Visitor Complains After Carnival Makes use of Foghorn Throughout Navigational Hazard

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 group docked the Sunshine-class vessel, it was a foggy morning that required using the ship’s foghorn for security functions. 

In low visibility circumstances, foghorns primarily perform as an “acoustic lighthouse” – warning different vessels of the cruise ship’s presence to forestall 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 write down to Carnival Model Ambassador John Heald on his Fb web page to demand compensation. 

With security at all times the highest precedence, Heald understandably couldn’t present any of the compensation she was in search of. 

As an alternative, he wrote out how he imagined the somewhat laughable dialog may go in a fictional world the place he referred to as the ship’s captain to ask him to attenuate the noise: 

“Me: Whats up 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 might have some thick fog this morning. You could have the foghorn sounding as required by maritime and US Coast Guard legislation however this girl has requested me to let you know to “flip it off“ as a result of it’s disturbing their sleep.

Captain: “TURN IT OFF” ARE YOU STUNARD?!!!!!!!!! We’ve de bigamist John. We’ve 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 necessary than one visitor’s sleep – though she may need 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 need to be loud in an effort to be efficient – individuals may very well be harm or killed. 

Within the over 650 replies Heald’s put up obtained, 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 underneath the horn. Sure, it has saved me up since 3am ish, however I desire to be awake as a substitute of residing an actual life muster drill! Thanks for conserving us secure Captain,” a visitor of the identical crusing wrote. 

“That is outrageous!!! How dare Carnival observe the foundations and use the mandatory security protocols to guard ship, passengers, crew, & anybody else that is perhaps in proximity to hazard. I imply what had been they pondering conserving 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 Unhealthy Climate

But when it’s any comfort, this passenger can relaxation assured she’s going to seemingly not need to expertise one other foggy morning in Charleston on a Carnival cruise ship once more – or not less than not within the close to future – because the cruise line is ceasing operations on the East Coast port. 

This alteration was not a shock, because the South Carolina Ports Authority confirmed again in 2022 that it will not prolong its homeport pact with Carnival past 2024 in order that it might redevelop Charleston’s Union Pier Terminal. 

After the annoyed visitor and her fellow passengers disembarked, Carnival Sunshine carried out her remaining embarkation from the port on the afternoon of December 30, 2024, for a New Yr’s voyage to the Bahamas – which is able to go to Nassau and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s personal vacation spot. 

After this voyage, the 2013-launched ship will quickly depart service to go to dry dock from January 4 to February 15, 2025, earlier than being redeployed in Norfolk, Virginia.