The source is the ABC news affiliate in Houston's website:
This is from today, 3/11/05:
Nearly 2,000 passengers are still stranded at sea aboard Carnival Cruise Lines' Ecstasy.
First, they had to deal with engine problems on Carnival Cruise Lines' Ecstasy, and now bad weather is complicating efforts to get into port in Progreso, Mexico. The engine is still being repaired.
The trip was supposed to go from Galveston to Cancun, but things didn't work on the return leg of the trip.
It might not be mutiny on the Ecstasy, but it sounds awfully close.
Carol Jenkins is one of hundreds protesting on board the ship during its cruise to nowhere. Jenkins, her husband and their 6-year-old daughter are on board the Ecstasy.
"She was called by a security guard and told to come into the office and 'shut up'. That was not appropriate," says her father, Julio Largo.
Little 7-month-old Chloe is with her grandparents, the Largos. They are worried. "We are deeply concerned. Concerned about their well being and how they are doing" says Largo. The problem on board is with one of the two propulsion systems that drive the ship. It is a computer control issue.
Computer control issues have prevented the Ecstasy from returning to Galveston for nearly a week. Now they're in bad weather near Progreso, Mexico.
New parts and a technician from Finland boarded the ship as it was anchored near Progreso, soon after the Ecstasy started back toward Galveston.
While work continues and families back home wait, many on board the ship have complained that they were told the ship was being fixed.
Carnival says it distributed a letter to all passengers before the Ecstasy left Galveston.
In it the captain says, "Please understand that there is some chance that we will not be able to complete the repair on a timely basis. If that would happen, the ship could not operate at a speed sufficient to visit any ports of call."
The ship has had high profile trouble before. In 1998 it caught fire and the blaze burned through three decks. Dozens of passengers suffered injuries. There is nothing so dramatic this time.
"They feel like they'd rather be home because they just don't feel good about it," says Lucio.
The company says that 40 cabins of people chose not to sail out of Galveston and were given a full refund.
Those who did sail will get half their money back and 25 percent off another cruise.
Carnival says that it chose to sail from Galveston because over the years it's learned that many people would rather chance it than have to completely cancel or reschedule a vacation.
The ship is now due back in Galveston Saturday morning.
