re: #126 Tigger2005

The compensation being offered is ridiculous. If they wanted to head off lawsuits they wouldn’t have offered a lousy $500. I would calculate the amount a reasonable contingency plan to get the passengers off the ship quickly would have cost, and split that. Then add a couple thou in punitive damages.

$500 x 4,200 passengers = $2.1 million. That’s enough to be recouped by beverage service on a couple of cruises.

They probably did the cost-benefit analysis and figure people wont go through the hassle of suing, even though it would have been a better PR move to offer up refunds (not simply a free cruise down the line) plus say $2,500 per passenger. It might cost $10m or more to do, but that’s better PR than watching Carnival’s branding get whacked once again.

It’s tone deaf, but then again Carnival knows that it’s got a pretty sweet deal legally because of its contract with its customers, favorable international law and that’s it’s managed to secure a favorable port where it can be sued (Miami). It controls the terms, and it’s written that contract to its favor. It’s also capped its liability at the higher limits allowed under 46 US 30506, which is the same provision that they’ll use to cap their damages for the Costa Concordia disaster.