Queen Victoria delayed docking in Cape Town

[Windsurfboy]

Very  strange as only 15 knots officially recorded yesterday in CapeTown,  which is normal for this time of year.

 

The windy season is November to February, the "Cape doctor" , due to trade winds being accelerated by thermal effect of high inland temperatures. 40 knots+ in afternoon is  not unusual in January but rare April, Table Mountain normally shelters Cape town city centre  from worst winds

 

Katabatic winds are normally  at night or early morning and short lived,  so won't have kept a ship at harbour all day. 

 

Unfortunately our visa ran out on 9th , or would have cancelled flight to get on Victoria. 

 

Winds were petering out as normal  before we left

[RedMeerkat]

Cruise Mapper is now showing QV going straight to Santa Cruz de Tenerife instead of docking at Walvis Bay tomorrow.  That will upset a few people...

 

[bluemarble]

32 minutes ago, RedMeerkat said:

Cruise Mapper is now showing QV going straight to Santa Cruz de Tenerife instead of docking at Walvis Bay tomorrow.  That will upset a few people...

 

I'm also seeing elsewhere that QV's call to Walvis Bay has been canceled. I think that was pretty much inevitable after the 12+ hour delay departing Cape Town this morning instead of last evening. The best she could have managed would have been a late afternoon arrival at Walvis Bay tomorrow.

Edited April 13 by bluemarble

[Victoria2]

11 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

I'm also seeing elsewhere that QV's call to Walvis Bay has been canceled. I think that was pretty much inevitable after the 12+ hour delay departing Cape Town this morning instead of last evening. The best she could have managed would have been a late afternoon arrival at Walvis Bay tomorrow.

Inevitable, but a real shame for those onboard.

Walvis Bay was an amazing stop for us. Tenerife is pretty mundane in comparison.

[bluemarble]

44 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Inevitable, but a real shame for those onboard.

Walvis Bay was an amazing stop for us. Tenerife is pretty mundane in comparison.

 

Not sure if QM2 is going to be delayed departing Cape Town as well (she's still there after 7:00pm local time). But unlike QM2 which is scheduled to call at Walvis Bay a second time on Monday (because of being rerouted back around Africa for the return to Southampton), this was of course QV's only chance to call at Walvis Bay this year.

[Wonky]

Was there another ship in with the Viking? Mysterious how there is room for QM2 and QV but not Viking and QV or was she parked badly?!🤣

[exlondoner]

24 minutes ago, Wonky said:

Was there another ship in with the Viking? Mysterious how there is room for QM2 and QV but not Viking and QV or was she parked badly?!🤣

I thought it was getting out - and in - that was the problem, not space once there.

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, Wonky said:

Was there another ship in with the Viking? Mysterious how there is room for QM2 and QV but not Viking and QV or was she parked badly?!🤣

 

On Thursday, Viking Neptune was docked at E-Berth and there was a container ship (I think it was Maersk Euphrates) docked at F-Berth (where QM2 was docked yesterday). QM2 has since relocated to E-Berth following QV's departure.

 

I'm not knowledgeable about all the details, but from what I've gathered from some well-informed posts elsewhere, the Viking Ocean ships tend to be less maneuverable in windy conditions during docking procedures. I can't say for certain, but QV may have been able to dock at Cape Town on Thursday if Viking Neptune had been able to vacate E-Berth or another suitable berth had been available.

 

Now having said that, QV was late departing Cape Town, so perhaps she ran into conditions similar to what Viking Neptune experienced. And the drama continues with QM2 which hasn't departed Cape Town past 9:00pm local time.

Edited April 13 by bluemarble

[NE John]

There is a poster on the Viking CC site stating he has 30 years of passenger ship command that the Viking Neptune needs a propulsion overhaul to make it more ocean worthy to deal with high winds. The key issue is the Viking Neptune doesn’t have Azipods to maneuver in high winds while QV does. There also seems to be a war of words going on there between frustrated Queen Vic pax and the Vikings. History repeats itself!  I’m in bed sick today so catching up CC is my entertainment today…

[tjunmin]

6 minutes ago, NE John said:

There is a poster on the Viking CC site stating he has 30 years of passenger ship command that the Viking Neptune needs a propulsion overhaul to make it more ocean worthy to deal with high winds. The key issue is the Viking Neptune doesn’t have Azipods to maneuver in high winds while QV does. There also seems to be a war of words going on there between frustrated Queen Vic pax and the Vikings. History repeats itself!  I’m in bed sick today so catching up CC is my entertainment today…

Sorry to hear you are feeling unwell, John. Wish you a speedy recovery.

[tjunmin]

Hope QM2 will be able to get to Walvis Bay. I really would like to visit it! It is extremely unlikely that I'll return to this part of the world. We are currently still docked in Cape Town. :(

Edited April 13 by tjunmin

[bluemarble]

7 minutes ago, tjunmin said:

Hope QM2 will be able to get to Walvis Bay. I really would like to visit it! It is extremely unlikely that I'll return to this part of the world. We are currently still docked in Cape Town. 😞

 

I shouldn't have been quite so glib in my earlier comment mentioning QM2 had already been to Walvis Bay during the current world cruise. Of course there are many/most guests doing segments of the world cruise who were not there the first time around. I do hope you are able to depart soon and make it to Walvis Bay.

Edited April 13 by bluemarble

[Host Hattie]

10 minutes ago, tjunmin said:

Hope QM2 will be able to get to Walvis Bay. I really would like to visit it! It is extremely unlikely that I'll return to this part of the world. We are currently still docked in Cape Town. 😞

Thanks for the update, has the Captain said when you are likely to leave ?

 

[tjunmin]

2 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Thanks for the update, has the Captain said when you are likely to leave ?

 

If I recall correctly - when the captain made his announcement - they will monitor the conditions and will be ready to depart within 30 minutes of the wind conditions improving.

[Host Hattie]

Thank you, fingers crossed there's still time to get to Walvis Bay.

[bluemarble]

I see QM2 got underway about 15 minutes ago (approximately 2:20am local time). She's still reporting Walvis Bay as her destinations via AIS, so hopefully the call to Walvis Bay is still in the cards.

[roscoe39]

well that certainly made for an interesting couple of days. 

We are now heading to Tenerife so ten days at sea because as you know by now Walvis Bay has to be missed (don't worry there's nothing there, a couple of flamingos and a pile of sand)  Can't wait .... I love the sea days unfortunately there are some on board not so enamoured with them and the rumbling continues, as you would expect after all .....We are Cunard. Some think that Cunard did it on purpose to save port fees others are blaming Viking for not being adventurous. Although the Captain did tell us the Viking ship was refusing to move in his broadcast there would have been much more going on behind the scenes and it wasn't necessary for us to know all the details.

 

We were off in Port Elizabeth to do our own overlands independently  and were nicely ensconced in our lodge having just returned from our early morning game drive when I looked at ship tracker and must admit to having a bit of a surprise when I saw the QV was still out to sea.

 

Facebook was a nightmare and the rumours swirling around about what would happen next were more amusing than alarming as it was obvious that if she wanted able to get in that day she would have to just wait it out until she could. There was the refuelling for her stint up the coast of Africa to Tenerife, 900 passengers getting off, 700 getting on, the provisions the ship so badly needed and the Captain wanting his holiday plus a number of Cunard sponsored excursions that were on land. There was no way the company could not complete those tasks so if it took a couple of days waiting it out she would have to.

 

It is also a good lesson in taking out good travel insurance.

 

As it turned out despite the naysayers online and after a great night in a hotel in Capetown with all of us gelling in a group of combined experience  - those on the Cunard excursions being covered completely by the company - food booze accommodation the lot, we had a great night out with them in the V & A waterfront area dining on Zebra and sampling some very fine South African Wines -  it all went very well. I think the numbers swelled to about 15 of us in the hotel. some independant some sponsored by the company

 

I must say as an independant and watching how Cunard's Agents worked on the excursions behalf they were very well looked after. Fortunately I had recognised some from my dining room and stuck to them like a limpet as I knew that to do so meant that I was where I was meant to be at the right time.

 

Once the ship got in, the ship swung into action and the began bunkering and she provisioned right up until 7.15pm that night and once they got immigration off the Hull doors were slammed shut and it was just a waiting game. There had been an opportunity at 6pm to get us away but the ship wasn't ready.

 

They checked all night until finally at 6am a narrow opportunity opened, we had half an hour to make a break for it and within minutes and to much horn blowing between us and the QM2 we made a break for the breakwater and out into  the seas. I believe that the port was closed behind us although don't quote me.

 

The QM2 finally made it out at 3am 8 hours late.

 

This is quite typical of my previous port visits here so was expected.

 

I've read the viking threads......oh you guys are funny......some of the comments had me chuckling...oh how we laughed. All good now although some on board are angry at Viking and some have some great conspiracy theories about the whole adventure, don't let facts get int he way of a good story.

 

Will update the blogs completely in the next few days.

 

exitviathegiftshop.blogspot.com 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by roscoe39

[tjunmin]

QM2 captain Andrew Hall just informed us that we'll arrive on Walvis Bay at 12:30 PM, due to the late departure from Cape Town. Departure from Walvis Bay has been pushed back by an hour, with all onboard at 7:30 PM and leaving at 8:00 PM.

 

I'm thankful that QM2 is still going to Walvis Bay.

Edited April 14 by tjunmin

[rog747]

Deleted ! 

Edited April 14 by rog747

[Vikingtraveller2]

16 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I thought it was getting out - and in - that was the problem, not space once there.

 

[Vikingtraveller2]

There was another ship there the previous day which left at around 6pm. It wasn't the lack of space, it was the wind problem getting in and out.

[chengkp75]

16 hours ago, NE John said:

There is a poster on the Viking CC site stating he has 30 years of passenger ship command that the Viking Neptune needs a propulsion overhaul to make it more ocean worthy to deal with high winds.

That is not what Andy said.  He stated that the two ships are designed differently.  There is no "overhaul" that can change the Neptune from shafted propellers to azipods.  You will notice that he did mention that Neptune did not have variable pitch propellers nor "high lift" rudders.  I've been on ships with shafted propellers, that were variable pitch, and did have high lift rudders, and these were very nearly as maneuverable as azipod propelled ships.  What the design decisions to have the current propulsion/maneuvering system on the Viking ships, is something only discussed in Viking's boardroom.

 

Secondly, he said nothing at all about the Viking ship being less "ocean worthy" than the Cunard ships.  He stated that they had different handling characteristics while maneuvering at low speeds (docking/undocking), but they also have differing handling in high winds due to the relative sizes of the two ships.  98% of the ships in the world are not as maneuverable as the Cunard ships when docking, and rely on tugs to make up for it.  Whether or not the harbormaster would have allowed the Viking ship to depart with tug assist is something none of us know, nor will know.  Whether the decision to not depart with tugs was a financial decision or a safety decision (the company's SMS, as Andy points out), is also something none of us will ever know.

[sogne]

these photos St Petersburg 2016 from QE illustrate clearly the difference made by berth position and wind direction

 

wind was 45knots west more or less straight on QE beam note the slight list of the HA ship

 

spray was felt on deck QV deck 10

 

the Viking and MSC ships got away with tug assistance perhaps with wind about 5 degrees on port bow

 

it took 2 tugs to move the bunker barge away from QE

 

we left the next morning in a flat calm and were a day late to Kiel which was a disembarkation and embarking port.

 

comments at dinner and elsewhere that evening illustrated how easy it is to be critical without responsibility

 

the many amateur captains on board were full of fanciful theories about the QE captain ability and otherwise

 

as three ships the Viking and both QV and QM2 were delayed the wind  was most likely the cause of the delay

 

 

[tjunmin]

1 hour ago, sogne said:

the many amateur captains on board were full of fanciful theories about the QE captain ability and otherwise

 

Confidence should not be confused with knowledge. Just because someone speaks loudly does not necessarily mean they know what they are talking about.

[sogne]

1 hour ago, tjunmin said:

Confidence should not be confused with knowledge. Just because someone speaks loudly does not necessarily mean they know what they are talking about.

Indeed opinion based on ignorance is usually wrong.