Epic Interrupted

[croix153]

2 minutes ago, happylittlefamily said:

So has anything officially been determined as the cause of engine issues?  Is it likely she will be able to manage her port to Cozumel on the 3/2/19 cruise?  

No official word yet. 

[Kev_of_Ar]

2 minutes ago, happylittlefamily said:

So has anything officially been determined as the cause of engine issues?  Is it likely she will be able to manage her port to Cozumel on the 3/2/19 cruise?  

I am on her next week to the Virgin islands and GSC and everything I have heard <except on this thread> tells me all is good for next week so you should be fine 

[happylittlefamily]

I think I will wait a few more days to book a Cozumel excursion, just in case.  I swear, this has been the most stressful vacation I've ever planned.  Kicking myself dearly for not taking trip insurance, but figured since it was within 45 days when booking, it wouldn't be necessary.  My mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks ago and is set to start radiation in 2 weeks (while we are on the cruise.)  Now the ship is limp and there is talk of the ship being dirty and sickness going around.  I feel we rushed into booking (travel agent said this was our only real option for our dates) and I'm just not super excited about it.  Here's hoping all the bumps are the devil's way of trying to prevent us from experiencing the best vacation ever!  I definitely learned to never book again without getting the insurance!!

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, BoDidly said:

This is along my lines of thinking as well. But we know something is amiss with the Epic as she is being ported with the use of tugs ?

Sorry if the reasoning was explained earlier in this thread , it's just gotten to long to read every post. 

Yes, as discussed earlier, one of the propeller shafts appears to be inoperative.  An onboard report stated there was an "explosion" sound and vibration, which I feel leads to an explosion of one or more of the power rectifiers that convert the electricity to power the propulsion motors.  When a ship experiences something that reduces the redundancy of steering or the ability to maneuver, certain ports, notably all US ports, via the USCG Captain of the Port, will require tug escorts all the way from the sea buoy to the dock and back.  Also, if the company's ISM (International Safety Management) code requires use of tugs when there is a propulsion/steering failure, they will be used in all ports.  Finally, if the Captain or pilot, feel that they need the additional assistance in docking, they will use the tugs.

 

As stated above, Caribbean Princess has been running with only half power on one propulsion motor/propeller for almost two years now, because a motor winding has blown out (each propulsion motor/propeller has two windings, each providing half the total power), and this requires cutting a large hole in the side of the ship to remove the motor.  It will be addressed at the upcoming drydock.

[SeaTheW0rld]

16 hours ago, Mike_DeA said:

 

He provided pics of a his cabin which certainly showed some issues.  But to extrapolate that to the whole ship being dirty?  Quite a stretch.  I merely suggested his not "seeing" cleaning going on about the ship does not mean it wasn't happening.  I'm usually up very late on cruises (3-5am) and always see cleaning happening at that time of day.

Pics or it didn't happen.  I was out and about at those hours, too.  Maybe we passed each other.

 

Every morning at 545am I made my way from deck 8 (all the way forward) to the gym.  I usually did that on deck 7 all the way to the aft elevators and up to the gym on 14. Rarey saw another person (nice) and certainly nobody cleaning. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by SeaTheW0rld
.

[Kev_of_Ar]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Yes, as discussed earlier, one of the propeller shafts appears to be inoperative.  An onboard report stated there was an "explosion" sound and vibration, which I feel leads to an explosion of one or more of the power rectifiers that convert the electricity to power the propulsion motors.  When a ship experiences something that reduces the redundancy of steering or the ability to maneuver, certain ports, notably all US ports, via the USCG Captain of the Port, will require tug escorts all the way from the sea buoy to the dock and back.  Also, if the company's ISM (International Safety Management) code requires use of tugs when there is a propulsion/steering failure, they will be used in all ports.  Finally, if the Captain or pilot, feel that they need the additional assistance in docking, they will use the tugs.

 

As stated above, Caribbean Princess has been running with only half power on one propulsion motor/propeller for almost two years now, because a motor winding has blown out (each propulsion motor/propeller has two windings, each providing half the total power), and this requires cutting a large hole in the side of the ship to remove the motor.  It will be addressed at the upcoming drydock.

I have been waiting for you to answer as I have been reading this thread for weeks and everything you have said has been proven out over and over over time.  You sir seem to know your stuff.

 

So please I think the reason epic has not gone over 14Kn is that she doesn't need to and would get to ports way to fast and the cruise next week will be back to near normal and will go to the Virgin islands.  I really hope so as I am on her.  Or am I fooling myself with wishful thinking and we will be on a similar cruise as this week?

[By the Sea I’ll Be]

9 hours ago, croix153 said:

I'm pretty sure something is amiss. Tugs at every port, she hasn't exceeded 15 knots. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if all cruises get changed to bahamas cruises until she makes it back to the Mediterranean. Just doesn't have the speed to make Caribbean itineraries. 

 

Carnival did something similar with the liberty back in 2017. Rather than repair the ship, just repurposed for shorter bahamas cruises. 

I sure hope that if this is their plan they will let people know soon so we can make informed decisions about our upcoming cruises.

[croix153]

13 minutes ago, Kev_of_Ar said:

I have been waiting for you to answer as I have been reading this thread for weeks and everything you have said has been proven out over and over over time.  You sir seem to know your stuff.

 

So please I think the reason epic has not gone over 14Kn is that she doesn't need to and would get to ports way to fast and the cruise next week will be back to near normal and will go to the Virgin islands.  I really hope so as I am on her.  Or am I fooling myself with wishful thinking and we will be on a similar cruise as this week?

So the only answer is we won't know til Saturday. Norwegian has been very hush hush. 

[Kev_of_Ar]

8 minutes ago, By the Sea I’ll Be said:

I sure hope that if this is their plan they will let people know soon so we can make informed decisions about our upcoming cruises.

The thing I'm worried about is after last weeks problems NCL did not let the people hat are on her now know till late Fri afternoon

[By the Sea I’ll Be]

2 minutes ago, Kev_of_Ar said:

The thing I'm worried about is after last weeks problems NCL did not let the people hat are on her now know till late Fri afternoon

I’m not sailing till April, so hopefully I’ve got time to see how this is playing out and go from there. 

[ziggyuk]

 

We all know they have the t&c's tight so they are free to change port, cancel port and do virtually what they like.

 

However, I wonder how legal it is to keep tight lipped about problems, let people board and then change ports if you knew the itinerary was never possible.

 

I know it's a lot of speculation right now but if they do allow people to board without saying there is a problem and knowing there is a change of itinerary, I would consider this very dishonest.

[chengkp75]

30 minutes ago, Kev_of_Ar said:

I have been waiting for you to answer as I have been reading this thread for weeks and everything you have said has been proven out over and over over time.  You sir seem to know your stuff.

 

So please I think the reason epic has not gone over 14Kn is that she doesn't need to and would get to ports way to fast and the cruise next week will be back to near normal and will go to the Virgin islands.  I really hope so as I am on her.  Or am I fooling myself with wishful thinking and we will be on a similar cruise as this week?

I believe the presence of tugs indicates a problem with propulsion, and I think 14-15 knots with one shaft free-wheeling is about right.  I don't know the itinerary, but Cozumel has been mentioned, and that is about 42 hours away at 14 knots, and you will get a bit of boost coming back from the Yucatan current, so look at your itinerary and see if that 42 hours fits the itinerary.  The Virgins are about 1000 nm, so that would be almost 3 days at 14 knots.

[Sydneyb95]

1 hour ago, By the Sea I’ll Be said:

I sure hope that if this is their plan they will let people know soon so we can make informed decisions about our upcoming cruises.

You guys need to stop freaking out and wait till this Saturday to jump to conclusions. The reason why it has not went so fast is because it’s just going to Nassau if they went fast they would be arriving to early. I am sailing this Saturday everything is still a go. I have talked to people on board as well as employees on board everything is working fine and has been fixed. Wait until Saturday if Port’s of calls are cancelled to the Virgin Islands to make your statements. 

[By the Sea I’ll Be]

7 minutes ago, Sydneyb95 said:

You guys need to stop freaking out and wait till this Saturday to jump to conclusions. The reason why it has not went so fast is because it’s just going to Nassau if they went fast they would be arriving to early. I am sailing this Saturday everything is still a go. I have talked to people on board as well as employees on board everything is working fine and has been fixed. Wait until Saturday if Port’s of calls are cancelled to the Virgin Islands to make your statements. 

I’m a long way from “freaking out”. Didn’t mean for it to come across like that. 

[Kev_of_Ar]

14 minutes ago, By the Sea I’ll Be said:

I’m a long way from “freaking out”. Didn’t mean for it to come across like that. 

 

27 minutes ago, Sydneyb95 said:

You guys need to stop freaking out and wait till this Saturday to jump to conclusions. The reason why it has not went so fast is because it’s just going to Nassau if they went fast they would be arriving to early. I am sailing this Saturday everything is still a go. I have talked to people on board as well as employees on board everything is working fine and has been fixed. Wait until Saturday if Port’s of calls are cancelled to the Virgin Islands to make your statements. 

As am I and also sorry.  Hell as long as she sails and I'm on her with my love I'm happy.  Was just asking questions as I thought that this was for

[www3traveler]

The Epic made GSC today--- The Escape did not yesterday (high winds).

[Mike_DeA]

4 hours ago, SeaTheW0rld said:

Pics or it didn't happen.  I was out and about at those hours, too.  Maybe we passed each other.

 

Every morning at 545am I made my way from deck 8 (all the way forward) to the gym.  I usually did that on deck 7 all the way to the aft elevators and up to the gym on 14. Rarey saw another person (nice) and certainly nobody cleaning. 

I never said I was on the same sailing.

 

5.45am is not the same as the wee hours of the morning.  So much cleaning typically happens midnight to 3-4am, before early risers are up and about.

 

No pics needed on my end, since it's the norm.  And why would I take pictures of crew doing their job?  You're the one saying the ship was dirty and you never saw cleaning.  Others have refuted your claim. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Mike_DeA

[DZcreature]

14 hours ago, happylittlefamily said:

I think I will wait a few more days to book a Cozumel excursion, just in case.  I swear, this has been the most stressful vacation I've ever planned.  Kicking myself dearly for not taking trip insurance, but figured since it was within 45 days when booking, it wouldn't be necessary.  My mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks ago and is set to start radiation in 2 weeks (while we are on the cruise.)  Now the ship is limp and there is talk of the ship being dirty and sickness going around.  I feel we rushed into booking (travel agent said this was our only real option for our dates) and I'm just not super excited about it.  Here's hoping all the bumps are the devil's way of trying to prevent us from experiencing the best vacation ever!  I definitely learned to never book again without getting the insurance!!

 

  I know it may cost more, but if you book the excursions through NCL you will get your money back if NCL cancels the port. My husband and I cruised on Epic last February and had a great time. Regardless of the ports you go to, Epic was a fun ship. We enjoyed the water slides, pools, and entertainment on board. We have never experienced a dirty ship in 15 NCL cruises, though some room stewards are better than others. If there is a problem with your room, just ask your steward to fix it. If the problem persists, contact the head of housekeeping. 

  If you have trouble finding a seat in the buffet area during breakfast or lunch, they let people eat down in La Cucina. There is a separate drink station down there so you don't have to carry a drink down the stairs.

  Enjoy the warm weather and not having to cook or clean for a week. Best wishes on your Mom's treatment and recovery.

[happylittlefamily]

12 minutes ago, DZcreature said:

 

  I know it may cost more, but if you book the excursions through NCL you will get your money back if NCL cancels the port. My husband and I cruised on Epic last February and had a great time. Regardless of the ports you go to, Epic was a fun ship. We enjoyed the water slides, pools, and entertainment on board. We have never experienced a dirty ship in 15 NCL cruises, though some room stewards are better than others. If there is a problem with your room, just ask your steward to fix it. If the problem persists, contact the head of housekeeping. 

  If you have trouble finding a seat in the buffet area during breakfast or lunch, they let people eat down in La Cucina. There is a separate drink station down there so you don't have to carry a drink down the stairs.

  Enjoy the warm weather and not having to cook or clean for a week. Best wishes on your Mom's treatment and recovery.

Thank you for such a helpful and thoughtful post! It's been a bright spot during an otherwise stressful experience!

[Reader0108598]

13 minutes ago, happylittlefamily said:

Thank you for such a helpful and thoughtful post! It's been a bright spot during an otherwise stressful experience!

 We have always gotten our money back from private excursions if the ship misses the port!

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Reader0108598

[Reader0108598]

5 hours ago, Kev_of_Ar said:

 

As am I and also sorry.  Hell as long as she sails and I'm on her with my love I'm happy.  Was just asking questions as I thought that this was for

Wonderfuld Tude....   So agree with you🙂

Edited February 21, 2019 by Reader0108598

[croix153]

Good news!!!!!

 

She's doing 20.4 kts!!!

 

 

[Realdeal80]

31 minutes ago, croix153 said:

Good news!!!!!

 

She's doing 20.4 kts!!!

 

 

Awe this threads gonna come to an end now. 

Anybody know of good threads with bad things happening to cruise ship. I was kinda addicted to this one. Wish it happen more often. Just not on my cruise. 😁

[Realdeal80]

35 minutes ago, croix153 said:

Good news!!!!!

 

She's doing 20.4 kts!!!

 

 

Btw hope your single with ads popping up like that. My girlfriend gets a little suspicious when them do cause of cookies and bs.

[croix153]

40 minutes ago, Realdeal80 said:

Btw hope your single with ads popping up like that. My girlfriend gets a little suspicious when them do cause of cookies and bs.

Yup!

 

On that subject -- any single ladies sailing the epic on March 11th? 😏🍆🤣🤣🤣