MIAMI
(April
17, 2013) – Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation &
plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), today announced that it has implemented
a program to significantly enhance emergency power
capabilities, introduce new fire safety technology, and improve the
level of operating redundancies across its entire 24-ship fleet.
This enhancement program will cost more than $300 million, and rapid upgrades have already begun. These actions will expand the availability of hotel services for the comfort of guests in the rare instance of a shipboard event that involves the loss of main power. In addition, the plan will reinforce key shipboard operating systems to further prevent a potential loss of primary power. The improvement plan is the result of a comprehensive operational review, overseen by parent company Carnival Corporation & plc, initiated immediately after the Carnival Triumph fire in February 2013.
This enhancement program will cost more than $300 million, and rapid upgrades have already begun. These actions will expand the availability of hotel services for the comfort of guests in the rare instance of a shipboard event that involves the loss of main power. In addition, the plan will reinforce key shipboard operating systems to further prevent a potential loss of primary power. The improvement plan is the result of a comprehensive operational review, overseen by parent company Carnival Corporation & plc, initiated immediately after the Carnival Triumph fire in February 2013.
“All of Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships operate safely today. Each vessel
already has effective systems in place to prevent, detect and respond to
emergency situations, and we
meet or exceed all regulatory requirements,” said Gerry Cahill,
president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. “However, by applying
lessons learned through our fleet-wide operational review after the
Carnival Triumph fire and by taking advantage of new technologies,
we have identified areas for enhancement across our operations. These
initiatives reflect our commitment to safe and reliable operations and
an enjoyable cruising experience for the nearly 4.5 million guests who
sail with Carnival Cruise Lines each year.”
Increased Emergency Generator Power
The
initial increase in emergency generator power across Carnival Cruise
Lines’ fleet of 24 ships will be completed over the next several
months. An additional
emergency generator will be installed on each vessel to provide for 100
percent of stateroom and public toilets, fresh water and elevators in
the unlikely event of a loss of main power. The work is already
underway and will not affect scheduled itineraries.
Upon completion of the initial phase, the line will install a second
permanent back-up power system on each ship to provide an even greater
level of hotel and guest services if main power is lost. These
additional services will include expanded cooking facilities
and cold food storage, as well as internet and telephone
communications.
“Although
every ship in our fleet currently has emergency back-up power which is
designed to enable the continuous operation of safety equipment and some
hotel
services, it is our intent to significantly bolster that back-up power
to support the core hotel services. With this improvement, we will
better ensure guest comfort in the rare instance of a loss of main
power,” said Cahill.
Increased Fire Prevention, Detection and Suppression Systems
The
company will also make additional investments in the newest and most
technically advanced fire prevention, detection and suppression
systems. This includes
upgrading the existing water mist fire suppression systems already in
place on Carnival vessels to the newest generation. When triggered,
this high-pressure water mist system instantly creates a larger and
thicker blanket of water droplets than the present
system. As the water droplets evaporate, the system also rapidly
cools any hot areas to prevent the possibility of a fire restarting.
“On
Carnival Triumph, our fire systems were effective and our teams
performed well in controlling and extinguishing the fire. However, we
want to take advantage
of the latest and most-advanced generation of fire safety systems to
enhance the current extensive capabilities across our fleet,” added
Cahill.
Enhanced Operating Redundancies
All
of Carnival Cruise Lines ships have two separate, redundant engine
rooms. The company’s operational review has identified modifications to
further decrease
the likelihood of losing propulsion or primary power, as happened on
Carnival Triumph in February. The modifications will include a
reconfiguration of certain engine-related electrical components. On
ships where these enhancements will be made, the design
and fabrication of specialized components will require longer lead
times for completion, in contrast to the immediate upgrades to back-up
emergency power and other systems.
Last month, Carnival Cruise Lines announced results from the first
phase of the company’s operational review, specifically addressing
Carnival Triumph and Carnival Sunshine,
both of which are currently out of service. The plan for each of these
ships addresses each of the three areas outlined above.
Company to Form New Safety & Reliability Review Board
Carnival Cruise Lines also announced the formation of a Safety &
Reliability Review Board comprised of outside experts with significant
expertise in marine and occupational
safety, reliability and maintenance, marine regulatory compliance and
quality control/assurance. The company already receives oversight and
input from outside regulatory authorities and industry experts. The new
Review Board will provide an additional, independent
third-party perspective, drawing from deep experience across a number
of relevant fields and organizations.
The
Review Board will be comprised of five external members. Active
searches are underway for candidates with previous experience in
organizations such as the
U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and National Transportation Safety Board,
as well as leading airlines and equipment manufacturers.
“The
formation of our Safety & Reliability Review Board is an integral
part of how Carnival Cruise Lines will drive continuous improvement
across our fleet. We
will be responsive to its recommendations,” said Cahill.
Carnival Corporation & plc Fleet Enhancements
Parent
company Carnival Corporation & plc previously announced a
corporate-wide operational review of all 10 of its brands and 101 ships.
The review process will
include learnings from the recent incidents that can be applied across
the corporation’s fleet. Carnival Corporation & plc has confirmed
that, based on the results of the ongoing review, the latest versions of
technologies and enhancements will also be implemented
on the remainder of the fleet where they are not already present. The
overall program of enhancements across the corporation’s 101-ship fleet,
including Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships, is expected to cost between
$600 and $700 million.
“Our
fleet already operates at a high standard of reliability. The
investments announced today for Carnival Cruise Lines, and those we will
continue to make,
will reinforce our ability to consistently deliver the customer
experience that 10 million people every year have come to expect from us
across our fleet of 101 ships. Absolutely nothing is more important
than the safety and comfort of our guests and crew,
and we will use the full resources of our company to meet that
commitment,” said Micky Arison, Chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation
& plc.
Initial
implementation of the upgrades to the Carnival Corporation & plc
fleet will take place during the next several months. Each class of
ship is different
and often systems differ on ships within a class, so the enhancements
will be tailored to each vessel. All findings from the operational
review will be shared with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
as part of the industry-wide operational review
announced in March.
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