The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PASSENGERS are continuing to express their anger about what took place on board the Bahamas Celebration following Friday’s incident, which has been picked up by the international media.

“As a passenger of this ship when this happened I can honestly say this was the most unorganised chaos!” Usernineteen commented on Tribune242.com, this newspaper’s website.

“NO ONE, I mean no one, knew what was going on or what to do. The crew members treated passengers with disrespect. Our lives were in danger or we would not have been escorted off the boat and sent home and another! Truly the worst vacation I’ve ever been on and will not be returning to this cruise line ever!

“If this would have happened on a Carnival or Royal Caribbean boat we would have never experienced half the struggles we did! For example not being offered food or water for almost 24 hours! Staying in a resort means nothing when you arrive at 4 in the morning and leave at 10am!”

Another passenger described the ordeal as “a 30-hour fright night” – a reference to the Halloween-themed cruise and the costume contest and Zombie Ball taking place on the ship that night.

UK_raven, another passenger, claimed: “The captain himself caused hysteria! His tone was full of terror! We had no information except for him telling us that the boat had a hole in it and that we were on back up generators. In the same breath he said to put life jackets on. I was drinking coffee at the time so I did not see or hear any safety information. I asked a member of staff running past and she shouted ‘they are on the 7th floor’ – I was on the 4th.”

The passenger further claimed that conditions onboard the ship were uncomfortable. “I did not eat for 24 hours. No food was provided to me. We had jackets on and no air on – it was extremely hot. There was no communication to remove the jackets, it took five hours for me to get off, longer for those behind me. The ship was tilting and difficult to line up with the plank ... it fell at least once and they had to keep adjusting it.”

“No formal information was given following the Captain’s panic blast,” the passenger added.

Once safely off the boat passengers were unhappy with the treatment they received on Saturday, reporting that they left the hotels at 10am and waited until 3:30pm, when the Bimini SuperFast arrived. “We were told at the port that we would be back to the US in 2.5 hrs. We did not leave Freeport until 6:30 and arrived Miami at 12:30am,” the passenger said.

“This whole process was far from organised.

“We were not treated with the dignity that human beings should have been given, let alone paying passengers! One thing was clear ... We all want compensation, Mr Verillo, and to know how this could have happened and who is responsible?”