Cruise Problems Hurting Locals
By: Nick Kraynok
Updated: February 20, 2013
Cruise Problems Hurting Locals
By Aaryn Valenzuela
Several Concho Valley couples have had to postpone their vacations this year because of cruise ship cancellations. Carnival cruise lines has cancelled "Triumph's" next 12 cruises after it was stranded in the Gulf last week.
Lots of people in San Angelo go on cruises every year. When Mark and Debra Philips aren't busy running their pizza business, they're on a cruise ship visiting an island in the Caribbean.
"I get four weeks of vacation each year and we don't spend that in San Angelo, we spend that on a cruise ship somewhere," says Debra Phillips, who loves to go on cruises.
Mark and Debra go on three to four cruises a year. In total, they say they been on more than forty cruises together.They say if your planning to take a cruise, its important to do your research online, and look at reviews about different cruise lines.
" You can get online and see what the different cruise lines have to offer, someone like Disney may not have a casino, and that maybe something your interested in having on a ship is a casino," says Mark Phillips, Debra's husband.
They also say cruises are cheaper during the Fall and Spring. You pay almost half the price if you can avoid the busy summers and spring break.
"If you don't have kids, then its the best to go between Labor Day and Memorial Day, because you can get some great deals on them," says Debra.
They say despite the recent events that happened with the Carnival Cruise Line, they would recommend a cruise to anyone, and say its their favorite way to vacation.
"We've been in where there is a hurricane coming, and we have had our dates change because of a hurricane coming, but we just look at it as an adventure," she says.
"These ships nowadays are so well equipped, and have stabilizers on them that you really don't feel that much motion," says Mark Phillips.
More than four thousand passengers and crew members were stuck aboard the Carnival Triumph for nine days after a engine room caught fire.
