Holland message about Friday's cruise

[erewhon]

We disembarked the Statendam today.

She left Cartagena on time, however one main engine was not working. This gave her a lower maximum speed. Also, the weather for the first night after leaving Cartagena was not good. High seas and a lot of pitching/rolling . This kept the speed down too.

Initially, the captain forecasted an arrival in FLL of 12 noon.

Later, the second day, the speed picked up and the actual delay was only one hour and a half.

 

For us the cruise was fabulous, even though we had to divert to porta caldera, Costa Rica,to disembark a sick crewmember, thereby missing fuerto Amador. Or the 0200 am actual fire in the spa that was extinghuised half an hour later!

 

Thank you for this information.

Pleased that you had a fabulous cruise.

[bob brown]

Here is the link....

 

Ft Lauderdale Florida Webcam

Thankyou, very much!

I watch their NYHarborwebcam all the time, but it does not have that feature. Wish it did, as I am just a bit too far to hear the radio transmissions from the cruise ships on my scanner...

[Barrheadlass]

I was on the Statendam when it arrived in port this morning...review to follow. We arrived late because of a non-working engine, and it was good winds that got us back as early as it did. As it was, we missed our plane this morning and it cost us nearly $600 additional to rebook (close to $900 to fly 2 of us one way to Rhode Island!). Overall I loved the trip... but there were certainly some bumps. Lots of angry people about missed flights due to engine trouble that apparently started several weeks ago, then there was a a fire in the thermal suite, etc. More later!

[bob brown]

I was on the Statendam when it arrived in port this morning...review to follow. We arrived late because of a non-working engine, and it was good winds that got us back as early as it did. As it was, we missed our plane this morning and it cost us nearly $600 additional to rebook (close to $900 to fly 2 of us one way to Rhode Island!). Overall I loved the trip... but there were certainly some bumps. Lots of angry people about missed flights due to engine trouble that apparently started several weeks ago, then there was a a fire in the thermal suite, etc. More later!

Uh, Oh.....doesn't sound good. Reminds me of a situation on another line in 2010 that had two or three ships with ongoing mechanical problems for months causing late operation, missed ports of cal, etc. until they had their drydocking to remedy the problems...

[PathfinderEss]

Even though the Statendam was late coming in this morning, she turned around and went out on time. Between the crew on the ship and the shore crew amazing!

[erewhon]

I was on the Statendam when it arrived in port this morning...review to follow. We arrived late because of a non-working engine, and it was good winds that got us back as early as it did. As it was, we missed our plane this morning and it cost us nearly $600 additional to rebook (close to $900 to fly 2 of us one way to Rhode Island!). Overall I loved the trip... but there were certainly some bumps. Lots of angry people about missed flights due to engine trouble that apparently started several weeks ago, then there was a a fire in the thermal suite, etc. More later!

 

Am sorry that you missed your flight, but the Statendam has suffered engine problems for a long time.

We would never book an early after a cruise on the Statendam.

Back in 2009, the Statendam did not arrive into San Diego for our Panama Canal cruise until after 8am, due to engine problems.

[Sir PMP]

Am sorry that you missed your flight, but the Statendam has suffered engine problems for a long time.

We would never book an early after a cruise on the Statendam.

Back in 2009, the Statendam did not arrive into San Diego for our Panama Canal cruise until after 8am, due to engine problems.

 

 

Bottom line it's an old ship...

[bob brown]

Bottom line it's an old ship...

There isn't anything wrong with an older ship, as long as it receives proper maintenance. The older HAL ships, at least aesthetically, are kept looking beautiful, (indeed, I have booked the Veendam for May). When anything mechanical ages, the cost of maintaining it to like-new condition goes higher and higher, until the day finally comes when the cost to maintain, exceeds the cost of replacing with new.

That said, if the Statendam has been experiencing these problems 'for a long time', I believe HAL should get her in for emergency drydocking ASAP, even if they have to cancel a cruise or two, rather than risk further deterioration, causing possible late arrival, need to cancel a port of call, or worse yet---total failure at sea, the worst case.

Does any one know when she is scheduled for drydocking?

[RuthC]

As it was, we missed our plane this morning and it cost us nearly $600 additional to rebook (close to $900 to fly 2 of us one way to Rhode Island!).

Sorry you had to shell out so much for new plane tickets. What time was your original flight?

[andeesue]

Yikes, tough to have to rebook and pay so much more for missed flights. I've learned from others's misfortunes to book later flights or even next day. It's not just ship problems, but Mother Nature that can cause havoc. Hate to end a cruise in a turmoil...

[sail7seas]

Interesting!

How did you monitor those transmissions, or they from some live monitor then streaming over some site?

Could you share the source?

Thankyou......:cool:

 

 

I have the www.portevergladeswebcam.com site up in a small window right now and am listening to the sporadic radio transmissions we can catch.

 

There are times it is interesting and other times not so much. :)

 

[GeriatricNurse]

How about early enough so that you don't have to have a private Passenger Safety Drill?

 

:p;):D

 

In June, I'm going to be well fed in the MDR, then sitting in my cabin waiting for them to call to the drill. I'm not messing with going with the flow of whiners, complainers, show offs and drinkers. I'll people watch from the wall at the muster station.

 

 

Close, but the 'actual' term is 'Emergency Passenger Drill'! ;)

[GeriatricNurse]

We arrived this morning at 7 AM on the Maasdam.

 

As we were leaving the Maasdam at 8:30 the Statendam was just finishing getting tied up at the dock.

 

So yes -- passengers will be getting off the ship late.

 

Welcome back KK:)! I missed seeing your posts.

 

Welcome home, to White Oak, PA! ;) Sail7Seas has been (rapidly) gaining on your post count in your (cruising) absence! :D

[bob brown]

I have the www.portevergladeswebcam.com site up in a small window right now and am listening to the sporadic radio transmissions we can catch.

 

There are times it is interesting and other times not so much. :)

 

Thanks....bozemanman also gave me that earlier, and as I answered him, I monitor their NYharborwebcam all the time, but they don't have that feature. Wish they did.....:)

[Barrheadlass]

Ruth,

Our original flight was 10:45 and our original disembark time was 7 a.m. Our travel agent said "there will be no problem getting to the airport on time." It is funny, we always go everywhere a day early to avoid problems. You can be sure I'll never book such an early flight again. We took a taxi to the FLL airport and sat there for 7 hours, took a hop to Orlando for a connecting flight. We do have trip insurance so I'll pursue that...have never needed it before. But in no way did this ruin our trip...it was wonderful, faulty engines and all.

[RuthC]

Ruth,

Our original flight was 10:45 and our original disembark time was 7 a.m. Our travel agent said "there will be no problem getting to the airport on time."

I had an 11:45 flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Warwick (the airport is NOT in Providence!) in December, and was in a small panic about that time. I took the risk as it was a direct flight. My nerves would never have stood for a 10:45 schedule.

At least you were able to get a flight the same day. It could have been much, much worse had it been a holiday time, or if schools were heading back.

[Barrheadlass]

I considered it very lucky that we were able to get a flight back...it being school vacation week in our area...I even ran into someone I knew from home in the Orlando airport.