Spirit of Adventure: riding out the storm ?

[JoJo1947]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

The financial position is hard fact. That Saga chose to break its contract with all its life members, who paid substantial sums for those life memberships, is also fact - I’m one of those directly affected.

 

The only opinion involved is whether Saga’s financial issues led to the decision to put a ship containing largely elderly people into the middle of a pretty substantial storm.

Loads of speculation but saying that Saga would risk elderly people over money then that is an outrageous statement .

[doog442]

14 minutes ago, JoJo1947 said:

Loads of speculation but saying that Saga would risk elderly people over money then that is an outrageous statement .

 

I think they did, it's pretty damned obvious actually.

 

In my sailing days, with modern technology its pretty easy for small craft to get the heads up and move well out of the way of incoming storms and depressions even at 5 knots.

 

They knew exactly what they were sailing into. The fact they didn't risk assess port closures (weather or strike action) is also down to them and a decision to get home by hook or crook for the next sailing, which is of course a commercial decision. 

 

 

[Harry Peterson]

41 minutes ago, JoJo1947 said:

Loads of speculation but saying that Saga would risk elderly people over money then that is an outrageous statement .

I don't think anyone's suggesting they'd put the lives of elderly people at risk. Giving them an incredibly uncomfortable and uncomfortable journey,  with an increased risk of injury,  however,  might be a different matter. 

 

And let's not forget  - Saga is the company which was happy to take money for life memberships from elderly people.  But then broke the contract by refusing to provide what had been paid for in advance.  Can you trust a company that fleeces its elderly customer base like that in order to fill a hole in its profits and boost the bonus of its CEO?

[JMMKUK]

2 hours ago, Banjo an said:

We have just joined the SOD for our Caribbean cruise.

All through the previous cruise I watched the ships progress before and during the storm. I tracked the route that the ship took and noticed that the Master rode out the worst part well away from the worst weather in the Bay doing only 3 kph to minimise damage and injury to passengers. I am convinced that had he taken an earlier route through the Bay then the casualties would have been much higher.

As a ex merchant seaman, Lifeboat crew member for many years and a boat owner I feel qualified to express that opinion.

Hope you have a fabulous cruise.

Have they managed to get the ship back to looking like nothing had happened?

[FannyLiz]

19 minutes ago, JMMKUK said:

Hope you have a fabulous cruise.

Have they managed to get the ship back to looking like nothing had happened?

The interior is absolutely immaculate. Full credit to those who managed it. The only thing different apparently is that we have plastic disposible cups in the cabin for water instead of glass because, I am told, so many glasses got broken. Suits me as I would rather a plastic cup fall onto the floor in rough weather rather than a glass.

We are also stopping at Lisbon and missing the Azores.

 

Crew are a delight and so friendly

[Brummijam]

3 hours ago, Lady Meer said:

In the picture from the DM, why are there 2 suitcases in the room? 

Perhaps two passengers ?

[twotravellersLondon]

4 hours ago, Lady Meer said:

In the picture from the DM, why are there 2 suitcases in the room? 

 

The kettle caddy is on the floor but the contents, including the kettle, are upright and neat.

 

The tissue box is still on the table in its usual place.

 

The waste bin is on the floor upright in its usual place despite a heavy table which seems to have been moved.

 

Grey clothes by the curtain are neatly folded and in a pile despite the heavy chain being almost on top of them.

 

There is also a heavy chair upside down by the window... but the fruit bowl is on the floor... still the right way up with fruit still in it.

[Dermotsgirl]

12 hours ago, Lady Meer said:

In the picture from the DM, why are there 2 suitcases in the room? 

Does 2 cases in a room mean something significant that I’m not aware of ? 

[Dermotsgirl]

8 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

The kettle caddy is on the floor but the contents, including the kettle, are upright and neat.

 

The tissue box is still on the table in its usual place.

 

The waste bin is on the floor upright in its usual place despite a heavy table which seems to have been moved.

 

Grey clothes by the curtain are neatly folded and in a pile despite the heavy chain being almost on top of them.

 

There is also a heavy chair upside down by the window... but the fruit bowl is on the floor... still the right way up with fruit still in it.

Not sure what you are getting at here?
 

Do you mean that the picture is staged, or that it couldn’t have been that bad because the fruit is still in the bowl? Or something else?
 

it just sounds like an attempt to minimise what happened.

[Windsurfboy]

Ship in great condition. 😁

 

Captain being ultra cautious,  not going to Azores. Even though only 6m waves predicted . Very much agree with with that, off to Lisbon then south into smooth waters before heading west

[david05]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Do you mean that the picture is staged, or that it couldn’t have been that bad because the fruit is still in the bowl?

Well the picture does look odd, maybe the person who took it had put some of the things back upright and the tissues back on the desk but, if not, then yes it does look a bit staged. That's not to minimise what happened but you can't necessarily believe everything you see.

[Lady Meer]

2 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Does 2 cases in a room mean something significant that I’m not aware of ? 

Why would you have your cases out during a storm?

[Dermotsgirl]

19 minutes ago, Lady Meer said:

Why would you have your cases out during a storm?

Personally I’d have stowed as much as I could in the cases and kept them under the bed..

 

But who knows what was going on in that one isolated photo - for all we know the picture was taken when they were trying to get straight.

 

 

[JMMKUK]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Ship in great condition. 😁

 

Captain being ultra cautious,  not going to Azores. Even though only 6m waves predicted . Very much agree with with that, off to Lisbon then south into smooth waters before heading west

Can be difficult to 'park' in the Azores any time. We had to miss them out on the way to Halifax. Think it was 9 straight sea days. Halifax & the St Lawrence were worth it though.

Same captain as last cruise?

Who is your butler? Have you booked the speciality restaurants yet?

[Windsurfboy]

Butler Neol

 

Different captain  but forgot name, 

 

Butler booked,  next 2 weeks of Speciality restaurants,  came round with form for all his suites, no limits on how many times. Could have booked for longer but can't think thar far ahead

. 

[Brummijam]

1 hour ago, Lady Meer said:

Why would you have your cases out during a storm?

Perhaps they were packing before the ship hit the storm, They were traveling towards home.🤷🏻‍♂️

Is it relevant..?

Edited November 8, 2023 by Brummijam

[Tothesunset]

I hadn't realised there were so many Master Mariners and Forensic Detectives on this forum! 

[LondonLad60]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Butler Neol

 

Different captain  but forgot name, 

 

Butler booked,  next 2 weeks of Speciality restaurants,  came round with form for all his suites, no limits on how many times. Could have booked for longer but can't think thar far ahead

. 

So it sounds like what was alluded to on the Speciality Restaurants thread could be true then - it's one rule for suite passengers and another for the hoi polloi.

[twotravellersLondon]

3 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

But who knows what was going on in that one isolated photo

 

Not "one isolated photo"... one of 17 published by the Daily Mail... five of which were taken by the same passenger. 

 

According to the Daily Mail's caption this particular photo is supposed to represent ..."As the cruise ship was relentlessly pummeled for 18 hours some desperate passengers wrote notes to loved ones in case they did not make it home – while other traumatised travellers wore lifejackets for two days."

 

The same article assures readers that 30 ft waves tore into the boat for 18 hours. No photos that we are aware of showing the tear or 30 foot waves inside the ship. Perhaps a wee bit of exaggeration on someones part but..."Who knows?"

 

"P.S. "pummeled" is how the newspaper spelt it.

[Lady Meer]

20 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

I hadn't realised there were so many Master Mariners and Forensic Detectives on this forum! 

It gives me something to do on a cold, dreary day 🤔.  Too many Midsomer Murders, methinks!

[Dermotsgirl]

32 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

Not "one isolated photo"... one of 17 published by the Daily Mail... five of which were taken by the same passenger. 

 

According to the Daily Mail's caption this particular photo is supposed to represent ..."As the cruise ship was relentlessly pummeled for 18 hours some desperate passengers wrote notes to loved ones in case they did not make it home – while other traumatised travellers wore lifejackets for two days."

 

The same article assures readers that 30 ft waves tore into the boat for 18 hours. No photos that we are aware of showing the tear or 30 foot waves inside the ship. Perhaps a wee bit of exaggeration on someones part but..."Who knows?"

 

"P.S. "pummeled" is how the newspaper spelt it.

The Daily Fail's language is the language of the Daily Fail - what do you expect?

 

I've interacted elsewhere with enough of the passengers on the ship to understand that they went through a terrifying ordeal. I'm not sure what you are expecting of them - photos of them screaming and crying or else everything was fine? 

 

Many of the passengers are struggling to put the experience behind them. I've had it from two sources that a team of counsellors went on to the ship on Tuesday, to help the crew.

 

I still get the impression that, for whatever reason, you are keen to play this down - but I think that anybody who was on the ship will tell you, that a significant event happened, and yes, some passengers genuinely feared for their lives. 

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, Tothesunset said:

I hadn't realised there were so many Master Mariners and Forensic Detectives on this forum! 

Ah, I wondered when somebody would pop up with that - surprised it took so long, TBH! 

[Harry Peterson]

33 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

The Daily Fail's language is the language of the Daily Fail - what do you expect?

Well, to be fair, it would normally be something on these lines:

 

’British pensioners hit by giant foreign killer waves as the BBC and RNLI stand back and refuse to help.’

[Tothesunset]

6 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Well, to be fair, it would normally be something on these lines:

 

’British pensioners hit by giant foreign killer waves as the BBC and RNLI stand back and refuse to help.’

And how that will affect property prices. 

[Tothesunset]

42 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Ah, I wondered when somebody would pop up with that - surprised it took so long, TBH! 

It's important to remember that trial by social media is not guaranteed to be impartial or even intelligible.