Viking Sky position, adrift off Norway Coast and evacuating Passengers & Crew

[azdrydock]

12 minutes ago, waltd said:

If it damages Viking at all it will probably be very short.   I remember the Costa tragedy.    If I remember correctly the first year they had issues with bookings but after that it was business as usual.  I wouldn't have an issue sailing with Viking. 

I am on a Viking Sky in the fall and it was and still is sold out and we are not in the penalty cancellation period yet. The news cycle is over and from now on few people will hear anything else about the Viking incident. Some of the networks never mentioned Viking and with all the talk about Norway some people I know think it was NCL .

Don't be surprised if you start see some PR emphasizing the rescue and positive comments from passengers. That didn't happen with the Costa. Passenger reactions are the biggest influence. You remember all of the disgruntled passengers on a ship a few years ago when the AC broke down? Nowhere as serious as this but more damaging to the image.

 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, azdrydock said:

FYI

Permission is not needed for photographs taken in public places or of public people as long as it is for a news worthy purpose. On a ship the only places that are not considered public space would normally be in cabins and restrooms. You must take  reasonable precautions to protect your private space. Example: your neighbor flies a drone past your bedroom window and the blinds are up you normally have no recourse. Permission is needed if the pictures are used for commercial purposes. Host Grandma Cruising photo can be used under the terms of Cruise Critics T&C's or with her permission. 

If you needed permission to post newsworthy pictures the UK tabloids  would not exist

 

I can’t agree. A ship is not a public space. Yes there are public spaces, but that is not the same as public space.  Viking ships are privately owned. You cannot gain access to a ship unless you are invited in, work there, or pay a fare.  This is the reality in Australia:

What exactly is public space?

Public space consists of areas that are not privately owned or occupied, such as public parks and streets. Shopping malls are not public areas, they are owned by large (read potentially litigious) corporations.

 

You can, however, photograph private spaces from a public space, such as a home or homeowner from the footpath across the street. But you can't take images of the person inside their home, (like through a bedroom window). It would have to be if that homeowner was at their front door, at the gate or walking to their parked car on the street.

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, azdrydock said:

FYI

Permission is not needed for photographs taken in public places or of public people as long as it is for a news worthy purpose. On a ship the only places that are not considered public space would normally be in cabins and restrooms. You must take  reasonable precautions to protect your private space. Example: your neighbor flies a drone past your bedroom window and the blinds are up you normally have no recourse. Permission is needed if the pictures are used for commercial purposes. Host Grandma Cruising photo can be used under the terms of Cruise Critics T&C's or with her permission. 

If you needed permission to post newsworthy pictures the UK tabloids  would not exist

Just wanted to say that I didn’t publish any photos or a link to them. I just commented that I thought assumptions were being made without knowledge.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, Hanoj said:

Not aquatinted with engine room procedures and resupply protocols, is it likely the Sky would have taken on more oil had it made its scheduled port call at Bodo?

Would have made no difference.  While each engine has a sump tank of about 3-4 cubic meters (m3), the ship has a storage tank that will hold 20m3 in reserve, and is typically topped off once a year or so.  The engines are refilled from this storage tank as needed, likely once a week or so.  The oil comes by tank truck or small tank barge, and the oil supplier typically only supplies in major shipping ports.  Bodo is such a small port, and road distance to any refinery so great, I doubt there would have been any supply there.  There is no indication that the ship was actually low on oil, just that the sumps were "on the low side".

Edited March 28, 2019 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Can't speak for what would have happened at Bodo, but there were several different hoses hooked up to the ship all day while we were still in Tromsø. 

Did the hoses have blue bands painted on each end?  Those are water hoses, and this is the most likely supply the ship was getting.  I also don't know the Norwegian regulations lately on treated sewage discharge in the fjords and northern waters, but there may have been sewage hoses taking the ship's waste water to the municipal plant.

[jakob71]

More information from Norway about the incident with Viking Sky’s engine failure:

«The Accident Investigation Board of Norway (AIBN) has initiated a safety investigation after the incident with the cruise ship

Viking Sky’s engine failure at Hustadvika Saturday 23 March 2019. The United States and the United Kingdom consider

they are substantially interested states and will  participate in the investigation with their respective accident investigation

branches.»

Department Director Dag Sverre Liseth in the AIBN says today to the Norwegian newspaper VG, that the AIBN will not make

a conclusion of the incident with Viking Sky’s engine failure, based on the report yesterday from The Norwegian Maritime Authority.

AIBN will carry out their own independent investigation.

The Director could however not tell the newspaper when the investigation report will be completed and published.

www.aibn.no

 

•  

 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Did the hoses have blue bands painted on each end?  Those are water hoses, and this is the most likely supply the ship was getting.  I also don't know the Norwegian regulations lately on treated sewage discharge in the fjords and northern waters, but there may have been sewage hoses taking the ship's waste water to the municipal plant.

 

I'm sure you're right...was thinking also it may have been sewage. Don't recall seeing blue bands - didn't pay that much attention. 

[The_Big_M]

6 hours ago, Pushka said:

 

I can’t agree. A ship is not a public space. Yes there are public spaces, but that is not the same as public space.  Viking ships are privately owned. You cannot gain access to a ship unless you are invited in, work there, or pay a fare.  This is the reality in Australia:

What exactly is public space?

Public space consists of areas that are not privately owned or occupied, such as public parks and streets. Shopping malls are not public areas, they are owned by large (read potentially litigious) corporations.

 

You can, however, photograph private spaces from a public space, such as a home or homeowner from the footpath across the street. But you can't take images of the person inside their home, (like through a bedroom window). It would have to be if that homeowner was at their front door, at the gate or walking to their parked car on the street.

 

The distinction is around permission to be there, as your first point alludes to. There is a distinction for photography that you can't just take a photo there just for that purpose as you need permission to be there, so for example in a shopping centre if you're there for shopping it is fine, but if you're just there to take photos they can deny you access. Hence, it then points out you can be charged with trespass. However, that is not the issue here.

 

As a fare paying passenger on a ship, the photographer in this case is also entitled to be there and cannot be charged with trespass. People take photos of many shipboard settings, including other people, without being prevented. 

[Bubbalikesme]

3 hours ago, jakob71 said:

More information from Norway about the incident with Viking Sky’s engine failure:

«The Accident Investigation Board of Norway (AIBN) has initiated a safety investigation after the incident with the cruise ship

Viking Sky’s engine failure at Hustadvika Saturday 23 March 2019. The United States and the United Kingdom consider

they are substantially interested states and will  participate in the investigation with their respective accident investigation

branches.»

Department Director Dag Sverre Liseth in the AIBN says today to the Norwegian newspaper VG, that the AIBN will not make

a conclusion of the incident with Viking Sky’s engine failure, based on the report yesterday from The Norwegian Maritime Authority.

AIBN will carry out their own independent investigation.

The Director could however not tell the newspaper when the investigation report will be completed and published.

www.aibn.no

 

•  

 

What do you think this will mean for the April 6 sailing. That goes from Copenhagen to Amsterdam. I am scheduled to leave California April 3 for Copenhagen and am very anxious as to the timing of getting repairs done, having the maritime authority sign off on the repairs and give a permit to sail to Copenhagen before I leave. 

Any thoughts are appreciated

also how do you find  your info  you provided  in English rather than in Norwegian

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, Bubbalikesme said:

What do you think this will mean for the April 6 sailing. That goes from Copenhagen to Amsterdam. I am scheduled to leave California April 3 for Copenhagen and am very anxious as to the timing of getting repairs done, having the maritime authority sign off on the repairs and give a permit to sail to Copenhagen before I leave. 

Any thoughts are appreciated

also how do you find  your info  you provided  in English rather than in Norwegian

Any web page can be translated into English, though the wording may be stilted and a little confused.  The investigation appears to be nearly done as far as requiring the ship is concerned, the report and questioning of the participants may take a little while, but from the wording of the NMA press release, I don't think there will be much further investigation.  The viability of your cruise will depend on the repairs to the passenger areas of the ship.  There are no repairs needed to the mechanical systems of the ship, and the ship can get a waiver to sail with one anchor if needed, though that should be available by then.

[Pratique]

10 minutes ago, Bubbalikesme said:

What do you think this will mean for the April 6 sailing. That goes from Copenhagen to Amsterdam. I am scheduled to leave California April 3 for Copenhagen and am very anxious as to the timing of getting repairs done, having the maritime authority sign off on the repairs and give a permit to sail to Copenhagen before I leave. 

Any thoughts are appreciated

also how do you find  your info  you provided  in English rather than in Norwegian

The initial estimate given by Viking on Monday was 10 days for the repair to be complete. Of course things could change as you suggested. All the cruise line said at the time was that the next cruise would occur in "early April." Your best bet is to call them and ask if the cruise is still sailing on schedule.

[Haworth]

23 minutes ago, Bubbalikesme said:

What do you think this will mean for the April 6 sailing. That goes from Copenhagen to Amsterdam. I am scheduled to leave California April 3 for Copenhagen and am very anxious as to the timing of getting repairs done, having the maritime authority sign off on the repairs and give a permit to sail to Copenhagen before I leave. 

Any thoughts are appreciated

also how do you find  your info  you provided  in English rather than in Norwegian

Lots of information here, select English and go to recent news

 

https://www.sdir.no/en/

[Bubbalikesme]

8 minutes ago, Pratique said:

The initial estimate given by Viking on Monday was 10 days for the repair to be complete. Of course things could change as you suggested. All the cruise line said at the time was that the next cruise would occur in "early April." Your best bet is to call them and ask if the cruise is still sailing on schedule.

When I called Viking yesterday they said the trip was still on. However I really don’t know how much info their customer relations people get from people in the ground in Norway. The rep did not know that the ship had moved from Molde to Christiansen’s for repairs and thinks repairs had been done in Molde. I’m getting more update info here on cruise critic than from Viking. But I will follow up again today.

time line is incredibly tight as our flight leaves early morning April 3

[Bubbalikesme]

6 minutes ago, Haworth said:

Lots of information here, select English and go to recent news

 

https://www.sdir.no/en/

Thank you for this info! Appreciated

[Pratique]

2 minutes ago, Bubbalikesme said:

When I called Viking yesterday they said the trip was still on. However I really don’t know how much info their customer relations people get from people in the ground in Norway. The rep did not know that the ship had moved from Molde to Christiansen’s for repairs and thinks repairs had been done in Molde. I’m getting more update info here on cruise critic than from Viking. But I will follow up again today.

time line is incredibly tight as our flight leaves early morning April 3

Yes the timeline is tight and I would be anxious too. If we assume the 10 day estimate is correct that puts completion of repairs at April 4 after you leave. I assume that the ship could be cleared by the authorities sooner if the only remaining repairs are cosmetic, like replacing furniture, carpeting, etc. Hope it works out for you!

[zitsky]

32 minutes ago, Pratique said:

The initial estimate given by Viking on Monday was 10 days for the repair to be complete. Of course things could change as you suggested. All the cruise line said at the time was that the next cruise would occur in "early April." Your best bet is to call them and ask if the cruise is still sailing on schedule.

 

There is the time to get replacement materials to the ship.  I imagine truck after truck pulling up to the ship, bringing furniture, carpets, even windows.  It's quite amazing they could get it done in 10 days.

[Pratique]

11 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

There is the time to get replacement materials to the ship.  I imagine truck after truck pulling up to the ship, bringing furniture, carpets, even windows.  It's quite amazing they could get it done in 10 days.

Yes, there is also order lead time to obtain the materials they need, probably from other parts of the world. I suspect that the repairs will not be 100% complete by April 6. Especially for that poor grand piano.

[Carol From California]

5 minutes ago, Pratique said:

Yes, there is also order lead time to obtain the materials they need, probably from other parts of the world. I suspect that the repairs will not be 100% complete by April 6. Especially for that poor grand piano.

Viking has an updates page on their website: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html 

After the incident the update was that one cruise was cancelled.  Now it's saying that cruise guests will be notified if their cruise is affected. It also says you can log in to MyVikingJournal.com and check on your particular cruise. Something is telling me that more than the one cruise will be cancelled. 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Carol From California

[Pratique]

15 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

Viking has an updates page on their website: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html 

After the incident the update was that one cruise was cancelled.  Now it's saying that cruise guests will be notified if their cruise is affected. It also says you can log in to MyVikingJournal.com and check on your particular cruise. Something is telling me that more than the one cruise will be cancelled. 

Thanks for providing that link. I would like to think that no news is good news, but your hunch could be right. It’s an unplanned event.

[Bubbalikesme]

1 hour ago, Pratique said:

Yes the timeline is tight and I would be anxious too. If we assume the 10 day estimate is correct that puts completion of repairs at April 4 after you leave. I assume that the ship could be cleared by the authorities sooner if the only remaining repairs are cosmetic, like replacing furniture, carpeting, etc. Hope it works out for you!

Thank you. By the way where did you see 10 estimate. I have been looking for something like that. All I could see is a vague statement that the ship would be ready mid April

[Bubbalikesme]

30 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

Viking has an updates page on their website: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html 

After the incident the update was that one cruise was cancelled.  Now it's saying that cruise guests will be notified if their cruise is affected. It also says you can log in to MyVikingJournal.com and check on your particular cruise. Something is telling me that more than the one cruise will be cancelled. 

In my experience with Viking this is their standard statement. One really has to have a good travel agent with a contact at Viking to get up to date info. They also have customer relations reps that one can talk to

[Pratique]

12 minutes ago, Bubbalikesme said:

Thank you. By the way where did you see 10 estimate. I have been looking for something like that. All I could see is a vague statement that the ship would be ready mid April

VGTV streamed a live press conference the other day, sorry I can't find a link to it at the moment. Matt Grimes represented Viking at the press conference and said 10 days for the repairs, but he didn't give further details. I almost felt as if that statement was a slip up, because otherwise he was very cautious answering most of the reporters' questions. So take it for what it's worth.

 

I would hope that if the cruise is canceled that they will give you adequate notification.

[Hanoj]

54 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

Viking has an updates page on their website: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html 

After the incident the update was that one cruise was cancelled.  Now it's saying that cruise guests will be notified if their cruise is affected. It also says you can log in to MyVikingJournal.com and check on your particular cruise. Something is telling me that more than the one cruise will be cancelled. 

And of course the Sky needs to be re-certified in order to get a permanent sailing permit.  Although the Norwegian Maritime Authority released preliminary cause of the engine failure(s), the AIBN and other agencies had announced other aspects of the incident would be addressed, like decision to sail, adequacy of furnishings being secure, and other procedures. Might these things cause a delay to getting the permanent sailing permit, or is it just a formality? 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Hanoj
typo

[Hanoj]

34 minutes ago, Bubbalikesme said:

In my experience with Viking this is their standard statement. One really has to have a good travel agent with a contact at Viking to get up to date info. They also have customer relations reps that one can talk to

The one sentence "update" presently on their website is awfully brief:

 

"All passengers and crew who were on board Viking Sky are safe, and almost all passengers have returned home."

 

While caution would dictate avoiding providing too much information, sometimes not giving enough can work against a company's intention to control damage to its brand and image.

 

 

[Pratique]

2 minutes ago, Hanoj said:

While caution would dictate avoiding providing too much information, sometimes not giving enough can work against a company's intention to control damage to its brand and image.

Agreed. If I recall correctly, Gordon Bethune turned Continental Airlines around in part by improving communications with its customers. It really makes a big difference if done well.