Carnival Pride - Dead in the Water

[K&RCurt]

I am on board the Carnival Pride.  After a great day in Bimini, we just pulled away from the pier, got about a mile or so away and the lights went out and the ship stopped dead in the water.

 

Room and hallway lights came back on and oddly enough the WiFi, but the HVAC didn't and neither did propulsion.  The Captain just came over the PA and announced all Electric generation is out and the "Team is working on it."

 

I will come back with any update we get on the situation.

Edited October 21, 2021 by K&RCurt

[lazydayz]

Wow, hope they get that repaired soon. Glad you are still close to land! 

[K&RCurt]

FYI, A/C just came back on and the Captain just announced power and propulsion are back.  No reason given.

 

That was fun!

[nlktx49]

Hope they get it fixed - and fast! Don't want a repeat of the Triumph from several years back.

[K&RCurt]

1 minute ago, nlktx49 said:

Hope they get it fixed - and fast! Don't want a repeat of the Triumph from several years back.

Funny / not funny.  When the lights went out my DW said "OMG this better not be another poop cruise!"

[davy jones]

It was terrible......the Captain's announcement in the cabin awakened me from my nap

[bury me at sea]

Must have been scary.  I am hoping for the best for all passengers and crew.  

[TequilaJane]

Someone plugged in an electric kettle that they brought on board and blew the main fuse.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Stressing out as we're supposed to begin our cruise on the Pride on 10/24...

[retiredgram]

27 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Stressing out as we're supposed to begin our cruise on the Pride on 10/24...

We get on after you, Oct. 31   Relax and Enjoy your cruise.🍹

[BlerkOne]

Ship happens. You cruise long enough and you occasional encounter on all cruise lines. AFAIK, all older Carnival ships still have the temporary/permanent emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working.

[IntrepidFromDC]

32 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Ship happens. You cruise long enough and you occasional encounter on all cruise lines. AFAIK, all older Carnival ships still have the temporary/permanent emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working.

 

I hope you're right, I'm newer to cruising than the poop cruise, did the on deck generators just not work?

[groundloop]

2 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

 

 

I hope you're right, I'm newer to cruising than the poop cruise, did the on deck generators just not work?

As I recall the Triumph (now the Sunrise) had an engine room fire.

[IntrepidFromDC]

8 minutes ago, groundloop said:

As I recall the Triumph (now the Sunrise) had an engine room fire.

Right, so why didn't the emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working kick in?  Or did it and it wasn't really a poop cruise, I thought they called it that cuz people couldn't flush?

[dezertcruzer]

9 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Right, so why didn't the emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working kick in?  Or did it and it wasn't really a poop cruise, I thought they called it that cuz people couldn't flush?

As I recall, the poop cruise was the reason that all ships got the emergency generators.  They didn't have them before that.

[BlerkOne]

45 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

 

I hope you're right, I'm newer to cruising than the poop cruise, did the on deck generators just not work?

The pictures illustrate what happens when people don't follow simple instructions. The generators and more were added after the poop cruise and were to prevent a repeat occurrence.

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Right, so why didn't the emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working kick in?  Or did it and it wasn't really a poop cruise, I thought they called it that cuz people couldn't flush?

 

9 hours ago, dezertcruzer said:

As I recall, the poop cruise was the reason that all ships got the emergency generators.  They didn't have them before that.

 

9 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

The pictures illustrate what happens when people don't follow simple instructions. The generators and more were added after the poop cruise and were to prevent a repeat occurrence.

Let's clear up a few things, here.  As Blerkone says, the major problems caused on the Triumph were caused by people continuing to use inoperative toilets, causing them to overflow.  The reports of "poop" running down the walls was not accurate, this was condensation caused by the lack of AC, dripping down onto the insulation over and between the cabins, and taking the dirt from years from the insulation and running down the walls.

 

All ships have had emergency generators for decades.  However, an emergency generator is only, by law, allowed to power certain systems, specifically those required to get the ship evacuated.  This would include lighting (though not all lighting), elevators, and other systems the passengers would not know about (bilge and fire pumps, navigation and communication systems (the wifi was part of the satellite comms), engine room control systems, steering, and lifeboat davits).  You will note that none of this is designed to provide hotel systems for the passengers, except the lighting.

 

As a result of the Triumph fire, Carnival has instituted installation of additional generators (note I don't call them "emergency" generators, as those are specific as noted above) that could provide limited passenger services.  These were originally containerized on deck, and supposed to be replaced by permanent generators later, though I don't know if this ever happened, as I've not heard of them carving out space for a new generator and its services.  These generators were not connected all the time, as there was no switchboard for this, but could be connected within an hour or so, to provide some hotel services.  I am not sure, if the permanent generators were ever installed, whether this became a permanent switching system, like a home generator.  These generators will still not provide AC, though they will provide ventilation fans, as the AC systems are far too large to be powered by a small generator.  They will provide power to toilet systems, some refrigeration systems, and some galley functions.  They are certainly not large enough to provide any propulsion power.

 

Blackouts, such as this one, are rare, but they do occur, and even with the best mandated backup systems, will result in loss of power, particularly propulsion for some period of time.  It sounds like a breaker failed, causing the blackout, and the crew needed time to restart generators to get all systems back online.  I can't tell from the posting times, but the OP stated that all systems were back on in less than an hour, so that is not an unusual amount of time.

Edited October 22, 2021 by chengkp75

[Elaine5715]

9 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

 

 

Let's clear up a few things, here.  As Blerkone says, the major problems caused on the Triumph were caused by people continuing to use inoperative toilets, causing them to overflow.  The reports of "poop" running down the walls was not accurate, this was condensation caused by the lack of AC, dripping down onto the insulation over and between the cabins, and taking the dirt from years from the insulation and running down the walls.

 

All ships have had emergency generators for decades.  However, an emergency generator is only, by law, allowed to power certain systems, specifically those required to get the ship evacuated.  This would include lighting (though not all lighting), elevators, and other systems the passengers would not know about (bilge and fire pumps, navigation and communication systems (the wifi was part of the satellite comms), engine room control systems, steering, and lifeboat davits).  You will note that none of this is designed to provide hotel systems for the passengers, except the lighting.

 

As a result of the Triumph fire, Carnival has instituted installation of additional generators (note I don't call them "emergency" generators, as those are specific as noted above) that could provide limited passenger services.  These were originally containerized on deck, and supposed to be replaced by permanent generators later, though I don't know if this ever happened, as I've not heard of them carving out space for a new generator and its services.  These generators were not connected all the time, as there was no switchboard for this, but could be connected within an hour or so, to provide some hotel services.  I am not sure, if the permanent generators were ever installed, whether this became a permanent switching system, like a home generator.  These generators will still not provide AC, though they will provide ventilation fans, as the AC systems are far too large to be powered by a small generator.  They will provide power to toilet systems, some refrigeration systems, and some galley functions.  They are certainly not large enough to provide any propulsion power.

 

Blackouts, such as this one, are rare, but they do occur, and even with the best mandated backup systems, will result in loss of power, particularly propulsion for some period of time.  It sounds like a breaker failed, causing the blackout, and the crew needed time to restart generators to get all systems back online.  I can't tell from the posting times, but the OP stated that all systems were back on in less than an hour, so that is not an unusual amount of time.

As always, thank you.  

[Pellaz]

13 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Right, so why didn't the emergency generators  located up on deck that are enough to keep toilets, ventilation, and elevators working kick in?  

 

As stated elsewhere, the Triumph incident was the trigger for most cruise lines to install a backup generator; on older ships it is located near the funnel and was a sizeable Caterpillar (tm) generator.  Its purpose is to power elevators, toilets, lighting and other hotel functions.  It is NOT designed -- and does not have the capacity -- to run shipwide HVAC systems; that requires at least one main diesel generator.  

 

On newer ships like Mardi Gras, the backup generator appears to be well-hidden.   When our power failed shipwide for about 4 minutes, one lady told me she saw black smoke appear from one of the smaller "funnels" on top, which was probably from the backup generator.  Or, maybe they had failed to choose a new Pope.  🙂   

 

From the description the OP provided here, it sounds as if the Pride's backup generator DID come on in this instance.  

[chengkp75]

23 minutes ago, Pellaz said:

 

As stated elsewhere, the Triumph incident was the trigger for most cruise lines to install a backup generator; on older ships it is located near the funnel and was a sizeable Caterpillar (tm) generator.  Its purpose is to power elevators, toilets, lighting and other hotel functions.  It is NOT designed -- and does not have the capacity -- to run shipwide HVAC systems; that requires at least one main diesel generator.  

 

On newer ships like Mardi Gras, the backup generator appears to be well-hidden.   When our power failed shipwide for about 4 minutes, one lady told me she saw black smoke appear from one of the smaller "funnels" on top, which was probably from the backup generator.  Or, maybe they had failed to choose a new Pope.  🙂   

 

From the description the OP provided here, it sounds as if the Pride's backup generator DID come on in this instance.  

Again, I haven't heard that the "backup" generators have been completely installed, to provide automatic start up and power supply.  The "emergency" generator is designed to start and place itself on line within 45 seconds, and I can tell you from doing the mandatory monthly testing where we simulate a blackout and have the generator start, those are the longest 45 seconds of your life.  The black smoke was likely the emergency generator starting, as I don't believe they could get the backup generator connected in 4 minutes.  Any diesel engine just starting up creates a black smoke cloud until the turbocharger gets up to speed.  I don't believe the Pride's "backup" generator came on, but the "emergency" one did, and then they restored power normally fairly quickly.

 

And, it is only Carnival that decided to add the "backup" generators, not "most" cruise lines.  I'm not sure that the newer Carnival ships actually have the "backup" generator, they just redesigned the engine rooms so that a fire in one does not affect power generation in the other (as was the case on the Triumph), so the "backup" is not needed.  I seem to recall that the older ships rerouted the cabling from the forward engine room to the main switchboard to run outside the aft engine room, and this replaced the need for a "backup" generator as well.

Edited October 22, 2021 by chengkp75

[K&RCurt]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

 

Let's clear up a few things, here.  As Blerkone says, the major problems caused on the Triumph were caused by people continuing to use inoperative toilets, causing them to overflow.  The reports of "poop" running down the walls was not accurate, this was condensation caused by the lack of AC, dripping down onto the insulation over and between the cabins, and taking the dirt from years from the insulation and running down the walls.

 

All ships have had emergency generators for decades.  However, an emergency generator is only, by law, allowed to power certain systems, specifically those required to get the ship evacuated.  This would include lighting (though not all lighting), elevators, and other systems the passengers would not know about (bilge and fire pumps, navigation and communication systems (the wifi was part of the satellite comms), engine room control systems, steering, and lifeboat davits).  You will note that none of this is designed to provide hotel systems for the passengers, except the lighting.

 

As a result of the Triumph fire, Carnival has instituted installation of additional generators (note I don't call them "emergency" generators, as those are specific as noted above) that could provide limited passenger services.  These were originally containerized on deck, and supposed to be replaced by permanent generators later, though I don't know if this ever happened, as I've not heard of them carving out space for a new generator and its services.  These generators were not connected all the time, as there was no switchboard for this, but could be connected within an hour or so, to provide some hotel services.  I am not sure, if the permanent generators were ever installed, whether this became a permanent switching system, like a home generator.  These generators will still not provide AC, though they will provide ventilation fans, as the AC systems are far too large to be powered by a small generator.  They will provide power to toilet systems, some refrigeration systems, and some galley functions.  They are certainly not large enough to provide any propulsion power.

 

Blackouts, such as this one, are rare, but they do occur, and even with the best mandated backup systems, will result in loss of power, particularly propulsion for some period of time.  It sounds like a breaker failed, causing the blackout, and the crew needed time to restart generators to get all systems back online.  I can't tell from the posting times, but the OP stated that all systems were back on in less than an hour, so that is not an unusual amount of time.

Tanks for the explanation.

 

Power was out for about 20 minutes, so what you are suggesting sounds correct.

 

Also, I have no idea what all the kabbitzing about Bermuda is about on the 1st page here.

[ChrisNCruiser]

21 hours ago, TequilaJane said:

Someone plugged in an electric kettle that they brought on board and blew the main fuse.

On my first cruise in 1997 (Fascination), I brought a travel iron. Within two minutes of plugging it in we lost all power to our cabin and had to call guest services. We got deservedly 'TSK'ed by the maintenance dude. I found the laundry room / learned to pack more effectively for future cruises 😛

[BlerkOne]

It is reported by some that they saw Carnival Valor on her way to New Orleans. That would also be special 

[Pellaz]

14 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Again, I haven't heard that the "backup" generators have been completely installed, to provide automatic start up and power supply.  The "emergency" generator is designed to start and place itself on line within 45 seconds, and I can tell you from doing the mandatory monthly testing where we simulate a blackout and have the generator start, those are the longest 45 seconds of your life.  The black smoke was likely the emergency generator starting, as I don't believe they could get the backup generator connected in 4 minutes.  Any diesel engine just starting up creates a black smoke cloud until the turbocharger gets up to speed.  I don't believe the Pride's "backup" generator came on, but the "emergency" one did, and then they restored power normally fairly quickly.

 

That 45-second interval may be consistent with what we experienced on the Mardi Gras.  Power went out ; overhead lighting and ventilation stopped.  I stepped out on our aft balcony and saw that we were moving only under momentum.  Our neighbor stepped outside also.  "Is your power out?" I asked. 

"It just came back on."  

There was still no propulsion evident and we were moving only under momentum.  Room lights were on but no HVAC.  

At about the four-minute mark the propulsion resumed; I'll attach a "drifting under momentum" photo and an "engines just restarted" photo.  Not something you'd see normally at sea and underway. 🙂  

 

 

14 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

And, it is only Carnival that decided to add the "backup" generators, not "most" cruise lines.  I'm not sure that the newer Carnival ships actually have the "backup" generator, they just redesigned the engine rooms so that a fire in one does not affect power generation in the other (as was the case on the Triumph), so the "backup" is not needed.  I seem to recall that the older ships rerouted the cabling from the forward engine room to the main switchboard to run outside the aft engine room, and this replaced the need for a "backup" generator as well.

 

I though I'd read (probably here, actually) that other cruise lines had followed suit, but maybe not.  

 

There are some "mini funnels" on Mardi Gras that seemed different or new.  I figured they had something to do with her LNG fuel system.  I'll attach a couple of photos.    

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Pellaz

[chengkp75]

Those "funnels", due to their size, shape, and placement would be the vents for the LNG storage tanks.  LNG must be stored at -177*F, and the tanks are essentially large vacuum bottles.  Because there is no refrigeration equipment to keep the tanks cooled, there will always be some "boil-off" of LNG to gas, which will build up pressure in the tanks.  Most of this boil-off is used by the engines, but the excess is taken to a system that cools it again to a liquid and returns it to the storage tanks.  However, if the liquifaction plant fails, or there is another problem where the LNG warms up and too much pressure builds in the tanks, it must be released, and of course it cannot be released where there are people to breath it, so the vents must be raised above the ship to allow the natural gas to dissipate as the ship moves.