Tight Squeeze

[maxout]

I think it will be a while before Hal has this problem... ;)

 

Picture is a link, click to go to the story...

 

[RuthC]

Is that a picture of the Allure going under the bridge in Denmark?

I heard they had to ballast it lower in the water, speed it up to get lower still, and had to retract the smokestacks to clear the bridge by a foot.

Thanks for the photo.

[Mary Ellen]

No, height is already a concern under some bridges. I've sailed on the Prinsendam (smallest ship in the HAL fleet) when we didn't have much clearance under some bridges.

[maxout]

Is that a picture of the Allure going under the bridge in Denmark?

I heard they had to ballast it lower in the water, speed it up to get lower still, and had to retract the smokestacks to clear the bridge by a foot.

Thanks for the photo.

 

Yes Ruth it is. If you click the picture it will take you to the story.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our newspapers carried that picture yesterday of the Allure going under the bridge.

It's a great shot!!

HAL also has some close ones -- out of Tampa -- SunShine Skyway Bridge.

And other one is at Charolettetown, PEI - Confederation Bridge.

And these HAL ships are way smaller than the Allure.

[pizzalady1]

Thanks for the link, that was really cool:D

[sail7seas]

Eurodam cannot go from Quebec City to Montreal the way Maasdam does as she cannot fit under the bridge. If the river is high, there's not a ton of clearance for Maasdam and even she has to be at the bridge according to the tide.

 

That's a fabulous photo of Allure. Thanks for posting it.

[IRL_Joanie]

You ahould watch the Oasis of The Seas Video going under Thw Great Belt Bridge in Denmark on her way to Ft Lauderdale:

 

From a passenger's birds eye view:

 

And from someone on shore (this one has been sped up. I can tell that because even I know a ship would not go that fast under that bridge:) ):

 

Joanie

[RuthC]

Yes Ruth it is. If you click the picture it will take you to the story.

Clicking the picture didn't take me anywhere, but when you have images turned off, nothing works the same way.

Thanks for confirming my guess.

[Orlandocruiser]

And from someone on shore (this one has been sped up. I can tell that because even I know a ship would not go that fast under that bridge:) ):

Joanie

 

As a matter of fact if you watch the clip that is on CNN website which looks like an official Royal Caribbean release the Captain says that he had to speed up to go under the bridge because the extra speed creates some kind of suction effect which pulls the ship down a bit further into the water.:eek: (This clip is very interesting as it shows them retracting the stacks and shows how they increase the ballast to have the ship ride lower)

[trophy_23]

Our newspapers carried that picture yesterday of the Allure going under the bridge.

It's a great shot!!

HAL also has some close ones -- out of Tampa -- SunShine Skyway Bridge.

And other one is at Charolettetown, PEI - Confederation Bridge.

And these HAL ships are way smaller than the Allure.

 

 

Do the HAL ships ever gp under the Confederation Bridge? We were on Canada NE itinerary and didnt experience that.

[jhannah]

Do the HAL ships ever gp under the Confederation Bridge? We were on Canada NE itinerary and didnt experience that.

Yes. The Maasdam does it regularly. They still have to exercise caution. I was out on the aft deck 2 months ago when going under it. A ship's officer was out there, too, watching it. I definitely heard something scrape. I think it was one of the lights strung aft from the funnel. It was interesting to watch.

 

It was VERY windy at the time, and I'm sure that factored into the equation. It was the same night we had high seas and 60-knot winds when only 30-knot winds were forecast.

[Storylady]

Clicking the picture didn't take me anywhere, but when you have images turned off, nothing works the same way.

Thanks for confirming my guess.

 

Ruth,

 

Here's the link. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/01/cruise.ship.bridge/index.html?hpt=T2

 

Sharon

[bob brown]

I have been on Maasdam repo's twice. One time we went under the Confederation Bridge, the other time we didn't and went the long way, retracing our route around the south end of PEI.

Going under that bridge took extreme precision navigation. There were pilots aboard, of course. There were these color-coded range lights that showed the helm the correct line to sail. They were so sensitive, that if you walked from one side of the Crow's Nest to the other. you could see the colors change as you walked, while still approaching the bridge from a distance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have also been on the Maasdam when she has gone under the Confederation Bridge -- quite a sight.

[RuthC]

Ruth,

 

Here's the link.

Thanks, Sharon.

[sail7seas]

We do the Boston to Montreal to Boston cruise every year and always go under Confederation Bridge. We always enjoy that portion of our sail. The St. Lawrence was low this August after a hot, dry summer and that probably provided a little extra clearance. We are normally on our veranda on Navigation Deck and it is quite something to look up and see how little clearance Captain has to work with. :eek:

[trophy_23]

Wow I that is really neat. I guess I missed that as we were on the Eurodam, assuming she wouldn't fit if the Maasdam is a tight squeeze.

[sail7seas]

Eurodam sails as far as Quebec City and cannot make the bridge going to Montreal. Maasdam sails all the way to Montreal. That is the bridge that is 'tight fit' for Maasdam.

 

[Hawaiidan]

these "5000+" passenger floating zoos are actualy larger than a US Navy aircraft carrier !

The "allure carries almost 2000 more people than a carrier!!! .

It is 40 feet longer and 22% larger than a aircraft carrier.( the carrier 101,000 tons the allure 122,000 ) Not sure of the "epic"....:eek:

 

Is this crazy....why would any sane person consider these "cruise ships" they are like super tankers of people...

[Vic The Parrot]

It's a great shot, but I can't see myself going on her.

 

 

Too big, and ugly.

[MrsMuir]

Hear, hear, Vic! The Norwegian Epic is even uglier, in my opinion. We like the smaller ships so much we're rethinking our plans for repeating the Circle Hawaii cruise in 2012, because the Vancouver-to-Seattle voyage is on Oosterdam instead of Zaandam. It all depends on the other 2012 offerings.

 

Just a sweet old-fashioned Mariner..........Well, maybe just old-fashioned.

 

Mrs M

[Laurino]

Our local newspaper (Helsingborg, Sweden) has a great blog (in Swedish) reporting when the cruise ships are due to sail through the Öresund strait, between Sweden and Denmark. When something interesting's coming up, you'll see the enthusiasts :D lining up the key downtown, gazing out over the waters.

 

Since the Allure of the Seas passed by nearby (though Store Bält, not Öresund) there was an article in the local newspaper with more nice pictures here:

 

http://hd.se/helsingborg/kryssloggen/2010/10/31/varldens-storsta-kryssningsfartyg-under-stora-balt-bron/

[sail7seas]

Hear, hear, Vic! The Norwegian Epic is even uglier, in my opinion. We like the smaller ships so much we're rethinking our plans for repeating the Circle Hawaii cruise in 2012, because the Vancouver-to-Seattle voyage is on Oosterdam instead of Zaandam. It all depends on the other 2012 offerings.

 

Just a sweet old-fashioned Mariner..........Well, maybe just old-fashioned.

 

Mrs M

 

 

We (on Eurodam) were in port with Epic this week and I could not believe how ugly. There was positively nothing to admire IMO There was Oasis in Port Everglades and Epic in port...... Ugh.

 

 

Hawaiidan: "super tanker of people"........ What a great description!!

[califgary]

Is that a picture of the Allure going under the bridge in Denmark?

I heard they had to ballast it lower in the water, speed it up to get lower still, and had to retract the smokestacks to clear the bridge by a foot.

Thanks for the photo.

 

I read about the retractable smokestacks as well and wondered - when in the heck will they every need to use those again??