The first three months of 2013 were rough for Carnival Cruise Lines.
Carnival Triumph was disabled by an engine-room fire on Feb. 10 in the Gulf of Mexico and had to be towed home. Passengers put up with plumbing and air-conditioning malfunctions and reduced restaurant services.
Carnival Dream had problems with a backup generator while at St. Maarten on March 13; it affected elevators and some restrooms. Out of caution, the company canceled the rest of the cruise and flew passengers home. The ship was repaired and sailed again on March 23.
Carnival Legend, four days into a March 10-16 Caribbean cruise, had difficulties with one of its two propulsion-and-steering pods, affecting sailing speed and necessitating its skipping a port. With repairs ongoing, it skipped a port on each of its next two weekly sailings as well.
Carnival Elation, heading out of New Orleans on March 16, had a malfunction in the steering system of one of its two propulsion-and-steering pods and switched to a backup system. Out of caution, a tugboat accompanied it back to port.
The cruise line announced it would review the fire-safety and power systems on all of its 23 ships, meaning, for some ships, more canceled cruises.
