Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean Cruises ( RCL ), which owns Celebrity Cruises, s

But the Indianapolis woman and her friends cheap flight ticket canada were among hundreds of tourists who had their vacation plans scuttled when a mechanical problem aboard the 965-foot Millennium forced the cruise operator to cancel cheap flight ticket canada six Alaska sailings.
Cynthia Martinez, cheap flight ticket canada a spokeswoman cheap flight ticket canada for Royal Caribbean Cruises ( RCL ), which owns Celebrity Cruises, said passengers will get a full refund of the cruise fare paid. They also will receive certificates for future cruises.
It's not the first problem for cruise industry this year. The Carnival Triumph was disabled during a February cruise by an engine room fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving thousands of passengers to endure cold food, unsanitary conditions and power outages while the ship was towed to Mobile, Ala. It remained there for repairs until early May when it headed back to sea under its own power. In May, a fire onboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas cut short a cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas.
Tourism -- particularly cruise ship traffic -- is important to a number of Alaska communities, which are accessible only by air or water and where once-strong industries cheap flight ticket canada like timber are no longer thriving. More than 900,000 cruise ship passengers visited Alaska last summer, according to a study commissioned by the state. Places like Juneau, Alaska's capital city, can see several large ships arrive in a single day during the summer, its denizens disembarking to take in local sites or shop.
Alicia Benavides cheap flight ticket canada Eichler of Long Beach, Calif., was a passenger on the first Millennium cheap flight ticket canada Alaska sailing that was canceled in early August after the mechanical problem -- an issue with a propulsion cheap flight ticket canada motor -- was initially found while docked in Seward. Eichler and her 13-year-old son ended up flying right back home after spending a depressing day in the small town.
Kelly Fazzone of San Antonio was on the cruise that was canceled cheap flight ticket canada this week in the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan. cheap flight ticket canada The ship returned to Ketchikan about an hour after it left. Fazzone and her family were on the cruise to celebrate her mother's coming cheap flight ticket canada 80th birthday.
Fazzone said everyone in her party has been exploring the town. They watched a lumberjack show, toured a totem pole park, and some were planning to take a zipline ride when they weren't cheap flight ticket canada hanging out on the ship. They shopped at a local Walmart and bought some board games to entertain themselves.
I've been on 3 Carnival cruises. I guess I've been lucky, we had no problems at all. Although years ago I was on a Holland America ship that had a problem in the engine room and we only had minimal power and listed at sea for 4 hours before it was repaired. They actually had open bar and a huge BBQ so the guests weren't inconvenience. Still, I'd rather be on a disabled cruise ship than inside cheap flight ticket canada an airplane with engine trouble.