Carnival Cruise Lines
Does Public Relations Damage Control
In Wake Of Brimble Settlement - February 22, 2007
Press Conference Text
Peter Ratcliffe
CEO, P&O / Princess Division
Carnival Corporation
22 February 2007
Good Morning everybody. Thank you for taking the time to join us here today.
My name is Peter Ratcliffe and I am a main Board director of Carnival Corporation. I am based in Los Angeles.
I am the CEO of the P&O Princess division of Carnival Corporation. This division is responsible for the operation of P&O Cruises here in Australia as well as Cunard Line and Princess Cruises in the United States, and P&O Cruises and Ocean Village in the United Kingdom.
This morning I wanted to take this opportunity to meet with you to discuss the steps we have taken since the tragic death of Mrs Brimble aboard the Pacific Sky in 2002.
I am conscious that some considerable time has passed since the death of Mrs Brimble and since the start of the Inquest. Whilst we have extended our sympathies to the Brimble family and explained the changes we have been making to the Company’s operations in a number of formal statements, I think the time has come for me to address you personally.
I would like to make a number of introductory remarks and will then be pleased to take your questions.
Firstly, on behalf of all of us at P&O Cruises, both directors, management and employees, I want to express our heartfelt sympathies to the children and family of Mrs Brimble.
Not only have the family had to suffer the terrible loss of a loved one, but they have also had to deal with the sometimes distressing testimony offered at the Inquest, and also the public airing of the circumstances around Mrs Brimble’s death.
No family should have to go through this sort of pain.
We deeply apologise for the contribution P&O and its employees have made to their grief.
On Monday, I met with Mr Brimble and Mr Mitchell for a few hours in Brisbane. I said how sorry we were for what had happened and talked about how the family were coping.
I explained to them that we understood the family had been through a lot and that, in my opinion, the law, which focuses on legal liability, and not on the suffering of the family, is not really adequate in recognizing their unique situation.
For our part, we feel we have a moral obligation to do what we can to ensure that the family, particularly the children, are properly provided for. I agreed with Mr Brimble and Mr Mitchell a process which puts legal issues to one side, and focuses on the needs of the family. I expressed our sincere hope that through this process we may help bring some form of closure to the family, for their tragic loss.
Turning now to the Inquest, I know that you will appreciate the need for me to continue to respect the process, and not to comment on specifics.
However, let me say the death of Mrs Brimble was a tragedy and the Inquest has been a real wake up call for the Company. P&O Page 1 22 February 2007 P&O Page 2 22 February 2007
Over the last four years, there have been many changes in P&O Cruises. The shoreside management of the hotel operations of the vessels was transferred to executives based in Los Angeles in early 2005, and the local hotel management operation here in Sydney was disbanded.
We reorganised on board management with previous management being replaced with senior management redeployed from other lines within the division.
There have also been extensive changes in Australian senior management, with the majority of senior management currently employed having been with the Company for less than four years.
Notwithstanding all these changes, as I said, the Inquest has been a real wake up call for us all.
What we’ve heard at the Inquest has really brought home to us both the need to ensure our safety and security procedures are at the highest possible standard, but also the need to accelerate the pace of cultural change both ashore and at sea.
As the Inquest has progressed, our immediate focus has been on the safety and security of our passengers.
We fully understand we are responsible for the safety of 150,000 Australians who cruise with us every year. This is particularly important, as 55% of our passengers are families travelling together.
In 2006 therefore we completely overhauled our procedures and training for the responsible service of alcohol.
We have sought the advice of the Department of Liquor, Gaming and Racing in New South Wales to ensure our procedures conform to best practice here in Australia.
