Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Grand injured

PonyPair

By PonyPair,
in Princess Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

PonyPair

PonyPair

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Just got an update from the captain. We are returning to Honolulu to make repairs. We have been reassured that, though we are taking on some water, the bulkhead doors have been closed and that the ship is safe. We are scheduled to arrive in Honolulu Monday at 7:00 pm. Not sure what will happen after that, but am assuming that Princess will be flying us back to SF. From our balcony it looks like the tender door has broken and is lying flat against the hull below the water.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thinfool

thinfool

Posted
Posted
We just heard from the captain that we are sailing back to Honolulu and will arrive on Dec 5 in the evening. We'll probably be flying home from there. Hey, it's an adventure!

 

What a great experience! As long as no one has been injured. Sounds great!

 

Now let's get a great conversation going about who will pay the PVSA fines, or will there be an exemption or does anyone even care! LOL (popcorn is free)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iceleven

iceleven

Posted
Posted

Friends of ours are on the Grand now and shared this on FB. The irony is that this very same cruise last year had an electrical fire which prevented the Grand from making all but one port in Honolulu which was extended for an extra day for repairs. These same friends were on that cruise with us.

Thank you Chris and Merry for the update. I know this sounds nutters but I am so jealous.:D

 

"Oh the adventures of cruising. We are once again on a damaged ship. During the night one of the doors to the tender platform fell off. This has caused the ship to start taking on water. No real danger. Bulkhead doors have been closed and pumps are pushing the sea water back into the sea. All services are available, and we are safe and comfortable. We have turned around and are heading back to Honolulu. We are moving VERY slowly and will not make the port until Monday night. Not sure what will happen then. We may be flown home, or be given the option to continue with the ship after repairs are made. Megan, please keep feeding the horses until we return!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go-Bucks!

Go-Bucks!

Posted
Posted (edited)
A lot of hair pulling going on at corporate right now I bet.

 

 

 

I was on the Grand a year ago doing the same itinerary (r/t SF to Hawaii) when, on Nov. 30, 2015 at 5:30am, there was a fire in the electrical box of the starboard engines that rendered them inoperable as well as our ability to maneuver well. We were just 20 mi. from Hilo. We, in the aft area, lost electricity for about 12 hrs and the rest of the ship for several hours.

 

It took 24 hrs to limp up to Honolulu, where we spent 2 days. They couldn't get the engines fixed but the maneuverability was back. We got the option of flying home then (about 500 people did) or staying on the ship and going to Ensenada and then SF. We missed Hilo, Maui and Kauai. We also got a very generous consolation package from Princess and had a fantastic rest of the cruise - the captain and staff were excellent. Luckily our weather the entire trip was perfect.

 

I wish all you passengers the best and glad everyone is OK. But personally, I will never sail on the Grand again. It's showing it's age in more than just cosmetic ways.

Edited by Go-Bucks!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
hightownCO

hightownCO

Posted
Posted

Poor Grand! She has had her share of troubles. I was on her on the last Hawaii sailing. It was a great cruise and the crew is the best. Everyone will be well taken care of. Thank goodness her dry dock was next or folks would be worrying about facing a cancellation.

 

Take care everyone on board and enjoy yourselves!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted

Not being onboard, I can only speculate, and hopefully I am not casting unwarranted stones, but this is a major screw-up for the ship to have gotten this far from land. That hydraulic ram is one of two that raises and lowers the platform into place. Once raised to the stowed position, the platform becomes the watertight shell of the ship. It is held against large rubber gaskets by other, smaller hydraulic rams that wedge themselves in, forcing the door/platform tighter into the gasket.

 

The hydraulic system for the tender doors had to have been left on, otherwise the hydraulics are mechanically locked. Also, the locking cylinders would have either not been engaged, or were defective and drifted open. Then the flexing of the ship in a seaway could have broken the raising cylinder attachment points allowing the door to drop. However, the raising/lowering ram is in the lower (extended) position, indicating that it was commanded to lower the door, because if it broke off in the raised position, it would have fallen out of the ship like it has, but would not be extended.

 

Because these areas are typically below the "subdivision" deck where the watertight compartmentization ends, these spaces are normally patrolled by security, and they should have noted water leaking past the gaskets long before the entire system failed.

 

This is not something damaged by the tenders, or by the seas. If this door could not have been properly secured after tendering, the ship should not have sailed for the West Coast. This is a major failure of the system, or gross negligence on the part of the crew, and that's not something I throw out there lightly.

 

I don't want to worry anyone onboard, but this is a serious breach of watertight integrity, which is why the ship has turned around for the closest port. It will not sail until this is fixed. The ship's pumps can keep up with any water inflow (and they are adjusting speed to minimize this), but even if the entire watertight compartment flooded (there are doors separating it from other compartments along the ship), the ship would not sink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted

And before anyone wants to link this to the other threads about Princess' legal problems with bilge water discharges, the water will be pumped to holding tanks, and processed as possible. Should the inflow be greater than can be processed and stored, this water is legal to pump overboard, as this is considered to be an emergency situation to control flooding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pris993

pris993

Posted
Posted

We did the New Years cruise last year... booked again this year... would guess problems will be taken care of... looking forward to leaving on the Grand from San Francisco on dec 30th... hope all on board now enjoy the cruise inspite of difficulties.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
need2cruisesoon

need2cruisesoon

Posted
Posted

 

I don't want to worry anyone onboard, but this is a serious breach of watertight integrity, which is why the ship has turned around for the closest port. It will not sail until this is fixed. The ship's pumps can keep up with any water inflow (and they are adjusting speed to minimize this), but even if the entire watertight compartment flooded (there are doors separating it from other compartments along the ship), the ship would not sink.

 

You make good points.

I wonder what the strategy is if the ship is caught in 12-14' swells returning to HI?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
You make good points.

I wonder what the strategy is if the ship is caught in 12-14' swells returning to HI?

 

If they haven't already, they can list the ship away from the damaged side to raise it higher above the water. They can also adjust course to keep that side in a lee (opposite of the swell or seas) as much as possible. They are also, I'm sure sealing the doors leading to the tender port (not familiar with the layout of this ship) so that the water is confined to the tender port and it's drains.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jennybenny

jennybenny

Posted
Posted

Hoping for a safe arrival in Honolulu for everyone and that the repair is done quickly and efficiently.

 

Wonder what, if any, changes will happen in Dry Dock now, for instance more focus on this than something else?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
Hoping for a safe arrival in Honolulu for everyone and that the repair is done quickly and efficiently.

 

Wonder what, if any, changes will happen in Dry Dock now, for instance more focus on this than something else?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

There is a separation between the technical side and the hotel (front of house) side of the shipyard period. Typically, neither interacts or interferes with each other, but also typically the technical side drives the time required for the shipyard (unless there is a major, major restructuring of the hotel planned). From a technical side, this repair will just be added to the scope of work, and likely won't affect the timeline.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jennybenny

jennybenny

Posted
Posted
There is a separation between the technical side and the hotel (front of house) side of the shipyard period. Typically, neither interacts or interferes with each other, but also typically the technical side drives the time required for the shipyard (unless there is a major, major restructuring of the hotel planned). From a technical side, this repair will just be added to the scope of work, and likely won't affect the timeline.

 

 

 

That's good to hear. It makes sense that they are separate functions controlling what happens and when.

 

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...