QM2 Cruise Cancellations

[ocngypz]

We just received faxes from Cunard cancelling the following voyages.

 

The first voyage is cancelled to remove the damaged pod.

 

The second voyage is cancelled to install a new pod.

 

Notice there is 7 months in between!

 

April 29 which is 24 nights (6 night ta/ 12 night Europe/ 6 night ta).

 

Please contact your agent for alternative sailings.

 

Nov 11 sailing is cancelled.

 

Nov 18 7 night Caribbean is cancelled and is changed to a 7 night transatlantic from Southampton to Ft Lauderdale.

[robken]

Just called Cunard April 29th sailing is still a go. May 05, 2006 sailing is CXL

[BettyBoop3850]

Hi I was looking at the April 29th cruise thought it was a great itinerary and didn't want to fly so the Eastbound then the European cruise then westbound was great idea. I was looking at other ones too just to see which one I liked the best.

[Bramcruiser]

Whew! Just missed it by a breeze. If they are cancelling the Nov 11 trip and bringing the ship to Fort Lauderdale on the Nov 18 sailing I am safe for my Dec 2 cruise. In fact, we'll have a brand new azipod to travel with. I hope no one here is affected by any of the cancellations though.

[patwell]

Finally something...but what a shame for those affected by this. I am so very sorry for all who had made their plans, many I'm sure like us who have made plans for a specific celebration, only to be the one whose trip gets cancelled. Bramcruiser, I am also on the Dec 2nd cruise and am so grateful it is still on but I do feel for those of you who have been caught up in this and hope you will be able to make new arrangements to enjoy this wonderful ship. Penny

[Emu]

The 7 month delay between the removal and reinstallation is interesting. Maybe, the damaged pod will be removed and then rebuilt/repaired rather than a totally new pod being fitted.

 

Any idea yet where the work will be carried out?

[coy860]

I hope the repairs are done in a timely fashion.

We board Jan. 10, 2007, which is the start of her Around the World in 80 days voyage.

I am an easy going person, but I have dreamed of a World Voyage for years, and when I go, IF I miss ports because of malfunction, I may make a lot of noise myself.

For the present, I am thinking positive thoughts.

[ocngypz]

The 7 month delay between the removal and reinstallation is interesting. Maybe, the damaged pod will be removed and then rebuilt/repaired rather than a totally new pod being fitted.

 

Any idea yet where the work will be carried out?

 

The Cunard rep I spoke with said it was going to take them 7 months to pull the pod apart, fix it and then put it back together.

 

I nearly burst out laughing.....they can spend all sorts of $$$$ on refunded fares, but not one dime for a new pod?!?!?!?!?! And they can afford lose the revenue from previously booked passengers who now cannot make the offered replacement sailings??

 

Makes absolutely no sense at all to me.

 

Obviously, since the work is being done on the eastside of "the Pond", it will probably be Chantiers.

[travel-to-go]

Bramcruiser, It's a pod, not an azipod, Thank goodness. Although maybe they'll put another azipod on and they can go round in circles! <teehee!?

Emu, I hope they remember to stick the little rubber plug in after they take out the pod!

ocngypz (just how does one pronounce that anyway! <G>) Hmmm.Take it off, 7 months to take it apart and repair it when they still haven't a clue what's wrong with it (unless they've had divers down as they stated earlier, or can have a look-see from the belly of the beast) A bit disconcerting! You would think they could have a new one made, ready to mount when they take the old one off, and keep ithe repaired one as a spare. Don't tell me they aren't capable of 1) Paying for that, and 2) getting that done in a timely fashion!

 

Just MHO!

 

Karie, Who is NOT a shipbuilder!

[cusyl]

Hopefully my December 9th cruise will still be a go!

[sfvoyager]

After weeks of excitement, planning, booked flights, theater tickets in London, etc. etc., I discovered through this board (Not Cunard) that the May 5th voyage is cancelled. This, after calling Cunard directly to ask what happened to the voyage that disappeared from the website. The response?

 

Oh, it's sold out. Don't worry!

 

Fortunately, I intended this as a surprise for my mom's 80th birthday, so she won't know the disappointment of not going.

 

Now, I have to go back to the drawing board, and find another voyage that fits within the time I had an approved vacation.

 

I know there are far worse situations in life, but today I am absolutely miserable.

 

Any thoughts between the Golden Princess New York to Venice or the new Noordam on HAL for a 10 night in the Med?

 

I was thinking of Constelation on Celebrity for the Sweden, Norway, Russia cruise, but I am picturing dreary and cold.

 

Helllllllllllllllllllllp! :(

[avalon1025]

anyone know if the transatlantic schedules will be met (ie: can the ship make it to Southampton on three pods?) Just bought air tickets back home onthe day the ship arrives in Southampton.

[ocngypz]

Bramcruiser, It's a pod, not an azipod, Thank goodness. Although maybe they'll put another azipod on and they can go round in circles! <teehee!?

Emu, I hope they remember to stick the little rubber plug in after they take out the pod!

ocngypz (just how does one pronounce that anyway! <G>) Hmmm.Take it off, 7 months to take it apart and repair it when they still haven't a clue what's wrong with it (unless they've had divers down as they stated earlier, or can have a look-see from the belly of the beast) A bit disconcerting! You would think they could have a new one made, ready to mount when they take the old one off, and keep ithe repaired one as a spare. Don't tell me they aren't capable of 1) Paying for that, and 2) getting that done in a timely fashion!

 

Just MHO!

 

Karie, Who is NOT a shipbuilder!

 

 

It is pronounced, Ocean Gypsy.

 

I must admit I am scratching my head over this one. What galls me is that not 3 hrs prior to receiving the fax, we had booked two cabins for 4/29 24 nights. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. We've already spoken to the clients and they are trying to make arrangements for the June 6-12-6. My other clients previously booked on 11/18.. that is going to take more work as they wanted the Caribbean..... and that particular week... and I have to make sure I can get their cabins added to my current group allotment, not taken out of it.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................

 

*&$*#&% pods have cost me more aggravation than anything else.. except cruiseline air!!

[Bramcruiser]

Bramcruiser, It's a pod, not an azipod, Thank goodness. Although maybe they'll put another azipod on and they can go round in circles! <teehee!?

 

Sorry. I am not all all mechanically minded. Its sort of like a car or a computer. I just expect to turn it on and have it work. I don't really know or care what is inside. Just blissfully ignorant. :)

 

Still, all they are doing is repairing the same pod??????? That would explain a 7 month delay and I am sure disrupting traffic at either end of the transatlantic season would be the best overall in terms of business but I would rather see it delayed once and just put a whole new thing-a-ma-jig on it.

[Bramcruiser]

Fortunately, I intended this as a surprise for my mom's 80th birthday, so she won't know the disappointment of not going.

 

Now, I have to go back to the drawing board, and find another voyage that fits within the time I had an approved vacation.

 

I know there are far worse situations in life, but today I am absolutely miserable.

 

Any thoughts between the Golden Princess New York to Venice or the new Noordam on HAL for a 10 night in the Med?

 

I was thinking of Constelation on Celebrity for the Sweden, Norway, Russia cruise, but I am picturing dreary and cold.

 

 

 

I feel for you. I realized you were long planning this and asking about all your options and it was this board that more or less made you decide on the May QM2 trip. What a kick that is!

 

Never travelled with Princess but NY to Venice sounds interesting. Love HAL myself (I find them classy as well and please do ignore the old age home jokes about them) and I understand the Noordam is a Vista class ship of which I have been on the Oosterdam. For me to choose between the two would essentially come down to which iteniary is better. Also would you have problems cancelling airfare to London and your theatre tickets? You might not have the air problem if you went business or first class but of this I am not aware but only suspecting.

 

Actually I would pick the Sweden/Norway/Russia trip but it may be cool if you are going in May. I was seriously thinking about the QE2 Norway trip in May but decided against it for logistical reasons at my end.

 

I guess its back to the drawing board. Hopefully you'll get this sorted out fast and that you have the chance to QM2 again. Whatever you do good luck!

[mufi]

Let's hope they don't hit the kerb again, that would really put the kybosh on it. Pods a good idea? Discuss.

 

David.

[Båtnes]

Hi folks

I am a new member from Norway, and I just read in our local newspaper "Sunnmørsposten" (Aalesund) today that QM2 will visit Ålesund on the 13. of may this year. See link in norwegian: http://www.smp.no/default.asp?page=1024&item=587524,1&lang=1

 

For Aalesund harbour cruise vessel arrivals 2006:

http://www.alesund.havn.no/Modules/Page/viewPage.asp?modid=1822&level=1822

(click on "bestill rapport")

 

Seems like they have decided to go for a short cruise to Norway (Aalesund, Flaam and Bergen) after they have finished the first drydocking.

 

Regards

Torgeir Båtnes

Aalesund

Norway

[patwell]

I am so sorry that your lovely surprise for your Mom is one of the affected trips. Having read all your posts about planning this trip for her I know how special it was meant to be. I hope you can find another and just remember that having her to share it with you is what will make it special, no matter where you go. Your thoughtfulness is what will be most important to her I'm sure...the destination will just be the icing on the cake.

 

I'd opt for Norway but then I'm Norwegian/American and a bit biased. Yes it will be a little cool in May but the visual beauty of that trip is stunning. What ever you select will be wonderful just because of whom you will share it with, and isn't that the most important thing after all is said and done? Small consolation I know after your disappointment...I wish you good luck and hope you'll let us know what you decide. Penny

[castlewood]

I'm sorry to hear your cruise has been cancelled. And it didn't help that Cunard was so disingenuous about your trip's sudden disappearance from the schedule. Why aren't they more upfront about things??

 

The May 29 transatlantic I'm scheduled to take is with my wife and (in another cabin) my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law (now in her 80s). These opportunities come along so rarely, and I know it's a voyage that we'll always remember. But it takes so much planning. My wife, my sister-in-law, and I all have extremely intense and pressure-filled jobs, and simply to arrange for the time off is a big deal. Not to mention the months of anticipation, seemingly down the drain , , , We've all been worrying that our trip might be cancelled because of the pod problem. I also regret never having brought my mother on a cruise before she passed away a few years ago.

 

Good luck planning another cruise. I've enjoyed your postings, and your enthusiasm about planning your voyage has been contagious.

[ocngypz]

The cancellation happened about 5pm Eastern time. And agencies notified shortly thereafter about 6pm. My agency completed bookings on the May 5th itinerary just mere hours before the cancellation.

 

Cunard was honest with the client.

[travel-to-go]

Sorry. I am not all all mechanically minded. Its sort of like a car or a computer. I just expect to turn it on and have it work. I don't really know or care what is inside. Just blissfully ignorant. :)

 

Still, all they are doing is repairing the same pod??????? That would explain a 7 month delay and I am sure disrupting traffic at either end of the transatlantic season would be the best overall in terms of business but I would rather see it delayed once and just put a whole new thing-a-ma-jig on it.

 

Okay. You caught me. I'm not really that smart! I didn't understand all of this, and someone (was it you Bollinge?) was kind enough to post a link to Asea Browne Boveri (Not sure if I spelled that right, and they have a plant here in Connecticut) and their explanation of the pods/azipods. The reason they are called azipods is because they are fully azimuthing- an azimuth, if I remember from my ranger training days (well, okay, Civil Air Patrol as a teenager in Florida! <G>) an azimuth is some sort of a compass course heading. As well, we use the term in cellular radio to mean the center line of the way the radio signal is propagated out from the antennas (with three faces on the cell, which is standard, hence the triangle at the top of the towers, there are three "arcs' covering 120 degrees each of a 360 degree circle) So azimuth, in this case, means the pods can be turned around 360 degrees and "aimed" in any direction to steer the ship instead of it being steered via a rudder. Also why she can go "sideways" into a berth. I am sure those are much more expensive (And critical) than the stationary ones.

Anyway, I didn't know this until it was pointed out to me, and I looked it up. It's pretty interesting!

 

Karie,

Not really so smart, just being a show-off! :o

[Bollinge]

The two motors at the stern are azipods, being rotatable, and the two at the bow (one of which is broken) are pods and are fixed.

 

But I don't mind if you call them all azipods.

[cajim]

I was on the ship when the Pod hit. It was the Port fixed pod and is at the stern. All pods are at the stern the bow thruster is a tunnel with the props inside with doors to close it off when not in use. The fixed pods are used for speed and the rear steerable pods for steering and basic speed. The ship is able to do 25.5 K with three. Also the reports of high seas are false! There was a slight rolling one night that if it had gone over night would have put us to sleep. I was on deck 9 with very little movement.

 

Jim

[jmss1950]

I too had to learn about the cancellation of our Thanksgiving cruise from this board. Upon sending an email to my TA, I got home from work to find a message on my answering machine saying that I had let them now about the cancellation before Cunard had! According to my TA those of us who have lost our cruise are being offered a $50 on board credit providing we book another cruise immediately rather than cancelling! However, if I do not book right away, then the $50 credit would not be available on any later cruise. How extremely generous of Cunard! As I am unfortunately one of those unfortunate people who have to work for a living (for at least a few more years) and cannot take vacation time whenever I chose, I am obviously out of luck. No cruise. No compensation. Months of planning and anticipation wiped out. This would have been our first QM2 cruise, and while I do appreciate that the damage to the pod has to be repaired, it does seem somewhat annoying that an incident in January should ruin our vacation in November. The best advice my TA offers is to write to Cunard expressing my disappointment and displeasure. Anyone else out there in the same situation with any other suggestions?

:mad:

[greatam]

After weeks of excitement, planning, booked flights, theater tickets in London, etc. etc., I discovered through this board (Not Cunard) that the May 5th voyage is cancelled. This, after calling Cunard directly to ask what happened to the voyage that disappeared from the website. The response?

 

Oh, it's sold out. Don't worry!

 

Fortunately, I intended this as a surprise for my mom's 80th birthday, so she won't know the disappointment of not going.

 

Now, I have to go back to the drawing board, and find another voyage that fits within the time I had an approved vacation.

 

I know there are far worse situations in life, but today I am absolutely miserable.

 

Any thoughts between the Golden Princess New York to Venice or the new Noordam on HAL for a 10 night in the Med?

 

I was thinking of Constelation on Celebrity for the Sweden, Norway, Russia cruise, but I am picturing dreary and cold.

 

Helllllllllllllllllllllp! :(

 

You are looking for an upscale experience, based on your posts. That is NOT Princess. Absolutely NO enforcement of the dress codes and anytime dining is a joke. People booked in fixed dining go to anytime dining, so you never know how many people may show up for fixed dining. It makes for a very bad experience for the waiters and passengers. And people are not courteous enough to let you know they will not be at dinner.

 

Have you booked your air yet? That could be the deciding factor.