Fire on Carnival Triumph. No engines, running on emergency generators.

[Wmiller86]

You're saying he's lying that he didn't talk to his wife? Cell phones connect via Cellular at Sea and the charges are billed via the cell phone bill. As long as a ship in the area was broadcasting CAS service, there's no reason that the cruiser couldn't utilize it.

 

UMM... Yes, I am pretty sure I spoke to my wife a couple of times since this happend. Last time was at 6:15 PM tonite. And she swears there are no toilets, potties,outhouses, or anything else working that she could find. Crew telling her that nobody has working toilets. You don't want to hear the poop about what they are doing about the poop. You really don't.

[luisrp]

TWithout power, the ship's stabilizers are apparently not working, Nutt told The Associated Press, and the massive liner had been leaning to one side Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the ship seemed more upright, he said.

 

The stabilizers are those fin-like things that pop out from the sides of the hull. Those only work to counteract rolling on a ship that is moving past a certain speed. They do nothing for a drifting ship. They were likely out when the ship lost power but they wont prevent any listing if the ship is not moving. Perhaps they were referring to the ballast system which is an entirely different beast.

[DryCreek]

Why is it moot? Since they are not returning to Galveston all are supposed to have a passport. Also now there is a violation of the Passenger Services Act. I am pretty sure though that US customs is not going to hassle the passengers and I don't think the government will fine each passenger $200. Carnival might have to pay the fines though.

 

I don't remember for sure, but on an Eastern Caribbean cruise, when you disembark at Key West, did they check passports? I know several cruisers were so inebriated that they missed reboarding. I am pretty sure they weren't lost in some regulatory limbo, but I never pursued the outcome.

[Wmiller86]

Has anyone posted any pics from the ship? Or maybe from Elation or Legend of Triumph while they were there?

[jonbgd]

Well there you go, thanks for your input

 

No problem just here to help out a fellow NCO;)

[ducklite]

Why is it moot? Since they are not returning to Galveston all are supposed to have a passport. Also now there is a violation of the Passenger Services Act. I am pretty sure though that US customs is not going to hassle the passengers and I don't think the government will fine each passenger $200. Carnival might have to pay the fines though.

 

As I said in an earlier post, I wasn't really thinking that it was going back to a different port, and you are correct, it's not closed loop and a passport should be required.

[Cruise Cat]

No, the large seagoing tugs will send a hawse over and it will tie to a stern cleat on the aft deck.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BQFsh4qTNtM/TOhoUyK0uVI/AAAAAAAACCc/QgyDI62LLQI/s1600/splendor_tug.jpg

 

When it comes time to turn or quickly change direction, a pusher will come to play and direct the stern or bow in the proper direction.

 

That being said, a cruise ship under its own power is an amazingly agile, almost athletic thing of beauty. With the bow thrusters and steerable azipods, they can pirouette in a small channel (like in Galveston) and neatly kiss the pier while docking. The ships I was on in the Navy are downright ungainly in comparison!

 

[EDIT: Sorry, Saw your earlier post, and you did see they had the propellers and not Aziopods] Just a side note - Triumph has two propellers (variable pitch) and thrusters. In an interview with the captain (that I read last night), he stated how yes, they [aziopods] are more manuverable but have had more mechanical problems and noted how Carnival doesn't order ships with them anymore. I think I read somewhere that a ship with only thrusters has to be going about three knots to become stable, which is why you see tugs sometimes helping them out of port in high winds (like in the channel in Galveston).

[dwjoe]

I am pretty sure that there was full disclosure on this. A connecting rod was thrown through the side of the block, escaping high pressure oil from the lubricating system created a mist that ignited.

 

See: On 8 November 2010, at approximately 06:00 Pacific time, on the second day of a voyage from Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera, the ship experienced a fire in her engine room, cutting all electrical power. According to Carnival president, Gerry Cahill, a "crankcase split, and that's what caused the fire," adding it was isolated to the aft generator room.[14]

 

Not so sure about that. Maybe for the cause of the fire, but not why all electrical power was lost. The same wikipedia article you quoted, says this:

 

The ship has three engines in the aft engine room and three in a forward engine room. Each generator is connected to two switchboards. The failure of a single engine or generator should not normally cause a total power loss.[23] Clark Dodge, former chief engineer for Washington State Ferries, said, "If things were designed properly, all the power shouldn't have gone out."[23][24] The reasons for the total power loss are presently unclear and are under investigation.

[nitro2448]

No problem just here to help out a fellow NCO;)

 

And lord knows some of us need it :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[luisrp]

Do you think Alabama was just a decision based on passport issues?

 

My best guess is that Mobile probably has the needed shipyard/repair facilities and they will be able to get the ship back to operation sooner since they won't need to tow back to the US after debarking passengers. Far easier re-entry for the 900 guests without passports (as per Carnival's own accounts) was definitely a big factor.

[dwjoe]

They can get an extraordinary circumstances waiver. The ships that did a cruise to nowhere during Sandy got one, for example. Carnival may still have to pay a moderate admin fee, but their won't be fines.

 

Spoke to a friend who works at the CBP. Since it is NOT a closed loop cruise AND they apparently ported at least once outside the US (they were on their way back), the closed loop and no port exception to the rules do not apply. The same procedures will apply as if they had flown in, with the exception the facility is better equipped to handle large volumes of people at one time and the staff will likely be more considerate of the passengers situation because they are handling just them, then ones at an airport could be (at the airport, the immigration folks would be handling normally arriving flights as well)

 

BUT they will still need to show either passports, or other acceptable ID and those without passports may still get additional screening.

Thanks for the info.

 

Passport cards and enhanced drivers licenses should also be fully valid, since they are good for all entry to the US by sea from Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative countries.

[Loonbeam]

My expectation is that the fire and related extinguishing efforts damaged the power distribution system badly. I said at the time that ships should be retrofitted with a secondary distribution point that could be patched in to provide minimal comfort systems. A problem with distribution is the only one that makes sense, as I can't see anything taking out every generator on the ship at the same time.

 

Not so sure about that. Maybe for the cause of the fire, but not why all electrical power was lost. The same wikipedia article you quoted, says this:

 

The ship has three engines in the aft engine room and three in a forward engine room. Each generator is connected to two switchboards. The failure of a single engine or generator should not normally cause a total power loss.[23] Clark Dodge, former chief engineer for Washington State Ferries, said, "If things were designed properly, all the power shouldn't have gone out."[23][24] The reasons for the total power loss are presently unclear and are under investigation.

[Cruise Cat]

Not necessarily.......if your diesel engine is you propulsion and it also runs your generation power and one is off line, the one left must work harder to propel and keep power constant. No different than a Briggs and Stratton motor for a generator in the house......if you have a 5500 watt generator and try to pull 6500 watts thru the cable, the cables get hot. Typically you'd trip a breaker.......unless someone puts a larger breaker than wires can handle. Wires get hot.....then FIRE. Not saying something like that was done but if you have more than one engine/generator you shouldn't lose power, let's face it, mechanically those diesels run forever......thus fire had to be electrical. I'd be curious to see if carnival was rubber and and bubblegumming until it could get to dry dock or have time for repairs

 

I hear of house/dwelling fires where it was caused because someone changed out their duplex receptacles and put larger ones in because they thought they were better (they could plug even more stuff into them). Then, when the breaker has a problem and doesn't trip, the receptacle didn't fail next like it should and the wiring went poof.

[ducklite]

Thanks for the info.

 

Passport cards and enhanced drivers licenses should also be fully valid, since they are good for all entry to the US by sea from the Western Hemisphere.

 

I thought they were only good for ground based border crossings? (train/car/bus/walk/bike/goat cart/etc.)

[Hotdog 52]

It would be just like coming back to galveston. Won't need a passport.

[NCbmwmom]

I don't remember for sure, but on an Eastern Caribbean cruise, when you disembark at Key West, did they check passports? I know several cruisers were so inebriated that they missed reboarding. I am pretty sure they weren't lost in some regulatory limbo, but I never pursued the outcome.

 

Yes, we had to go get everything checked before we cold get off in Key West. But since it was our last stop before home, we did not have to go through customs again. I had everything ready, but they just waved us on through.

[DryCreek]

Not so sure about that. Maybe for the cause of the fire, but not why all electrical power was lost. The same wikipedia article you quoted, says this:

 

The ship has three engines in the aft engine room and three in a forward engine room. Each generator is connected to two switchboards. The failure of a single engine or generator should not normally cause a total power loss.[23] Clark Dodge, former chief engineer for Washington State Ferries, said, "If things were designed properly, all the power shouldn't have gone out."[23][24] The reasons for the total power loss are presently unclear and are under investigation.

 

Working at a power plant, we get to see post-mortems on lots of fires and how they propagate. When there is a severe fire, the results are felt through more than just the transmission cabling - sometimes control cicruits are also damaged. Also, a major fault is how the generation output is all "bundled together" in the distribution switchgear center. One fire can disable the ability to distribute power if they all come together in the same place. A fault in the large stepdown transformers can drop power to all hotel loads. For an interesting report on how one small fire started from a candle (while looking for air leaks) and changed an industry, look up the Browns Ferry Fire. Now, Appendix R train separation controls are the norm in the industry. Sometime operational experience doesn't get transferred from one industry to another, even though there are substantial similarities (i.e we make power, so does a cruise ship).

[LauraS]

Please stay on topic

 

Thank you

[waldocruiser1]

Why is everyone so hung up on passports?

 

Because they are the Correct Answer when traveling to another country.

 

I am sorry the ship is broken,

 

I also think if they did go back to Mexico, the 900+ without passports should have to do extra paperwork and hassle for not having one,

 

Or the people that do have passports should get to go first, because all their paperwork is in order.

 

Oh yea, I do have a passport and would not travel out of the country without it. And yes when we leave the ship in port, we take them with us, just in case.

[DryCreek]

Please stay on topic

 

Thank you

 

Ooopps. Sorry for the thread drift.

 

Good night.

[jcl410]

I thought they were only good for ground based border crossings? (train/car/bus/walk/bike/goat cart/etc.)

 

 

U.S. Passport cards are also good for entry by sea; including one-way

 

Aloha,

 

John

[dwjoe]

deleted

[swscruiser]

Ship now being towed back to Mobile per Carnival web site

Keith

[waldocruiser1]

My best guess is that Mobile probably has the needed shipyard/repair facilities and they will be able to get the ship back to operation sooner since they won't need to tow back to the US after debarking passengers. Far easier re-entry for the 900 guests without passports (as per Carnival's own accounts) was definitely a big factor.

 

I was wondering what type of "fee" Carnival was going to face if they had to have the government help the 900+ that did not have passports, also for the not finishing in the US. Back when the Splendor was towed to San Diego one reason they did not stop at Ensinodo Mexico was the passport thing, and it was closer.

[broberts]

I thought they were only good for ground based border crossings? (train/car/bus/walk/bike/goat cart/etc.)

 

From travel.state.gov: "The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air."

 

Also Enhanced Drivers Licenses are good for entry from WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) countries.