Auckland not ready for mega ships..

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Ovation of the Seas will have to moor in Auckland Harbour this season and tender pax ashore. A mooring dolphin is planned and was to be ready for the followinng 2017/18 season , but it appears that there may be a hold up..

 

 

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/315807/no-way-to-walkway

[CruiserBruce]

UGH. The Oasis class ships have been very hesitant to do any tendering, due to the shear number of pax to get off.

[Beanb41]

Sydney has a Dolphin off the end of the OPT wharf which is only accessible by boat. This Dolphin is for the larger ships now visiting our ports. Can see no logical reason why the gangway is needed for Auckland. Singapore has a gangway out to its Dolphins but they probably have more than half a dozen cruise ships a year tying up

Edited November 25, 2016 by Beanb41

[MicCanberra]

A shame that the passengers will need to tender for Auckland, hope they can get it sorted for the next season.

[Beanb41]

A shame that the passengers will need to tender for Auckland, hope they can get it sorted for the next season.

 

This issue is probably a slip up when someone looked at the length of the new ships. Trying to recall if the Solstice pokes off the end of Princes wharf and how the stern is tied up. Thinking it would be the next longest ship

[GUT2407]

Yuck.

 

Tendering is, in my opinion, one of the major problems with any big ship.

 

When we had only tendered on ships of under 1,000, we couldn't understand why people disliked tender ports.

 

We do now.

[erniebernie]

Hi besides a marine mammal what is a dolphin? Thanx

[GUT2407]

Hi besides a marine mammal what is a dolphin? Thanx

 

You've seen the bollards attached to the dock, that they tie the ship to.

 

Well a dolphin is a sort of free standing one, anchored by concrete to the sea floor, it's used when a ship is too big for the dock, so the ship can be safely tied.

 

The problem is two fold, one they need to be well secured to the harbour bottom, which normally means drilling metres down and two because they are freestanding they either need a walkway to access them or a boat.

[Hazydavo]

Wow, not good for 4500 or so passengers and not good for Auckland if say :eek:

[OzKiwiJJ]

This issue is probably a slip up when someone looked at the length of the new ships. Trying to recall if the Solstice pokes off the end of Princes wharf and how the stern is tied up. Thinking it would be the next longest ship

 

Solstice was docked stern in to Princes Wharf when we cruised on her last Christmas. I don't think the bow poked out past the Hilton but I must admit I didn't really take that much notice.

 

The QM2 is longer than Solstice and I believe she had to berth at Jellicoe Wharf.

[mrs and mrs]

So I'm in a fairly intelligent mode.

DOLPHIN MOORING. Allowing a ship to be moored at a dock, whilst not having the dock extend along the length of the ship.(example below).

 

Shouldn't be to much problem, as even if half the ship is dock-side, passengers will be able to access the dock.

 

Heres the kicker, ill bet dollars to doughnuts that the KIWIS, either do this quickly or say by next season.

 

Meanwhile in Orstraya, we would still be talking about it in 5 years.

 

Dolphin dock is no concern of passengers, just the people who complete the task of completing the docking procedure.

 

A ramp leading to the dolphin alleviates this.

 

Oh my goodness heres a pic of one being lowered to a dolphin dock, allowing personal to access the dolphin, now who would have thought.

 

Doughnuts I love.:):)

[gbenjo]

Photo of the Dolphin Mooring at the OPT built to accomodate the Ovation, as was the the extra sixty metres tacked on to the existing wharf Cannot see why they would need to build a walkway over to the mooring

 

Photo courtesy of tazza0712

Edited November 26, 2016 by gbenjo

[gbenjo]

This issue is probably a slip up when someone looked at the length of the new ships. Trying to recall if the Solstice pokes off the end of Princes wharf and how the stern is tied up. Thinking it would be the next longest ship

 

WHen we stopped at Auckland on the Solstice she tied up stern first ( Mooning the city :D:D)

[MicCanberra]

I have never seen so many dolphins in either the harbour.;)

[mrs and mrs]

Keeping away from fishing nets I'm figuring, I don't want no dolphin in my Tuna Can.Happy.;)

[The_Big_M]

Meanwhile in Orstraya, we would still be talking about it in 5 years.

 

Actually, ours was done in about a year. :D

[OzKiwiJJ]

Actually, ours was done in about a year. :D

 

Yeah, but how long were they talking about it before they started the work. :D

[CruiseCriticAUeditor]

This was a big headache for Royal Caribbean 18 months ago when Auckland was supposed to extend its wharf but then ditched the idea very late in the game. Here's what we wrote back then. It will be interesting to see how it works logistically.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/news.cfm?ID=6339

[FLACRUISER99]

UGH. The Oasis class ships have been very hesitant to do any tendering, due to the shear number of pax to get off.

Ovation is not an Oasis class ship, It's a Quantum class!

 

Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk

[MicCanberra]

This was a big headache for Royal Caribbean 18 months ago when Auckland was supposed to extend its wharf but then ditched the idea very late in the game. Here's what we wrote back then. It will be interesting to see how it works logistically.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/news.cfm?ID=6339

 

Thanks for the reminder, sounds like nothing has been resolved as yet.

[Duck Creek]

Solstice was docked stern in to Princes Wharf when we cruised on her last Christmas. I don't think the bow poked out past the Hilton but I must admit I didn't really take that much notice.

 

The QM2 is longer than Solstice and I believe she had to berth at Jellicoe Wharf.

 

Was on the QM2 March 2015 and yes we overnighted at Jellicoe wharf. They had to bus us to Shed 10 as we were in the very busy container area and it is a secure area.

Can see them argreeing to this for one off liners like QM2, but not for ones that want to come on a regular basis.

 

The ships dock in such a great place, it would be a shame if they can't work it out.

I wouldn't want to be tendering in Auckland.

[MicCanberra]

Was on the QM2 March 2015 and yes we overnighted at Jellicoe wharf. They had to bus us to Shed 10 as we were in the very busy container area and it is a secure area.

Can see them argreeing to this for one off liners like QM2, but not for ones that want to come on a regular basis.

 

The ships dock in such a great place, it would be a shame if they can't work it out.

I wouldn't want to be tendering in Auckland.

 

I agree, I think tendering would be disagreeable for both passengers and crew.