After a month of waiting, Norfolk cruisers are finally getting a response to their vehicles being damaged and broken into while vacationing on Carnival Magic, operated by Carnival Cruise Line. The city-owned parking lot was assumed to be responsible for the damages.
Cruise Passengers Met With Damaged Vehicles
Dozens of cruisers sailing onboard Carnival Magic in May out of Norfolk, Virginia came back from vacation to see their cars had been damaged and broken into. In a recent development, the city is not prepared to cover the expenses.
According to 10 On Your Side, cruisers who experienced vandalism to their vehicles have been in question of who truly is liable for the damage. The destruction occurred in a city parking lot, Cedar Grove Parking Lot, that was advertised to have 24-hour security surveillance.
Cedar Grove Parking Lot is a gated parking lot that holds 1,200 vehicles and is located on Monticello Avenue between Princess Anne Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Those affected stated they paid $90 for the six days of parking and would like to be refunded in full due to the lack of security and damages their vehicles received, as reported by The Virginia Pilot.
Damages that occurred included: broken windows, water damage, stolen belongings, exterior car body scratches, and shattered glass on car interiors.
Cruise passengers embarking from Norfolk, Virginia often use this lot because of its security, but the City Attorney’s Office is denying responsibility for the vandalism.
The City Attorney’s office stated that they are not responsible for the damages, and visitors park at their own risk on the Cedar Grove Parking Lot.
The City Attorney’s Office told the cruise guests in a letter, “Patrons of the City’s parking lots park at their own risk and are specifically reminded of this by language in the cruise parking pass.” The city has denied any negligence on its behalf and will not be compensating for the destruction.
Carnival Cruise Line Response
Carnival Cruise Lines spokesperson, Matt Lupoli, also denied responsibility of the vehicles stating to 10 On Your Side, “We are in discussions with Norfolk port officials about our just-finished season and upcoming plans. Improving parking options for our guests – including improved security at local parking garages – is at the top of the list.”
“We regret that some of our guests had some unfortunate incidents while parked for their cruise. While we have no authority or responsibility for the private or public parking options, we have conveyed that improving the parking situation is a top priority.”
Affected travelers in search of answers are not settling with the responses received and are continuing to seek a liable party for the unfortunate event.
In search of responsibility affected cruisers have reached out to the manager of the security company, Allied Universal Security Services. Allied Universal is contracted by the city to patrol the lot, but the cruisers have not received a response as of late.
Read Also: Carnival Magic Cruise Ship – 13 Must-Know Things
The 130,000 gross-ton Carnival Magic sails out of Orlando and Miami in Florida, Norfolk in Virginia, and New York.
As a Dream class ship, she sails several durations from two-to-five-day and six-to-nine-day voyages with a guest capacity of 3,690. Current itinerary options include sailings to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, and the Caribbean.
