Maasdam Lost Engine Update

[Linda&Vern]

I will try to remember and relate our similar experience in December - maybe this will help those boarding the Maasdam on Sunday. While some of the circumstances may not be the same (more notice of a problem this time) - here is what took place in December. Our cruise was schedule to depart Wednesday, Dec. 22. On Tuesday morning our TA called me to say that she just received a fax from HAL that boarding would not begin until 3:00pm on Wednesday. On Tuesday evening DH received a call on his cell phone directly from HAL. They said they did not anticipate boarding would begin until 7:00pm, with the ship arriving Norfolk 4:00pm. We took our time driving to Norfolk on Wednesday and drove up to the luggage drop-off at approx. 3:30pm. We were surprised to see the ship was already there and passengers were departing.

 

We were immediately (as in I hardly got my car door open) greeted by a HAL rep who told us to drive our car to the Cedar Grove lot (which we had planned to do anyway) and take the bus from the parking lot to the Marriott (walking distance to the ship). At the Marriott we found a huge ballroom reserved for HAL guests with a large dinner buffet in progress. Apparently a lunch buffet had also been served to the early arriving passengers. We learned free tours were arranged around Norfolk to tourist attractions and shopping throughout the day. We were disappointed we hadn't gotten there sooner! We ate dinner at the Marriott and did some pre-registration at a special desk set up outside the ballroom, and then decided to stroll on down to watch the activity at the ship. At approx. 6:20pm I noticed a line forming inside Nauticus. Long story short, we joined the line and by 6:45pm we were on the ship. We were immediately shown our cabin and then decided to explore the ship while waiting for our luggage.

 

While checking out the dining room location we were asked if we wanted to be seated for dinner. Yes, dinner was being served, with an "open seating" arrangment from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. Dinner was also being served in the Lido from 7:00pm to midnight. The Wajang Theater was showing movies at 8:00pm & 10:15pm. At 10:30pm there was a Welcome Aboard show in the Rembrandt Lounge. All the lounges were also open. We had a great time exploring the ship and watching all the trucks unloading supplies onto the ship (great view from the Crow's Nest). When I asked DH what time he thought we would pull out he said "don't worry, I'll know exactly when we are pulling out - it will be when the last truck pulls away from the ship." I looked out and sure enough, there was a very long line of trucks waiting their turn to unload. DH was right, as soon as the last truck unloaded - we started on our way.

 

Not to upset anyone but it was (according to our cruise log) 12:12am. Before you gasp and declare your vacation ruined, let us just tell you our opinion. HAL handled everything in Norfolk in an organized and professional manner. I read somewhere after our trip that people were getting on and off the ship at the same time and it was awful. That did not happen. Under the circumstances everything seemed very organized. It did not ruin my trip because we didn't pull out until midnight. Actually it was pretty much fun watching all the activity, unpacking (now that's another story), going back and forth to the Crow's Nest to see what was happening outside. We had the best vacation ever. So please don't let this little glitch in departure take anything away from a great cruise experience. :p

[Su&Andy]

Don't have time to read this entire thread, our minutes are running out. Forgive me if any of this is redundant.

At the one o'clock briefing we were told that there may be a possibility that we will be in Norfolk by 2:30 depending on the weather. We have also heard the following HERESAY: Parts, technicians, and engineers will be boarded in Norfolk and they will attempt to repair the broken engine while sailing; we will be eating the April 10th scheduled cruise lunch and there will be open seating for dinner for the boarding cruisers. Again, this is not confirmed.Note: We left Norfolk a few minutes early and still were late at Half Moon Cay.

 

 

 

 

Another word of warning. We just learned today that aft cabins on 6 have had no A/C the entire trip or movie channels in their rooms. Will have another update in the morning.

[Operator]

"Maasdam will be late to Norfolk and boarding will begin around 6 or 7 pm. Half Moon Cay will be skipped in order to make the next port on time. There may or may not be any consideration made to the passengers for this change."

 

Well, forgive me for being blunt, but that sucks.

 

We had booked a cabana on HMC and were planning on spending a delightful beach day there (one of the alleged highlights of our trip), and now find ourselves at the mercy of HAL management. The last overture I heard from customer service was "the captain may offer a complimentary glass of wine". Wow! We miss 10 percent of our several-thousand-dollar trip (we are in an A class verandah suite) and we get a $5 pp credit? That makes it even.

 

Actually, it does not.

 

I understand the concept of an itinerary change, but do not believe that missing most of a day on-ship (Sunday) and omitting a port (HMC) falls under it's umbrella. I find HAL's dodging of responsibility in this case unexcusable. I know that mechanical problems are uncontrollable, but fairness and recompense to passengers are not. Bad form.

 

-Operator

[sail7seas]

I am sorry for your disappointment and understand it....having suffered the same disappointment about 7-8 times ourselves. (We also have been so lucky to have enjoyed a day there at least a dozen + times. ) HMC is always 'conditions permitting'. It is clearly marked that in the brochure/every place they publish the itinerary. We all know there is a chance of missing that beautiful day at the beach on any cruise scheduled to stop there.

 

 

You have a choice. Accept it, accept the disappointment and then begin to think of all the fun, happy, wonderful things that will happen on your cruise. Or, you can stew about the fact that, unfortunately, you, too, may be added to the list of folks who have missed their stop at HMC. It happens regularly. Two of the times we missed out, were bright, gorgeous sunny days. The seas were too rough to drop tenders. I KNOW it's disappointing. But, I hope you find a way to not let it eat at you and ruin your whole cruise.

 

Enjoy!!! Bon Voyage and have a great time.

[Operator]

Thanks for the kind words.

 

I am of two minds on the issue - I refuse to let HAL's inability to meet it's commitment to me ruin my vacation (and make no mistake - legalese or none - it is a commitment; if your Boston to LA flight drops you in Phoenix, you are owed more than an apology), yet I feel strongly that anyone with a drop of responsibility or care for anything other than the bottom line would do everything possible to make it right - up to and including recompense for missed portions of the trip. I will assume the best, and hope that HAL has the good sense to make amends with us, assuring our future business, rather than sacrifice us on the altar of quarterly profits, assuming there are unlimited additional cattle to fill the pipeline.

 

Sorry for waxing poetic, but I feel strongly that simply saying "hey, sorry we blew off a high point of your trip - too bad" is not enough.

 

"Further bulletins as event warrant"

 

-Operator

[dakrewser]

Well, forgive me for being blunt, but that sucks.

 

Which part of "itinerary changes can happen" don't you understand???

 

Also, sailing 6 hours late on a 7 day cruise is only approx. 4% of your trip "missing."

 

It's disappointing to miss a port (although seem people prefer it that way - their destination is the ship), but fretting now will simply make the entire experience bad for you. Why spend your vacation getting bitter? Trade your cabana excursion in for a long spa treatment - it might help considerably!

[Operator]

Sorry, but which part of "mea culpa" don't YOU understand?

 

An itinerary change is going to St. John instead of St. Thomas. If missing an island and leaving late fall under "itinerary changes" then there is no reason we could not simply do doughnuts in the harbor for 11 days, then dock back in Norfolk. Would that be okay with everyone?

 

I apologize for reacting sharply, but I am a bit on edge from these problems. I will still be objective (no, really!) and enjoy our time at sea to the fullest. To tell the truth, I am already getting my mind around blowing off one or more islands and enjoying the time onboard with my spouse - I simply feel that HAL owes us more than a glass of wine for their inability to deliver advertised products. Finally, I confess to some unfair rounding - we will miss two meals of 33 (6.06% on an eleven day cruise) and roughly 9 hours (or most of one day - hence my "10%" - 1/11th equaling .909%).

 

If my brochure said "leave from Norfolk, go somehwere (or nowhere) and be back 11 days later", we wouldn't be having this conversation.

 

-Operator

[garydm]

Rev-We lost one of the generators on Statendam in February enroute Hawaii and they were able to repair it while at sea. We did miss the stop in Hilo due to the slow progress of the ship and weather. Now, if they could just fix those darn muffler bearings....

 

Gary

[bepsf]

RKACruiser---

 

I believe you are correct - while underway, one engine is typically kept in reserve while it is being maintained (oil changes, coolant flushes, etc.)

 

 

 

---Now before we get all cranky and judgemental about "improper maintenance" and "dodging of responsibility", let's try to understand what we're talking about:

 

A crankshaft bearing is pretty deep inside an engine. It's not like someone can just pop an old one off and slap another one on! It's one of the parts that holds the crankshaft in place while allowing the crankshaft itself to spin thousands of times every minute. A fairly substantial process is required just to be able to see the part that needs replacing, much less replace the darned thing.

 

Now consider that a single shipboard diesel propulsion generator can be larger than your entire Chevy Suburban. One cylinder alone is the size of your Chevy's whole engine! These parts aren't something that fits in the palm of your hand, and an entire engine isn't something that's easily replaced - they'd have to cut a hole in the side of the ship larger than your double-garage door below the waterline to swap out a whole generator.

 

Also understand that just because a ship pulls into port doesn't mean that they shut all the engines off, put the key in their pocket and walk away like you do when you park your car at the grocery store. Engines aboard Maasdam and every other Dam ship are running 24/7 to provide you with AC, hot & cold fresh water, lights, food preparation and storage, garbage incineration and storage, sewerage treatment, working elevators, etc. - not to mention the power to push the ship around a bunch of islands week in and week out. At least 2 out of 5 of those puppies are running all day long, every single day of every single week of every single year!

 

Now, Maasdam is over 11 years old.

 

When was the last time that you ran the engine on your 1994 Oldsmobile 24 hours a day for 1 1/2 years?

When was the last time you told your mechanic to check your 11 year old crankshaft bearings for wear?

When was the last time that you even bothered to change the oil on time?

 

Things break. Nobody died, so get over it.

[Sweetdreams]

Another word of warning. We just learned today that aft cabins on 6 have had no A/C the entire trip or movie channels in their rooms. Will have another update in the morning.

 

Which deck is number "6"? Upper Promenade?

[bepsf]

Deck 6 is Verandah Deck

[the2ofus]

I think offering wine at dinner for all pax is the standard compensation for the disappointment of missing Half Moon Cay. At least that is what we received when rough seas prevented us from enjoying our scheduled day there. As I see it, a stop at HMC is the frosting on the cake, but if it doesn't/can't happen, we still have the rest of the cruise to enjoy.

 

Any booked excursions or cabanas, etc. are reimbursed to you if HMC is cancelled.

[Aussie Gal]

I agree with both Liz and Ruth. We are booked on the Transatlantic cruise as well and I certainly do not want an engine out whilst we are crossing that huge and unforgiveable ocean. Our payment is due within a couple of weeks and hopefully HAL will do something about the engine or engines before we leave Boston on the 16th July.

 

We are coming half way across the world for this cruise and I don't want to be on a ship that is not up to a Transatlantic voyage. HAL PLEASE TAKE NOTE!

 

Jennie

[Operator]

When was the last time that you ran the engine on your 1994 Oldsmobile 24 hours a day for 1 1/2 years?

Things break. Nobody died, so get over it.

 

Sorry, but this comparison is disingenuous. To make it relevant, try:

 

When was the last time you spent five thousand dollars to make your car run for 11 days?

 

Yes, things break, but when I am paying thousands of dollars for them, I expect some portion of my money back. If I spend $5k on a TV and it doesn't work, shall I just say "Oh well, things break" and buy another one from the same manufacturer?

 

I am not trying to be contentious, but just pointing out what I perceive to be a flaw in your syllogism.

 

-Operator

[RevNeal]

My memory may be totally wrong, but I remember hearing from an Engineering or Bridge Officer on a HAL cruise that it is normal for the ships to operate on only 4 of the 5 engines and that it is routine for one engine to be out of service and being repaired or receiving routine maintanence while underway. If the decision was made to not start engine #5, then the ship is operating with only 3 engines.

 

I suppose that would depend upon the class of ship, the itinerary, and wether or not the ship is making flank speed for any significant amount of time. When ships are cruising around the close confines of the Caribbean, they probably don't need to fire up all the generators. But, for long range cruises where the ship needs to make flank speed in order to keep their schedule (and with very little margin for error), my bet is that they need to fire up all generators to produce enough power to turn the screws at maximum RPM.

[Linda&Vern]

[quote name='Operator']Thanks for the kind words. I am of two minds on the issue - I refuse to let HAL's inability to meet it's commitment to me ruin my vacation (and make no mistake - legalese or none - it is a commitment; if your Boston to LA flight drops you in Phoenix, you are owed more than an apology), yet I feel strongly that anyone with a drop of responsibility or care for anything other than the bottom line would do everything possible to make it right - up to and including recompense for missed portions of the trip. I will assume the best, and hope that HAL has the good sense to make amends with us, assuring our future business, rather than sacrifice us on the altar of quarterly profits, assuming there are unlimited additional cattle to fill the pipeline. Sorry for waxing poetic, but I feel strongly that simply saying "hey, sorry we blew off a high point of your trip - too bad" is not enough. "Further bulletins as event warrant"-Operator[/QUOTE]
Why not wait and see what happens before you assume anything about recompense for your missed port? You don't know what note might be slipped under your cabin door at any given time. I feel your pain - I really do. If you have read my lengthy post of earlier today you know we went thru this in December. When I got that first call from my TA, I thought my heart was going to sink into my toes. We had looked forward to our first cruise for so long. After about 5 minutes of extreme sadness I said to myself "I am not going to let this glitch take the fun and excitement out of our big adventure." And honestly, I never thought about it again. When the second call came it made me even more determined that nothing was going to spoil our trip. And that is exactly what happened. The missed HMC was a disappointment sure - but laying in a lounge chair on the ship's deck sleeping in the sunshine for the afternoon pretty much compensated me for that disappointment! Smile, be happy, and have a great time! Please write when you return and let us know the details of YOUR cruise. :o

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]Rev-We lost one of the generators on Statendam in February enroute Hawaii and they were able to repair it while at sea. We did miss the stop in Hilo due to the slow progress of the ship and weather. Now, if they could just fix those darn muffler bearings....[/QUOTE]

The crossing from San Diego to Hawaii is a tightly scheduled one ... they have to push the Statendam pretty much at flank speed, with very little margin for error, during that crossing. Anything less than an average 18-20 knots and they fall behind schedule ... same thing if they have to depart must more than a couple hours late or if they have a medical emergency in route that requires the to slow down for a mid-ocean med-evac. The loss of a generator -- even for a short period of time -- means that they can't spin those screws fast enough to attain the minimum speed needed to keep schedule.

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]Engines aboard Maasdam and every other Dam ship are running 24/7 to provide you with AC, hot & cold fresh water, lights, food preparation and storage, garbage incineration and storage, sewerage treatment, working elevators, etc. - not to mention the power to push the ship around a bunch of islands week in and week out. At least 2 out of 5 of those puppies are running all day long, every single day of every single week of every single year![/QUOTE]

Indeed! I'm told they have generators running for internal power even while they're in wet and dry-dock!

[blossom]

First of all, my husband and I would like to thank Sue & Andy for their continuous updates about the Maasdam problems. I'm sure everyone planning on embarking on Sunday feel the same way.

My travel agent received 2 messages on her machine today a few minutes apart. The first one was from me asking about the Maasdam trouble. The second one was from HAL's front office informing her of the problems. She could not believe that we knew about the problems beforehand. She did call HAL and was told the same as what has been reported here on CC. I asked her to check with HAL again on Saturday and inform me as we are driving down from NY.

My husband and I are confused about the whole situation. He works with large generators and knows that there are companies that do rent and lease them. In a port such as Norfolk, we're sure that there are probably several companies that could easily have this type of portable diesel generator delivered and loaded onto the Maasdam in only a few hours. Experienced engineers would have no trouble "rigging" this up.

We are in agreement with "Operator" about losing out on HMC. If it were up to my husband, he would prefer to skip San Juan instead. It has been a cold snowy winter here and we were so looking forward to the beautiful beach and waters of HMC. We are hopeful that HAL will come through in the end.

Until Sunday,

Blossom

[ExpCruiser]

Hi Operator

Some quick thoughts, HMC isn't that great a place IMO so if you will miss something, this would be the best place to miss. Maybe this will give you more time in St. Thomas or another island that doesn't line the HAL pockets! The engines were running VERY ROUGH in January so I guess one finally gave out.

Don't waste your time getting your angst up with the HAL lovers on this site, you'll have an ulcer by the time you get on the ship. (And now you can watch the floodgates of reactions to this posting and pass their anger on to me!) :D My posting after the January cruise had everyone throwing fits at my (very honest) dismissal of the Maasdam cruise I experienced . . . mediocre at best.

We wished we could have spent some time in Norfolk it looked like a great place. Check out the previous poster who indicated that city tours were offered at no cost.

[stanford's girl]

[quote name='Operator']"Maasdam will be late to Norfolk and boarding will begin around 6 or 7 pm. Half Moon Cay will be skipped in order to make the next port on time. There may or may not be any consideration made to the passengers for this change."

Well, forgive me for being blunt, but that sucks.

We had booked a cabana on HMC and were planning on spending a delightful beach day there (one of the alleged highlights of our trip), and now find ourselves at the mercy of HAL management. The last overture I heard from customer service was "the captain may offer a complimentary glass of wine". Wow! We miss 10 percent of our several-thousand-dollar trip (we are in an A class verandah suite) and we get a $5 pp credit? That makes it even.

Actually, it does not.

I understand the concept of an itinerary change, but do not believe that missing most of a day on-ship (Sunday) and omitting a port (HMC) falls under it's umbrella. I find HAL's dodging of responsibility in this case unexcusable. I know that mechanical problems are uncontrollable, but fairness and recompense to passengers are not. Bad form.

-Operator[/QUOTE]
[font=Arial Black][size=3][/size][/font]
[font=Arial Black][size=3]Operator, I feel your pain. 10 years ago on the Carnival Elation to Mexico, we spent 5 days at sea trying to outrun Hurricane Rosa. We missed 2 out of 3 ports. 1/2 the crew became ill which severely affected service. There was too many problems with the cruise to list them all here. We were not reimbursed the port charges for the ports we missed and were not compensated anything for all of the inconvenience we went through. It would have been nice to have been offered a free glass of wine. We understood that the hurricane was beyond their control. Did we feel that they could have at least done something to try and make a bad situation better? YES! Were we disappointed and mad? YES! Did we let it spoil our cruise? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Sometimes s*** happens and you just have to play the hand your dealt. Please try to not let it affect your cruise. You can still have a great time.:) [/size][/font]

[Operator]

Excellent points all.

I should not assume anything until I see what actually transpires onboard, and I will report back objectively with my opinion on HAL's response to any problem(s). HAL Customer service (an obvious misnomer) has put a bad taste in my mouth, but I will look past it and hope for the best onboard.

As I have spent considerable time on many of the Caribbean islands (St. Thomas, St. Maarten (both sides), St. John, Anguilla, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico), I was looking forward to seeing HMC - I can accept that this may be nothing more than a HAL revenue opportunity, and will dismiss its omission as such.

I thank you all for your insight and insider information - at least I know what to expect. Next post from the ship or on return!

-Operator

[LizB1]

[quote name='Aussie Gal']I agree with both Liz and Ruth. We are booked on the [b]Transatlantic cruise[/b] as well and I certainly do not want an engine out whilst we are crossing that huge and unforgiveable ocean. Our payment is due within a couple of weeks and hopefully [b]HAL[/b] will do something about the engine or engines before we leave Boston on the [b]16th July[/b].

We are coming half way across the world for this cruise and I don't want to be on a ship that is not up to a Transatlantic voyage. [b][i]HAL PLEASE TAKE NOTE![/i][/b]

Jennie[/QUOTE]

Thanks Jennie for your thoughts too. Again, I will say I think HAL should have the Maasdam in either wet or drydock to fix her mechanical problems before the long cruise across the No. Atlantic where the Rotterdam has had very large seas the last two summers.

The logical timing for repairs would be to cancel the last Norfolk/Caribbean cruise before she transits to Boston and keep her in Norfolk for the needed repairs. Norfolk was where all the old HAL ships were drydocked so I am sure this could be arranged and parts available by early May.

To me this is not a matter of inconvenience as noted by Sail, but rather a priority for safety at sea in 46' seas. Missing a few ports can happen anytime (has happened to us) because of rough seas alone, but it helps to be running under full power when you are in the midst of such seas.

[rocks]

Hi!
How about if they cancel the first New England (5/12) cruise that starts from Norfolk - since I'm booked on that last Caribbean trip!
I don't know anything about ship engines, but don't you think they can get this fixed before/during this next cruise? Didn't this happen a few months ago..or was that another problem? When/how did they fix that?
I also would like to thank Su&Andy for taking the time to report from the ship! That was SO nice! Hope they don't have any major problems getting home.
Hope all goes well for EVERYONE scheduled to sail on the Maasdam!
rocks

[beachjeweler]

Thanks for the realistic info. And to make those who feel the weather is HAL's fault, let me tell you that we have been having quite a North East storm from my vantage point on the outer edge of the Carolina coast. This will make the ride to Norfolk a little bumpy, y'all.
That's the thing about going to sea. Stuff breaks and then there's the weather. Isn't that why we go on cruises instead of drive to hotels?