Ekip
21 December 2019•Update: 21 December 2019
By Sierra Juarez
Mexico City, Mexico
Two Carnival cruise ships crashed into each other at a port in Cozumel, Mexico on Friday.
In an email to Anadolu Agency, Carnival said there was no serious damage to the ships and that it was believed to be caused by “spontaneous wind gusts and strong currents.” At least six people have reported minor injuries.
Video on social media showed Carnival Glory attempting to dock when it collided with Carnival Legend, which was stationary. Glory ship almost hit another cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas.
The crash reportedly will not affect the ships’ itineraries.
“We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel,” Carnival said.
-Carnival’s market in Mexico
Carnival controls about 50% of the global market, according to 2019 corporate data. The cruise line had record revenues worth $20.8 billion.
Mexico is the world’s leading cruise destination. Carnival is the most popular company offering trips there with as little as three- or four-day options.
The line’s popularity is expected to continue through 2020 with the help of a new ship, Carnival Panorama, which is Carnival’s first new ship in about 20 years.
The cruise line describes Panorama as an “L.A.-style” ship that visits top spots across “Mexico’s postcard-perfect Pacific coast” including popular Mexican tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
-Cruise line controversy
Hugely profitable Carnival has been criticized in the past for some of its business practices. In part because major cruise lines have a history of using maritime law to their advantage.
In 2012, Carnival was allegedly paying its workers, primarily from Latin America and Southeast Asia, a wage a little more than $1 per hour.
Workers had a hard time fighting for better wages because they were unable to file claims in U.S. courts, according to an investigation from Univision News.
Also in 2012, a group of advocates stormed Carnival’s annual meeting in Miami to demand the company pay its “fair share” in taxes.
Large cruise lines often have their business accounts registered in other countries, which helps keep their taxes low. Carnival is registered in Panama, reportedly allowing it to pay about 1 percent in taxes during a five-year period between 2007 and 2011.
And as recently as this year, Carnival was enveloped in controversy when the U.S. Department of Justice demanded it pay a $20 million fine for illegally dumping oil and plastic waste into the ocean. That’s on top of earlier fines for similar environmental violations.
