Several major cruise lines have officially imposed a ban on the use of Galaxy Note 7, Samsung’s newest product, on-board due to multiple reports of the device exploding due to a faulty battery causing the phones to catch on fire.
This has emerged just a few days after Samsung resumed sales of new Note 7 globally having already sold 1 million devices. By this date several users had uploaded photos and videos of charred phones online after the device, named ‘the most beautiful phone of 2016’, had burst into flames and exploded.
The world’s largest and second largest cruise ship operators, Royal Caribbean and Carnival, have introduced the ban of the use of Note 7 on-board to both passengers and crew members since the news emerged.
Carnival has issued a precaution notice on its website: ‘Guests and crew in possession of an applicable Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone must take the following precautions whilst onboard: turn off device, disconnect device from any charging equipment, disable all applications that could involuntary activate the device (e.g. alarm clock) and finally protect the power switch to prevent its unintentional activation.’
Several other cruise lines have issued the ban, including Celebrity, Cunard, Princess, Holland America Line, Azamara, TUI, Crystal, Seabourn and P&O. It is yet to be confirmed how the phone ban is being enforced and whether there are any penalties for those who don’t comply.
Disney Cruise Line posted signs in the terminals asking passengers not to use the device during the voyage and stated in its blog: ‘If you own a Galaxy Note 7 and have not replaced your recalled device, please power it off and do not charge it for the duration of the cruise. We recommend storing electronics and valuables in your stateroom safe.’
Samsung has since begun the replacement process for the entire line and has released its official statement on the matter: ‘Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously.
In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. Our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, so we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers’.
Despite Samsung’s plan to release replacement devices, the cruise lines are still taking the necessary precautions with an official ban until further notice and by bringing passengers’ attention to the current risk of the device.
So, what are your thoughts on the news? Are you shocked at the danger of Samsung’s new device? Do you agree with the ban that most cruise lines have introduced? Leave us your thoughts!
