Carnival Corporation to reimburse US government
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The holding company of Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnival Corporation, is to repay the US government for the assistance it provided in the incidents involving the Carnival Triumph and Splendour.
The Miami Herald has reported that the firm, which has undergone heavy, high-profile, criticism lately, had not received any requests to repay the money but instead had “made the decision to voluntarily provide reimbursement to the federal government”.
Government estimates put the cost at somewhere in the region of US$4.2 million.
The firm also put across that it had never said it would refuse any request to reimburse the federal agencies “if they sought remuneration”.
The biggest critic of Carnival has been senator Jay Rockefeller who said that the company was “bloodsucking off the American people”. Carnival responded in a letter drafted by its senior vice president of corporate maritime policy, Capt. James Hunn.
In a reaction to the news that Carnival would reimburse the Coast Guard and the Navy, Rockefeller released the following statement:
“I’m glad to see that Carnival owned up to the bare minimum of corporate responsibility by reimbursing federal taxpayers for these two incidents,” he said. “I am still committed to making sure the cruise industry as a whole pays its fair share in taxes, complies with strict safety standards, and holds the safety of its passengers above profits.”