SeaDog-46

Caledonia Sky in anchored in Darwin outer anchorage.

Actually there are more on the East coast.

There are 13 Cruise ships leaving Australia at the moment - 7 on east & 6 on west.  Not counting The World that is off shore in international waters waiting orders.

The others have long gone - like Vasco, MSC Mag. & some others.

Amsterdam - has bunkered in Durban & is now going to Asia. Final Grand voyage for retiring master Capt. Mercer.

Arcadia & QM2 are going to Southampton.

Hi Bob-

Amsterdam is heading to pass south of Madagascar & onwards to Asia?

Already 4 x RCC,  1 Celebrity,  3 x P&O Au.,  3 x Princess,   2 x Carnival & Queen Elizabeth are all heading for ports in Philippines,

Indonesia & Singapore to reduce crews from Australia.  Singapore is enabling crew changes after restricting them.

There are two places with similar names - Bataan [W. side Manilla Bay] & Bataam  [opposite Singapore] in Indonesia.

Both Carnival ships are anchored Gladstone & 1 is currently taking bunkers.

They may also be shifting crew between ships that they were supposed to do several days ago.

Fort Lauderdale via Manilla? / Bali? & Panama Canal.

Carnival Spirit is anchored at GLADSTONE?

Carnival Splendor is a fair way off NE of port but heading in slowly.

ETA Fort Lauderdale 12th May

Amsterdam just leaving Durban port now.

Viking Orion like some others are still waiting orders but going in the right general direction.

Sun Princess is leading her 2 local sisters into Vitiaz Strait PNG - east of Lae. 

Large number of ships anchored in Manilla Bay & very few alongside.

MSG Magnifica did not get bunkers at Colombo & is now in Gulf of Aden for Suez Canal - AIS still Colombo - sloppy operation.

Amsterdam alongside berth in Durban waiting bunker barge.

Arcadia was not allowed into Teneriffe. Now bound Southampton.

The World still stooging miles SW of Geraldton in International waters & just passed by Radiance ots.

Les the commisioner proved himself a right peasant when he called Ruby Princess a  BOAT.  So did The Honourable Gladys.

Maybe they have leaned something in the debarcle as he now calls Ruby P. a ship.

Yehootu -   answers :

1/ Yes & No - depends.

2/ Yes

3/ Cargo ships have much smaller crews, larger tank space, use less water & produce less black water.

4/ No [need C/E to confirm] but they need to be a certain distance from land to make water.

There seems to be a lot of Hog-wash on this thread by some who know nothing about what they are spouting.  "Better to be thought a fool & say nothing,  than open your mouth & prove it."

All ships have a Minimum Manning Certificate.  Cruise ships are over manned on the bridge [Deck Officers] & engine room [Engineer Officers].  These could be reduced to the normal merchant ship bridge & engine room manning of 1 officer & 1 rating per watch,  plus the Ch.Eng. an Electrician & Master.  There are 3 watches.  

In addition there also needs to be a Bosun & some seaman to tie up the ship. These are the crew you see painting, driving tenders & doing other work around the ship. In the catering dept. there could be 1 or 2 cooks  [no chefs]  a Ch. Stwd. & a couple of stewards to serve meals to the officers & maintain cabins.

This would be the absolute minimum on the cruise ships without passengers.

Ships officers spend years moving up the ladder & this includes passing 3 major certificates with the Flag state - port marked on stern.  P&O Australia & Princess have some of the best qualified officers because they have to have certificates acceptable to the flag state - UK.  As apposed to registration in FOC countries on other cruise lines where the quality of certificates are not necessary so high.

Part of an officer position says they have steward service.  As for an officers dining room on a cruise ship - I don't think they have one. They use passengers dining areas or get meals & eat them in officers mess room.

There own laundry could/would be DIY or the ship does it especially for senior officers.

Some modern container ships built for low manning have no more than 20 onboard.  All turn out to moor the ship. 

As for all merchant ships having Chinese crews - this is nonsense.  They are only usually found on Hong Kong & Chinese registered ships.  Crews are mainly from Philippines, India, Eastern Europe & other Asian countries.

There has been only a slight disruption to Merchant ships in Australia. One requirement is vessel that have called into China must have 14 days at sea before berthing.

Tankers continue to bring in refined fuel mainly from Singapore. A few crude oil tankers arrive at our only 4 refineries still operating.  Bulk carriers wait outside our ore / coal ports waiting to load.  Container ships move hundreds of containers in & out.  LNG is exported from Dampier, Darwin & Gladstone. None or little disruption to these trades.  The main problem is crew changes.

I sailed in the Merchant Navy for 44 years & generally things have not changed that much.

For a few years sailed under various FOC flags with crews from Philippines, Indonesia, West Africa, India, plus some mixed, but mainly Australia & UK. 

John

Queensland Australia has ordered all cruise ships to leave there waters by 23:59 LT 8th April 2020.

Sea Princess, Sun Princess & Pacific Explorer [ex Dawn Princess] are in the Coral Sea north bound together heading for Manilla.  The last Pacific Dawn [ex Regal Princess] will follow the others north to Manilla after completing bunkering at Brisbane.

Ruby Princess will remain at Port Kembla NSW for some time.

Golden Princess is in Australian Bight bound for Jakarta.

ABC radio this morning said the 2 Carnival ships will do a ship to ship transfer of crew off Gladstone today & be out of Australian waters by 23:59 tonight.

Pacific Dawn is expected to depart Brisbane today after bunkering & storing.

If they were OUR ships registered in Australia - most people could not afford to cruise.

Our pollies of both sides have reduced the Australian Merchant fleet from small to just a handful of vessels.

We have NO petroleum tankers at all & rely on the floating pipeline from Singapore.  Any disruption will result in instant rationing of fuel.

Les - just about all the ships that were off QLD. coast have come into Brisbane, bunkered & stored.

Last one is P.Dawn.

Pacific Aria is under pilotage in Port Philip - AIS Jakarta.

Golden Princess is into the Bight & has AIS Jakarta.

The 2 Carnival ships are still stooging around near Fraser Island.

The World has left Cockburn Sound & is N. bound on WA coast.

Q. Elizabeth has left Brisbane & N. bound - waiting orders.

Pac. Dawn bunkering at BNE container berth.

It does look like Pac.Explorer, Sun & Sea Princesses are all heading north in Coral sea towards Jomard Entrance PNG & on towards Philippines.  Jomard is an unreliable light that traffic from Australia to Hong Kong / Philippines use east of PNG, thus avoiding LBR pilotage costs.

Carnival Splendor & Spirit off Fraser Island.

QE still in Brisbane @ container berth & Pac. Dawn entering Brisbane.

Pacific Aria bunkering at Station Pier Melbourne.

YES of course see post #19.

Brian I think you maybe right too.

Better TV reception / mobil phone reception off the Gold Coast - maybe.

Many of the ships have AIS Gladstone but only QE was there as far as I could find.

Hi Barbara - Thanks for that.

Hope Amsterdam gets the bunkers she requires.

There could be a shortage - QM2 was in Durban for bunkers for several days last week.

Pacific Explorer has gone walkabout into Coral Sea.

Queen Elizabeth has just taken a BNE pilot.

Pac. Dawn has also gone east from Caloundra for some exercise.

Sea Princess just returning to Mooloolaba area.

Sun Princess enjoying Gold Coast.

Golden Princess has departed Port Phillip & heading east.

MSC Magnifica has reached Sri Lankan coast.

Amsterdam is anchored Durban.

Ruby Princess has berthed at Port Kembla.

Carnival Spirit is still at Grain Berth in Brisbane.

Carnival Spirit heading into BNE pilot area.  AIS incorrect - still indicating Gladsone. 

Queen Elizabeth underway from Gladstone also heading to Brisbane.

Hi Barbara

Looks like pilot is taking Amsterdam to anchor.

There is also a fairly safe anchorage off Cristobal / Colon.

Koningsdam would have no problems going round Cape Horn or through Magellan Straits in winter.

I have done it in mid winter - July 1985.

By definition "Going around the Horn" is going through Drake Passage from North of 50 deg. south from either Ocean to the other.  From square rigger days.

No cruise ships do this as they always use part or all of Magellan or Beagle channel.