Millennium 3/15/09 Sailing Canceled (Several merged threads)

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Thanks. I thought it was in Auckland already being repaired!

 

Auckland does not have a dry dock big enough to fit a cruse ship….

[mrscruz&mrgrumpy]

Hi all, firstly I'm sorry to hear that so many people have missed their cruise from March 15. I have just returned from the March 1 -15 Sydney-Auckland cruise and all of the boats problems were a huge disappointment for most guests. The information given to the passengers was very brief, often conflicting especially with regards to the March 15 sail. When we got off on Sunday the latest info was that the mechanical issue (1 pod not working) was to be rectified as they were sailing directly to Sydney, at 1pm, where the part was waiting.

 

Our cruise was affected to a large extent by this mechanical issue. Looking out the back of the boat we only ever saw propulsion coming from one side (lucky we didn't keep turning in circles!!!LOL) We missed our first post of call Phillip Island due to this mechanical issue, every stateroom was credited with $100 for the loss - we were told it was because the ship was running at 17 knots (normally 22).

We got around Fiordland national park ok and the following day got into dunedin. When it was time to leave dunedin ... we didn't! We were told that the winds (40-60mph) were stopping us - even though we'd just waved goodbye to Volendam just minutes before!! Yes it is a narrow passage to get out of Dunedin - and safety first is the best bet, but 99% of the passengers were very annoyed. This is in part because Celebrity blamed the weather as the reason for being stuck there - but if the ship was sailing in a sound fashion, we would have got out just like Volendam and all the cargo ships we saw come and go! Celebrity refused to credit anyone as "weather" to blame .. remember!! Rubbish!! As a result we missed Christchuch and ended up with another sea day, after having had only 1 day off the boat in 4 days - everyone a bit stir crazy! We managed to get to Wellington the next day (average speed 18 knots) thanks in part to a tail wind. Rumours were all over the ship with regards to the nature of the problem, the return auk-syd cruise, and the plan for the ship for the next month. Unfortunately the information from Celebrity was very minimal and poor and it was their staff telling the different stories! Of course then the passengers hear and pass on - well who knew what was going on!!?? Another annoying factor to that was that the captain did not announce that we were staying in dunedin for the night, it was left to the cruise director - i believe that is the captain's responsibilty! I told this to the cruise director as we walked side by side back to the ship in Wellington - his reasoning was that the captain was hard to understand - I told him that we'd managed to understand everything else that he had told us - no response back from the cruise director! The ship managed quite well to get us to all of our other ports on time (often early) and all was well for those of us not doing back2back. Unfortunately there was also info that people had already flown in to Auckland for their trip - don't know if they were notified in advance - yet again, poor communication & rumours everywhere.

 

For those of you sailing March 29 I hope the ship is mechanically sound and functioning and that you have a nice trip.

 

Lisa (unlikely to sail celebrity again!)

[The_Big_M]

Thanks. I thought it was in Auckland already being repaired! Do you still think it will be ready on March 29?

jewel queen

 

Based on prior experiences, it's expected to be, but as seen, unexpected things can happen. I'd suggest keep planning for it going ahead, but just keep an eye out in case any other news comes through.

[c-legs]

It didn't actually stay there as repairs will be in Sydney, and it's sailing for there now.

Hi,

 

Sydney :confused:?? I tought the only yard with sufficient drydock capacity for an

" M "" class was Brisbane....

Cheers

:)

[c-legs]

She is going to the dry dock at the Garden Island Navy Base (beside Woolloomooloo) in Sydney.

 

Oh...Right...

 

Thanks for your effort in keepig us current.

 

Cheers

;)

[c-legs]

Based on prior experiences, it's expected to be, but as seen, unexpected things can happen. I'd suggest keep planning for it going ahead, but just keep an eye out in case any other news comes through.

Hi, Based on historical patterns involving other ''M'' class....96-105 hours is needed, once drydocked, to perform the replacement of the subject radial thrust bearing.,starboard propulsion unit.

If she's drydocked proper in Sydney on 18th, she ought to be leaving 23rd latest..More than plenty time to be ready for embarkation on 29th....Which makes it logical to presume other works will be performed while she's laid up as == X == seems to have booked 7 ++ days at the yard.

She was ( still is ??? ) scheduled for a rather extensive visit at the yard ( In Victoria, BC., I presume ) upon arrival from the SouthPacific & Hawaii , and before starting up on her summer season in Alaska.

I suggest some of the work scheduled for ''drydock #2'' might be performed while in Sydney for ''drydock #1''....

Cheers

;)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

From Ports of Sydney schedule..

 

Sydney Harbour - Arrivals

 

18/03/2009 10:00 CAPTAIN COOK DRY IN(ICCD) MILLENNIUM Passenger Vessel

 

27/03/2009 03:00 OVERSEAS PT(SCPT) MILLENNIUM Passenger Vessel

[KiwiAtSea]

Another annoying factor to that was that the captain did not announce that we were staying in dunedin for the night, it was left to the cruise director - i believe that is the captain's responsibilty! I told this to the cruise director as we walked side by side back to the ship in Wellington - his reasoning was that the captain was hard to understand - I told him that we'd managed to understand everything else that he had told us - no response back from the cruise director!

Lisa (unlikely to sail celebrity again!)

 

Hi Lisa,

thankyou for the insight into your voyage. I read somewhere that you had a change of captain mid-cruise? If so, who is the captain now?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Millenium entering the drydock in Sydney this morning , Wed 18 March 09

 

 

 

[Shirley and Les]

Millenium entering the drydock in Sydney this morning , Wed 18 March 09

Out of curiosity, what time did the Millie show up at the drydock facility this morning. You posted these pictures about 11:30 am (your time) on Mar 19.2009. Here in the eastern time zone of the USA, it was 8:30 pm on March 17th. Great shots, incidentally!

I had been looking at the progress of the Millie on http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=9HJF9

and she was about 75 nautical miles off the coast at 6:00 am your time this morning .

For the last few hours she had been ripping along at 24 knots. I think that is somewhere around rated design speed which is pretty good for a ship with a defective power plant. :eek: I think she must have stayed at this speed for the balance of the trip. The Captain must have thought "Well, they are going to replace the bearings anyway."

I am a retired mechanical engineer and I really enjoy this kind of stuff. Just too much free time, I guess :o

We are on a 16 night Millie cruise this October so I am curious about her condition. We also had near misses with pod issues on both the Summit and the Infinity over the past few years.

Thanks,

Les

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Out of curiosity, what time did the Millie show up at the drydock facility this morning. You posted these pictures about 11:30 am (your time) on Mar 19.2009. Here in the eastern time zone of the USA, it was 8:30 pm on March 17th.Les

 

Hi Les,

The time shown on the bottom of each pic is live local Sydney time. She was due at 10am and I kept checking off and on from then. At 11am she was heading into the drydock. The cam was refreshing every minute . We are 2 hours ahead over here .

[bobsydney]

Out of curiosity, what time did the Millie show up at the drydock facility this morning. You posted these pictures about 11:30 am (your time) on Mar 19.2009. Here in the eastern time zone of the USA, it was 8:30 pm on March 17th. Great shots, incidentally!

Thanks,

Les

 

Docked at 12:12pm Sydney time and it's Wed 18 March here.

 

Cheers

Bob

[Shirley and Les]

Hi Les,

The time shown on the bottom of each pic is live local Sydney time. ...

Shame on me! I never scrolled down to see the bottom of the pictures with the time information. :o :o :o

[bobsydney]

Here is a picture of the Millennium in the Captain Cook dry dock in Sydney.

 

Cheers

Bob

[Blue Peter]

The latest news I have got from a subscribed French site dedicated to the shipping world is that Celebrity Millennium has left Auckland sunday the 15th without passengers to reach the Thales Defence Naval Drydock in Sydney Australia where her pod propulsion system shall be repaired.

She shall leave the dock on 26 March towards Auckland, New Zealand to resume her planned voyage on 29 March in the southern hemisphere before repositioning to Honolulu on 12 April and onward to Vancouver on 26 April.

Here is the French article.

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109787&u=44817

 

 

[EmsMom]

Hopefully, she's not really going to Auckland on March 26 since she is scheduled out of Sydney on March 29 for the Sydney/Auckland cruise!!!

[Blue Peter]

Let me rephrase this. ... I meant to say that Celebrity Millennium shall leave the Garden Island drydock on 26 March to resume her planned scheduled voyage to Auckland on 29 March in the southern hemisphere ...........

[mrscruz&mrgrumpy]

Hi Lisa,

thankyou for the insight into your voyage. I read somewhere that you had a change of captain mid-cruise? If so, who is the captain now?

 

I cannot remember the name of the new captain as it was never really publicly announced (another greek name i think). Obviously then there was a lot of speculation as to why the change, but apparently it's normal for them to change mid cruise after their 3 and a half month stint is over - I haven't heard of it before but my first cruise with celebrity.

 

Hopefully your cruise will be smooth sailing!!!

[traveling2]

I'm on the March 29th cruise. I sure hope it gets fixed.

Celebrity says it is going...........

[spucka4]

We are due to sail on Millennium on her next cruise on 29 March'09. Now on this board some are mentioning the ship possibly being in dry dock for 1 month. Wondering if there are any new updates? At least we are from Sydney so we will not be as inconvenienced as others who will be traveling to Sydney for the cruise. Hope there is good news to come.....

 

URL=http://www.cruisecritic.com][/url]

 

P&O Pacific Dawn Sydney to south Pacific islands Oct'08 - loved it!!!

[ConnMom]

I have been feeling so bad for everyone scheduled to be on the March 15 cruise, and am hoping that those of you on the March 29 sailing will be able to sail, as scheduled. My husband and I took a similar cruise on the Volendam in October, followed by the Rhapsody of the Seas to the Great Barrier Reef in November The ports were superb, and the people in both countries were so friendly and fun. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.

For those who are contemplating a land tour if the March 29 sailing is cancelled, I share our experiences in Dunedin, which was one of our best port days. The town is interesting, and the surrounding Otago peninsula is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. We had a full day excursion with Awesome Tours, which took us on a brief town tour to some of its highlights , followed by a trip to Nature's Wonders, where we boarded off-road vehicles for an adventure that took us to see gorgeous scenery, a colony of harbor seals, and a rare sea leopard. We later went by the Albatross Colony, found penguins on the shore and visited Larnarch Castle. I highly recommend visiting Dunedin if you have the time and also recommend Awesome Tours.

[Kaylas Mom]

Anyone know any news on the 3/29? I thought I read that they would make the decision on the 22nd or 23rd and here we are....

[loerie]

re millenium- seems full steam ahead- weflyout on 25th to sydney

[The_Big_M]

Anyone know any news on the 3/29? I thought I read that they would make the decision on the 22nd or 23rd and here we are....

 

I'd take that as meaning everything's still on track. I wouldn't expect them to send out an announcement saying that the plan hasn't changed, only if it did.

 

BTW, it's still currently in dry dock - guess they're taking advantage of the opportunity to do work while they can.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Wonder whats going on then as Ports of Sydney has here coming out of drydock this morning then coming back to OPT on Friday?

 

 

Sydney Harbour - Departures

 

* 24/03/2009 11:24 CAPTAIN COOK DRY IN(ICCD) MILLENNIUM Passenger Vessel Sydney

 

An * in the first column indicates movement had completed

 

Sydney Harbour - Arrivals

27/03/2009 03:00 OVERSEAS PT(SCPT) MILLENNIUM Passenger Vessel Sydney

 

Sydney Harbour - Departures

30/03/2009 14:00 OVERSEAS PT(SCPT) MILLENNIUM Passenger Vessel Melbourne