Clinton Township Travel Agent Says Cruises Still in High Demand Despite Recent Scares

Carnival Cruise Lines stranded ship has not slowed the interest in such travel but created an opportunity for experienced cruisers to capitalize on getting a better deal, said Matt Cervone of Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Clinton Township.

The stranded cruise ship "Triumph" received wide spread media coverage in mid-February as 4,200 passengers plus Carnival employees were stalled in the Gulf of Mexico for five days without power. There was also no shortage of reports about the unsanitary and uncomfortable conditions related to raw sewage, a lack of air conditioning and more.

Patch recently sat down with Cervone to discuss how such a situation has impacted Clinton Township travelers. The short answer, he said, is: it hasn't. 

Cruise travel is still in high demand, he said. Often the cost of airfare is more of a determining factor in cruise travel than safety risks--even post "Triumph" news--he said.

People who have not cruised for vacation before have more questions as a result of Triumph's troubles, Cervone said, but those who are experienced have not expressed a second thought.

Experienced cruisers, as he called them, are trying to capitalize on a better deal as a result of Triumph's troubles, he said.

The most important factor for new cruisers to know is that such situations like the stranded Triumph are rare, Cervone said. In his three decades in the travel business, Cervone said he's only had one situation with a cruising customer and that wasn't while it was afloat in the ocean, he said.

Editor's Note: Since this interview was conducted, yet another cruise liner has made headlines for less than ideal conditions. Royal Caribbean announced Friday that 108 of its passengers and crew aboard Vision of the Seas had fallen sick with a gastrointestinal illness believed to be norovirus.

The ship was ending an 11-day Caribbean cruise, docking in Port Everglades, FL on March 8, according to Reuters.