Dry Dock problems ?

[gizmo]

Do Princess ships have problems after a dry dock ?

 

Over and over again I read on the Hal board nightmare stories about ships that have just come out of dry dock.

 

I know that everything cannot be perfect but I wondered if other cruise lines have lots of problems after dry dock.

[Druke I]

I think problems coming out of drydock are fairly common amongst all cruise lines.

 

It seems that the times required for jobs are often underestimated by the planners, and not enough allowance is built into the times for things that don't go as planned.

[Toto2Kansas]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It all depends on IF all the work they were to get done has been finished. If it hasn't there can be ongoing work being done for a cruise or two after the ship leaves drydock. Keep in mind, drydock isn't usually for minor changes onboard such as carpets and furniture, it is for mechanical repairs, scraping the hull, and majore additions (such as the International Cafe or santuary being added to some ships) etc, but they use that time to do other interrior work while the ship is out of commission.

 

I have read more complaints from those on the last sailing or two before drydock where they began the work early while the ship still was sailing with a full passenger load onboard.

[Woobstr112G]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It all depends on IF all the work they were to get done has been finished. If it hasn't there can be ongoing work being done for a cruise or two after the ship leaves drydock. Keep in mind, drydock isn't usually for minor changes onboard such as carpets and furniture, it is for mechanical repairs, scraping the hull, and majore additions (such as the International Cafe or santuary being added to some ships) etc, but they use that time to do other interrior work while the ship is out of commission.

 

I have read more complaints from those on the last sailing or two before drydock where they began the work early while the ship still was sailing with a full passenger load onboard.

 

I've also heard the same complaints. People rightfully so have a right to be upset when they pay good money for a cruise and areas of the ship are blocked off/closed because the construction began early.....

 

Bob

[jagsfan]

Seems like Cunard has a lock on post drydock problems. Most of the time on the other

lines, there are no glitches........that's why you hear when there are.

[Cruz-OR]

How do we find out the dry dock schedule for Princess ships? Is there a site that posts the schedules?

[Toto2Kansas]

There is no site or place that I know of that actually posts the schedule for dry docks. I would doubt that this is something they would want to advertise or they may have trouble filling the ships right before or right after a ship goes into dry dock (especially before). ;)

[luvs2travl]

How do we find out the dry dock schedule for Princess ships? Is there a site that posts the schedules?

 

Go to cruisecal.com. It lists where all the cruise ships are: ports - at sea- dry dock, etc.

 

I also did a search for "Princess Cruise Lines Dry Dock Schedule 2010" Lots of info there as well!!

 

Found this on HAL Ships in a USA Today Article:

 

Rotterdam. Dry dock: Nov. 18-Dec. 16, 2009. First Cruise after improvements: the 19-day Panama Canal holiday sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, departing Dec. 16, 2009

 

-- Ryndam. First dry dock: Feb. 9-Feb. 28, 2010. Second dry dock: Fall 2012. First Cruise after first dry dock: the7-day Western Caribbean roundtrip from Tampa, departing Feb. 28.

 

-- Statendam. First dry dock: Mar. 26-Apr. 11, 2010. Second dry dock: 2013. First cruise after first dry dock: the 14-day Southern Caribbean roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, departing Apr. 11, 2010.

 

-- Maasdam. First dry dock Apr. 4-Apr. 26, 2011. Second dry dock: 2013. First cruise after first dry dock: the 18-day Caribbean roundtrip from New York, departing Apr. 26, 2011.

 

Google is a wonderful thing!! You just have to do a bit of searching :D

[Mareng]

Like any major project it is often impossible to anticipate all eventualities especially with older ships. Opening up a tank can result in significant unexpected steel work and/or painting which can quickly suck up significant amounts of valuable Dry-dock time. Unfortunately numerous ship managers do not posses the training or education to plot an S curve showing the progress of a project allowing them to identify any potential shortfall in resources or impeding failure to meet the expected results.

Cunard are by no means squeaky clean when they undertook the QE2 refit in Bremerhaven in 1987 she limped across the Atlantic with the emergency call "Niagara, Niagara!" to get the plumbers to attend the significant numbers of massive overhead leaks. Coupled with loosing the Grim wheels during sea trails requiring an immediate redocking did not go down too well

.:eek:

[Putterdude]

Sure Princess has problems...they all do. Last spring when the Golden came out of dry dock she was still a work in progress for a cruise or two. There was also a lot of upset among pax her were on her last cruise to Hawaii...this board was full of complaints...but they work very hard to turn these ships around in drydock, a lot of money is involved in laying a ship up for even a day.

[MCC retired]

Contract workers onboard both on the sailing before & sailing after a scheduled drydock, are quite common for all cruise ships.:(

 

Cruise lines also have a habit of putting off some needed repairs until an upcoming drydock.:mad: