RE: Grand Princess after Severe List
4 February 2006


I received messages from several passengers onboard the Grand Princess when it turned sharply and caused things to slide off tables in shops and in the dining room, as well as televisions off stands in rooms.  One passenger was told by the Purser's Desk that 82 televisions were destroyed when they crashed to the floor in passenger cabins.

I have been asked by a passenger to let folks know that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been asked to investigate, but there is no assurance that that will happen with just one request.  His concern, aside from the judgement used in making the sharp turn, is the potential for serious injury given that televisions in rooms are not restrained.  As the passenger says: "The TV in our room flew approximately 10 feet and hit the bed headboard. Lucky we were not in bed. A lot of people were injured by flying TV's. The real factor here is that for the TV's to fly the ship had to experience a "G" force that far exceeded normal."

The passenger has already written to the NTSB and has asked me to encourage others to do the same.  His view is that an investigation would result in restraint criteria for items such as TV's to prevent them from flying and hitting passengers.  As he wrote:  "Maybe via your web site we could start an effort to get the NSTB to do some work on this matter or at least to require bolting down of TV's that sit 6 feet in the air without bolts to hold them in place. Its one of those just a few dollars per room to protect the passengers."

While I would normally not post this information, I feel it is important for the welfare of all cruise passengers and would encourage those so inclined (whether you were on the Grand Princess or not) to write and express your views to the NTSB. The incident on the Grand Princess is a wake up call to the problem, but the risk is there for passengers on all cruise ships where television sets and other heavy objects are not properly restrained.

Information about how to contact the NTSB is online at:  http://ntsb.gov/Info/sources.htm

Or you may wish to write directly to:
Mark V. Rosenker, Acting Chairman
National Transportation Safety Board 
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW 
Washington, DC 20594