Quote:
Originally Posted by turtle
Somebody is getting fired for that one! Likely a pilot too since normally you have to have a local pilot on the ship when docking in their port. |
Just like the Navy, the captain is getting fired (or should be), regardless anything else that happens. The captain is responsible for the ship, and it doesn't matter if a harbor pilot was aboard or not. If htere was, his job is also likely on the line.
Carnival is not the Navy, but the captain is still
100% responsible for anything and everything that happens aboard his vessel (
it is his vessel—and if not, then he should not be captain). The offending vessel was out of control under the captain's watch, and you better bet he doesn't get to blame the harbor pilot (if one was actively on duty on the bridge). The captain should know his vessel well enough to know that the bow thrusters were pushing the bow into the other vessel, and
he should have taken corrective action. He either did not, or something broke. The bridge crew drastically underestimated the ship's speed, momentum, and position. This was not an "accident" (unless something broke). This was bad judgment,
and it isn't the first time Carnival's captains have used poor judgement.
Basically, Carnival has a lot of very large ships, and to command them they have a lot of very small captains. These ships are incredibly large (some are bigger and heavier than aircraft carriers), and it takes a great deal of skill to handle them. They do not stop on a dime, yet a growing number of incidents tell me that command arrogance is at an all-time high. Were this the Navy, the Commander in Chief would be rolling heads at the highest levels of command—well up the chain and into the admiralty—or should be.
Believe it or not, if someone dies in an "accident" like this, the captain can be held directly responsible and
brought up on charges of manslaughter. These men (there are very few women doing it) are responsible for literally
thousands of people, and need to act like it. Seriously, this might be funny to watch, but there are several thousand people aboard that ship and showing off your parking skills is not the way to treat them.