Rockefeller noodges Carnival into paying up
Bowing to pressure from US Senator Jay Rockefeller, Carnival Corp. reversed its earlier stance and agreed yesterday to reimburse the cash-strapped federal government for the cost of rescuing its passengers on two foundering cruise ships.
The Triumph had to be towed to Mobile, Alabama, after power problems left it adrift in the Gulf of Mexico for five days in February; the Splendor was disabled by an engine fire in 2010.
Carnival emphasized that the decision to pay up was completely voluntary and that no agency had actually requested payment.
But Sen. Rockefeller, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, had sent the company a letter in March asking about its intention to reimburse taxpayers, and he has been vocal about the issue since then. Even as the company agreed to pay, he said he is "glad to see that Carnival owned up to the bare minimum of corporate responsibility."
There are millions of dollars at stake. Sen. Rockefeller said the Coast Guard spent $780,000 on the Triumph incident and $1.54 million on the Splendor, and the Navy spent $1.88 million on the Splendor.
Rockefeller is "still committed to making sure the cruise industry as a whole pays its fair share in taxes, complies with strict safety standards, and holds the safety of its passengers above profits," he said.
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt