QM2 - weather delays arrival in Durban

[Salacia]

According to a news report from South Africa, QM2's arrival in Durban has been delayed by approximately 24 hours to high winds.

 

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/weather-delays-queen-mary-2-1.1221780

[SEFlyer]

I presume the news reports are reasonably accurate but the story seems a bit strange. Being 24 hours late on a 36 hour sail is a little strange for a ship of QM2's capability. We disembarked in Cape Town on Wednesday and are now inland a bit and while its been windy it hasn't seemed all that terrible. I wonder if there is more to this story? Maybe some-one on board can tell us.

[cruzadict]

We also disembarked on 25th and are still in cape town. The winds in cape town last evening were really bad.

[bluemarble]

Based on AIS tracking information I am seeing, it looks like the QM2 did not depart Cape Town until approximately 6:00 am this morning. That's a 12 hour delay from her scheduled 6:00 pm departure yesterday.

 

Regards,

John.

[Salacia]

Weather reports indicate that there are two tropical cyclones at various stages of formation in the South Indian Ocean (Tropical Cyclone Funso and Tropical Cyclone Iggy), but I don't know to what extent - if any, QM2 would be affected on her way to port Durban.

[bobby1119]

I recall on QE2 in 2007 enroute from Mauritius to Durban that we outran an approaching typhoon by accelerating our speed to 31 knots.

 

Surely QM2 has the speed reserve needed to perform, if only permitted. During the crossing earlier this month the Commodore mentioned that the use of the gas turbines was no longer permitted because of the high cost.

[missfrankiecat]

One of the blogs indicated that the ship left Cape Town six hours after schedule - passengers were told in advance and could go into town again - to avoid the worst winds at sea. Presumably, a safety/comfort decision made by the very experienced Commodore.

[Pushka]

When delays occur, do they usually try to make time upon the next sectors? I am thinking if there are delays of 12 hours or so on the Australian circumnavigation, then that will seriously mess with the ports. I only have four nights and would hate to have that cut down to three:o. Or I might get lucky and end up with five:p

[Salacia]

Based on AIS tracking information I am seeing, it looks like the QM2 did not depart Cape Town until approximately 6:00 am this morning. That's a 12 hour delay from her scheduled 6:00 pm departure yesterday.

 

Regards,

John.

 

Hi Bluemarble. Yes, the news report cited below* also indicates that QM2 departed Cape town at 06h00 Friday morning, and that she is now scheduled to arrive in Durban at on Sunday morning, 29 January 2012 at 06h00 (24 hours later than scheduled) departing Durban 18h00 on Sunday afternoon. The good news is that Tropical Cyclone Funso appears to be weakening** Regards, -Salacia

 

* http://ports.co.za/news/news_2012_01_26_01.php

** http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/nsfc-nsa012712.php

[Whitemarsh]

When delays occur, do they usually try to make time upon the next sectors? I am thinking if there are delays of 12 hours or so on the Australian circumnavigation, then that will seriously mess with the ports. I only have four nights and would hate to have that cut down to three:o. Or I might get lucky and end up with five:p

 

Luckily for us there are a lot of sea days between Africa and Australia. I would imagine that any lost time would be made up then.

[Pushka]

Yes, I was thinking they could just crank up the engines.

 

Are you planning to take sea sickness devices? The waters between Bali and Fremantle are renowned for being a little tricky. And then there are the dreaded C things that occur this time of the year, all around the 'top'. But they just need to stay away for three weeks, not too much to ask!:p

[Boytjie]

I presume the news reports are reasonably accurate but the story seems a bit strange. Being 24 hours late on a 36 hour sail is a little strange for a ship of QM2's capability. We disembarked in Cape Town on Wednesday and are now inland a bit and while its been windy it hasn't seemed all that terrible. I wonder if there is more to this story? Maybe some-one on board can tell us.

 

Cape Town is about 1,000 miles/1,600 km from Durban.

[Pushka]

The blog confirms a 5 pm departure was delayed until 7am the next day, so a port was missed and a late arrival into Durban.

[Salacia]

The blog confirms a 5 pm departure was delayed until 7am the next day, so a port was missed and a late arrival into Durban.

 

Hi Pushka. A port was missed? If I'm reading the itinerary correctly, there was no port stop between Cape Town and Durban (see http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/Bridge-Web-Cam/ ), so I don't think any ports were missed yet.

 

No doubt an effort will be made to make up the time lost, perhaps by shortening the port stays in Durban and/or Mauritius and stepping on the gas petal - but that's just a guess on my part. Cyclone Funso is still active in the South Indian Ocean and I have no idea what (if anything) that will do to the schedule:confused:

 

Anyway, I've been on a few QM2 cruises were we told we would be delayed getting into port, but amazing lost time was mostly recovered. I hope that's the way it works out for you and all on board now.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[BlueRiband]

I've had some problem understaning why the QM2 doesn't use her vaulted reserve power at times like these. I found an interesting interview from 2009 with Chief Engineer Brian Watling. The relevant parts are abbreviated here:

"...the downside of this [gas turbine] technology is that these engines use Marine Gas Oil and burn 6.1 tons of it an hour at 100 percent load. "The gas turbines are very expensive. The fuel that they require is very high quality and it is actually much more expensive than the fuel for the diesels and they burn a lot more fuel per hour."

 

".. On an eastbound crossing, each day is only 23 hours because the ship loses an hour each night going from New York to Southampton due to the difference in the time zones. As a result, the required speed is 25 and knots on a six-day voyage and "we need at least one gas turbine all the way across. If it is rough weather or delayed departure, we will need a second one for a short period of time." This is one of the reasons that the ship will be doing seven-day eastbound crossings in 2010."

 

"At certain scheduled intervals relating to the amount of time it has been running, each diesel must be taken offline for an overhaul...This process can take about two weeks during which time the ship depends upon its other diesels and its gas turbines.."

 

Full article here: http://beyondships.com/files/QM2_Watling.PDF

[Pushka]

Hi Salacia, sadly I am not in board yet but I am living vicariously for the moment through a blog. There isn't a stop between Cape Town and Durban, but the blog said a Port was going to be missed, so going on the route that Whitemarsh posted, it could only have been Mauritius which is not an embark/disembark point. I would have thought too that their schedule would have taken into account delays without changing the itinerary unless there was a really significant delay of a couple of days.

 

I think maybe too the legacy of Costa Concordia means that risk taking is now very much discouraged, even in capable hands. Another cruise problem would wreak havoc on the industry.

[Whitemarsh]

Yes, I was thinking they could just crank up the engines.

 

Are you planning to take sea sickness devices? The waters between Bali and Fremantle are renowned for being a little tricky. And then there are the dreaded C things that occur this time of the year, all around the 'top'. But they just need to stay away for three weeks, not too much to ask!:p

 

I plan to purchase sea sickness tablets from the reception desk. Sadly I susceptible to sea sickness so I will go and the shot if needed.

[Pushka]

I plan to purchase sea sickness tablets from the reception desk. Sadly I susceptible to sea sickness so I will go and the shot if needed.

Ah, my partner is the same. I am the opposite, as long as I feel 'safe' I love rough weather. I purchased some Bonine tablets from Amazon for our Med cruise as I heard them to be highly recommended, and also some ginger tablets which are available as chewing gum. Plus the Acupressure bands. My partner had the shot last time we cruised and he slept for 24 hours so am tryng to avoid that. I think the Bonines are available onboard in non-Australian ships like the Cunard. I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.:p

[Whitemarsh]

Ah, my partner is the same. I am the opposite, as long as I feel 'safe' I love rough weather. I purchased some Bonine tablets from Amazon for our Med cruise as I heard them to be highly recommended, and also some ginger tablets which are available as chewing gum. Plus the Acupressure bands. My partner had the shot last time we cruised and he slept for 24 hours so am tryng to avoid that. I think the Bonines are available onboard in non-Australian ships like the Cunard. I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.:p

 

How was he after the shot?

[Pushka]

How was he after the shot?

 

The shot did make him sleepy but it fixed the sea sickness. We now make sure when we go on shorter boat trips, eg in Bali that we stay in fresh air which is why we would never again travel in an inside cabin or one without a balcony. Fresh air works wonders. Also, green apples are supposed to settle queasiness.

 

Friends of ours cruised around Australia last year with one of the Princesses. They struck rough weather between Bali and Fremantle and found the accupressure bands worked really well. Whatever you decide to do, as soon as you feel the least bit queasy, or if you know in advance that the weather might get rough, then take the tablets straightaway as they seem to work best before the real sickness hits. And your time onboard is too precious to lose.

[Whitemarsh]

The shot did make him sleepy but it fixed the sea sickness. We now make sure when we go on shorter boat trips, eg in Bali that we stay in fresh air which is why we would never again travel in an inside cabin or one without a balcony. Fresh air works wonders. Also, green apples are supposed to settle queasiness.

 

Friends of ours cruised around Australia last year with one of the Princesses. They struck rough weather between Bali and Fremantle and found the accupressure bands worked really well. Whatever you decide to do, as soon as you feel the least bit queasy, or if you know in advance that the weather might get rough, then take the tablets straightaway as they seem to work best before the real sickness hits. And your time onboard is too precious to lose.

 

I completely agree. Having spent all that money to get onboard the last thing I'd want to do is spend it feeling unwell. I took to drinking ginger ale on my last cruise, it seemed to be helping. Staring at the horizon also helped too. But if it gets too much then I will be taking something.

[Pushka]

I took to drinking ginger ale on my last cruise, it seemed to be helping. Staring at the horizon also helped too. But if it gets too much then I will be taking something.

 

A new favorite drink of mine is Pimms and Ginger Ale. Should do the trick!:p

[Whitemarsh]

A new favorite drink of mine is Pimms and Ginger Ale. Should do the trick!:p

 

Pimms & Ginger Ale, Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc... the list of drinks we'll be enjoying grows longer :)

[Jordy]

The shot did make him sleepy but it fixed the sea sickness. We now make sure when we go on shorter boat trips, eg in Bali that we stay in fresh air which is why we would never again travel in an inside cabin or one without a balcony. Fresh air works wonders. Also, green apples are supposed to settle queasiness.

 

Friends of ours cruised around Australia last year with one of the Princesses. They struck rough weather between Bali and Fremantle and found the accupressure bands worked really well. Whatever you decide to do, as soon as you feel the least bit queasy, or if you know in advance that the weather might get rough, then take the tablets straightaway as they seem to work best before the real sickness hits. And your time onboard is too precious to lose.

 

Thanks All for the info , we will get all the tablets etc before we go, just to be on the safe side, I'd hate to miss one of the dinners or cocktails that we force ourselves to have !!

[Lake Barcroft Sailor]

This clears up a mystery. When I looked, I did not understand why today's web cam shows that the ship is in Durban, yet the itinerary shows she should be at sea. Now I know that this reflects the delayed arrival. Hopefully the time will be made up during sea days.