A story doing the rounds on the internet claiming that a Carnival cruise ship has sunk has been described as a “prank”. But it’s more than that, it’s a lie that misleads would-be passengers and capitalises on a real tragedy.
A picture of the partly submerged Costa Concordia, on which 32 people died in 2012, was used with the story, which claimed the Carnival Triumph had sunk off the coast of Mexico.
According to fact-checking site Snopes.com, website React365 reported: “The Carnival cruise ship Triumph ran aground and overturned after striking an underwater rock off the coast of Mexico while coming into port the evening of November 5th 2018 resulting in 32 deaths.”
This is a complete fabrication, and one that not only will affect people who wish to cruise on the ship, but may cause great distress to many people, including the loved ones of those who died onboard the Concordia.
Snopes notes: React 365 is a “prank” web site that provides users with a template to create their own fake news stories in order to trick their friends on social media. A disclaimer at the bottom of the site reads: “This website is an entertainment website, jokes are created by users. These are humorous jokes, fantasy, fictional, that should not be seriously taken or as a source of information.”
The real news about Carnival Triumph is that it is undergoing a refit in 2019, and will be renamed Carnival Sunrise.
The company’s website says: “.. early next year we’ll be adding so many fresh new experiences to Carnival Triumph — some of the latest dining spots, bars and pubs, sports activities, spa and more — that the transformation is earning this ship a sunny new name.”
Footnote: cruise ships are generally very safe. When incidents occur, they are often due to human error — as with the Concordia, whose captain is now in prison.
