Star Azipod News and progress

[DaveS32]

Good question ...most probably singapore

 

 

Pilot is alongside now

It would need to get to Singapore first! They'll have to do repairs in Melbourne. I just can't see all this going well for forthcoming cruises on the Star.

[Son of a son of a ...]

SP1 a rescue boat appears to be heading toward them.

 

Maybe the Captain of the Star has had a nervous breakdown. :D

 

Pilot, no?

[VK3DQ]

Pilot, no?

 

They took a pilot onboard a little while ago .. rescue boat is delivering emergency boozzee supplies for Suite's class passengers

 

:)

[karoo]

It would need to get to Singapore first! They'll have to do repairs in Melbourne. I just can't see all this going well for forthcoming cruises on the Star.

 

 

I'm working on the assumption at this stage I won't be going next weekend, unless it leaves from Melbourne.

[internetwhiz]

 

Wow, that is a tiny place to go through with tugs, isn't it?

[karoo]

They took a pilot onboard a little while ago .. rescue boat is delivering emergency boozzee supplies for Suite's class passengers

 

 

 

:)

 

 

Ha! Ha! Gotta keep the passengers happy.

 

 

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[karoo]

 

Wow, that is a tiny place to go through with tugs, isn't it?

 

 

Yep- even as a kid we grew up fearing that stretch of water. And for anyone traveling on the Princess of Tasmania that was the place to get the barf bags out!

 

 

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

Wow, that is a tiny place to go through with tugs, isn't it?

 

Its a doozie!!!!

The volume and force of water rushing through there is amazing, and then once in the Bay the navigable channel is fairly narrow .

They have their work cut out .

[yatchet]

 

Wow, that is a tiny place to go through with tugs, isn't it?

Yes. even worse than it looks as they have to navigate a very narrow channel.

[VK3DQ]

 

Wow, that is a tiny place to go through with tugs, isn't it?

 

And you have a very narrow channel and need to make a hard turn to the right just after you go through the heads and then later a sharp left turn at Dromana ..its not a simple entrance and of course in the middle is Corsair Rock ... all good fun:o

[VK3DQ]

Yep- even as a kid we grew up fearing that stretch of water. And for anyone traveling on the Princess of Tasmania that was the place to get the barf bags out!

 

 

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Ah yes the POT I remember her very well ... chips for breakfast in Devonport

[Kiwi Kruzer]

There are few sharp turns to negotiate...

 

[By The Bay]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-11/broken-down-cruise-ship-norwegian-star-had-earlier-fault/8262386 is reporting: "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said a representative from Melbourne's port would board the ship when it reached the Port Phillip Bay heads, which was expected to happen early this afternoon."

[VK3DQ]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-11/broken-down-cruise-ship-norwegian-star-had-earlier-fault/8262386 is reporting: "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said a representative from Melbourne's port would board the ship when it reached the Port Phillip Bay heads, which was expected to happen early this afternoon."

 

I would guess that the ship has been flagged for a port state inspection on arrival

 

:p

 

Regards

 

John

[Loonbeam]

Exactly. As much as it sucks for people planning upcoming trips, until they get the ship in dock and an engineering team on board (which I am certain is standing by) they are not going to make final decisions on itinerary changes. They can make guesses as to what is likely, but nothing formal will be decided until they inspect the ship or they have updated information that is definitive. If nothing else, their reinsurer if they have one will insist on this (one thing to note is that compensation paid to passengers in events like this are often insured).

 

Related to other posts:

 

Secondly, and lets be clear about this, there was no possible way that any Captain would knowingly take an unsafe ship out of port (see Concordia, Costa) at risk of license loss and criminal charges. You can make the case that they may not have expected to make the planned itinerary, but I am 100 percent sure there was no expectation of failure of both propulsion units (and according to an engineer on another line on a podded ship, the ship can operate safely except in extreme conditions on one pod operating at 75 percent. I would assume the same margin or similar for this class.) The itinerary changes are a legal matter, not a safety one - it's perfectly fair to criticize NCL for possibly putting on a trip they knew they may not be able to fulfill.

 

That does not mean that the situation did not provide risk to the ship, for example if a storm hit. I am certain that local authorities would have taken additional steps in that scenario (and it would not surprise me if Australian Naval ships were quietly en route when the situation first occurred).

 

Thirdly, any compensation for any other than those on board will probably not be decided until the steps in part 1 are taken. Depending on how you booked your cruise, your TA may get any notifications and TAs who did group bookings may already be offering their own compensation packages with approval from NCL. Thus, different people will see different things at different times and not everyone may see the same offer. What country the cruise was booked from will make a difference as well, rules are different.

 

Fourth, absent a formal report by a Maritime Safety Investigation or information disclosed in court proceedigns, no one on this board is likely to know exactly what went wrong, how it related to earlier failures, etc.

 

With all of that said, its clear that NCL could have handled this better from a PR/Customer Relations standpoint. I still cannot understand how it seems every cruise line does not have a Crisis Response operational center and have plans for just this scenario. It's not actually that hard...

 

 

 

NCL is probably dealing with the current cruise. They probably can't make any decisions on the following cruises until they assess this situation and what has to happen to fix it etc. The itineraries for the Asia/Australia/NZ cruises make it tricky as each one is not a round trip. It requires the Star to get to a final destination by a due date. I'm on the 18th Feb cruise, which I now believe will not arrive/depart Auckland as scheduled. I'm not expecting to hear anything until they have assessed the situation and come up with a definite plan.

Another problem is Miami office is probably closed as day here is night there.

[MicCanberra]

With all of that said, its clear that NCL could have handled this better from a PR/Customer Relations standpoint. I still cannot understand how it seems every cruise line does not have a Crisis Response operational center and have plans for just this scenario. It's not actually that hard...

 

Good summary and fine valid points. I totally agree that NCL have bumbled along with their PR on this ongoing saga of disappointment and also with your point on having a response team or protocols in place that ensures these mistakes don't happen when issues arise.

[casofilia]

Good summary and fine valid points. I totally agree that NCL have bumbled along with their PR on this ongoing saga of disappointment and also with your point on having a response team or protocols in place that ensures these mistakes don't happen when issues arise.

 

Tell me a time when NCL didn't "bumble along" with any customer service!!

[By The Bay]

Currently being towed and escorted by 6 vessels, including Coast Guard.

[ChrisOz]

That's the Pacific Jewel off to port side in Port Phillip Bay. Don't forget to wave a cheery hello!

 

Also, I noticed the Lonsdale departing the scene. Job well done I guess. Perhaps that's a Coast Guard vessel also finished as well.

[pspercy]

I don't think it is dramatic at all,

That patch of water is notorious. I think the same could be said for a ship with out main engine power in the Bering strait, where the weather can turn very quickly from calm to catastrophic.

 

Agreed.

It was a long, long time ago but I vividly remember my time in the 'Bight and Bass Strait:eek::eek:

(On something about 50m LOA)

[wishfulone]

Tell me a time when NCL didn't "bumble along" with any customer service!!

Unfortunately NCL's entry into the Australian market is not going very well at all. Not just this ship but their whole enterprise. So sorry for all the folk aboard the Star and those with upcoming bookings on the relocation sailing to Europe (due to start in NZ at the completion of the current problem riddled cruise). Let's hope the enforced dry dock solves all the engine issues before she sets off again and those folks have a wonderful journey.

[VK3DQ]

Unfortunately NCL's entry into the Australian market is not going very well at all. Not just this ship but their whole enterprise. So sorry for all the folk aboard the Star and those with upcoming bookings on the relocation sailing to Europe (due to start in NZ at the completion of the current problem riddled cruise). Let's hope the enforced dry dock solves all the engine issues before she sets off again and those folks have a wonderful journey.

 

It may be that she will limp up to singapore if she is in need of dry dock facilities that we dont have here in Australia , but I suggest it would be suicide for the line to take cruise passengers until such time as the ship is well and truly fixed 100%

[aussie cruzer]

Unfortunately NCL's entry into the Australian market is not going very well at all. Not just this ship but their whole enterprise. So sorry for all the folk aboard the Star and those with upcoming bookings on the relocation sailing to Europe (due to start in NZ at the completion of the current problem riddled cruise). Let's hope the enforced dry dock solves all the engine issues before she sets off again and those folks have a wonderful journey.

The Star is not going into drydock at the moment.....all we know is parts have been ordered and are on there way.

 

Do people read past posts ,the nearest drydock is in Sydney.

 

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[MicCanberra]

It may be that she will limp up to singapore if she is in need of dry dock facilities that we dont have here in Australia , but I suggest it would be suicide for the line to take cruise passengers until such time as the ship is well and truly fixed 100%

 

Agreed, but then they may offer a cheap cruise back on the limping ship and some people may grab it..

[Flying is for Planes]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/victoria/norwegian-star-cruise-ship-towed-to-melbourne-for-repairs-20170210-gualy3.html

 

Explosive footage has emerged of passengers aboard a disabled cruise ship being towed to Melbourne, chanting, "we want answers".

 

A man on the Norwegian Star can be heard yelling, "what do we want?" before a large crowd responds with, "answers".