Any new info on Pride of America?! Why is she in Astoria?

[4 cruisers]

Our January cruise was cancelled.  I don’t see why NCL won’t give us info on this ship!  

[www3traveler]

At the moment, NCL may not have any information for The Pride.  As long as Hawaii is telling tourist NOT to come, they can not plan very much for Her.  She is parked in Astoria for the time being.

[Witty Moniker]

Actually, she is back in dry dock in Portland. I don’t know why.

 

[BirdTravels]

Probably cheaper to provision and operate on the mainland than Hawaii. And with cruises suspended for the foreseeable future, parking in Portland vs Hawaii during hurricane season is probably an ok choice. 

[NW Pacific]

NCL Pride has not been parked in Astoria, OR for the last week,  must be back in Portland for whatever reason.  Still haven't run across my friend that works at the Port to find out if the Pride is returning to Astoria and for how long. will do a post when/if I find out

[98420934]

Following a second drydock and shipyard period lasting most of September, the Pride of America departed Portland this morning and is now at sea.

On 9/11/2021 at 5:34 AM, BirdTravels said:

Probably cheaper to provision and operate on the mainland than Hawaii. And with cruises suspended for the foreseeable future, parking in Portland vs Hawaii during hurricane season is probably an ok choice. 

Correct. She is not anticipated to return to Hawaii until it is necessary to do so to prepare for her return to service.

[NW Pacific]

Well as of today Friday, Oct.1, Pride still not back in Astoria, will find out tomorrow if she comes back here or is on the go somewhere else

[zerooveride]

Do we know what was done in the 2nd Dry Dock?

[bonvoyagie]

She was in PDX most of Aug and in early Sept moved to Astoria, then she went out to sea and returned to PDX, where as of today she still is there. I know that when Oceania parked one of their ships in Astoria they paid a reported 16,000.00/month in docking fees. I doubt that parking at Vigor is any cheaper. I know it has been awhile since the POA had a major redo, but she has spent way too much time at Vigor. I suspect that she will transit to SFO, grab her US crew and then have a special sailing to Hawaii like they did for the last major drydock that was done there.

[Molokai-Chuck]

POAm is still at sea, off the coast of Oregon.

Chuck

[NikiPinkston]

After having four previous POA cruises canceled, we just rescheduled our February, 2022 sailing to January, 2023.  We normally don't book more than a year in advance, but we just didn't see things getting back to anywhere close to normal in Hawaii for the foreseeable future.  Another factor in picking that date was that fares for 2022 were almost double what we paid last year, however, I am checking fares for next fall to see if they go down.  Perhaps it's wishful thinking that Hawaii will be happy to receive visitors by then (sigh).

[chengkp75]

$16k a month is about $500/day which is not unreasonable for a layberth anywhere. 

[98420934]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:07 PM, NW Pacific said:

Well as of today Friday, Oct.1, Pride still not back in Astoria, will find out tomorrow if she comes back here or is on the go somewhere else

 

She arrived in Astoria this morning, October 4th. To be fair, her movements have been a little confusing, as her AIS destination indicated Portland even though she was headed to Astoria. I have a feeling someone may have neglected to update her AIS status, as it is still showing an anticipated future arrival in Portland on 3 September 2021 at 08:00 UTC-7, despite that date being more than a month in the past.

 

On 10/2/2021 at 12:35 AM, bonvoyagie said:

She was in PDX most of Aug and in early Sept moved to Astoria, then she went out to sea and returned to PDX, where as of today she still is there. I know that when Oceania parked one of their ships in Astoria they paid a reported 16,000.00/month in docking fees. I doubt that parking at Vigor is any cheaper.

 

Let me update some of that history. In August, the ship was in Portland for three days, from the 5th to the 7th. The rest of August she was either at sea or in Astoria. She returned to Portland on September 2nd and entered the dry dock facility on September 7th. She remained there for most of September (you could see her in the facility, hull out of the water, for three weeks in September if you walked along the hill at the university), before shifting back to the pier on the 29th and then leaving Portland on October 1st. At the time of your post, the ship was at sea. You can check this information, if desired, by looking at the ship's voyage history on MarineTraffic, which gives dates, times, and locations. Keep in mind that times are in UTC, so you would have to subtract seven hours for PDT.

 

Contacts on board indicate that berthing rates in Portland are lower than in Astoria, and the ship has access to many more facilities in Portland (larger cranes, engineering facilities, sewer connection, etc.). There is also the matter of the greater tidal range in Astoria requiring far more mooring line adjustments than in Portland. I am told that, for these reasons, they have tried to remain in Portland as much as possible. I have not seen any of the berthing contracts personally however so this information is secondhand.

 

On 10/1/2021 at 7:14 PM, zerooveride said:

Do we know what was done in the 2nd Dry Dock?

 

A fair amount, but I don't believe that information is public at the moment. What I can say is that the second visit to drydock was a result of the pandemic, though I understand that is the reason for just about everything these days!

[bonvoyagie]

It looks like she had to move to allow the Ruby Princess to drydock at Vigor. BTW I was in Astoria all of September and she was there for more that a couple of days. 

[NW Pacific]

First day in a long time did not go past Astoria pier, will be looking forward to seeing the Pride tomorrow!  Hopefully will see my friend who works at the Port sometime soon, and try to find out how long the Ship will stay here this time??  

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

It looks like she had to move to allow the Ruby Princess to drydock at Vigor. BTW I was in Astoria all of September and she was there for more that a couple of days. 

POA is back in Astoria as of this morning. 

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by BirdTravels

[NW Pacific]

Saw the Pride today!!   I think she may have had a new paint job for all the insignia on the Ship, all the Pride stars and stripes looked pretty refreshed!!  But could have been so excited to look at  Cruise ship!   once again

[4 cruisers]

Thank you to all who post!  Fingers crossed she will make our April cruise!  

[vacation44]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:04 AM, 4 cruisers said:

Thank you to all who post!  Fingers crossed she will make our April cruise!  

Yes, thank you for any information as it is very sparse. Fingers crossed for you.   

 

 

[marinerman2021]

Aloha, folks - 

I can provide you with some information on the Pride of America.

 

As others have mentioned, it is much cheaper for the ship to be on the west coast than in Hawaii until the return to service, which is scheduled for January 22nd. If a cruise reservation for January has been cancelled, it must have been for an itinerary at the beginning of the month.

Portland also has much better access to logistical support than Astoria, such as sewage offloads, refueling, provisions, and crew replacements. For example, there is no way to discharge waste water in Astoria, and the crew must utilize a two hour shuttle to get to the airport in Portland.

There were two dry-docking periods this year as some have noted. One was in June and one was in September. The reason for the second was due to issues with specialist workers from overseas for the propulsion machinery not being allowed into the country in time for the first dry-dock. Since this work absolutely had to be done, a second dry-dock took place in September. The benefit for this also is that the work didn't need to be rushed. Usually when any cruise ship is out of service, the owner wants it back into business as soon as possible. If there is one silver lining to the COVID-19 shutdown it's that more time was available for improvements and repairs.

Most of the repairs and upgrades in the two dry-docks were technical. It's not glamorous, and most passengers have no idea what goes on in the bowels of the ship but I can tell you that these upgrades and repairs were vitally necessary, even though most cruisers will never know about them. They included things like upgrades to the navigation controls, engineering operations, structural steel repairs in the engine room and in various tanks, and new laundry and galley equipment that is both easier to use and less maintenance heavy. Other repairs are things that aren't seen, but will be felt by guests such as repairs and improvements to the ventilation systems which is of course extra important as we fight to ensure COVID-19 is kept under control. So while most of this work has been "under the hood" it will equal a much safer environment for passengers and crew and keep the "ship" part of the cruise ship running better than it has in years.

In the accommodations, there has been less work done but still noticeable changes to anyone familiar with the ship. The corridors and stair towers have all received a face lift, with new wallpaper, fixtures, and coloring. It looks substantially more "updated" and has a much "warmer" atmosphere. New carpet has also been placed in every corridor. There is some new furniture in the cabins and restaurants, and more might be replaced before the ship returns to service. I compared some pictures of it to my spouse, who knows nothing about cruise ships, and they thought it looked much more inviting and modern.

After leaving the Vigor shipyard on October 1st, the ship went to sea for trials of the new propulsion system. The pier in Portland was unavailable following that which is why the ship went back to Astoria.

 

Starting at the end of this week, the ship will move from Astoria back to Portland where it will remain until December when it is scheduled to go back to Hawaii to begin the final preparations to a return to service. Of course that depends on a lot of other things as well like any new federal restrictions and the state of Hawaii which can be very strict about any public health or environmental issue.

 

I can try to answer any other questions you might have that are within reason. The Pride of America is a great ship and I am looking forward to when it returns to service.

 

-An anonymous Pride of America shipboard officer

[NikiPinkston]

19 hours ago, marinerman2021 said:

Aloha, folks - 

I can provide you with some information on the Pride of America.

 

As others have mentioned, it is much cheaper for the ship to be on the west coast than in Hawaii until the return to service, which is scheduled for January 22nd. If a cruise reservation for January has been cancelled, it must have been for an itinerary at the beginning of the month.

Portland also has much better access to logistical support than Astoria, such as sewage offloads, refueling, provisions, and crew replacements. For example, there is no way to discharge waste water in Astoria, and the crew must utilize a two hour shuttle to get to the airport in Portland.

There were two dry-docking periods this year as some have noted. One was in June and one was in September. The reason for the second was due to issues with specialist workers from overseas for the propulsion machinery not being allowed into the country in time for the first dry-dock. Since this work absolutely had to be done, a second dry-dock took place in September. The benefit for this also is that the work didn't need to be rushed. Usually when any cruise ship is out of service, the owner wants it back into business as soon as possible. If there is one silver lining to the COVID-19 shutdown it's that more time was available for improvements and repairs.

Most of the repairs and upgrades in the two dry-docks were technical. It's not glamorous, and most passengers have no idea what goes on in the bowels of the ship but I can tell you that these upgrades and repairs were vitally necessary, even though most cruisers will never know about them. They included things like upgrades to the navigation controls, engineering operations, structural steel repairs in the engine room and in various tanks, and new laundry and galley equipment that is both easier to use and less maintenance heavy. Other repairs are things that aren't seen, but will be felt by guests such as repairs and improvements to the ventilation systems which is of course extra important as we fight to ensure COVID-19 is kept under control. So while most of this work has been "under the hood" it will equal a much safer environment for passengers and crew and keep the "ship" part of the cruise ship running better than it has in years.

In the accommodations, there has been less work done but still noticeable changes to anyone familiar with the ship. The corridors and stair towers have all received a face lift, with new wallpaper, fixtures, and coloring. It looks substantially more "updated" and has a much "warmer" atmosphere. New carpet has also been placed in every corridor. There is some new furniture in the cabins and restaurants, and more might be replaced before the ship returns to service. I compared some pictures of it to my spouse, who knows nothing about cruise ships, and they thought it looked much more inviting and modern.

After leaving the Vigor shipyard on October 1st, the ship went to sea for trials of the new propulsion system. The pier in Portland was unavailable following that which is why the ship went back to Astoria.

 

Starting at the end of this week, the ship will move from Astoria back to Portland where it will remain until December when it is scheduled to go back to Hawaii to begin the final preparations to a return to service. Of course that depends on a lot of other things as well like any new federal restrictions and the state of Hawaii which can be very strict about any public health or environmental issue.

 

I can try to answer any other questions you might have that are within reason. The Pride of America is a great ship and I am looking forward to when it returns to service.

 

-An anonymous Pride of America shipboard officer

Thank you so much for this update!  We've had four cruises on the POA canceled (first one was March, 2020) & we're now booked for January, 2023, although I'll try to move that booking forward based on the (hopefully improved) feelings toward tourists in Hawaii.  We've sailed on the POA before & it was an amazing experience.  Really looking forward to being aboard again!  What are you doing while the ship is in dry dock?  Are you on another ship?  (We were on the Encore in August & will be on the Bliss in December.)

[chengkp75]

19 minutes ago, NikiPinkston said:

Thank you so much for this update!  We've had four cruises on the POA canceled (first one was March, 2020) & we're now booked for January, 2023, although I'll try to move that booking forward based on the (hopefully improved) feelings toward tourists in Hawaii.  We've sailed on the POA before & it was an amazing experience.  Really looking forward to being aboard again!  What are you doing while the ship is in dry dock?  Are you on another ship?  (We were on the Encore in August & will be on the Bliss in December.)

I can't speak specifically for marinerman, but anyone who has been on the ship during the shutdown is probably deck or engine crew, so they continue to work during drydocks, even being more busy than in normal operations.  They will be supervising both the yard workers and the subcontractors, and securing and repowering systems as needed for maintenance and repair.  Very few US officers (POA being all US officers) would transfer to any other NCL ship, as the pay is significantly lower on the foreign flag ships.

[NikiPinkston]

15 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I can't speak specifically for marinerman, but anyone who has been on the ship during the shutdown is probably deck or engine crew, so they continue to work during drydocks, even being more busy than in normal operations.  They will be supervising both the yard workers and the subcontractors, and securing and repowering systems as needed for maintenance and repair.  Very few US officers (POA being all US officers) would transfer to any other NCL ship, as the pay is significantly lower on the foreign flag ships.

Thank you, @chengkp75  I forgot about POA's crew being US citizens.  Always appreciate your valuable insights!

[marinerman2021]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

I can't speak specifically for marinerman, but anyone who has been on the ship during the shutdown is probably deck or engine crew, so they continue to work during drydocks, even being more busy than in normal operations.  They will be supervising both the yard workers and the subcontractors, and securing and repowering systems as needed for maintenance and repair.  Very few US officers (POA being all US officers) would transfer to any other NCL ship, as the pay is significantly lower on the foreign flag ships.

 

That is correct. All POA crew is US citizen or green card holders. The deck and engine officers are almost uniformly American citizens represented by a US maritime officers union. I am in that category.  You are correct about the wages. Most of us are proud to be on the only US flagged cruise ship in the world. As much as it might be fun to see other areas than what the POA does (it has been in Hawaii its whole service life except for delivery and shipyard repairs on the west coast) the massive decrease in pay is not worth it for most deck and engine officers. 

 

And yes, in most ways we are busier out of service than in it. For example, our repairs are always done to minimize impact on guests. This often means that we don't have the time to be as thorough as we'd like. For instance a leaky pipe gets patched or a small section replaced instead of the entire pipe. We might know the entire pipe ought to be replaced but there just isn't time to have the whole water system down long enough to do it, so we have to be more reactive than proactive and then do another small repair the next time it leaks. So this has given us an opportunity to do larger repairs like that that keep us very busy. And of course as indicated we have a large number of contractors and subcontractors from the shipyard and other vendors who require supervision and coordination. 

 

But obviously the plus side is that when the ship is back in service, the minor nuisances that can plague guests should be much less common. We are all very excited about the return to service and the superior condition that the ship will be in. 

 

 

[foodsvcmgr]

Many thanks for the highly informative inside information about POA.