MooPig Momma from the Ship Don't Jump Department :: "Another Cruise Ship Norovirus Thing"

Cruise Ship Illnesses, Norovirus's Revenge 
Mashed articles by Pat Darnell  |  Feb 2, 20104  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK]

Another cruise ship returns with ill passengers: "The Caribbean Princess departed Jan. 25 for the Caribbean with more than 4,200 people on board. It returned Thursday night instead of Saturday. Cruise liners are required to report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if more than 3 percent of the passengers on board the ship become sick."

'via Blog this'

" ... According to the CDC website, there are about a dozen cases annually where so many people become ill on a cruise, the vast majority with norovirus. This year there have already been three reported cases, including on the Caribbean Princess, and at least two appear to be due to that stomach virus. Cruise Lines International Association reports that more than 20 million people took cruises in 2012. (Ramit Plushnick-Masti of Associated Press. Feb 1, 2014. LINK) ..."

CONCLUSION
We are officially crossing Take a Cruise off our bucket list.



________________Reference
http://news.msn.com/us/cruise-line-cites-fog-not-illness-for-return
http://news.msn.com/us/royal-caribbean-says-cruise-ship-arrives-with-ill-passengers?ocid=msnnws
http://news.msn.com/us/ship-where-nearly-700-fell-ill-being-sanitized?ocid=msnnws
http://news.msn.com/us/fire-breaks-out-on-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship?ocid=msnnws
http://news.msn.com/us/us-officials-probe-illnesses-on-caribbean-cruise#tscptmf
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/11/moopig-report-from-middle-demographics.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/moopigs-trend-spotter-department-lots.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/moopigs-trend-spotter-department-cruise.html
http://www.pvgglobal.com/
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/moopigs-vacation-like-kennedy-taking.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_world's_largest_cruise_ships
http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/downloadFS.php/?id=19
http://elliott.org/the-travel-critic/how-safe-is-a-cruise/
http://www.cruisejunkie.com/Overboard.html
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm#2010
http://www.shipcruise.org/cruise-ship-passenger-capacity-ratings/
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=975_1283799588
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Ask+Someone+Who+Cares
http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2013/09/04/royal-caribbean-bans-smoking-balconies
http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2014/01/24/another-royal-caribbean-ship-experiencing-norovirus-outbreak
http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/

Costa Concordia UPDATE :: "Ship Righted"

I May Not be the Most Interesting Man Alive ....
Captured by Pat Darnell | Sep 17, 2013 | Bryan TX

[Photo's LINK]

"I may not be the most interesting man in the world, but give me $400 million dollars and I will flip your ship." Senior Salvage Master Nick Sloane is welcomed by the inhabitants of the Giglio island after the parbuckling operation which succesfully uprighted the Costa Concordia

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/costa-concordia-salvage-operation-live-2279122#ixzz2fBuFOWoX

Members of the US salvage company Titan and Italian firm Micoperi work at the wreck of Italy's Costa Concordia cruise ship near the harbour of Giglio Porto.

Salvage workers attempt to raise the cruise ship today in the largest and most expensive maritime salvage operation in history, so-called "parbuckling", to rotated the ship by a series of cables and hydraulic machines.

A photo of Indian waiter Russel Rebello is shown by his brother Kevin near the stricken ship Costa Concordia

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/costa-concordia-salvage-operation-live-2279122#ixzz2fBv9RsK2

__________________________Reference
http://www.businessinsider.com/plan-to-salvage-costa-concordia-wreck-2012-12?op=1
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/europe/costa-concordia/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16587849
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16591495
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/02/bbc-news-costa-concordia-what-next-for.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/10311659/Costa-Concordia-salvage-operation-live.html
http://www.theguardian.com/global/2013/sep/16/concordia-salvage-operation-giglio-parbuckling-live-updates
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24104741
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/costa-concordia-salvage-operation-live-2279122

Port of Call :: Sizes of Ships

[Picture LINK]

Biggest ship yet calls on Port of Tacoma | Business - The News Tribune: "None of the ultra-large container ships will be calling on the United States in the near future but instead are destined to operate in the Asia-Europe trade. The largest container ship to call on the U.S. is the MSC Beatrice, which calls on Long Beach, Calif. That ship is 1,200 feet long and 167 feet wide."

A container ship longer and wider than a Navy aircraft carrier called Wednesday at the Port of Tacoma’s Washington United Terminal, setting a record for vessel size at the port. The Zim Djibouti has a capacity of 10,000 container units, about 40 percent larger than the typical container vessel that calls on port terminals.

[PHOTO LINK] The ZIM Djibouti, the largest container ship to ever make call in Tacoma, moves through the Blair Waterway before docking at Washington United Terminals, at the Port of Tacoma, July 10, 2013. (JANET JENSEN/Staff photographer)

  'via Blog this'

____________________________Reference
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/07/10/2673345/biggest-ship-yet-calls-on-port.html?storylink=rss

Vacationing Like the Kennedys' :: PR Nightmares, Cruises

The call came into the Lake Worth Coast Guard at 2:52 a.m.
Retrieved by Pat Darnell  |  May 28, 2013  |  Bryan TX

Here's the Advertisement:
Cruise from Baltimore on the newly renovated Grandeur of the Seas! There is no limit to the possibilities for fun and relaxation on this reimagined cruise ship.

BBC News - Royal Caribbean cruise cancelled in Bahamas after fire:   EXCERPT  |   "A fire has broken out aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, forcing more than 2,200 passengers to end their trip early.

"The Grandeur of the Seas had left Baltimore on Friday and was en route to CocoCay in the Bahamas when fire broke out in the mooring area in the early hours of Monday, the company said. Passengers were mustered to assembly points for several hours while the fire was put out.

"No serious injuries were reported."

'via Blog this'
Come hell or low water, and fire, many people will still go on cruises. Each of modern cruise ships today carries upwards 2000 passengers and 700 or more crew members. The fire on this vessel was a "Class A" which means wood and combustibles were on fire. On today's calamity at sea, aboard the Grandeur of the Sea, "... all 2,224 guests and 796 crew have been accounted for, and there have been no injuries of guests or crew reported. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to focus on their needs and concerns. ( WPTV Web Team. 5.27.2013. LINK) ... "

One passenger tells of her 3AM "abandon all hope" cruise ship experience:
  

________________Reference
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22685364
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/fire-onboard-royal-caribbean-grandeur-of-the-seas-cruise-ship-out#ixzz2UZCfUmEO

Death Ship "Carnival Spirit"

[Picture LINK]  Paul Rossington and Kristen Schroder, from New South Wales state, were discovered missing Thursday morning after the Carnival Spirit docked at Sydney's Circular Quay, at the end of a 10-day journey, said New South Wales Police Superintendent Mark Hutchings.

Rescuers search for Australian couple who fell overboard - CBS News: "Carnival Corp. has been plagued by a series of high-profile problems in recent years. Last year, the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy, killing 32 people. Also last year, the Costa Allegra caught fire and lost power in the Indian Ocean, leaving passengers without working toilets, running water or air conditioning for three days. Costa is a division of Carnival Corp.

In February, passengers aboard the Carnival Triumph spent five days without power in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine-room fire disabled the vessel. Those on board complained of squalid conditions, including overflowing toilets and food shortages."

'via Blog this'

Comments

"... The Great and Powerful Oz said...

I'm afraid I have never seen the attraction in floating highrise hotels, so I don't care much about the industry.
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Yea OZ,
I concur with you. A work mate once replied to a female in the office who was bragging about a wonderful 12 day cruise around the Caribbean.

His reply: Why would I spend a lot of money to spend 12 days with 2,000 people I neither know or most likely wouldn't like on a boat I could not escape from?"

She frowned and walked away.

Frank and I "High-Fived" and went back to work. [Toejam said...September 28, 2012. LINK] ..."


____________________Reference
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57583828/
http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2012/09/salvaging-costa-concordia.html
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/09/2-carnival-cruise-passengers-missing-off-australian-coast/
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/moopigs-trend-spotter-department-cruise.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/02/moopigs-news-up-department-cruise-ship.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/07/costa-concordia-ship-wreck-near-italy.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2013/03/moopigs-vacation-like-kennedys-carnival.html
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/12/costa-concordia-update-salvage-scheme.html

Costa Concordia UPDATE :: Salvage Scheme

Captured by Pat Darnell | Dec 31, 2012 | Bryan TX

60 Minutes ran a story on the salvage of the cruise ship disaster, Costa Concordia, grounded and listing on the rocks of Giglio, Italy, since January 14, 2012.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Lessons learned in Concordia disaster have brought changes to cruise industry safety
• Disaster cast shadow on industry that maintains it is one of the safest modes of transport
• Sen. Rockefeller says cruise lines getting free ride on backs of U.S. taxpayers
• Industry group says members pay required taxes and plenty of port and other fees

 Plan To Salvage Costa Concordia Wreck - Business Insider: "Because the Costa Concordia is in a nationally protected marine park and coral reef, it must be removed from the area before it can be dismantled, posing countless difficulties. In a report on the efforts to remove the wreck, 60 Minutes' Leslie Stahl visited the site and recounted the remarkable salvage operation, which has a $400 million price tag."

The-plan-is-to-rotate-the-ship-upright-and-onto-an-underwater-platform. The-steel-that-makes-it-up-weighs-three-times-as-much-as-the-eiffel-tower-it-will-be-embedded-in-the-seafloor

'via Blog this'

Hydraulic-pulleys-will-pull-the-costa-concordia-upright.

Then-it-will-float-up-leaving-more-of-its-structure-above-the-surface.

Once-the-ship-is-upright-the-extra-buoyancy-should-make-it-float.

____________________________Reference
http://www.businessinsider.com/plan-to-salvage-costa-concordia-wreck-2012-12?op=1
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/europe/costa-concordia/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16587849
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16591495
http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/02/bbc-news-costa-concordia-what-next-for.html

MooPig Space Jump

Hey MooPigsters everywhere, hold your heads high. That is -- "LOOK UP..." the red bull really is jumping over the  moon. It is merely coincidence that MooPig Special Events Department sponsored a MooPig Cow Space Jump nearly the same time those other guys at the canned drink company did theirs.

Ne'ertheless, MooPig "carpet did'em.." and has successfully sent its prize red bull calf several feet above the horizon, and gently touched down moments before he was dissected by aliens. So, our story doesn't have the best of endings... we still did it! And ours only cost a $buck fiddy to pull off. Low budget fun is what we are all about over here.

MooPig Circulation Statistics Department is expecting a viewer mega bubble as our event goes viral... only we didn't have enough in the budget to make a youTube. So you can just repeatedly visit here, and prove once again you don't have to be rich to have some fun!

Mesmerizing! 


http://i.imgur.com/E00nl.gif

MooPig's News Up Department :: "Cruise Ship Search Off Italy Finds 12th Body"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Jan 24, 2012 | Bryan TX

Cruise Ship Search Off Italy Finds 12th Body, Hard Disk | Europe | English:
Italian media say police divers searching the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which ran aground earlier this month off the Italian island of Giglio, have found a hard disk containing data of the voyage, as another body was pulled from the wreckage, bringing the death toll to 12. (VOA. Jan 21, 2012. )
'via Blog this'

Divers Find 2 More Victims of Italian Cruise Ship Disaster | Europe | English:
Italian officials say two more bodies have been found on the capsized Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, bringing the number of confirmed dead from the disaster to 15.

Italy's civil protection agency chief, Franco Gabrielli, said Monday divers found the bodies of two women near the ship's Internet cafe. Most of those killed in the January 13 sinking have not been identified. (VOA. Jan 23, 2012. )
'via Blog this'

______________________Reference
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Search-Resumes-on-Wrecked-Cruise-Ship-137815248.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Divers-Find-2-More-Victims-of-Italian-Cruise-Ship-Disaster-137894018.html

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Indonesia 'rail surfers' face 'goop' brooms - CBC News

Retrieved by Pat Darnell  |  Feb 6, 2012  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK]

Indonesia 'rail surfers' face 'goop' brooms - CBC News: "Indonesia has come up with another bizarre plan to keep commuters from riding on the roofs of trains: Swat them with brooms drenched in putrid goop.

"For anyone who is still up there, it'll be like a whip," said Ahmad Sujadi, of the state-run railway, PT Kereta Api Indonesia."

'via Blog this'
Thrillseeking ‘train surfers’ in Indonesia will be brought down to earth with a bump as part of a new scheme to crack down on fare dodgers.

Rail bosses in Indonesia hope they’re on the right track to get rid of pesky roof-riders – by installing grapefruit-sized concrete balls to sweep the tops of carriages.

They hope to derail hundreds of passengers who dice with death by clambering on top of trains, either to dodge the fares or escape the crush inside.

A spokesman for the state-owned railway company, PT Kereta Api, said: ‘We’ve tried just about everything, even putting rolls of barbed wire on the roof, but nothing seems to work. Maybe this will do it.’

The first set of the silver-painted balls was installed near a station just outside Jakarta.

But the effect was rather lost when it emerged bungling officials had made the chains too short, leaving a gap of about 40cm (16in) between the balls and passing trains.

 [Picture LINK]


________________Reference
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/02/05/indonesia-train-plan-goop.html
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/887665-indonesia-cracks-down-on-train-surfing-with-help-of-concrete-balls

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MooPig's Trend Spotter Department :: "Cruise Ship Passenger Blow-Back"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell  |  Jan 22, 2012  |  Bryan TX

Large International Corporations display the most bombastic attitudes when they are caught in their games of negligence, malpractice, and murder on the high seas.

 [Picture LINK]

" ... Lawyers plan to sue both in the US and in Italy, with more than 100 passengers already reported to have joined a class action that is to be lodged in Miami this week.
Each is reported to be demanding between £100,000 and £1 million in compensation.
A spokesman for Costa Cruises said: "The company is trying to do everything they can for those passengers directly affected.
"The company is not only going to refund everybody but they will offer a 30 per cent discount on future cruises if they want to stay loyal to the company." (Claire Duffin, Robert Mendick, Nick Squires in Giglio and Victoria Ward in Meta di Sorrento. 21 Jan 2012) ... "

Costa Concordia: 'insulting' cruise offer to survivors - Telegraph:
EXCERPT  |  " ... Costa's chief executive, Pier Luigi Foschi, who estimated that the impact of the disaster on his firm was £60 million, had expressed confidence that the group would be able to "find a solution that, in the material sense, would satisfy" the passengers.

However, Brian Page, 63, a retired accountant from Southampton, who survived by sliding from one side of the deck to another to find a lifeboat, said: "It is a ridiculous and insulting offer. I'm very disappointed in them.
"They are not accepting their responsibilities at all. Our only back-up is separate legal action." ... "

'via Blog this'

[Picture LINK] They did live up to their advertizing. Costa Concordia promised a "cruise vacation you will never forget."

_______________________Reference
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9030212/Costa-Concordia-insulting-cruise-offer-to-survivors.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9030212/Costa-Concordia-insulting-cruise-offer-to-survivors.html
http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2012/01/fail-costa-concordia-offers-cruise.html

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MooPig's Trend Spotter Department :: "Lots of Sinking Ships Lately"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Jan 22, 2012 | Bryan TX

[Picture LINK]
2 cargo ships sink in Philippines; 32 aboard saved | Inquirer News: "MANILA, Philippines—A cargo ship loaded with cement sank in central Philippines on Sunday and another vessel carrying iron ore went down off the country’s eastern coast, the coast guard said. All 32 crewmen from both ships were rescued."

'via Blog this'

[Picture LINK]
Vietnamese seamen can't get help from Philippines
By EGYolk on January 9, 2012
Tuguegarao City (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The lack of a search and rescue ship has stopped Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel stationed at the northern tip of Luzon from coming to the aid of 22 crew members of a Vietnamese ship, which sank in the Pacific Ocean on Christmas Day.

Though coast guard officials immediately deployed three ships and a helicopter for a search and rescue, it was a Philippine cargo ship and a fishing boat that saved the crew of 12 Indonesians and two Koreans, who had abandoned the ship, coast guard Admiral Ramon Liwag said.

[Picture LINK]

NOTE: This disaster is from Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Amver ship Bright Ruby sinks in South China Sea
The Bright Ruby was reportedly on a voyage from Malaysia to China when it encountered heavy seas. 14 crewmen have been rescued. Seven crewmen remain missing.

You may remember the Bright Ruby was hijacked by pirates for 37 days back in 2008.

[PHOTO Capture HERE]
[Picture LINK]
15 January 2012 :: Three die in South Korean ship explosion

"The explosion took place far below the sea border with North Korea. We see very little possibility (of attacks by the North)," a coastguard spokesman told the AFP news agency.

The ship's owners said that the explosion could have been caused by gases leaking from the ship's oil tanks.

[Picture LINK]
11 January 2012 Last updated at 00:16 ET Three believed dead in S Korean boat fire in Antarctic
The 167-foot fishing vessel Jeong Woo 2 caught fire about 370 miles north-northeast of the U.S. Antarctic McMurdo Research Base and 2,000 miles south of Christchurch, New Zealand. Maritime New Zealand, similar to the U.S. Coast Guard, reports that the fire killed 3 crewmen. Thirty uninjured survivors were transferred to the stricken vessel’s sister ship, the Jeong Woo 3, which will bring them to the Korean icebreaker Araon for transport to Lyttleton, New Zealand.

[Picture LINK]
Italian cruise ship sinking: rescue suspended on ship with 500,000 gallons oil, January 22, 2012
One more body has been taken out from the ill-fated Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia. Rescue has been suspended on the sinking ship with 500,000 gallons oil ...

Once again officials in Italian coast guard have suspended the search for the missing people in the huge cruise ship Costa Concordia that sank in the sea on 13th of this month. So far 12 people have been confirmed dead with 20 people still missing.

INTERVIEW  |  " ... So there is very close connection between governments and cruise ships. They make an incredible amount of money. They have very huge lobbies. And that's here in the U.S. So, in places like Italy, I would not be surprised if things don't turn out the way we would want them to and are not as crystal clear as they would be if the investigation was done here. (RICHARD ALSINA. Interview. Jan 16, 2012. HERE) ... "

__________________Reference
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/132433/2-cargo-ships-sink-in-philippines-32-aboard-saved
http://www.egyolk.com/mt/news/2012/01/vietnamese-seamen-cant-get-help-from-philippines.html
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124161/vietnamese-seamen-can%E2%80%99t-get-help-from-philippines
http://www.transreporter.com/detail.php?pId=2&Id=15&nId=6210
http://amveruscg.blogspot.com/2011/11/amver-ship-bright-ruby-sinks-in-south.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16565208
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120115/explosion-partially-sinks-cargo-ship-off-south-korea-120115/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16499390
http://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/korean_vessel_rescue.php
http://kalyan98.wordpress.com/2007/11/
http://nvonews.com/2012/01/22/italian-cruise-ship-sinking-rescue-suspended-on-ship-with-500000-gallons-oil/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june12/cruiseship2_01-16.html

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