Viking Star - Current Mechanical Issues

[caviargal]

Is anyone onboard now that can expand on the mechanical issues with Star that caused Santiago port stop to be cancelled?  I read on another forum that the ship is SLOWLY making it's way back to Miami for repairs.  Looking up the history, this is not the first time Star has had mechanical challenges.

 

We are set to sail next week and I am hopeful things will get resolved by then, as well as for those scheduled to sail on Thursday.

[P.E. Teacher]

I hope all gets fixed by the time we leave next Thursday. 

Looking forward to a wonderful experience.

Do you know if you can go off on your own while you are on the day tour in Havana?  We would love to go in one of the old fashion cars.

Happy Sailing

[caviargal]

If you are taking the Viking tour I have no idea.  We booked private so we have flexibility.

[Heidi13]

Checked a number of the AIS tracking websites and they all show positions from 4 days ago. However Viking Sun is showing from only 10 mins ago.

 

Unable to find her current position, course/speed or destination.

 

 

[Jim Avery]

42 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Checked a number of the AIS tracking websites and they all show positions from 4 days ago. However Viking Sun is showing from only 10 mins ago.

 

Unable to find her current position, course/speed or destination.

 

 

CruiseMapper shows her making 12knots at a course of 281degrees true.  Just off the southwestern tip of Cuba.  Who knows?🍸

Edited February 12, 2019 by Jim Avery

[caviargal]

Now there is noro onboard.  Those poor people!

[deec]

how common is NORO Virus aboard cruise ships?

 

the Sun had it a couple of times (especially after some passengers left for overnight tours) last winter on the World Cruise.

the Sea  had on our Amazon Cruise in November this year.

the SKY did not have any that we were aware of in spring of 2017

We have taken a few other cruises with no reports  to passengers.

 

Just wondering ...maybe it is the time of the year.

[Pushka]

We’ve had Noro on Celebrity. Cruises before us had it. They did a deep clean before we boarded in Barcelona in June. So summer. The next cruise was fine but we were under noro restrictions for over 7 days with no more outbreak. Then the one after that got noro. I’m thinking a crew member was a carrier. The issue spread over several months. 

[deec]

I hated that the pools, hot tubs and gym were closed. BUT appreciated that Viking was very aggressive in controlling the virus and trying to keep us all healthy!

[uromac]

Can I ask how you all found this information about the Viking Star? We are scheduled to board this Thursday, February 14th - and want to be kept up to date on what's going on between the mechanical issues and norovirus! Thanks!!

 

Melissa

[Pushka]

I didn’t know about the noro but did read of the mechanical issues from one of the Face pages. And just found the noro info too. 

Edited February 13, 2019 by Pushka

[caviargal]

5 hours ago, uromac said:

Can I ask how you all found this information about the Viking Star? We are scheduled to board this Thursday, February 14th - and want to be kept up to date on what's going on between the mechanical issues and norovirus! Thanks!!

 

Melissa

 

Facebook from live postings from passenger onboard.

 

This morning does not show the ship having made much, if any, progress.

[caviargal]

7 hours ago, deec said:

I hated that the pools, hot tubs and gym were closed. BUT appreciated that Viking was very aggressive in controlling the virus and trying to keep us all healthy!

 

I would hate that as well. On a cruise with lots of sea time, we spend a lot of time in gym and by the pool.

[Little Monty]

1 minute ago, caviargal said:

 

Facebook from live postings from passenger onboard.

 

This morning does not show the ship having made much, if any, progress.

We aren’t FB users so any updates you can provide over coming days will be most appreciated. Thank you

[Pushka]

Others have received confirmation from Viking that any repairs can be done at Miami and future cruises are not impacted. People onboard feel confident that Viking has handled it very well on both counts. They don’t seem worried about the missed port, I think Santiago. 

[caviargal]

2 minutes ago, Little Monty said:

We aren’t FB users so any updates you can provide over coming days will be most appreciated. Thank you

 

I will post what I find out.  Not feeling good about our cruise in 8 days, and not at all interested in having the main public areas  I use potentially closed for a week as is the norm post noro cruises.

[caviargal]

Just now, Pushka said:

Others have received confirmation from Viking that any repairs can be done at Miami and future cruises are not impacted. People onboard feel confident that Viking has handled it very well on both counts. They don’t seem worried about the missed port, I think Santiago. 

 

They have to get to Miami first and the mapping app shows them still off Cuba coast.

 

Maybe they are not worried about the missed port, but we chose the cruise to see Cuba and having one of two cancelled would not make me happy.  Nor would having to be stuck on a sick boat with no gym or pool while at sea.

[Pushka]

1 minute ago, caviargal said:

 

I will post what I find out.  Not feeling good about our cruise in 8 days, and not at all interested in having the main public areas  I use potentially closed for a week as is the norm post noro cruises.

 

Have you seen the email received from Viking and posted on FB? It stated that the issues will be resolved and new cruises will not be impacted. I also read they had flown in someone specifically for the repairs but that could be whispers. 

[Little Monty]

1 minute ago, caviargal said:

 

I will post what I find out.  Not feeling good about our cruise in 8 days, and not at all interested in having the main public areas  I use potentially closed for a week as is the norm post noro cruises.

Thank you .. I hope everything goes to plan and I hope you have a great cruise. Cheers 

[caviargal]

11 minutes ago, Pushka said:

 

Have you seen the email received from Viking and posted on FB? It stated that the issues will be resolved and new cruises will not be impacted. I also read they had flown in someone specifically for the repairs but that could be whispers. 

 

I take that with a grain of salt.  GPS does not lie.  VO has provided misinformation to me so many times so far that I trust nothing they say.  I will leave it at that.

She needs to get back first, then the repairs need to work (not the first issues on this ship), then the noro issue needs to be contained.

Edited February 13, 2019 by caviargal

[caviargal]

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9650418

[Pushka]

4 minutes ago, caviargal said:

 

I take that with a grain of salt.  GPS does not lie.  VO has provided misinformation to me so many time so far that I trust nothing they say.  I will leave it at that.

She needs to get back first, then the repairs need to work (not the first issues on this ship), then the noro issue needs to be contained.

 

Noro is unfortunate but out of their control. I can see the ship is heading towards Miami off the northern coast of Cuba. 

 

I hear and understand your concerns, I have a few of my own with our Alaska cruise. 

[caviargal]

3 minutes ago, Pushka said:

 

Noro is unfortunate but out of their control. I can see the ship is heading towards Miami off the northern coast of Cuba. 

 

I hear and understand your concerns, I have a few of my own with our Alaska cruise. 

 

It has barely moved since yesterday at this time, according to mapper.   Yes, noro is unfortunate but I am not ok with knowingly getting on a cruise when (if) the facilities I use and want are off limits and they know this in advance.

What will be will be.  I personally would be fine if I could get a refund at this point. My experience to date has been less than acceptable with VO.  I would rather get my money back and stay home and say lesson learned and never again.

Edited February 13, 2019 by caviargal

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, caviargal said:

 

I take that with a grain of salt.  GPS does not lie.  VO has provided misinformation to me so many times so far that I trust nothing they say.  I will leave it at that.

She needs to get back first, then the repairs need to work (not the first issues on this ship), then the noro issue needs to be contained.

While GPS does not lie, when you track a cruise ship you are relying first and foremost on AIS, which sends out the ship's GPS position, but which only is reliable within line of sight of a land based receiving station (about 30-40 miles), and that is a station, not just in sight of any land.  Satellite AIS can be purchased by you, but you still only get two updates per 24 hours, not real time like land-based AIS.  Cruisemapper is known to project the ship's position once it gets outside of AIS range using the published itinerary, and last reported course and speed.  It is not always reliable.

[Pushka]

34 minutes ago, caviargal said:

 

It has barely moved since yesterday at this time, according to mapper.   Yes, noro is unfortunate but I am not ok with knowingly getting on a cruise when (if) the facilities I use and want are off limits and they know this in advance.

What will be will be.  I personally would be fine if I could get a refund at this point. My experience to date has been less than acceptable with VO.  I would rather get my money back and stay home and say lesson learned and never again.

 

We’ve been on a cruise ship when there was active noro the cruise before ours. There was a deep clean before we boarded. We were fine and no outbreaks. So the food handling restrictions were released mid cruise. Yes it was unfortunate but it’s what happens on any cruise line. 

 

Last I heard they were travelling at 11 knots. I don’t know the distances involved.  I hope you receive better news soon. 

Edited February 13, 2019 by Pushka