Power problems slow Carnival ships

What’s happening to Carnival’s cruise ships? No fewer than three of them have suffered propulsion problems in the past two weeks, causing delays and disruptions to schedules.
Carnival Triumph has been slowed by an unexplained problem which affected the ship during a four-night cruise from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico. Its return to Galveston was delayed, and one of the two stops on its current cruise will be cancelled. The ship was built in 1999 and carries 2,800 passengers
Passengers were told: ” On her current cruise, the Carnival Triumph experienced a technical problem with the ship’s propulsion system that is only affecting her maximum cruising speed. All other safety systems and hotel services are functioning normally.
“Due to the limited cruising speed our itinerary will be impacted. Depending on the progress of the repairs, we will either visit Progreso or Cozumel. The good news is that we will remain docked overnight at either port. We will provide you with an update on our itinerary plans after we set sail.”
A few days earlier, the 1996-built Carnival Destiny developed a problem with a thruster, one of the motors and propellers which are used for manoeuvring and docking in port.
A statement to passengers said: “At the start of our current cruise, we experienced a technical problem with one of our stern thrusters, which are the side propellers that help the ship move sideways. Don’t worry, this does not compromise the ship’s safety in any way and all other systems and hotel services are functioning normally.
“However, due to this issue we will have to replace our visits to Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay with calls to Key West and Freeport. Regrettably, neither Grand Turk nor Half Moon Cay have the tug boats needed to assist the ship.”
At the end of its Caribbean season, Destiny will be taken to dry dock in Italy for a major update and refit. The changes will be so substantial that when it returns to sea in April it will be renamed Carnival Sunshine.
The power problems follow an incident which led to Carnival Splendor having emergency repairs after snagging fishing nets on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Seals on propulsion shafts were damaged and the ship’s return from Puerto Vallarta to Los Angeles was delayed by a day.
Affected passengers on all three ships have been reimbursed for lost days, and also received $50 onboard credit.