RCCL ship capabilities during heavy seas

[JAMESCC]

Yeah we were sent home. Princess did pay for us to get home, and overall I thought they did a good job. They gave us 25% off a next cruise if we booked within a few months, that is the only part I say they fell short. Should have 50% or more and should have been good for 2 years or longer. Anyway I don't fly so took Amtrak home from Orlando to NJ.

[Merion_Mom]

I was on that cruise, it was my first cruise and OH MY GOD WAS IT SCARY! I can't tell you how scary it was. The reason they said was officer error, I think 2nd officer. I'm telling you I was waiting for that thing to just fall right into the water, and I was on the side that would have fallen into the water. I would have had no way out, I would of drown. On the other side you would of had a fighting chance, but not my side. Scariest thing EVER.

 

Dag, I KNEW that your CC name looked familiar!

 

That was quite a ride, wasn't it?

 

Weren't you one of the people who got a 25% FCC when the rest of us didn't? ;)

[Merion_Mom]

Are you talking about the Princess cruise out if NY? My brother's family were on that one. My nephew was in pool and ended up in the hot tub. My other nephew was holding on to a bar stool. My sister in law volunteered as a nurse in the casino (this was a triage center), she said alot of people were hurt. The next cruise Princess gave my sister in law a free cruise in the Royal Suite, as a token of appreciation for volunteering to help with the injured. Now that is customer service. Kudos to Princess.

 

Yes, the casino was bad. Being a new ship, she wasn't quite "finished". Some of the tables and machines in the casino hadn't been bolted down yet. When the ship listed, those tables went sliding, fast and hard. A couple of people were hurt somewhat badly by those.

 

There were so many doctors and nurses on board as passengers, it was almost comical. The ship's staff could NEVER have coped with all of the injuries. In the dining room, a major triage center, they were using the napkins and tableclothes as bandages. (lots of blood from people in the buffet hit by breaking glass and china)

 

If you want to read my original account, go here: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=381758

[Merion_Mom]

Guys I just looked it up, and the NTSB made a real good animation of the incident and great commentary of the incident. The junior officer took the ship off autopilot, a BIG NO NO and he took the wheel because he thought the autopilot was turning the ship dangerously to port. When he took the wheel he turned hard to port, turning into the turn, like over correcting in your car. He turned the wheel back and forth. The captain ran in, ordered engines to stop. Another officer turned hard to starboard and the ship leveled off. What a screw up, I can't believe a trained officer would take such action. I doubt he ever worked again as a officer of a cruise ship.

 

Actually, it happened when a junior officer yanked the steering mechanism (it's a joystick these days, not a wheel!) first one way, then hard the other way, believing erroneously that the ship was heading into shallow waters. And we were already about 12 miles out.

 

I was on board.

 

Yes, I was quoting from the NTSB report, too. What a cruise!

 

People were also hit by flying TV sets, because they are on a high shelf and NOT attached to the cabinet.

 

Water flowing down stairwells AND elevator shafts.

 

Can you imagine being in an elevator when it happened? My friend was. :eek:

 

No dessert that night - they were all made and on carts in the kitchens.

 

Watch out: Flying desserts!

 

(on a more serious note: kitchen staff + knives = some serious injuries)

[Merion_Mom]

Yeah we were sent home. Princess did pay for us to get home, and overall I thought they did a good job. They gave us 25% off a next cruise if we booked within a few months, that is the only part I say they fell short. Should have 50% or more and should have been good for 2 years or longer. Anyway I don't fly so took Amtrak home from Orlando to NJ.

 

AHA! I knew that I was remembering correctly!

 

We ALL got our entire cruise fare refunded. Immediately. It was on my credit card by the time I got home.

 

We had MOST of our ship board charges forgiven.

 

They told us to go the the photo gallery and just take our pictures.

 

They paid for our trip home.

 

But only SOME got future compensation.

 

We questioned them about that, and their answer was nonsensical.

 

But that's just what happens.

 

We had to run a gauntlet of news reporters and cameras as we left the ship to get on the buses to the airport.

 

And they KEPT our cards after we dinged out. Apparently, that was their attempt to account for all of the passengers. A little late, don't you think? :p ;) :eek:

[Merion_Mom]

James, you went back into PC and were sent home after that? I'm enjoying reading about this...that must have been so scary.

 

Only two people were injured very badly.

 

They had two ambulances waiting on the dock at Port Canaveral.

 

One was a little girl whose femoral artery had been severed. A doctor saved her life on board.

[JAMESCC]

All I can say is it was a real mess. We were told at the time that ship was in absolutely no danger [spin maybe] but it was more uncomfortable for passengers and dangerous because of flying objects. I remember the thing about "flying TVs". Anyone on the other side of the ship from my side had there TV's fall off the shelf. That could be dangerous. I did hear that 2 people were hurt very bad but did not know the extent, and had no idea it was a little girl that could have died if not for a good doctor. I'm assuming the doctor was a passenger? we got 25% off but never used it because you had to book by December, incident was in July so it was just too soon. Oh yeah I forgot to mention yes they refunded the cruise but I thought that was obvious, I mean they had to do that. Getting home was not fun, just a pain overall. Had to get a Taxi to Orlando, then train home. It just wasn't fun.

[Rowdy Redneck]

What part of So Cal are you located? Looks as though we are on the same cruise!