CARNIVAL CRUISE FIRE ACTION PLAN UPDATE 

Art Anderson completed a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on the master links connecting the lifeboats to the davits onboard the Carnival Cruise Dream. The manufacturer had recommended that the links be changed from large to shorter links. Since the change, the client observed premature failures of the master links. The davit manufacturer sited material defects as the likely cause and recommended no change. The client continued to see premature failures.

After it was determined that there was no apparent structural cause for the failure, the team continued to research the issue. The conclusion was the shorter link, while as strong, did not allow the links to freely rotate causing excessive point loading likely leading to the premature failure.