What’s happening on Spirit of Discovery? Still anchored off Torbay two days on.

[Harry Peterson]

Left at 1800 6 January, but still anchored off Torbay.  There was a useful discussion on one of those awful Doris FB pages, but their mods have done their usual trick of closing down anything that might be seen as not glorifying the cruise line.

 

Speculation about engine problems, weather, Covid etc, but as yet no answers.

 

Anyone onboard care to update please?

[Glenndale]

QE sailed on the 6th and is now in La Coruna. Makes you wonder whether the azipod problem has not been fixed.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Glenndale

[Harry Peterson]

1 minute ago, Glenndale said:

QE sailed on the 6th and is now in La Coruna. 

Quite. And I’m not sure that those Saga passengers intended to spend their cruise just off Torquay.

 

Cadiz has already disappeared from the itinerary, but that was before the continued delay.

[wowzz]

No information has been given to the passengers on board, according to social media. Engine trouble is the rumour, but no one knows for sure.

[wowzz]

And she's off ! No explanation as yet.

[Harry Peterson]

18 minutes ago, wowzz said:

And she's off ! No explanation as yet.

Indeed so, and, thinking about it, it may simply be that after dropping Cadiz there’s plenty of time to get to Arrecife. Waiting off Devon in calm seas while gales in Biscay abate may just be a sensible operational decision for the comfort of passengers.

 

She’s a lovely ship, with great facilities and great customer care - there are plenty of worse places to be!

[wowzz]

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Indeed so, and, thinking about it, it may simply be that after dropping Cadiz there’s plenty of time to get to Arrecife. Waiting off Devon in calm seas while gales in Biscay abate may just be a sensible operational decision for the comfort of passengers.

 

She’s a lovely ship, with great facilities and great customer care - there are plenty of worse places to be!

We'll be on her in September,  Baltic cruise.  Don't tell the P&O forum !

[nosapphire]

30 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Indeed so, and, thinking about it, it may simply be that after dropping Cadiz there’s plenty of time to get to Arrecife. Waiting off Devon in calm seas while gales in Biscay abate may just be a sensible operational decision for the comfort of passengers.

 

She’s a lovely ship, with great facilities and great customer care - there are plenty of worse places to be!

ETA Arrecife 08:00 12th.

The delay may have been because of the weather... normally in this case an on-board announcement is made. Only a truly idiot passenger would object to delays, diversions or cancellations to avoid bad weather.

No announcements at all does seem rather unbelievable - sure there must have been something, probably made in Southampton to explain the late departure (she departed 07:57 yesterday 7th, according to Marine Traffic website - so 12 hours late departing).

If, a very big IF, there have not been any explanations, it is rather silly of Saga as naturally people start making guesses, which are rarely favourable - and is how rumours get started.  Maybe the people posting on social media did not hear the announcement.

 

 

[ann141]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

We'll be on her in September,  Baltic cruise.  Don't tell the P&O forum !

We are on her in less than 2 weeks time!!

[Glenndale]

2 hours ago, ann141 said:

We are on her in less than 2 weeks time!!

I thought you were on Adventure?

[ann141]

1 minute ago, Glenndale said:

I thought you were on Adventure?

Yes, sorry senior moment!

[Kentish Lass]

We were on Discovery at the end of November when the Azipod problem was discovered. We spent 2 nights in the Solent. We were kept informed at least twice a day of the issues, waiting for technical staff from the manufacturer to come on board etc.  Saga looked after us really well and we were reimbursed for 3 days cost of the cruise, which was credited to our bank account very quickly. On another FB site there are some posts from people on board and nowhere have I seen that they have not been kept informed, more to do with the storm conditions. 
 

[wowzz]

Comnents on social media report a Very rough crossing of the BoB, broken crockery , sea sickness etc.

[ann141]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Comnents on social media report a Very rough crossing of the BoB, broken crockery , sea sickness etc.

Hubby and I are relieved that we transferred from our original booking on this cruise to S of A on 20 January

[wowzz]

6 hours ago, ann141 said:

Hubby and I are relieved that we transferred from our original booking on this cruise to S of A on 20 January

Did you transfer because you knew the weather would be awful!😀

Sailing in the winter is always going to be problematic 

 

[sleepingcat]

yes Discovery was in bay visible from our bedroom window , ie in Lyme Bay but departed 6 pm ish. There were approx 12 other ships also sheltering in Lyme Bay/Torbay so maybe made a lot of sense to wait out the gale.  I have no doubt @ann141 that it will be rough in biscay on 21st January; personally I have never NoT been seasick  in biscay, including on ferries. See you soon those going on Adventure on 20th!

[ann141]

11 hours ago, wowzz said:

Did you transfer because you knew the weather would be awful!😀

Sailing in the winter is always going to be problematic 

 

We transferred because the 20th January was a new sailing so was cheaper than the earlier one with an extra night thrown in free!🙂 I have sailed in January previously and will make sure I remember to pack the Avomine tablets!!

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, ann141 said:

We transferred because the 20th January was a new sailing so was cheaper than the earlier one with an extra night thrown in free!🙂 I have sailed in January previously and will make sure I remember to pack the Avomine tablets!!

Sensible decision.  Hope the weather is kind to you !

[Pentlands]

Never willing to cross the bay, would have to fly cruise at any time of year.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Pentlands

[nooosey]

I am on Spirit of Adventure in Arrecife and Spirit of Discovery is berthed opposite to us, she probably arrived around 10:00am, it's Wednesday 12th Jan.

 

[Harry Peterson]

11 minutes ago, nooosey said:

I am on Spirit of Adventure in Arrecife and Spirit of Discovery is berthed opposite to us, she probably arrived around 10:00am, it's Wednesday 12th Jan.

 

Great place to be - I’m pretty envious! Enjoy the warmth and the sunshine.

[Oftcruiser]

Discovery has made its way to Las Palmas Gran Canaria. We are on Adventure berthed nearby. We don’t see much action around the access ramp, but a lot of passengers on their balconies. Just wondering what is happening there ?

[Glenndale]

Apparently they have a suspected case of Covid aboard and are confined to their cabins

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Oftcruiser said:

Discovery has made its way to Las Palmas Gran Canaria. We are on Adventure berthed nearby. We don’t see much action around the access ramp, but a lot of passengers on their balconies. Just wondering what is happening there ?

According to a certain rather well known social media website, it might be a Covid issue, suspected or actual.  I'm loathe to spread any misinformation because social media is notoriously unreliable but these are a couple of comments from this morning:

 

"Another quarantine due to a further suspected case. Just sitting down to breakfast. Everyone returning to cabins with various breakfast options. It would be amusing if I had a better sense of humour about things."

 

"Code Quebec this morning just as we sat down for breakfast"

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Glenndale said:

Apparently they have a suspected case of Covid aboard and are confined to their cabins

Now released from cabins.