Passengers flown home from cruise after malfunction sees 'toilets overflowing'
Another Carnival cruise ship was experiencing problems on Wednesday after a malfunction on the emergency diesel generator reportedly caused overflowing toilets while docked in the Caribbean island of St Maarten.
The news comes just one month after the Carnival Triumph was left stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days after an engine fire.
According to Fox News, a statement from Carnival officials read: "Yesterday (Wednesday), during regularly scheduled testing of the ship's emergency diesel generator, a malfunction occurred.
"At no time did the ship lose power and the ship's propulsion systems and primary power source was not impacted. The ship is at dock in St Maarten. All guests are safe and comfortable. There were periodic interruptions to elevators and restroom services for a few hours last night. However, all hotel systems are functioning normally and have been functional since approximately 12.30am."
However, Gregg Stark, who was travelling aboard the 1,004-foot liner with his wife and two children, told CNN: "There's human waste all over the floor in some of the bathrooms and they're overflowing - and in the state rooms. The elevators have not been working. They've been turning them on and off, on and off."
Other passengers had not experienced overflowing loos. Tasha Larson, 31, of Winston-Salem, NC, told the Associated Press: "We have toilets. We have water. It's no different than a regular day at sea."
And Mary and Terry Washington of Tampa, Florida, said the generator malfunction gave them an additional day to spend in St Maarten.
"The plumbing is fine," Mary Washington said. "The food is fine. Everything is fine."
The 4,300 guests and 1,300 crew members on board had set off for a seven-day trip from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.
Although power had been restored and facilities were functioning again, the ship still couldn't leave port.
A letter from Captain Massimo Marino told passengers they would be booked on flights to Orlando or another destination. Passengers with cars parked at Port Canaveral would be bused there from Orlando, about an hour away.
The letter also said that passengers will receive a refund equivalent to three days of the voyage and 50 percent off a future cruise.
The ship's next voyage, scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled. Guests scheduled to sail on that cruise will receive a full refund and 25 percent off a future seven-day cruise.
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