Fixing the Oosterdam

[Tinknock50]

Ahoy! We are on the Oosterdam right now and take it from me the azipod is NOT repaired. We were late getting into Cabo for which we received a $25 OBC. We are pretty much circling around avoiding Paul and the itenerary is totally in the air. Mazatlan is out, PV not even mentioned. We are watching whitecaps and it is very cloudy and breezy and warm. I have received so much good info and advice from this board and I knew you would want to know.

 

Sail,

 

We are mainly relying on Redhearts report when he says it is not repaired.

I think he is also saying that the storm is effecting their port times.

 

I guess HAL needs to define what they mean by repaired.

[fcorey]

Sail, one of my parent's friends is aboard, they also said that the pod has not been repaired. Last I had heard through the rumor mill was that they were having difficulty removing the melted windings. Not sure if that is true. However I had not heard that they had re-attached the prop blades to the port pod.

Bottom line though, we had the best time on our cruise even with the azipod failure, and its sold my wife on cruising again :)

[San Diego Cruzer]

I too would like to know what HAL means by "repaired". We are booked on the Jan 13th cruise and I called HAL yesterday after seeing this thread. I was assured that the propulsion problem had been "repaired" after the last cruise and that there was nothing wrong with the Ship. Hopefully, we can get further clarification from those on board currently.

[bardgal]

Perhaps we will all have to wait until the 10.18 cruise to see if the port times are back to normal......

[barbon2]

I also called HAL and was told that the ship was being repaired as it went into port a little at a time. I was "assured" that there none of the sailings would be cancelled. Who knows, I did notice that the Dec. 2 cruise which I am on is sold out, so hopefully this one will not be cancelled. On a brighter note, our TA called today and said our docs were in.

As for the change of itinerary for this cruise, I think a lot does have to do with the hurricane.

Barbara

[sail7seas]

Sail, one of my parent's friends is aboard, they also said that the pod has not been repaired. Last I had heard through the rumor mill was that they were having difficulty removing the melted windings. Not sure if that is true. However I had not heard that they had re-attached the prop blades to the port pod.

Bottom line though, we had the best time on our cruise even with the azipod failure, and its sold my wife on cruising again :)

 

Wonderful to hear you and your wife had such a good time.

That's great!!!

So, have you booked your next one yet? :D

[fcorey]

Wonderful to hear you and your wife had such a good time.

That's great!!!

So, have you booked your next one yet? :D

 

Next one will be Alaska, havent set the absolute date yet. Will be doing that soon though :)

[MauiMermaid]

I too would like to know what HAL means by "repaired". We are booked on the Jan 13th cruise and I called HAL yesterday after seeing this thread. I was assured that the propulsion problem had been "repaired" after the last cruise and that there was nothing wrong with the Ship. Hopefully, we can get further clarification from those on board currently.

 

I guess it depends on what the definition of "repaired" is. I need to buy air for the same departure but if we're playing word games, that really concerns me. "Wishful thinking" isn't "repaired". Everone is correct...with the internet, companies operate in a very transparent business environment and communications which are not correct are easily discovered. :confused:

 

I am REALLY hoping it's all just a weather issue. We really enjoyed Alaska on the Westerdam and this is a trip we are really looking forward to.

 

MM

[Redheart]

We are now heading to PV, arriving Wed AM YAY! The azipod is not repaired. We received a letter from the captain explaining that's why we were later than scheduled arriving at Cabo and received the credit. We stayed overnight near Cabo to keep our options open. We also had to send off a sick crew member. We should be able to have shore excursions as planned. We crafters kept ourselves entertained while the captain was trying to decide our best course. will post again if time permits.

[Tinknock50]

Thanks for reporting in, Redheart.

 

Maybe we should start a boarding pool and bet on when the drydock will be.:)

[bentpilot]

So ... if one of the Oosterdams azipods has failed, how many other sources of power and propulsion are left? Specifically...

 

1. If there is only one azipod currently working, are there addidtional thrusters that can assist with forward propulsion?

 

2. Does the ship have seperate power generators, seperate from the azipods, that supply electicity to the ship? Do the azipods provide any electricity to the ship or are they totally seperated from the ships power supply?

[USNDiver]

Okay I'm not even booked until next May and I'm getting scared. Here's my thoughts (paranoid as they might be.)

 

If one "pod" failed is the other one likely to do the same?

(manufactured/installed at the same time, under similar conditions/quality control measures.)

 

Is using a single pod putting excess stress on the remaining pod and shortening its lifespan?

 

Will this affect the quality of the Martini's on board?

[DFD1]

No......yes......and NO!

[HalFan]

I wrote HAL yesterday expressing my concern and inquiring about the Oosterdam azipod problems and when it would be fixed since I am cruising in January. Here is their response:

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the ms Oosterdam departing January 13, 2007.

 

Please note although there was a malfunction of an azipod on one sailing which did have a modified itinerary, it has since been repaired. The ms Oosterdam has not changed her itinerary for the January 13, 2007 sailing and is as follows:

 

0 San Diego, California 5:00 pm

1 At Sea

2 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 1 8:00 am 6:00 pm

3 Mazatlan, Mexico 8:00 am 6:00 pm

4 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 8:00 am 10:00 pm

5 At Sea

6 At Sea

7 San Diego, California 7:00 am

 

Holland America Line's new As You Wish dining program gives guests the

flexibility to dine when and with whom they wish anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in the Main Dining Room. As You Wish dining works, wherein guests may make reservations onboard if they prefer, or simply arrive with their party anytime during the hours the Main Restaurant is open.

 

If you have additional questions or need more specific information regarding As You Wish dining, please contact our ship services department directly at toll free 1-800-541-1576.

 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Our valued Mariners comments or suggestions are always welcome and very much appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again in the near future.

 

Thank you for your continued patronage!

 

I do not feel that HAL is being completely truthful about this azipod situation and I will be contacting them further. Also, I will be writing them about the new dining program. There was nothing in my cruise booking about it when I made it last week. In fact they confirmed an 8:15 dining time! These repsonses from HAL are more like marketing than straight answers to cruiser's concerns. :mad:

[fcorey]

Bentpilot, to answer your questions, 1 - this ship is a modifcation of a Carnival Spirit class design, there are two pods, basically they look like the bottom of an outboard motor but with the prop facing forward so they pull the ship through the water. They are huge, about 25 feet tall, and weigh up to 200 tons according to someone I asked while I was aboard. They produce about 46,000HP. The only other thrusters are the bow thrusters that move the bow side to side during a docking maneuver. There are only 2 pods for forward / reverse propulsion.

2 - The Oosterdam is like a giant floating power station. All propulsion is electric. There are 5 large diesel engines powering generators, and an additional gas turbine that powers another generator. Together they produce about 84,000HP. She can generate enough power to light up a small to medium size city. This results in fuel consumption of about 220 tons a day diesel (55-60,000gal), and an additional 90 tons for the gas turbine (200,000gal). The pods run on electricity, basically two motors per pod. They however do not generate any electricity.

 

USNDiver, the pod failed after the drydock and its likely that it was because the servicing missed something or did something improperly. Otherwise very coincidental that 5 days after she left drydock the pod failed. Using a single pod while dragging the other with a windmilling prop would cause extra vibration and possibly some wear. However that is why they removed the prop on the port pod. I wouldnt worry about them overworking the pods, they ran for three years straight without servicing, they are generally pretty tough. However they are running at a reduced speed to prevent overworking the starboard pod. Trust me they dont want to jeopardize a $500M ship or its crew and passengers. They are saying its "repaired" as they are making all stops scheduled, just different hours in port, also I am sure they dont want to panic those that have reservations as they expect to get her repaired soon.

 

and no, Martini quality was excellent....before and after the failure :)

 

Bottomline, I was aboard when this happened, and let me tell you it really didnt affect our vacation at all, we missed a port, but we had 7 great days, and HAL and the crew went out of their way to make it a great vacation. They also fairly compensated us for that inconvenience, which came in handy when I saw the DW's spa bill! :o Much to my surprise my wife has now agreed to go on another cruise next year, I didnt think I'd see that happen so quickly :) Our first cruise wasnt her cup of tea, yet I've been dying to go on anotehr for years.

 

Don't be nervous, the crew, Captain Mercer, and hotel manager Mr. Deering will do everything humanly possible to make sure you have a great vacation. I am sure the the port pod will be repaired as soon as possible.

[Tinknock50]

I wrote HAL yesterday expressing my concern and inquiring about the Oosterdam azipod problems and when it would be fixed since I am cruising in January. Here is their response:

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the ms Oosterdam departing January 13, 2007.

 

Please note although there was a malfunction of an azipod on one sailing which did have a modified itinerary, it has since been repaired. The ms Oosterdam has not changed her itinerary for the January 13, 2007 sailing and is as follows:

 

0 San Diego, California 5:00 pm

1 At Sea

2 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 1 8:00 am 6:00 pm

3 Mazatlan, Mexico 8:00 am 6:00 pm

4 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 8:00 am 10:00 pm

5 At Sea

6 At Sea

7 San Diego, California 7:00 am

 

Holland America Line's new As You Wish dining program gives guests the

flexibility to dine when and with whom they wish anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in the Main Dining Room. As You Wish dining works, wherein guests may make reservations onboard if they prefer, or simply arrive with their party anytime during the hours the Main Restaurant is open.

 

If you have additional questions or need more specific information regarding As You Wish dining, please contact our ship services department directly at toll free 1-800-541-1576.

 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Our valued Mariners comments or suggestions are always welcome and very much appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again in the near future.

 

Thank you for your continued patronage!

 

I do not feel that HAL is being completely truthful about this azipod situation and I will be contacting them further..............These repsonses from HAL are more like marketing than straight answers to cruiser's concerns. :mad:

 

This kind of response is starting to make me angry. It is a fact that port times will be shortened because of the reduced speed required of operating on one pod.

 

How can a ship missing a prop be considered "repaired"??

If they had said "will be repaired" by your sailing date, I could cut them some slack.

[azsunshine]

I just talked to ship services, and they are going to email the ship coordinator for direct information and will forward that email to me. I will let you know what they say. I told her that we had on cruise critic approximately 14 different answers from HAL on what was going on with the repair, and any delays or trip cancellations. I told her we would like some true information, not the PR version because they were losing credibility with those of us cruising on her in the next few months. We will see!:rolleyes:

[Tinknock50]

I just talked to ship services, and they are going to email the ship coordinator for direct information and will forward that email to me. I will let you know what they say. I told her that we had on cruise critic approximately 14 different answers from HAL on what was going on with the repair, and any delays or trip cancellations. I told her we would like some true information, not the PR version because they were losing credibility with those of us cruising on her in the next few months. We will see!:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for "taking the bull by the horns" to get some real information.

 

Will be interesting to see the response.

[HalFan]

azsunshine,

Thanks for contacting Ship Services. The more they hear from us cruise critics, maybe they'll start telling us the truth. I have my final payment due on Monday, and I'm thinking of pulling the plug. I booked this cruise for the time in the ports - the full time. HAL needs to just "fess up" and tell us what's going on now instead of when you're already in San Diego and aboard, so there's not much you can do.

[fitters]

I just read this on the newest member review:

 

"The Oosterdam has lost the use of one Azipod during the previous cruise and it was announced that we would bet traveling with only one and therefore our speed would be reduced from 24 knots to 19 knots. To compensate the passengers for this slight inconvenience we were given an onboard credit of $ 25.00 per passenger and a complimentary bottle of wine with our Sunday evening dinner. I heard that this Azipod situation will be partially corrected within two weeks and completely replaced during the April haul out."

Hhm....does this mean the ports will be shorten.....?......

[bentpilot]

Fcorey,

Thanks for your answers to my questions about the azipods and power for the Oosterdam. I must be missing something here, but I find it hard to believe the authorities (Coast Guard) would allow a ship carrying 1800 passengers to cruise the open ocean with only one engine! (let alone when there is a hurricane in the region). We are booked on the O’dam next month, and this entire situation has me a bit worried. Why?....

1. Reverse engineer this scenario: What would HAL’s response be if the remaining azipod fails while out to sea? How do you explain continuing to sail on only one engine, and then having the remining engine fail? To not plan for the worst case scenario is irresponsible.

2. Imagine if the airliner you were flying to San Diego had an engine failure. An engine failure is the very definition of an emergency (by the FAA). Your plane lands in Phoenix instead of San Diego. The airline pulls the failed engine off the airplane and tells the passengers that everything is OK, the flight will just take a bit longer because the plane is missing an engine. How many of you would board that plane for San Diego?

3. As an airplane pilot, this entire single azipod issue is very unnerving. The ship was designed for two azipods. If they could have designed it with just one, they would have. Is it wrong to assume that since they did not design it with one azipod, that two azipods are necessary for efficient and SAFE operations? I can understand limping back to port with a full load of passengers to fix the problem, however, I cannot understand continuing to sail, week after week, with a full load of passengers with only one azipod!!!

4. I hope I do not sound like chicken little, with reports of the ‘sky is falling, the sky is falling’. Unfortunately, with the absence of information, this is the best I can come up with. We can’t wait to take our first cruise with HAL, we just want it to be as safe as the ship was designed to be.

[USNDiver]

I just read this on the newest member review:

 

"The Oosterdam has lost the use of one Azipod during the previous cruise and it was announced that we would bet traveling with only one and therefore our speed would be reduced from 24 knots to 19 knots. To compensate the passengers for this slight inconvenience we were given an onboard credit of $ 25.00 per passenger and a complimentary bottle of wine with our Sunday evening dinner. I heard that this Azipod situation will be partially corrected within two weeks and completely replaced during the April haul out."

 

Hhm....does this mean the ports will be shorten.....?......

 

Okay here's a silly question, what's "The April Haul out?"

[Grumpy1]

Fcorey,

 

Thanks for your answers to my questions about the azipods and power for the Oosterdam. I must be missing something here, but I find it hard to believe the authorities (Coast Guard) would allow a ship carrying 1800 passengers to cruise the open ocean with only one engine! (let alone when there is a hurricane in the region). We are booked on the O’dam next month, and this entire situation has me a bit worried. Why?....

 

1. Reverse engineer this scenario: What would HAL’s response be if the remaining azipod fails while out to sea?

Call for tugboats. they aren't that far out at sea on that route.

How do you explain continuing to sail on only one engine, and then having the remining engine fail? To not plan for the worst case scenario is irresponsible.

I think they have planned for worst case scenarios and those plans have been approved by the US Coast Guard and HAL's insurance carriers or she would not have left San Diego with passengers.

 

2. Imagine if the airliner you were flying to San Diego had an engine failure. An engine failure is the very definition of an emergency (by the FAA). Your plane lands in Phoenix instead of San Diego. The airline pulls the failed engine off the airplane and tells the passengers that everything is OK, the flight will just take a bit longer because the plane is missing an engine. How many of you would board that plane for San Diego?

Totally bogus comparison, IMHO. If the second engine on a two engine plan fails, the airplane falls out of the sky with totally catastrophic results. If the second pod fails, the ship stops. Period. No catastrophy. They can even use the bow thrusters to keep the bow pointed in the way that will minimize rolling in rough seas until the tug boats arrive.

 

3. As an airplane pilot, this entire single azipod issue is very unnerving. The ship was designed for two azipods. If they could have designed it with just one, they would have. Is it wrong to assume that since they did not design it with one azipod, that two azipods are necessary for efficient and SAFE operations?

Efficient operations, yes, safe, no, IMHO

I can understand limping back to port with a full load of passengers to fix the problem, however, I cannot understand continuing to sail, week after week, with a full load of passengers with only one azipod!!!

There are a lot of things in this world that I don't understand either, but I seldom let them bother me if I feel that people that DO understand are working on the problem, and I do feel that HAL and the engineering staffs of the shipyard, the pod manufacturer, the Maritime Safety Board and the insurance companies are qualified to make the determination that the ship is safe to operate.

 

4. I hope I do not sound like chicken little, with reports of the ‘sky is falling, the sky is falling’. Unfortunately, with the absence of information, this is the best I can come up with. We can’t wait to take our first cruise with HAL, we just want it to be as safe as the ship was designed to be.

[Tinknock50]

While the 10/21 sailing is not a full-ship charter, there are 2 large and one medium sized groups onboard, so perhaps they decided making the H/M switch for 2 weeks made sense.

 

This was the schedule change information for the 10/21 sailing given to our group by HAL:

 

7-DAY MEXICAN RIVIERA SAN DIEGO - SAN DIEGO

 

# DAY PORT ARRIVE DEPART

 

Oct 21 SAT SAN DIEGO, CA, USA 17:00

22 SUN At Sea

 

23 MON Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 12:00 18:00

 

24 TUE Mazatlan, Mexico 8:00 18:00

25 WED Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 8:00 19:00

 

26 THU At Sea

27 FRI At Sea

28 SAT San Diego 7am

 

Thought I would repeat this quote again......this shows the itinerary change. (not storm related). How can HAL reps be right when they say no change in port times when this group was infomed that is changed.

[Grumpy1]

Okay here's a silly question, what's "The April Haul out?"

Sounds like drydock... as in "haul it out of the water"