Propulsion Problems Slow Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship; Repairs Must Wait for Dry Dock

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Royal Caribbean News from Cruise Critic:

 

Propulsion Problems Slow Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship; Repairs Must Wait for Dry Dock

[CRUISEFAN0001]

A shame that some folks will have their excursions messed up...but the new destinations are at least nice as well...so not a total cruise disaster.

 

Adventure of the Seas is a really nice ship...but it looks like she needs some repair care...so the timing of the refurbish dry dock in 11 days comes at a lucky time.

[cruiserdudebobby8]

is her drydock in freeport?

[stepaway]

My parents are on this ship - doing week 1 of a back to back. As a result they are basically going to do an almost identical second week rather than having different ports in each week.

 

How do you think they should approach this? Raise it now or when at home? We've always accepted changes due to weather but this is slightly different and suggestions that cruisers are unaffected is untrue for those few on back to back.

 

Any advice appreciated

[LLWS_Uncle_Rick]

I thing it effects everyone who will be taking the cruise. If you booked the cruise and made excursion plans for ports A, B and C but the ship is not going to those ports now you are effected. I think your parents should talk to the on board business office now.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

I thing it effects everyone who will be taking the cruise. If you booked the cruise and made excursion plans for ports A, B and C but the ship is not going to those ports now you are effected. I think your parents should talk to the on board business office now.

Agree....talk to the RCI folks onboard now when its fresh in their minds and actively affecting their cruise.

[littlesteelo]

I would imagine the ship is being slowed down not by the lack of pod operation, but to avoid any more damage to the pod itself. Seeing as the dry dock is only 10 days away, they will likely not be removing the propeller blades from the faulty pod. Travelling at a higher speed with the blades still attached but not moving can cause damage to the pod itself.

 

I think that this is the case due to the fact that Independence of the Seas went for nearly 2 years without her fixed pod working. They simply removed the propeller blades and carried on without it. It didn't affect the ships speed at all.

[chengkp75]

I would imagine the ship is being slowed down not by the lack of pod operation, but to avoid any more damage to the pod itself. Seeing as the dry dock is only 10 days away, they will likely not be removing the propeller blades from the faulty pod. Travelling at a higher speed with the blades still attached but not moving can cause damage to the pod itself.

 

I think that this is the case due to the fact that Independence of the Seas went for nearly 2 years without her fixed pod working. They simply removed the propeller blades and carried on without it. It didn't affect the ships speed at all.

 

If you look at the "Aos doa" thread, you'll see more discussion of the problem. The current cruise's itinerary was changed due to the overnight stay in St. Kitts, precluding the southern ports. Based on the next cruise's itinerary supplied by one kind poster there, I've figured that she can do the planned itinerary at 15 knots, with maybe an hour or so delay for weather, if required.

 

I agree with you (after learning that the blades are separate), that they won't remove them, but what they will do is to allow the pod to free-wheel as the Allure did for several weeks. Locking the pod from rotating would create tremendous drag, and a huge reduction in speed and increase in fuel consumption.

 

My guess, since Royal has stated the problem was an oil leak, is that the shaft seal which keeps the lubricating oil from the sea has failed, and the crew has pumped grease into the seal to slow down the loss of oil, reduced the head pressure on the oil system, and instituted a filtering/purifying regimen to account for the increased water taken into the pod by lowering the head pressure. The main object is to preserve the pod bearings while leaking the least amount of oil into the water.

 

But, as I've said, losing the pod reduces propulsion power by 1/3, but depending on the ship's itinerary, it depends on whether or not you need that last 1/3 of power.