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Where is Ventura ?

Host Hattie

By Host Hattie,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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Host Hattie

Host Hattie

Posted
Posted

We are currently on Queen Victoria docked in Amsterdam. When we left Southampton on Tuesday Ventura was in port with us and we were expecting to see her here today. We had a sea day yesterday and she was heading to Zeebrugge first.

The P&O website is saying she is docked here but the Web cam view looked as if she was at sea. There is no sign of her.

Does anyone know what happened or where she is ?

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Host Hattie

Host Hattie

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Posted (edited)
According to the tracking on Marine Traffic, Ventura turned around at entrance to the canal and is now heading back down the channel. Maybe the wind was too high to enter the canal.

Brian

 

Thanks, what a shame. It's been a lovely day here.

Edited by Host Hattie
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P&O SUE Great Review Rare

P&O SUE

Posted
Posted
My friend is on Ventura and messaged me earlier to say they were heading back to Southampton, as they couldn't get in to dock in Amsterdam.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

What a shame they will miss the New Year fireworks

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Supt

Supt

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Posted

They must all be gutted; we were considering this cruise - so much so we have booked the same 4 night break for next year just to be in Amsterdam overnight New Years Eve. Truly hope P&0 COME UP WITH A GOOD VALID REASON FOR NOT BERTHING AND NOT JUST THE OLD FOB OFF.!!! The New Years eve short cruise is always sold at over inflated prices as it is a New Year break ! They mustn't be allowed to get away with lame excuses for this. If the winds were so bad how come Q Victoria got in. They really must check their fob stories when another ship of the Carnival UK group does manage to get in !

 

Also why didn't she take a local pilot with her from Previous Port of Zebrugge - Sorry but something just doesn't seem right here ----- Again

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the english lady

the english lady

Posted
Posted
They must all be gutted; we were considering this cruise - so much so we have booked the same 4 night break for next year just to be in Amsterdam overnight New Years Eve. Truly hope P&0 COME UP WITH A GOOD VALID REASON FOR NOT BERTHING AND NOT JUST THE OLD FOB OFF.!!! The New Years eve short cruise is always sold at over inflated prices as it is a New Year break ! They mustn't be allowed to get away with lame excuses for this. If the winds were so bad how come Q Victoria got in. They really must check their fob stories when another ship of the Carnival UK group does manage to get in !

 

Also why didn't she take a local pilot with her from Previous Port of Zebrugge - Sorry but something just doesn't seem right here ----- Again

 

I am always quite amazed at how people think P and O do things just to annoy the passengers.

The Captain is in charge of the ship. If he does not think it would be safe FOR ANY REASON for his ship to berth, then that is his choice, not the passengers.

If you MUST be somewhere for New Years Eve then do not book something that is soo weather dependent to get you there.

Fly or go by train, because neither of those have any problems getting people to where they want to be, do they??

They are not getting away with anything.

Now I will walk away as some things are too silly to discuss.

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Pennbank

Pennbank

Posted
Posted (edited)

A similar thing happened on the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Cruise to Amsterdam just before the Christmas cruise. Capt Clarke, the master decided that the sea conditions were not right. the ship just sailed the Channel as far as Plymouth and returned to Southampton a day early. Apparently for works to be carried out to the ship, which were to be done in Amsterdam. You could disembark a day early if you wished.

They gave everyone about $75 obc for the inconvenience, with no future cruise discount, for the Cruise to nowhere.

The next cruise the ship was doing was the Christmas cruise.

Edited by Pennbank
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Aloonie

Aloonie

Posted
Posted
They must all be gutted; we were considering this cruise - so much so we have booked the same 4 night break for next year just to be in Amsterdam overnight New Years Eve. Truly hope P&0 COME UP WITH A GOOD VALID REASON FOR NOT BERTHING AND NOT JUST THE OLD FOB OFF.!!! The New Years eve short cruise is always sold at over inflated prices as it is a New Year break ! They mustn't be allowed to get away with lame excuses for this. If the winds were so bad how come Q Victoria got in. They really must check their fob stories when another ship of the Carnival UK group does manage to get in !

 

 

 

Also why didn't she take a local pilot with her from Previous Port of Zebrugge - Sorry but something just doesn't seem right here ----- Again

 

 

2 completely different ships.

Safety will always come first

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tillybilly321

tillybilly321

Posted
Posted
They must all be gutted; we were considering this cruise - so much so we have booked the same 4 night break for next year just to be in Amsterdam overnight New Years Eve. Truly hope P&0 COME UP WITH A GOOD VALID REASON FOR NOT BERTHING AND NOT JUST THE OLD FOB OFF.!!! The New Years eve short cruise is always sold at over inflated prices as it is a New Year break ! They mustn't be allowed to get away with lame excuses for this. If the winds were so bad how come Q Victoria got in. They really must check their fob stories when another ship of the Carnival UK group does manage to get in !

 

Also why didn't she take a local pilot with her from Previous Port of Zebrugge - Sorry but something just doesn't seem right here ----- Again

 

 

Unfortunately missed ports due to bad weather are pretty common at this time of year, particularly in the English channel and North sea. If you book a cruise in this area between October and perhaps March, then you have to accept that you may NOT visit the ports on the itinery. In fact it has been known to spend the whole trip at sea as it has not been safe to dock anywhere !

 

I'm not sure if you are aware that the port of Amsterdam is somewhat inland and can only be accessed via a canal which starts with a very narrow lock system. I was lucky enough to have a day time sailing into Amsterdam earlier this year, and can fully understand why the Captain would not risk entering the lock in high winds. With minimum room to manoeuvre, it would be a very risky task.

 

I also fail to see how taking a pilot from Zebrugge would have helped at all. Pilots specialise in their own port and are experts in the vicinity of their port only. Even pilots have to give greatest thoughts to the prevailing weather conditions.

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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

Posted
Posted (edited)
The captain told them that Ventura is a bigger ship, so that's why it couldn't dock.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

The shape of the ship as well as size could be a factor - the wind resistance presented by huge ships must create much more difficult conditions. If the size of the waves rolling in here over the last few days is anything to go by, it must present quite a challenge for docking dependent on the geography, wind direction and physical nature of the port.

 

We once had to make a run for Le Havre Harbour missing out Zeebrugge because of gales in the Channel. I was so disappointed as Bruge was to have been the highlight of the trip for me. But when I saw the waves crashing over the Harbour wall in Le Havre I realised the conditions were pretty bad and for safety reasons, was glad to be there!

Edited by kruzseeka
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Pennbank

Pennbank

Posted
Posted

I wonder what the reason is that the ships can not tie up at IJmuiden when the weather is bad and use local transport into Amsterdam City Centre or Coaches. For those that do not know

Ijmuiden is the Ferry port just outside the lock. DFDS ferries use it for their Amsterdam to Newcastle mini cruise route

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kruzseeka

kruzseeka

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Posted
I wonder what the reason is that the ships can not tie up at IJmuiden when the weather is bad and use local transport into Amsterdam City Centre or Coaches. For those that do not know

Ijmuiden is the Ferry port just outside the lock. DFDS ferries use it for their Amsterdam to Newcastle mini cruise route

 

Don't know about that but we once were due to dock at Ijmuiden for Amsterdam with shuttles from there to the city but when we arrived spent some time circling the port before being told by the Capt that he wasn't prepared to try docking because of the tide and possible issues with the ship's draught as the tide changed. He sought permission from HQ to request a berth in Amsterdam which was agreed and luckily one was available. So what a bonus for us - a bit late arriving but berthed right in the centre and with the added interest of the canal transit too. That was a small ship though so may not have been an option for Ventura - even if there was a berth - unlikely given the New Year attraction.

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Pennbank

Pennbank

Posted
Posted (edited)
She seems to be tootling about now below the Isle of Wight. I guess they can't get into Southampton as it is Bank Holiday?

 

The Ventura is due into Southampton Mayflower Cruise Terminal around 2359 tonight, So she may be getting in early.

Edited by Pennbank
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the english lady

the english lady

Posted
Posted
We were on Ventura on 1-13 December. A new captain was on board in his civvies due to take over command on the 13th. This was to be his 1st command of a cruise ship.

 

Could this be something to do with it? Nerves?

 

Shouldn't think so. By the time they have reached Captain and worked their way up through the chain of command, if they were going to be scared of taking control, it would have been picked up along the way, and they would not have passed their masters exams.

Bit like a Captain on a plane..They would all have had a first time..but they have to know what to do in every situation, or they would not be allowed to fly.

 

One of the best Captains we have ever had--Neil Turnbull, once took Aurora at great speed into a different port than the one we were due into ,ahead of a storm. He felt that it would be safer to do that. That was on on a ship built for cruising the oceans, not a block of flats on a ships hull-as Ventura is.

Wind would pay a major factor with that ship, purely because of its shape.

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