Will the Getaway have steering problems?

[Family Travel Story]

With the events of yesterday and the NCL Breakaway getting stuck in the Hudson River, I have to wounder if this is a glitch that could also surface with the Getaway. Has NCL commented on it yet?

[www3traveler]

With the events of yesterday and the NCL Breakaway getting stuck in the Hudson River, I have to wounder if this is a glitch that could also surface with the Getaway. Has NCL commented on it yet?

No, the biggest issue The Breakaway had was the very strong river currents. Ordinarily, there would not have been a problem. The Hudson River can and does cause problems for cruise ships and probably other ships from time to time. Both The Star, The Gem, the epic, The Pearl have ALL had river current problems. NO big deal.

[shof515]

Also, the turn to the pier from the river can be a tight 90 degree turn with little to no turning room since you have the other pier near the bow of the ship as it turns in

[mking8288]

The Hudson River is a very busy waterway and a challenge for mega-ships to dock, especially when you have strong wind & currents, changes in tide and if some of ship's "steering" or propulsion system aren't doing its part - cruiselines allow for this by allocating time for the ship's early arrival & docking.

 

We're sailing on the Carnvial Splendor last September and the Breakway was already docked next to us when we noticed that 2 tug boats were pushing the much smaller Regent ship trying to pull into Pier 92 on our port side - snapped this picture as it was around/after 1 PM as we boarded earlier & finished lunch - and up on the open deck while waiting for the cabins to be readied. One tug working its starboard side and one from AFT - essentially pushing the much smaller ship to get into the pier, and it was a bright & sunny day and currents on the river seemed normal.

 

 

The point being that even smaller cruise ships get into "trouble" and needed help from the tugs. Besides, news sources claimed changes in the tide also affected the ship's ability to dock as it sat out in the middle of the Hudson.

Slightly off topic, the next time you are at your local airports that handle "jumbo's" - go watch then taxi & park one of the huge Airbus A380's at the gate.

 

I wouldn't worry about it and as many on CC would advocate, that's what cruise & trip interruption insurance are for - book a tight flight/train/bus connection before and/or after the cruise - and when Murphy's Law decided to roll its punches ...

 

When they aren't capturing any major Noro-virus outbreak, this is the closest "breaking" news that they can get to here in NYC - our twitter feeds were going off after yesterday after Friday evening's subway train derailment underground :rolleyes:

[NYcruzzer]

Perhaps this is what caused The Breakaway to lose her steering ability ?

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Whale-Dead-Brooklyn-New-York-Harbor-New-Jersey-Police-257969851.html

[time2cruise1]

With the events of yesterday and the NCL Breakaway getting stuck in the Hudson River, I have to wounder if this is a glitch that could also surface with the Getaway. Has NCL commented on it yet?

 

The ship never lost is steering ability. It did lose the ability to maneuver in the current and tight docking area. As you can see the Breakaway made plenty of tight turns in the Hudson waiting for slack tide

 

 

Edited May 5, 2014 by time2cruise1