Call it the latest wave of bad news for Carnival Cruises.
The company announced Friday that it's cancelled two voyages on board the troubled Carnival Triumph due to ongoing maintenance. Voyages scheduled for June 3 and June 8 have been axed because the 2,758-passenger vessel requires 10 days for repairs, reports USA Today. Carnival estimates the Triumph will be back in service by June 10.
The delay stems from an earlier mishap in April when the damaged ship broke free from its mooring in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The ship was originally docked for repairs because of an engine fire that crippled the ship in February but the ship sustained a 20-foot gash on its hull after it drifted downstream and collided with a cargo ship.
"We're extremely disappointed to have to cancel these additional voyages and, although the cause was beyond our control, we sincerely apologize to our guests for this disruption to their vacation plans," said Carnival president and CEO Gerry Cahill in Travelers Today.
The ship will be moved from Mobile to the Bahamas to finish off its repairs. For the meantime, passengers affected by the cancellations will receive full refunds, reimbursement for travel expenses and future cruise discounts of 25 per cent, notes Cruise Critic.
The latest announcement marks the 26th cruise Carnival has cancelled since the Triumph was left powerless in the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier this week, the company announced a $300-million initiative to repair all of the company's 24 ships.
"We've operated 8,000 or 9,000 cruises in the last six years," Cahill told the Associated Press. "The vast majority of them offered a great vacation experience. We failed on two. But we're going to make these investments to reduce the possibility of it happening again."
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