Carnival Sensation detained briefly due to safety problems

Getting ready to cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida, on its first trip since housing Hurricane Katrina aid and government workers, Carnival's Sensation was delayed by seven hours to fix mechanical problems found during a U. S. Coast Guard inspection on Thursday.

The Coasties presumably gave the ship an extra-thorough going-over after the vessel's six months tied up to a pier on hotel duty in New Orleans. They discovered problems, for example, with some fire doors and watertight doors. The fire doors are located throughout the ship to slow the spread of a blaze and can be shut automatically from the ship's bridge. The watertight doors, much heavier and sturdier, are located only on the ship's lower decks and can also be closed automatically in the event of an emergency.

On the one hand, the problems were quickly correctable and the ship did sail on its planned itinerary. On the other hand, we can imagine heads may roll onboard Sensation due to the deficiencies discovered by the Coast Guard, as Carnival takes safety and security matters onboard its ships very seriously.