Allure and propulsion problems.

[PAL_1]

Clearly many if not most of you think the changed port times are neglible. What do you people do in port, sit on a nearby beach and walk around knick knack shopping? The change required me to cancel a private charter to St John. Some of us have a limited appetite for mass-market tourism. To my family, it is a big deal.

 

But what really bothers me is RCL's weeks of denial. Passengers were only notified once aboard the ship, when it would be difficult to change independently arranged excursions. My TA's rep told her twice, weeks apart, that the issue had been repaired. This is disorganization or deliberately misleading.

 

A mechanical failure is on the ship operator. This isn't an act of nature or a medical emergency. The cruise contract that so many here love to swarmily mention might absolve RCL from compensation. It does nothing to improve my view. RCL's mega ships break down. When they do, tough luck. They certainly won't be quick to tell you about it.

 

My impression of RCL's customer service is decidedly negative before I've stepped aboard. They don't appear to respect their customers. They have my money this time. Earning my repeat business won't be easy.

[Lionesss]

I am just glad that they are finally going to deal with the problem, before something else could go wrong.

Sea Ya

[Tyron]

Clearly many if not most of you think the changed port times are neglible. What do you people do in port, sit on a nearby beach and walk around knick knack shopping? The change required me to cancel a private charter to St John. Some of us have a limited appetite for mass-market tourism. To my family, it is a big deal.

 

But what really bothers me is RCL's weeks of denial. Passengers were only notified once aboard the ship, when it would be difficult to change independently arranged excursions. My TA's rep told her twice, weeks apart, that the issue had been repaired. This is disorganization or deliberately misleading.

 

A mechanical failure is on the ship operator. This isn't an act of nature or a medical emergency. The cruise contract that so many here love to swarmily mention might absolve RCL from compensation. It does nothing to improve my view. RCL's mega ships break down. When they do, tough luck. They certainly won't be quick to tell you about it.

 

My impression of RCL's customer service is decidedly negative before I've stepped aboard. They don't appear to respect their customers. They have my money this time. Earning my repeat business won't be easy.

 

I hope despite this issue you and your family are still able to enjoy your cruise.

[Tyron]

I am just glad that they are finally going to deal with the problem, before something else could go wrong.

 

Sea Ya

 

I agree. :) I think they were challenged with trying to find a viable option other than taking the ship out of service. In either case, I think they should've notified passengers when they first learned of the decrease in speed and it's affect on port visits. :cool::)

[bilyclub]

I agree. :) I think they were challenged with trying to find a viable option other than taking the ship out of service. In either case, I think they should've notified passengers when they first learned of the decrease in speed and it's affect on port visits. :cool::)

 

 

Yes, the consensus here was Royal knew that the Eastern route times would be changed and that change would be in effect until the azipod was repaired. The failure to notify passengers until they boarded was a big business hiding behind a contract, instead of doing the right thing.

[cruiserdudebobby8]

im happy that shes getting fixed in February and not waiting till a scheduled dry dock.

[PAL_1]

I hope despite this issue you and your family are still able to enjoy your cruise.

 

Thanks! Of course we will. It helps a lot that I didn't wait on RCL to come clean. Had I only learned when boarding the ship, it would have put a damper on the first day or two and likely cost me money and precious vacation time.

[reedl]

just a little ego showing...WOW

 

No ego, just that when I make a statement it is always backed up with facts, unlike many people here who seem to post based on conjecture and rumors.

[reedl]

Fact? Or just a lucky guess? :D

 

As I have said in other posts. When I get on a ship, I do something novel to gain information. I talk with people who know what the heck they are talking about. The information about the bearing issue came from someone I had a nice casual lunch with who told me all about the issue, and the steps they attempted to fix it.

 

It was not a guess at all!

 

I do not guess at anything. I either know, or say I do not know.

Edited November 16, 2013 by reedl

[bilyclub]

As I have said in other posts. When I get on a ship, I do something novel to gain information. I talk with people who know what the heck they are talking about. The information about the bearing issue came from someone I had a nice casual lunch with who told me all about the issue, and the steps they attempted to fix it.

 

It was not a guess at all!

 

I do not guess at anything. I either know, or say I do not know.

 

 

So how are they going to fix it ?

[sweetpee_1993]

Clearly many if not most of you think the changed port times are neglible. What do you people do in port, sit on a nearby beach and walk around knick knack shopping? The change required me to cancel a private charter to St John. Some of us have a limited appetite for mass-market tourism. To my family, it is a big deal.

 

But what really bothers me is RCL's weeks of denial. Passengers were only notified once aboard the ship, when it would be difficult to change independently arranged excursions. My TA's rep told her twice, weeks apart, that the issue had been repaired. This is disorganization or deliberately misleading.

 

A mechanical failure is on the ship operator. This isn't an act of nature or a medical emergency. The cruise contract that so many here love to swarmily mention might absolve RCL from compensation. It does nothing to improve my view. RCL's mega ships break down. When they do, tough luck. They certainly won't be quick to tell you about it.

 

My impression of RCL's customer service is decidedly negative before I've stepped aboard. They don't appear to respect their customers. They have my money this time. Earning my repeat business won't be easy.

 

This is exactly where we are. This is our first RCI experience. It's not been as wonderful as we'd hoped and I do feel as if we're starting out from a place of distrust. BUT, I am determined to find the good stuff and enjoy even if my port plans won't be what we truly wanted and originally planned. We'll visit these places again. Whether or not that will be with RCI remains to be seen. :)

[Ocean Boy]

Clearly many if not most of you think the changed port times are neglible. What do you people do in port, sit on a nearby beach and walk around knick knack shopping? The change required me to cancel a private charter to St John. Some of us have a limited appetite for mass-market tourism. To my family, it is a big deal.

 

But what really bothers me is RCL's weeks of denial. Passengers were only notified once aboard the ship, when it would be difficult to change independently arranged excursions. My TA's rep told her twice, weeks apart, that the issue had been repaired. This is disorganization or deliberately misleading.

 

A mechanical failure is on the ship operator. This isn't an act of nature or a medical emergency. The cruise contract that so many here love to swarmily mention might absolve RCL from compensation. It does nothing to improve my view. RCL's mega ships break down. When they do, tough luck. They certainly won't be quick to tell you about it.

 

My impression of RCL's customer service is decidedly negative before I've stepped aboard. They don't appear to respect their customers. They have my money this time. Earning my repeat business won't be easy.

 

I would not disagree with anything that you had to say. All I would say is keep an open mind about your cruise and don't let this pre-cruise stuff cloud your vision and keep you from having a good time. Judge RCI on the product that they deliver to you and your family. There is a reason that many of us come back to RCI for multiple cruises. We love the product. And plenty of us who love cruising with RCI are far from blind about how corporate has handled issues that have come up from time to time.

[Tyron]

I do hope you all have a fantastic time on your cruises. :cool::)

[bilyclub]

I would not disagree with anything that you had to say. All I would say is keep an open mind about your cruise and don't let this pre-cruise stuff cloud your vision and keep you from having a good time. Judge RCI on the product that they deliver to you and your family. There is a reason that many of us come back to RCI for multiple cruises. We love the product. And plenty of us who love cruising with RCI are far from blind about how corporate has handled issues that have come up from time to time.

 

Agreed, we cruise in spite of Royal's management. Getting kicked out of the CL was a major blow, but not a knockout.

[xxHadleyxx]

Clearly many if not most of you think the changed port times are neglible. What do you people do in port, sit on a nearby beach and walk around knick knack shopping? The change required me to cancel a private charter to St John. Some of us have a limited appetite for mass-market tourism. To my family, it is a big deal.

 

But what really bothers me is RCL's weeks of denial. Passengers were only notified once aboard the ship, when it would be difficult to change independently arranged excursions. My TA's rep told her twice, weeks apart, that the issue had been repaired. This is disorganization or deliberately misleading.

 

A mechanical failure is on the ship operator. This isn't an act of nature or a medical emergency. The cruise contract that so many here love to swarmily mention might absolve RCL from compensation. It does nothing to improve my view. RCL's mega ships break down. When they do, tough luck. They certainly won't be quick to tell you about it.

 

My impression of RCL's customer service is decidedly negative before I've stepped aboard. They don't appear to respect their customers. They have my money this time. Earning my repeat business won't be easy.

 

On every line we have sailed we have had ports replaced, or port times altered (Disney, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival and RCI)--this is common in the industry. If a one hour two hour change is going to upset you this much, I think you may want to consider that cruising is not the right type of vacation for you.

[reedl]

So how are they going to fix it ?

 

That alas I do not know since I am not going to be on a ship for a while.

[hellsop]

So how are they going to fix it ?

 

Drydock, next year.

[ButterBeanMcGee]

I would not disagree with anything that you had to say. All I would say is keep an open mind about your cruise and don't let this pre-cruise stuff cloud your vision and keep you from having a good time. Judge RCI on the product that they deliver to you and your family. There is a reason that many of us come back to RCI for multiple cruises. We love the product. And plenty of us who love cruising with RCI are far from blind about how corporate has handled issues that have come up from time to time.

 

 

Well said!

[bilyclub]

Drydock, next year.

 

 

That is the very questionable, since the dry docks currently at Grand Bahama Shipyard are not long enough are capable of lifting Allure.

[sweetpee_1993]

On every line we have sailed we have had ports replaced, or port times altered (Disney, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival and RCI)--this is common in the industry. If a one hour two hour change is going to upset you this much, I think you may want to consider that cruising is not the right type of vacation for you.

 

I think the poster's point wasn't so much that the port times are altered/shortened, it's the way it was handled (ie. lack of communication, misinformation, denial of the issue, etc).

[bilyclub]

If anybody hears any details how Royal is going to repair the azipod, please post.

[chengkp75]

If anybody hears any details how Royal is going to repair the azipod, please post.

 

What exactly are you looking for? I've looked up some specs for Allure, and she measures 329 meters between perpendiculars (close, but not exactly the same thing as, the waterline length). So we are down to 29 meters longer than the dock for the blockable length (that area of the bottom that is supported by the drydock blocks). And since the area where the pods are attached is above the base line (keel), there would generally not be any blocking in this area. Not sure how long this area is, but it wouldn't surprise me to see her put in the dock with the entire pod area hanging over the end of the dock (pretty tricky ballasting job for the dock master). The pods would then be accessed by mooring deck barges under them, and working from the barges. Makes the whole job a lot more difficult, as the barges are floating separately from the drydock, and this introduces relative motion between them while trying to move things with a crane on the barge.

 

The actual repair of the pod is pretty straight forward. If you see the show on Travel channel or Destination channel, I think it was, of the building of the Oasis, you will see how they dismantled the pod there.

[jcl410]

What exactly are you looking for? I've looked up some specs for Allure, and she measures 329 meters between perpendiculars. ...

 

Chief -

 

I found a blog from 2009 by Richard Fain that lists Oasis' Lightweight tonnage as 88,600 lwt, and the deadweight tonnage as (17,000 dwt). I'm assuming that the Allure's number is about the same...

 

The Grand Bahama Shipyard website lists the lifting capacity as 82,500 tons...

 

Are they using the same types of "tons" for the weight of the ship and the lifting capacity of the floating drydock? Because then, the ship would be too heavy.. even if they empty all the fuel tanks out

 

Aloha,

 

John

 

ps: here's the website that lists the weights for the Oasis:

 

http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/chairmans-blog/?p=321

[Ocean Boy]

If anybody hears any details how Royal is going to repair the azipod, please post.

 

Lets just hope that the scenario has not been engineered by RCI's IT department!:eek:;)

[mjldvlks]

. . . The actual repair of the pod is pretty straight forward. If you see the show on Travel channel or Destination channel, I think it was, of the building of the Oasis, you will see how they dismantled the pod there.

The show about Freedom where the bearing had to be replaced in Hamburg enroute to dellivery is going to be aired on Destination on the 27th at 6 am Easterm. I assume the repairs will be similar.