The cruise liner Carnival Liberty announced Saturday that it is having problems with their ships' bow thrusters.
The cruise company released the following statement in an email:
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"Carnival Liberty is presently experiencing an issue with the ship’s bow thrusters. Bow thrusters are required during docking maneuvers. They are not required for the normal operation of the vessel except when coming in and out of port. In the absence of full bow thruster capability, the ship can arrive and depart a port with the assistance of tug boats and maintain its normal itinerary.
"Based on when the issue occurred during the current voyage, we were not able to secure tugboat assistance in Cozumel in time to call at that port. Future voyages are expected to operate as scheduled. Technicians are working to resolve the issue and tugboat assistance for docking maneuvers will be arranged as needed in the interim until the repairs are completed. On the voyage just ended today, given the missed call in Cozumel, guests were provided with a $100 per person onboard credit. The ship did make its scheduled call in Progreso."
One passenger said the company refunded everyone $40 after taking out a $60 gratuity. The passenger said the ship never made its stop in Cozumel and that people were protesting on the top deck.
"I am told that when the ship left Progreso, there was a Mexican navy ship docked nearby and the swirl in the water from the Liberty departing caused a few of the navy ship's ropes to break," the email statement said. "They were not the Liberty's ropes and the ropes did not come in contact with our ship."