Korea is looking for ideas to expand.

[James48]

6. Carnival operates under Panamanian registry flag

and thereby avoids having to meet U.S. standards.

[htuttle]

8. Carnival doesn't operate any ship under US flag

Some of their ships are registered in Panama, others in Bermuda. The Triumph was registered in Bermuda, I think.

[mbperrin]

21. Thanks for the info. So why are spending US tax dollars on foreign

vessels to begin?

I live in the desert, so do not understand much about the maritime world.

[htuttle]

22. The law of the sea, I guess

When a ship is in trouble, everyone is supposed to help them out. Near the Gulf, the US Coast Guard is typically in the right place with the right stuff to do that.

[Occulus]

23. As detestable as I find the company, you're quite correct

All ships that can respond to a distress call are, I believe, required to do so.

I don't think we should complain. This is a necessary function.

[DebJ]

33. Unless the necessity is caused by negligence on their part n/t

[Jazzgirl]

35. It doesn't matter if it is their negligence.

You can't fault passengers for the ships owner's negligence.

[daleo]

38. There must be an onus to help

But if the party in danger was recklessly negligent, and has resources, it can be reasonable to expect to be reimbursed.

[hibbing]

32. Yes

Hi,
You see it all throughout our economy, socialize the cost and privatize the profits. Look at all these billionaire sports teams owners who get the taxpayers to pay for the stadiums, and that is just one little example.

Peace

[RKP5637]

3. Fortunately, Carnival does not fly planes ... they'd by crashing all over the place. n/t

[Brigid]

9. You win.

[Posteritatis]

10. That implies they'd get off the ground. (nt)

[RKP5637]

11. Yeah ... maybe it might be better if they did planes ... would be gone and out of business. I can

see the headlines, passengers stranded for 2 weeks while Carnival tries to start engines.

[whistler162]

4. Wonder if Maritime Salvage law is applicable?

take and sell the ship! It was a hazard to something.

[TeamPooka]

15. +100

[One_Life_To_Give]

41. It would go to the Tug's

Carnivals Lawyers I would expect had the language in the Towing Contract such that the Tugs wouldn't be able to bump the situation from Tow to Salvage. Exception case would have been a storm large enough to capsize a disabled and foundering Triumph taking not only Triumph but the Tugs to the bottom as well.

[GitRDun]

5. Tax them.

If they won't pay the direct costs, charge a fee per passenger and build a fund to cover costs..our Congress won't do it but they should...

[frylock]

7. then start inspecting the fuck out of their ships and shut them down based on safety violations..

hopefully the free market will take care of these assholes. you'd have to be crazy to board one of their shit boats.

[csziggy]

18. Add a surtax onto cruise ship docking fees to cover Coast Guard costs

And jack them up for those cruise ship lines that don't maintain their ships and need more rescues. Companies that do their maintenance and don't need Coast Guard assistance every few months can pay less.

[Owl]

19. Exactly! And if they don't like it, they can provide their own rescue vessels/operations.

[csziggy]

20. Or they can just not dock at American ports

And forgo the immense American cruise passenger market.

My heart bleeds at what THAT would cost them.

[Occulus]

24. Is the name of the song called "My Heart Beats Purple Piss for You"?

[mother earth]

12. Carnival Cruises is headquartered in tax haven Panama

and that means they don't pay hardly a dime in corporate taxes. Privatize the profits, socialize the cost corporate welfare has become the norm in the United States.

[xtraxritical]

31. The great majority of ocean going vessels are Panama registered. I don't know why.

[benld74]

14. Does Gulf of Mexico officially count as the sea?

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Corporate thinking at its best.

How about revoking their docking privileges in the U.S. unless and until they post bonds for future "accidents" like these?

The U.S. will still respond to distress calls, because that's the decent thing to do. More decent than the owners of Carnival corporation, no doubt.

[47of74]

17. A-frigging-men

You could not pay me enough money to step foot in one of their rusted out shit boxes.

[Historic NY]

25. They government be able to impound it indefinitely....

if the fees aren't paid they can under maritime law seek a judgement and then sell it off to the highest bidder or send it to the breakers. In no way shape or form would I allow it to leave the dock. Carnival pay a mere pittance in taxes.

[Gore1FL]

26. We shouldn't allow them to dock unless the bill is paid.

Fuck them.

[Stuart G]

27. All the Federal Government has to do..is sue them..

Now...make a big deal about it you know...then..
after a while..they will pay the $780,000...against the millions in bad publicity...

...Well they are probably going to go broke anyway..

Hay wanna buy a big, really big boat..cheap...but ...???

[DeSwiss]

28. And they sound so ethical on paper.

Business Conduct & Ethics


Micky Arison, CEO and Chairman

Building and maintaining trust in our business relationships and pursuing the highest standards of ethical behavior remain a fundamental aspect of our Company’s core values. As the largest cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world, we recognize our responsibility to provide industry leadership and to conduct our business as a responsible global citizen. Our company requires that every employee and member of the Board of Directors will use sound judgment, maintain high ethical standards and demonstrate honesty in all business dealings. As a responsible global citizen, we are ardently committed to achieving and maintaining a high standard of professional and ethical conduct.

MORE

- The ethics of this global citizenship he refers to must come from a different ''globe'' than Earth. Ferenginar, maybe?

K&R

[sakabatou]

29. Evil SOBs

[ArcticFox]

30. Can we refuse them entry into the ports?

I can't believe we can't seize one of their ships or something.

[slackmaster]

34. I wish to apologize to Motel 6 for calling Carnival the Motel 6 of the High Seas

Motel 6 treats its customers much better.

[kimbutgar]

36. Tea baggers should be furious that their tax money paid for this assistance

Anyone who advocates for the tea bag ideology should be outraged that the American people has to pay for the costs of Carnival cruise lines negligence. But they won't because their right wing media and Fox will not point out that this and instead blame the Obama administration for helping stranded American passengers.

[surrealAmerican]

37. If they really believed that ...

... " all maritime interests must assist without question all those in trouble at sea", they should be able to cite the many times their ships have come to the rescue of others. I see no such citations here.

[JI7]

39. scum

[Brigid]

40. I'm wondering if the US government can sue.

Surely there is something in maritime law that could provide for that.

[Eugene]

42. Carnival to 'voluntarily' reimburse U.S. Treasury for Triumph, Splendor assists (updated)

Source: Mobile's Press-Register/al.com

Carnival to 'voluntarily' reimburse U.S. Treasury for Triumph, Splendor assists (updated)

By Kelli Dugan
on April 15, 2013 at 3:50 PM, updated April 15, 2013 at 4:30 PM

MOBILE, Alabama – In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Carnival Corp. announced it will, in fact, reimburse the U.S. government for taxpayer dollars spent addressing at least two distressed ships, including the Triumph.

“Carnival Corporation is in the process of voluntarily submitting payment to the U.S. Treasury Department to reimburse the federal government for costs related to the Carnival Triumph and Splendor incidents,” the statement reads.

The statement does not specify, or even hint at, a possible sum.

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Read more: http://blog.al.com/live/2013/04/carnival_to_voluntarily_reimbu.html