Photos of Carnival's "extra" generators

[chengkp75]

Just interested, but up to December, I had seen photos of the generators ("CAT in a box") that Carnival had placed on the upper decks of their ships that still weren't connected to the ship's system. Has anyone got a recent photo of these where I can see if it is actually connected and usable, or whether they are still for show?

 

Thanks;

[firemanbobswife]

From Conquest in January. Can't see much from this angle, though.

 

[chengkp75]

From Conquest in January. Can't see much from this angle, though.

 

 

Thanks;

 

Yes, from other photos, I believe the power cables would be on the starboard side (end opposite of the CAT logo). I also would be surprised if the class society would allow the ratchet straps as holddowns after connection to the system with 480v power. Rigid steel lashing bars would be safer.

[firemanbobswife]

Fascination in October

[firemanbobswife]

Glad I could be of a little help. These are the best pics I got of them.

Edited March 18, 2014 by firemanbobswife

[chengkp75]

Glad I could be of a little help. These are the best pics I got of them.

 

It looks like you could get right up close to the one on the Fascination, hopefully someone has a close up.

[firemanbobswife]

After you said that, it made me think. We were by it on Conquest too - right by the mini golf. Look what I found when I dug a little more :)

[firemanbobswife]

Not any better, but another one.

[chengkp75]

After you said that, it made me think. We were by it on Conquest too - right by the mini golf. Look what I found when I dug a little more :)

 

Drat, still the port side of the container. The large doors would be opened when the generator is used to provide airflow to the radiator, so the generator would be at the opposite end.

[firemanbobswife]

I know. Sorry :(

[firemanbobswife]

Almost but not over enough to the side I'm guessing. This was on Conquest too.

Edited March 18, 2014 by firemanbobswife

[Kitsunegari]

Just interested, but up to December, I had seen photos of the generators ("CAT in a box") that Carnival had placed on the upper decks of their ships that still weren't connected to the ship's system. Has anyone got a recent photo of these where I can see if it is actually connected and usable, or whether they are still for show?

 

Thanks;

 

I actually thought they were for show. Would be interesting to hear if they are hooked up to something more than the ice machine.

[vakayaker]

Thanks;

 

Yes, from other photos, I believe the power cables would be on the starboard side (end opposite of the CAT logo). I also would be surprised if the class society would allow the ratchet straps as holddowns after connection to the system with 480v power. Rigid steel lashing bars would be safer.

 

 

And I suppose you are the engineer at CAT that designed these and you know exactly how everything in that container is placed and exactly which inch the cord should extend out. Gotta love speculation. [/size]

[vakayaker]

I actually thought they were for show. Would be interesting to hear if they are hooked up to something more than the ice machine.

 

WOW! You really have faith in the cruise line! For a company that has been in business as many years as Carnival and as successful as they are, do you honestly think they would spend the millions of dollars and the weekly testings of every ship to be for show? WOW!

[A2Mich]

Darn it all! I was expecting to see a couple of Honda gasoline powered portable generators lashed to the deck!:D Now if only we could find a gas station in the middle of the Caribbean........

 

In all seriousness, I was really expecting them to install the generator inside of a mechanical room below decks.

[chengkp75]

And I suppose you are the engineer at CAT that designed these and you know exactly how everything in that container is placed and exactly which inch the cord should extend out. Gotta love speculation. [/size]

 

No, I don't work for CAT, but I am a marine engineer, and have used these boxed temporary generators before onboard ships.

[chengkp75]

Darn it all! I was expecting to see a couple of Honda gasoline powered portable generators lashed to the deck!:D Now if only we could find a gas station in the middle of the Caribbean........

 

In all seriousness, I was really expecting them to install the generator inside of a mechanical room below decks.

 

These are meant to be temporary generators until the permanent ones can be installed at the ship's next drydock period.

[Sir Cruise-a-Lot]

New Cat generator on the Pride a couple weeks ago. The Cat people were on board to service the system. At least two men in Cat uniform shirts working on the unit. Good to see.

[firemanbobswife]

I guess the last pic of mine wasn't what you were looking for either, huh?

[chengkp75]

WOW! You really have faith in the cruise line! For a company that has been in business as many years as Carnival and as successful as they are, do you honestly think they would spend the millions of dollars and the weekly testings of every ship to be for show? WOW!

 

Since I have not sailed on Carnival since they put these on, could you tell me what "weekly testing" you are referring to? And if they are not connected, or there is not at least a watertight deck penetration for temporary cabling to be run when the generator is needed, then they are for show.

[chengkp75]

And I suppose you are the engineer at CAT that designed these and you know exactly how everything in that container is placed and exactly which inch the cord should extend out. Gotta love speculation. [/size]

 

I also know that there is a small fuel tank included in these boxed generators, but that it wouldn't fuel the CAT for more than a few hours (perhaps 24, but not likely at full load), so there should also be some means visible for the crew to refill this fuel tank from the ship's system.

 

Some of us here at CC have a modicum of knowledge about the topics we discuss (such as 38 years as a ship's engineer).

[meatball_nyc]

Since I have not sailed on Carnival since they put these on, could you tell me what "weekly testing" you are referring to? And if they are not connected, or there is not at least a watertight deck penetration for temporary cabling to be run when the generator is needed, then they are for show.

 

 

I hope you can find the photos you're looking for, chengkp.

I've sailed Carnival twice, but never took photos of the CAT stuff. Sorry.

Good luck!

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[A2Mich]

These are meant to be temporary generators until the permanent ones can be installed at the ship's next drydock period.

 

Well that makes much more sense now! LOL. I didn't think that Carnival would SERIOUSLY do this as a permanent fix, but, ya never know sometimes!

 

Actually on a more serious note, does anyone else wonder if a fair percentage of the issues that Carnival experiences can be directly traced back to Fincantieri? I know that other ships from other shipyards have problems too from time to time, but I somehow get this feeling that either the shipyard cut some corners, or that in the contract between Carnival and Fincantieri, there was some significant cost-cutting in the design. I hope I'm wrong, but does it not seem that the Finnish built ships tend to have less catastrophic breakdowns than the Italian built ones? Carnival has not had a Finn built ship since the Fantasy class, yet it seems like the trouble-prone ships have been Fincantieri builds....maybe I'm overthinking this...

 

Oops - correction - the Spirit class were also built by Kvaerner-Masa - my oversight.

Edited March 18, 2014 by A2Mich

[chengkp75]

Well that makes much more sense now! LOL. I didn't think that Carnival would SERIOUSLY do this as a permanent fix, but, ya never know sometimes!

 

Actually on a more serious note, does anyone else wonder if a fair percentage of the issues that Carnival experiences can be directly traced back to Fincantieri? I know that other ships from other shipyards have problems too from time to time, but I somehow get this feeling that either the shipyard cut some corners, or that in the contract between Carnival and Fincantieri, there was some significant cost-cutting in the design. I hope I'm wrong, but does it not seem that the Finnish built ships tend to have less catastrophic breakdowns than the Italian built ones? Carnival has not had a Finn built ship since the Fantasy class, yet it seems like the trouble-prone ships have been Fincantieri builds....maybe I'm overthinking this...

 

Oops - correction - the Spirit class were also built by Kvaerner-Masa - my oversight.

 

I wouldn't say that it is necessarily a fault of Fincantieri's work, but the design of this class of ships, which is basically repeated in larger format on most of Carnival's latest ships, leaves much to be desired. I don't know of any other class of ship, regardless of where built, that takes the power cables from one engine room (that is segregated for just the reasons of fire safety) and run them essentially unprotected through the other engine room.

[radiojw]

I have pictures of the CAT genset from my last cruise (VALOR). Will dig around for them when I get home later today.

Edited March 18, 2014 by radiojw