Now that the passengers of the Carnival Triumph have reached land, stories about the conditions onboard are starting to hit the press. The experience has been compared to “Lord of the Flies,” “Survivor” and “The Hunger Games.” As compensation for the experience, Carnival initially offered a full refund of the cruise cost, the cost of travel, and money spent onboard (except at the gift shop and casino). Yesterday, the company also offered $500 and a credit for a future cruise.
Many have questioned if this is fair compensation and debated the possibility of future lawsuits. The cruise contract of carriage does limit the amount a passenger can recover. Additionally, current law makes it impossible to recover damages for emotional distress, unless it can be proven to be caused by cruise operator’s negligence.
Beyond legal issues, there is a larger issue of perception. Carnival and the cruise industry are dealing with a PR nightmare with this incident, which will only get worse as passenger pictures and videos are released. Peter joined the team at CBS This Morning to look at how Carnival handled these issues and break down how it will impact the cruise industry in the months to come.
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