Vista on her way to drydock

[NebraskaSatellite]

ETA in Freeport is the afternoon of the 12th.  Looks like she will round Key West before the potential tropical system winds up in the northern Gulf this week.

 

[CruisingViper]

Anyone know what it's like sailing on the ship when there's no passengers? Just the captain's crew? Do they have their own cook and/or mess area or use the MDR or Lido or something?

[ProgRockCruiser]

2 minutes ago, CruisingViper said:

Anyone know what it's like sailing on the ship when there's no passengers? Just the captain's crew? Do they have their own cook and/or mess area or use the MDR or Lido or something?

 

I had a similar thought when thinking about this "unplanned" maintenance.  I doubt the entire crew gets off in Galveston - I would think they don't have the right visas for that, in general.  So they must remain on the ship, and guess just keep cleaning, painting, and whatever.

 

Anyone able to chime in on that line of thought?

[jakeawhite]

Just got off Vista this morning. Did the behind the fun tour and the HR director on board said that about 2/3 of the crew will remain onboard. Any that had upcoming vacations they let them go early and helped out with flights.

They'll do regular duties as required (much less with empty ship) and some deep cleanings, etc.

[wo5m]

My understanding is that the essential departments will need work as normal. There are alot of people who come aboard during a normal dry dock. With this being a floating drydock, its not like they can put the workers in a hotel while its a sea so alot of the same functions will probably occur(minus the entertainment) just on a smaller scale. 

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, wo5m said:

My understanding is that the essential departments will need work as normal. There are alot of people who come aboard during a normal dry dock. With this being a floating drydock, its not like they can put the workers in a hotel while its a sea so alot of the same functions will probably occur(minus the entertainment) just on a smaller scale. 

All true, but this particular drydock is fairly unique.  I wonder of the “normal” drydock activities will take place?  I would find it hard to beleive they could get carpet, bedding even large amounts of paint and such on short notice.  

Edited July 10, 2019 by jimbo5544

[wms99]

on our last cruise, our head waiter told us he loved dry dock time. He put on overalls, painted, cleaned, and got to do all sorts of things he never does normally.

 

 

[N7786W Flyer]

This past January, we were on the next-to-last cruise of the Freedom before it went into drydock.

 

While I'm sure the crew, as a whole, has mixed feelings about the time there, our dining room staff were absolutely dreading the time there.

 

In their words, they said they would have to take care of the 3rd party vendors (and their crews) that came onboard during that time...and apparently, they don't tip well 🙂  Also, they said that parts of the ship would be without running water and electricity and, subsequently, air conditioning during part of that time as well. 

 

Garnett

[coevan]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

All true, but this particular drydock is fairly unique.  I wonder of the “normal” drydock activities will take place?  I would find it hard to beleive they could get carpet, bedding even large amounts of paint and such on short notice.  

 

 

I am currently PM'ing a bartender and his wife on the Vista. We became FB friends and have stayed in touch. From the horses mouth, this a very unique and short wet dock. Carnival rented a hotel and more than 1/2 the staff is staying at the hotel. They are spending some time "sober" bartending, cokes, waters and such. She is thinking of it as a paid vacation which is rare with Carnival.

[chengkp75]

As stated, those whose contracts are ending by the time the ship leaves the shipyard, will go home.  The crew cannot afford to fly back to their homes and return in a couple of weeks, so they won't get off for the duration.  It's not a party with no pax, they will still be working.  The cruise line isn't likely to pay them for doing nothing.  

 

This is not a regular scheduled drydocking, so there won't be any major refurbishment of the hotel, but the supervisors will have things that they want done, but can't get done in service.  Just because it is a "self-propelled" floating drydock, this isn't going to take place "at sea", it will be tied up to shore in the shipyard, just as any ship is when doing repairs without drydocking.  There will be gangways from the Vista to the Vanguard, and from Vanguard to shore, just like any floating drydock there at Grand Bahamas.  The docking is for azipod repair only, and they will likely not do anything else unless something is discovered when the ship is dry (like a dent in the bottom, for instance).

 

While in a normal drydocking, there may be periods of water, power, and AC being off, this is kept to a minimum, and every effort is made to work around the crew's schedules for these outages.

 

And, even in a "normal" drydock, the subcontractors are not put up in hotels, they live onboard and the crew cook and serve them.  This saves the cruise line the cost of hotels, and also the lost time of the contractors going back and forth to hotels, or restaurants.  Keep them on site, and you get more work out of them.

[ProgRockCruiser]

15 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

As stated, those whose contracts are ending by the time the ship leaves the shipyard, will go home.  The crew cannot afford to fly back to their homes and return in a couple of weeks, so they won't get off for the duration.  It's not a party with no pax, they will still be working.  The cruise line isn't likely to pay them for doing nothing.  

 

This is not a regular scheduled drydocking, so there won't be any major refurbishment of the hotel, but the supervisors will have things that they want done, but can't get done in service.  Just because it is a "self-propelled" floating drydock, this isn't going to take place "at sea", it will be tied up to shore in the shipyard, just as any ship is when doing repairs without drydocking.  There will be gangways from the Vista to the Vanguard, and from Vanguard to shore, just like any floating drydock there at Grand Bahamas.  The docking is for azipod repair only, and they will likely not do anything else unless something is discovered when the ship is dry (like a dent in the bottom, for instance).

 

While in a normal drydocking, there may be periods of water, power, and AC being off, this is kept to a minimum, and every effort is made to work around the crew's schedules for these outages.

 

And, even in a "normal" drydock, the subcontractors are not put up in hotels, they live onboard and the crew cook and serve them.  This saves the cruise line the cost of hotels, and also the lost time of the contractors going back and forth to hotels, or restaurants.  Keep them on site, and you get more work out of them.

 

Thanks Chief!  That makes perfect sense.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

Thanks Chief!  That makes perfect sense.

Just passed her, though didn't see her, a few miles off, today.  Seas are slight, and generally overcast.  We're headed for SW Pass, to wait for the river to recede and the pilots to open traffic again.

[NebraskaSatellite]

And the Vista has arrived in the Bahamas right on schedule.  

[chengkp75]

And Boka Vanguard is outside anchoring.

[AmazedByCruising]

13 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

And Boka Vanguard is outside anchoring.

 

A small clip about the procedure https://maritiemnieuws.nl/91548/boka-vanguard-van-boskalis-droogdok-voor-enorm-cruiseschip-van-carnival/ 

[Essiesmom]

From Ecstasy:

 

[chengkp75]

0530 Eastern time, Vista is maneuvering to enter Vanguard.  Sunrise there at 0630, most likely when they will actually move over the Vanguard.  Six tugs in attendance.

Edited July 13, 2019 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

Vista now in position over Vanguard.

[chengkp75]

4 tugs have left, only two standing in attendance, so my guess is that while still not fully lifted, that the Vanguard "has the weight" of Vista (she is sitting on the keel blocks), and Vanguard will get underway back into the shipyard in a few hours.

[sandyzag]

@chengkp75 Chief, are you there in person or watching a live webcam somewhere?

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, sandyzag said:

@chengkp75 Chief, are you there in person or watching a live webcam somewhere?

Currently tacking back and forth about 70 miles south of SW Pass, waiting to anchor and get the river open again.  Watching on Marinetraffic.

[sandyzag]

Thank you!   Capt Vittorio just posted a time lapse video of it.   Its fascinating!

[jimbo5544]

Saw on facebook she is fully out the water (cannot see the ducktail).

[jimbo5544]

Saw another and the aft end is completely out as well

[chengkp75]

Vanguard has swung heading, so likely working the anchors out.

 

The anchor handling offshore supply boat Sovereign was last around Vanguard, likely assisting in pulling the two stern anchors.

Edited July 13, 2019 by chengkp75