Did you hear the story about the Carnival cruise ship that lost power after a fire? No, this isn’t the start of some corny joke. Three-thousand three-hundred passengers were on the ship when a fire in the engine room caused the ship to lose power. That’s the population of a small town!
The power went out Monday morning and the story went like this:
However, engineers were not able to restore power to the ship, which was operating on auxiliary generators, the statement said. As of Tuesday, “several key hotel systems, including air conditioning, hot food service and telephones are not available,” the cruise line said.
On Monday night, engineers were able to restore toilet service to cabins and public bathrooms, along with cold running water, Carnival said. “The ship’s crew continues to actively work to restore other services.”
Other than the fact that their vacations were interrupted I can only imagine what it was like on this vessel for 12 or more hours without toilets, water, phones, etc. It just goes to show that a survival situation can sneak up on you at any time. Now, if I’d been there my bugout out bag would have saved my ass from all the stress I’m sure these people were feeling. Of course my wife thinks I’m a lunatic for carrying it everywhere I go, but hey! When we need water or a poncho or a quick snack guess who has it on hand? That’s right people, the Jarhead Survivor. Hell, I’d rather be marooned on a desert isle with my bugout bag than stuck on a vessel with no power and thirty-three hundred passengers.
I can imagine how fast it could go from this:
To mayhem!
At least on an island you can always use escape and evasion techniques to move around and not be seen. On a full cruise liner you’re pretty well stuck!
In all reality there’s probably not much you can do other than be calm and listen to what the officers and crew tell you. How would you handle a situation like this?
– Jarhead Survivor
BTW: Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marines! The Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775, when the USMC legacy was born.
14 comments
Heh; Justas a rule of thumb, these days I dont fly unless I ma the pilot and I dont boat unless I can drive it. I dont go ANYWHERE that I dont take my vehicle except for some very rare occassions and even then I am with MY PEOPLE and carry weaps and BOB accordingly. In a time when Americans are automatic targets every where we go, I simply choose to limit the ability of bad guys to attack me and keep my aveenues of escape and evasion open as well as always having a heightened state of awareness. Avoiding attack of any kind is far better than trying to defend against it. Besides that, I truly have NO DESIRE to travel to other countries where people want to kill me just because of my nationality anyway. I am quite content to stay right here in the good ole USA!
Some events I can totally rule out for me – and this is one. I can’t afford to take a cruise! If I were able to take one you can be sure I’d take along appropriate stuff that made sense. I’m curious, Ranger Man, what would you take for an event like this?
Actually, I just noticed that Jarhead Survivor did this guest post, so the question is posed to him. I’d love to know what others would take along for an event like this.
@Presage – Well, here’s the tricky part: you just never know when it’s all gonna go to hell in a handbasket. So the question becomes do I walk around with my tactical BOB and have everybody wondering if I’m a maniac or do I just pack normally and hope for the best. Like you, the chances of me going on a cruise in the immediate future are highly unlikely, but if I did I’d take a watered down version of what’s in my bug out kit. I’d probably leave things like the sleeping bag and mat, but I always have a bottle of water and water purification tablets, extra food, a small stove like an alcohol stove and a pot to boil water. If possible I always have a knife somewhere around or on me (as a survival tool – not a weapon.)
I never carry a gun and don’t feel like I really need one here in Maine. Of course that might bite me in the butt some day, but I always figure if TSHTF I can get home by doing some escape and evasion if I have to. I had good training in the Corps. :-)
What would you bring?
@Spook45 – I hear ya, Bro! If you don’t hang it out there you’re not giving them anything to shoot at.
Some of the things that I would include in my kit would be: a fire mask and goggles, a waterproof LED flashlight (min. 100 lumens), water purification tabs, HTI Seapack for salt or fresh water (from Emergency Essentials), extra food, small stove and sterno, a knife (not as a weapon), extra meds, a whistle, a small first aid kit, and other items. These would all be in a pack that could be strapped to my body. What would others add?
make that no fewer than two flashlights.
(don’t skimp here on quality)
waterproof will likely also not cause an explosion.
(if flammable vapors are present)
when the lights go out, there are only two places darker than a smoke filled ship: graves and coal mines.
It’s been a couple years since I’ve been on a cruise, but the last one I went on (2007??) had the same security as airports. No knifes or any cutting implements were allowed at all, and they had walk through metal detectors and searched all bags, etc. And every time you came back on the ship from a port of call, you had to go through the metal detector again and all hand bags were searched, so you couldn’t buy a machete in Mexico and smuggle it back on board. If you bought anything like that, you had to declare it, and they’d hold it for you until you docked back in the U.S. If you try to smuggle a knife on board, you are probably risking federal charges. There may be some exceptions for a ‘dive knife’ with your scuba gear, or you could probably bring a sharpening stone on board, and then steal a steak knife from the dining room. Just a heads up if you’re thinking about taking a cruise.
I don’t know about anyone else, but if I was on that boat, I would be in the bar getting loaded on their dime and peeing over the side.
LOL
I guess I’m just not a love boat kinda guy. I don’t drink, I don’t like crowds and I prefer McDonalds over fine dining. My idea of a vacation is to be out in the desert or mountains far from civilization and with no other people around.
I also won’t go to large sporting events and other gatherings. If I get stuck in traffic on a bridge I leave lots of space between me and the other cars. I don’t get into a canoe with a landlubber and I don’t go on long hikes with someone who is unprepared. When I am around people I don’t know I trust my instincts and get away from people who are trouble. When I walk in the city I keep at least one hand free but preferably both hands and I watch the people who walk past me. If someone seems to be trying to make me pass them on their strong side I simply stop and wait until they have to pass me on my strong side. I look behind me about every 15 seconds (city or country) and even stop in front of windows and check out the reflection for trouble. I avoid driving between 10pm and 3am. I do size up the occupants of a bar or restuarant when I first enter and I try to sit where people cannot get behind me. I consciously avoid eye contact when I’m looking around and try not to appear that I am “scoping”. I use my peripheral vision and ears to alert me to what is going on around me.
@Bustednuckles – your comment made me laugh out loud. Great answer!
@GoneWithTheWind – I know what you mean about canoeing and hiking with people who don’t have a clue. There’s a small mountain range up here known as the Camden Hills. I don’t know how many times I’ve come across people – in the winter and close to dusk with no idea of where they are, no map or compass, wearing only light coats and boots and desperate for a way out. As a matter of fact last New Years morning a small group of people hiked to the top of the mountain and got lost! That particular hill actually has a ROAD that goes to the top and they still got lost and had to call for a rescue team. How’s that for woefully unprepared?
I know those hills like the back of my hand and I still carry a map and compass along with a small backpack when I go up there. It’s just common sense and I always lecture the people that I guide out of there on that topic. It’s the price they pay for my services. :-)
this is a real black eye for the cruise company…
now i’m glad i’ve never taken one. it’s troubling they can’t restore hot water for hand washing, let alone hot meal service.
could be a good business opportunity for someone though. offer fast at sea delivery of parts, key personnel etc.
Now that more is known about what happened I am somewhat suprised that they had no backup generators or decent alternatives for cooking. I’m thinking there is a ship building company somewhere right now that is asking their engineers and designers some really tough questions. Ditto for the problem with the heads.
About those knives and taking them on transportation:
Wonder if a Gerber EAB knife (the one using contractor razor blades) could be taken on transportation without blade insert. Get to your destination, buy a coupla blades and carry. Getting back on, throw away them Bad Boys and retain folding blade handle. No blade or pointy sharpy object – should be good, right?