Viking Mars Boarded today Wellington Cancelled!

[Relaxing Rita]

Yes, Harbourside, with. These port cancellations Viking is not in my good books at the moment either. We received no reason why they cancelled Dunedin, but that was cancelled a couple of months ago, so did they forget to book a berth there? No OBC or recompense for that either, they are sure saving a lot of money for not going to these ports and providing the tours, not impressed! 

[katlew]

I’m really surprised they are offering you anything! On the Orion over the holidays when they first told us Christchurch, Dunedin, & Hobart we’re cancelled and we were going to add Adelaide, we were told we’d get 50% of the cruise fare in FCC. Of course, it all spiraled from there.

[Heidi13]

21 hours ago, Relaxing Rita said:

Yes, Harbourside, with. These port cancellations Viking is not in my good books at the moment either. We received no reason why they cancelled Dunedin, but that was cancelled a couple of months ago, so did they forget to book a berth there? No OBC or recompense for that either, they are sure saving a lot of money for not going to these ports and providing the tours, not impressed! 

 

You are making an incorrect assumption that the cruise lines save money when they cancel a port. Yes, they save money on dock fees, pilot fees and longshoremen fees, but they also subject to a number of additional costs, some of which include:

 - Bunkers: since the ship is now at sea, in addition to burning fuel for the hotel load, it is also burning additional fuel for propulsion. You are aware that bunkers are the largest operational cost

 - Meals: since pax and crew didn't get ashore, more meals and drinks are consumed onboard

 - Shore-ex: they save the cost of the included shore-ex, which are cheap basic tours, but they lose all the profit from the more expensive optional shore-ex. On cruise ships, shore-ex revenue is one of the highest revenue streams.

 - Crew changes: most ports have some crew joining and leaving, so flights, hotels and schedules must be reworked, often at additional costs. May also end up paying 2 crew members for a single position, until the next port.

Entertainers: changes in ports also require changes to their contracts and travel arrangements, with additional costs.

 - Stores: these are shipped many weeks in advance from Germany in containers to a specific port. If stores were due in that port, hopefully the container arrives in sufficient time to be sent to another port. Additional shipping costs are incurred shipping to a new port. Worse case scenario is the container is written off.

 - Bunkering: if the ship had purchased bunkers in the cancelled port, they may face significant costs getting the bunkers at an alternate port.

 - Critical part/technicians: these are often sent to ships, so again additional costs result from changing delivery of parts and/or technicians.

[Pushka]

41 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

 - Stores: these are shipped many weeks in advance from Germany in containers to a specific port. If stores were due in that port, hopefully the container arrives in sufficient time to be sent to another port. Additional shipping costs are incurred shipping to a new port. Worse case scenario is the container is written off.

 

Thanks for the info about Stores and provisioning. . All our ports on a 21 day cruise are in Muslim countries, including SA (And Israel but at the end) and I was rather wondering how they'd stock up on alcohol! 🤭😂. The ship spends two nights in Mumbai so expect that's the replenishment site. 

Edited January 26, 2023 by Pushka

[Serendiptydesign]

15 hours ago, katlew said:

I’m really surprised they are offering you anything! On the Orion over the holidays when they first told us Christchurch, Dunedin, & Hobart we’re cancelled and we were going to add Adelaide, we were told we’d get 50% of the cruise fare in FCC. Of course, it all spiraled from there.

I would be following this up with a question to NZ Ministry of Primary Industries and ask when did Viking get told they could not enter those ports. It is bad form to allow another 800 to 900 passengers board the ship and not be told before they board. 

[Pushka]

37 minutes ago, Serendiptydesign said:

I would be following this up with a question to NZ Ministry of Primary Industries and ask when did Viking get told they could not enter those ports. It is bad form to allow another 800 to 900 passengers board the ship and not be told before they board. 

Port changes happen frequently for a variety of reasons. It's in the contract. 

[Relaxing Rita]

Many thanks for your reply Heidi13, there is a lot to consider from their side too… very well put. 

[sugarside]

Emergency situation currently in Auckland due to severe flooding and heavy rain.

Another problem for cruising in NZ.

[harbourside]

TO RELAXING RITA:

Have you been informed if Viking  are doing any hull cleaning during your cruise.

Since this is the reason given for cancelling the Wellington port, they will have to do something, or the remaining cruises will also be affected.

How are all the other aspects of the cruise going,  (Food, excursions etc).

 

[Fieldofdreams]

2 hours ago, harbourside said:

TO RELAXING RITA:

Have you been informed if Viking  are doing any hull cleaning during your cruise.

Since this is the reason given for cancelling the Wellington port, they will have to do something, or the remaining cruises will also be affected.

How are all the other aspects of the cruise going,  (Food, excursions etc).

 

Harborside - When I recently spoke with the Viking California office they informed me that it was not the hull that presented the problem but the ship's ropes that was the cause. Would also be interested from others onboard what they have been told.

[harbourside]

I hope the   "ROPE" issue has been resolved, so that we can dock in Wellington. 

[Heidi13]

18 hours ago, Fieldofdreams said:

Harborside - When I recently spoke with the Viking California office they informed me that it was not the hull that presented the problem but the ship's ropes that was the cause. Would also be interested from others onboard what they have been told.

 

I wouldn't believe anything you receive from the L/A office, especially if it relates to the ship's operation.

 

Ships carry a multitude of ropes for a variety of uses, but the ones they were most likely making reference to were the mooring lines. In 40 yrs at sea I have NEVER seen a situation where a ship couldn't dock because of mooring line issues.

 

I have twice experienced unplanned departures from the dock, once to due a large ship passing at speed and the other an intense squall. In both cases we lost multiple mooring lines, but managed to throw a bowline in the damaged end and send it back out. Once stabalised, we spliced new eyes onto the lines and replaced ones damaged beyond repair.

 

Therefore, the probability of a ship being denied entry into a port due to mooring lines is slim to none.

 

[CurlerRob]

51 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

" unplanned departures from the dock "

 

Love that, Andy! One of the better jargon expressions - I suspect there may be some other references less suitable for this board 😁.  🍺🥌

[Jim Avery]

58 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Love that, Andy! One of the better jargon expressions - I suspect there may be some other references less suitable for this board 😁.  🍺🥌

Another one is if your ship hits something that's called "a career limiting event".....🍸

[harbourside]

So what is Viking hiding.  A simple explanation does not seem to be forthcoming. So we can dismiss the "ROPE" story as fantasy.

[zalusky]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I wouldn't believe anything you receive from the L/A office, especially if it relates to the ship's operation.

 

Ships carry a multitude of ropes for a variety of uses, but the ones they were most likely making reference to were the mooring lines. In 40 yrs at sea I have NEVER seen a situation where a ship couldn't dock because of mooring line issues.

 

I have twice experienced unplanned departures from the dock, once to due a large ship passing at speed and the other an intense squall. In both cases we lost multiple mooring lines, but managed to throw a bowline in the damaged end and send it back out. Once stabalised, we spliced new eyes onto the lines and replaced ones damaged beyond repair.

 

Therefore, the probability of a ship being denied entry into a port due to mooring lines is slim to none.

 

 

Perhaps the mooring lines had lots of biofoul on them which can be easier to see than diving and looking at the hull.

[Baron Barracuda]

On 1/27/2023 at 7:12 AM, sugarside said:

Emergency situation currently in Auckland due to severe flooding and heavy rain.

Another problem for cruising in NZ.

dw & dd flew back to NYC from Aukland Thursday night after 2 week land tour with nothing but good weather.  News reports from only a few hours later show Aukland airport evacuated with waist deep water throughout terminal.  Runway damage as well.  Airport still closed on Sunday.  Must have been a heck of a storm.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, zalusky said:

 

Perhaps the mooring lines had lots of biofoul on them which can be easier to see than diving and looking at the hull.

 

If the mooring lines are damaged they have spares onboard.

[Fieldofdreams]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I wouldn't believe anything you receive from the L/A office, especially if it relates to the ship's operation.

 

Ships carry a multitude of ropes for a variety of uses, but the ones they were most likely making reference to were the mooring lines. In 40 yrs at sea I have NEVER seen a situation where a ship couldn't dock because of mooring line issues.

 

I have twice experienced unplanned departures from the dock, once to due a large ship passing at speed and the other an intense squall. In both cases we lost multiple mooring lines, but managed to throw a bowline in the damaged end and send it back out. Once stabalised, we spliced new eyes onto the lines and replaced ones damaged beyond repair.

 

Therefore, the probability of a ship being denied entry into a port due to mooring lines is slim to none.

 

Heidi - Thank you for your insight.

[Relaxing Rita]

No mention of hull cleaning, now been informed that we have been bumped from the port, no room for us and no one to do the excursions…. Then another version has been the ecology rules of Wellington does not allow us there…. Oh dear so many stories heard!

Would like to know how many other ships have been allowed into Wellington around this time from others cruise lines?

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, Relaxing Rita said:

No mention of hull cleaning, now been informed that we have been bumped from the port, no room for us and no one to do the excursions…. Then another version has been the ecology rules of Wellington does not allow us there…. Oh dear so many stories heard!

Would like to know how many other ships have been allowed into Wellington around this time from others cruise lines?

Three cruise ships for Feb 6 according to CruiseMapper. 
 

6 January, 2023 Friday	Viking Mars
6 January, 2023 Friday	Star Breeze	07:00	18:00
6 January, 2023 Friday	Norwegian Spirit

Edited January 30, 2023 by Pushka

[PeabodyMa]

 

Port of Wellington-Cruise Ship Sched. 2023

https:/www.centreport.co.nz/images/Stories/documents/cruise_schedule.pdf

                                Berth

Grand Princess     AQ1    Thu 02 Feb 2023

Majestic Princess AQ4    Thu 02 Feb 2023
Pacific Explorer     AQ5    Fri 03 Feb 2023

Silver Whisper       AQ3    Fri 03 Feb 2023

Zuiderdam              AQ1   Sun 05 Feb 2023

Viking Neptune      AQ4   Mon 06 Feb 2023

Pacific Adventure  AQ4   Fri 10 Feb 2023

Silver Whisper        AQ3   Sat 11 Feb 2023

Viking Mars             AQ4   Sat 11 Feb 2023

Viking Orion            AQ4   Sun 12 Feb 2023

[katlew]

14 hours ago, Relaxing Rita said:

No mention of hull cleaning, now been informed that we have been bumped from the port, no room for us and no one to do the excursions…. Then another version has been the ecology rules of Wellington does not allow us there…. Oh dear so many stories heard!

Would like to know how many other ships have been allowed into Wellington around this time from others cruise lines?

We were allowed in Wellington on the Orion before we left to Adelaide for the hull cleaning.

[Relaxing Rita]

I do not think we will get the real, truthful answer ever! Just been upstairs to the Explorer Lounge and some very upset passengers there still as nothing else has been offered to makeup up for what we have lost. I feel very sorry for those who have travelled so far mostly probably on the only trip they will make Downunder. 
 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, Relaxing Rita said:

I do not think we will get the real, truthful answer ever! Just been upstairs to the Explorer Lounge and some very upset passengers there still as nothing else has been offered to makeup up for what we have lost. I feel very sorry for those who have travelled so far mostly probably on the only trip they will make Downunder. 
 

I’m very sorry you are having these issues.

 

I know this is no consolation whatsoever but Australia and NZ only opened up to cruises post Covid just a couple of months ago.  Clearly we’ve lost many skills sets in terms of managing cruises. It probably wasn’t the best time to come here but thought it wouldn’t be this difficult either. Just hope it improves rapidly.