Breaking Queen Mary Two News

[eroller]

 

David,

 

Nope, Mrs. Warwick's parents really do live there :)

 

 

True, but Princess Cruises/Cunard is not going to base an operational decision impacting thousands of passengers on the residency of the Captain's in-laws! ;) I don't think that tidbit will even make it into the equation should the Hawaii cruises ever come into question.

 

Ernie

[travel-to-go]

Of course, all of the above is pertinent if the spare parts or complete azipod is available. And then available where?

 

I suppose they could ship via air. Do FedEx do a cardboard box that big?

 

The propellers are all fixed pitch, so you would want to remove a damaged propeller altogether to cut down on drag.

 

 

I can't speak for Fed-Ex, but when we were cruising the Panama Canal on the Cunard Countess a number of years ago, she crunched a turbine- something- Marc would remember better- threw a blade in the turbine or something on one of the engines. I think it was a turbo-charger. They shipped it to us while we were enroute. I'm guessing the repairs were made in Acupulco or nearby, which was our final port of disembarkation, but I distinctly remember they shipped it to us while we were transitting the canal. We were at the engineer's table for that entire trip, so we did get to hear a bit of the scuttle-butt (to use a revered nautical term! <G>) Of course she was a much smaller ship, and I don't know what is involved in changing out a turbo-charger as compared to whatever damage was done to the prop or pod. (The two forward ones aren't called azipods, are they? just pods?) I know we talked about doing some changing of schedule, but in the end, I think the schedule of ports was not changed, I think just the time of arrival in Puntarrenas Costa Rica. Come to think of it, I am thinking maybe they put this thing on or fixed it while we were docked there. I'm sure it was an inside prt, and did not require dry-docking the ship, which is an entirely different matter, of course!

Then, too, the Captain and a number of other officers disembarked in Costa Rica for new assignments, as the ship/line was bought out and her new owners boarded her for inspection while we were on the cruise! It's about the third or fourth time that has happened to us. We were also onboard when Trafalagar bought Cunard and when Orient Star bought the Crown Jewel.

Hey, back to the QM2's repairs- (going back to our pirate trivia contest) can't they just careen her, like the pirates of old did? <G>

 

Karie

[travel-to-go]

:( That's the worst scenario!! For us, at least. We're booked on that cruise, docs in hand. This was booked the moment we heard of it, in November 2004!

 

I was telling my husband just last night I fear this is what will happen. It was going be special for us, our 20th wedding anniversary is on Feb 23, the second day of this little cruise.

 

Well, happy (early) anniversary!

Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll do for you what the poster last night got for releasing an M1 QE2 cabin Cunard needed on the world cruise. Maybe you'll get something "bigger and better", although things don't always work out time-off wise.

Good luck. May it is just the prop, and they won't have to too much. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you (and for her)

Karie

[travel-to-go]

Don't they need to do that to get round (or comply with, depending on your pov) the Jones Act? IIRC non-American ships are not allowed to sail between American ports - hence the trip to Ensanada.

 

Peter

 

That can't be right- She just sailed from New York to Fort Lauderdale!

Or do you mean start and end- since it was indicated that Fort Laud was ONLY to take on passengers. I believe ships also travel the New England route between New York, Newport, Boston and Bar Harbor without intervening ports.

 

Something makes me think the rules is there has to be at least one foreign port in there somewhere during the cruise, though.

 

I'll have to look that one up!

 

Karie

[travel-to-go]

Of course this isn't comprehensive- and I can't testify it is completeley correct, but this seems to be the gist of it, after a number of look-ups from various sources:

What is the Jones Act?

 

The Jones Act is the everyday name for Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (46 U.S.C. 883; 19 CFR 4.80 and 4.80b). Its intent is very simple - to promote a healthy U.S-Flag fleet and protect that fleet from unfair foreign competition, the Jones Act requires that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in a vessel that was built in the United States and is owned (at least 75 percent) by American citizens or corporations. Since Jones Act vessels are registered in the United States, our general labor and immigration laws require that crewmembers be American citizens or legal aliens.

 

Does the Jones Act apply to passengers?

 

The Act, no; the principle, yes. What is known as the Passenger Vessel Act of 1886 (46 U.S.C. 289) states that "no foreign vessel shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, under penalty of $200 for each passenger so transported or landed."

 

I'm sure there are subparagraphs and such that allow foregin flagged vessels if there is at least one intervening foreign port.

KP

copied without permission from: http://www.lcaships.com/jones.html

[guernseyguy]

I'll have to look that one up!

Karie

 

Its a combination of the 'Jones Act' - which defines what an 'American' ship is and the 'Passenger Services Act' which governs transport of passengers between American ports. Wikipedia has explanations:

 

Jones act: http://*****.com/b744h

 

Passenger Services Act: http://*****.com/b3fpl

 

So QM2 could not carry passengers between NY and FLA, nor between LA and Hawaii, as I understand it. Hence the need for the stop in Mexico on the way back from Hawaii.

 

Peter

 

Karie beat me to it!

[paulabr]

Totally different than what WSVN is reporting and what is reported on the original thread:

 

PORT EVERGLADES (WSVN) -- A cruise ship that left port in Fort Lauderdale this afternoon and apparently struck something while at sea causing structural damage, is on its way back to shore tonight.

 

The Queen Mary II, which belongs to the Cunard Line cruiseline, left Port Everglades at around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday en route to South America. While at sea about five to six miles off the coast, the vessel hit something underneath the water causing alarm systems to go off in the control center of the ship.

 

The cruise ship is on its way back to Port Everglades. Other than the structural damage, The Queen Mary II has not reported any other problems

I heard a news flash that a ship was hit by a 40 foot wave and had to return?? they said stay tuned but haven't heard any more. Did any one else hear that??

[Ldybrnwyn]

 

Karie

P.S. What is your husband lecturing on?

 

Karie,

 

He's lecturing in the planetarium and he has quite a few interesting talks scheduled using the dome. He's the Art Director on the Griffith Observatory renovation (for their new shows) so he has a lot of experience creating dome presentations :) For these, he's used his own artwork (he's an artist by trade).

 

He also has a powerpoint 2D presentation which highlights the more interesting astronomy in our general location in the galaxy. They may also be running that one QM2's cable network. He has a couple of really cute kids' shows and is hoping Cunard will be able to coordinate star gazing events on the upper decks (weather permitting, of course). He's bringing a portable telescope :)

[travel-to-go]

Karie,

 

He's lecturing in the planetarium and he has quite a few interesting talks scheduled using the dome. He's the Art Director on the Griffith Observatory renovation (for their new shows) so he has a lot of experience creating dome presentations :) For these, he's used his own artwork (he's an artist by trade).

 

He also has a powerpoint 2D presentation which highlights the more interesting astronomy in our general location in the galaxy. They may also be running that one QM2's cable network. He has a couple of really cute kids' shows and is hoping Cunard will be able to coordinate star gazing events on the upper decks (weather permitting, of course). He's bringing a portable telescope :)

 

Wow! Thanks. Looks like lectures not to be missed if one is interested in astronomy and the galaxy! I very much enjoyed a couple of stargazing groups on our Christmas Cruise on the HAL Westerdam in 2004, led by a couple of the navigators. They even brought out a sextant and talked about navigation from an earlier time. I had a skylight installed over my bed when we built the house, so you can imagine what my feeelings are about stargazing. I've even gone to visit Arecibo P.R. when it was closed. I live out in the country, in part, to avoid light pollution!

 

Hopefully, all will go well with the ship and the lectures will be well-attended and a big hit!

 

Karie

 

P.S. As to the previous post- I heard the ship was hit by 40 foot sea serpents, not 40 foot waves!! <G>- Okay! Just kidding!

[travel-to-go]

delete duplicate

[Ldybrnwyn]

Don't they need to do that to get round (or comply with, depending on your pov) the Jones Act? IIRC non-American ships are not allowed to sail between American ports - hence the trip to Ensanada.

 

Peter

 

Peter,

 

her last port of call coming back from Hawaii is also Ensenada

[Ldybrnwyn]

I live out in the country, in part, to avoid light pollution!

 

Hopefully, all will go well with the ship and the lectures will be well-attended and a big hit!

 

 

Karie,

 

Are you an astronomer?! Chris regularly talks at the Orange County Astronomers Association :) We have a lot of friends who moved to the country for the same reason. Course, they went completely over the top when some of them actually built mini observatories in their yards.

 

His lectures have been big hits so far :) We're hoping the momentum keeps up!

 

Tracy

[c-legs]

:) Hi,

They're in compliance with the Jones Act arriving in L.A from '' round the horn ''' from Florida,

The 3 days short cruise to Ensenada is just that; a short cruise. To/from Mexico.

The Hawaii round trip will also call at Ensenada on the return in compliance with Jones Act.

 

( unless I'm missing something....)

Cheers

CG

 

 

Don't they need to do that to get round (or comply with, depending on your pov) the Jones Act? IIRC non-American ships are not allowed to sail between American ports - hence the trip to Ensanada.

 

Peter

[c-legs]

 

 

 

 

 

BTW, I think the only port that could dry dock a ship this big in the Pacific is actually in Hawaii. That's why we don't have the really large cruise ships out here (plus the Panama Canal thing).

 

:D Hi,

 

I think SanFransisco can handle that; it's handled '' biggies '' before...Isn't SanDiego also fitted for '' big '' hulls ??

Cheers

CG

 

[waterrats]

US flagged ships can travel from CA to HI and allow one way passengers to disembark there. If the ship is foriegn flagged, I have heard the cruiseline will bus the passengers to Mexico to board the ship. Round trip passengers aren't affected as they are coming back to their origination point.

[Out2See]

Just curious - are the accomodations for the lecturers the same as passengers or are they staff cabins? The same with dining - do they get Queens Grille or Britannia or staff dining? Thanks

[Happy ks]

 

:D Hi,

 

I think SanFransisco can handle that; it's handled '' biggies '' before...Isn't SanDiego also fitted for '' big '' hulls ??

Cheers

CG

 

 

 

It's the reason RCI won't bring Voyager class ships out here, nowhere to drydock the ship for repairs. The closest port would be Hawaii for drydock, not a bad choice for scheduled dry dock, but not for emergencies.

[Ldybrnwyn]

Just curious - are the accomodations for the lecturers the same as passengers or are they staff cabins? The same with dining - do they get Queens Grille or Britannia or staff dining? Thanks

 

From my Husband's experience I can tell you that it's staff cabins, definitely NOT passenger cabins. I don't remember any entertainers getting Queens Grille or Princess Grille status. Actually, I don't think it's even allowed if your an entertainer or lecturer. It would be like one of the kitchen staff staying on board in a Junior Suite while they were working the cruise. As it is, In order to join him in Hawaii, I had to purchase full priced tickets for our daughter and I.

[eroller]

Just curious - are the accomodations for the lecturers the same as passengers or are they staff cabins? The same with dining - do they get Queens Grille or Britannia or staff dining? Thanks

 

 

Apparently it depends on the individual arrangement the lecturer has with Cunard. For instance, on the QE2 just a couple weeks ago we had onboard John Maxtone-Graham and Ted Scull. Both performed several excellent lectures during the crossing. John Maxtone-Graham was in a Queen's Grill cabin and dined in the Queen's Grill. Ted Scull was in a Caronia cabin and restaurant.

 

I don't know how it all works, but either they have their accommodations specified in their contract, or possibly they are provided with a certain level of accommodations and then can pay a supplement to upgrade if they choose to.

 

I've also heard (rumor of course) that things are different between QM2 and QE2. I've heard that under no circumstances will lecturers be provided Grill accommodations on the "new ship", but that they might be on QE2. Go figure.

 

Ernie

[Ldybrnwyn]

Just curious - are the accomodations for the lecturers the same as passengers or are they staff cabins? The same with dining - do they get Queens Grille or Britannia or staff dining? Thanks

 

I'll amend my previous post by saying I'm sure things are different for entertainers like John Cleese and Carrie Fisher. I can't imagine them staying in a staff cabin :)

[mufi]

No, depends who they are. Thinking of the likes of Terry Waite, Al Haig and even Jimmy Saville who all were on Grill class on previous cruises.

 

David.

[Bollinge]

I have sailed on Cunard Line many times with the likes of Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, Sharron Davies, Duncan Goodhew, and Colin Jackson, (Olympic gold medal winners for Britain, for you foreigners reading this post).

 

Not to mention Bert Weedon, Jackie Charlton, Denis Law and Eric Knowles Antiques Roadshow).

 

They all travel on a passenger ticket, the same as you or I, but it is up to their booking agent to sort out their stateroom. For example Sharron Davies on the QE2 was on 1 deck, and dined in the Caronia restaurant.

 

Anyone who has ever sailed with John Maxtone Graham will never be able to contemplate him dining in steerage!

[travel-to-go]

No, depends who they are. Thinking of the likes of Terry Waite, Al Haig and even Jimmy Saville who all were on Grill class on previous cruises.

 

David.

 

Somehow, I bet Carly Simon wasn't in Cattle Class! <G>

 

Karie