Venture stabilizer issues - now

[florisdekort]

On 12/21/2022 at 9:15 AM, twodjs said:

We DO have Antarctica booked in mid-February 2023 and South Georgia IS scheduled for several days of our journey. Sorry to disagree with the author, but this DOES affect us.

Apologies, my bad. I thought this was the only South Georgia itinerary this year. 
 

[toseaornottosea]

Would love an update on the status of the stabilizers.   For those currently onboard, how was the Drake crossing?  Has the fact that the stabilizers are not functioning at 100% affected the ride?  Have you had any further communication from the captain or from Seabourn regarding the stabilizers?  

[toseaornottosea]

On 12/26/2022 at 8:52 AM, toseaornottosea said:

Would love an update on the status of the stabilizers.   For those currently onboard, how was the Drake crossing?  Has the fact that the stabilizers are not functioning at 100% affected the ride?  Have you had any further communication from the captain or from Seabourn regarding the stabilizers?  

Just got some info in the following email from Seabourn to our TA.  Would you go on one of those cruises?

 

December 27, 2022
Dear Travel Partner:
We look forward to welcoming booked guests on board Seabourn Venture for our upcoming expeditions to Antarctica. 

We are writing regarding guests booked through your agency (listed at the end of this letter) on voyages sailing from January 4 through February 7, 2023 (voyages V310 through V315).
On a recent voyage, our teams determined a comfort feature called the stabilizers that help further reduce the ship’s movement during inclement weather are not operational. The ship is designed to safely sail with or without the stabilizers, and as always, our Fleet Operations Center is hard at work planning our route for the smoothest possible sailing. 
We will manage the timing of crossing through the Drake Passage to take advantage of the most optimal weather windows. We applied this approach during our recent Antarctica sailing with positive results. On guests' voyages, this may result in changes to their itinerary, including earlier or later timing for the crossings to and from Antarctica. Once we reach Antarctica, we are in more sheltered waters.
Here at Seabourn, the safety and comfort of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. The Captain will make announcements to keep guests informed while on board, and please see below for a Q&A to address some questions guests booked through your agency may have. 
On behalf of all of us at Seabourn and the team on Seabourn Venture, we look forward to sharing these expeditions with our guests. Thank you for your partnership and we remain, as always, at your service.
Kind regards,
Seabourn

[Travels with Lisa]

I would love to see the questions and answers. 
 

TIA

[phil09]

Will be interesting to see what happens (if anything) to the 16 February '23 departure which is scheduled to include South Georgia.

[toseaornottosea]

23 minutes ago, Travels with Lisa said:

I would love to see the questions and answers. 
 

TIA

And here they are.

 

And I would love to hear from someone currently on the Venture as we have a decision to make.  And soon.

 

Q&A
 
Q: What exactly is wrong? What equipment is involved?
A: The issue is with a non-essential ship feature called the stabilizers. The stabilizers are normally retracted into the hull and not used during the vessel’s voyage, as they are not needed. They can be extended to help further reduce the ship’s movement due to excess wind or waves in times of inclement weather. The feature is not currently operational.
 
Q: Can the ship operate without stabilizers? Is there any impact to safety?
A: These are comfort features and are not required for the safe operation of the ship. In an abundance of caution, we have consulted with vessel’s class authorities and the system’s manufacturers, who confirmed the vessel is cleared to safely sail.
 
Rest assured, the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees is our top priority. Our teams are highly focused on ensuring comfort and safety. 
 
Q: Is there a plan to fix the equipment?
A: Yes. We are working with the stabilizers’ manufacturers to determine the best opportunity for repairs, likely after the Antarctica season.
 
Q: What if guests would prefer to cancel their booking?
A: If guests would prefer not to sail on Seabourn Venture at this time, we will work with you to move their booking to an alternate future voyage. Please reach out to us at the appropriate office:
 
Seattle Office (USD/CAD Currency): 
Contact us at 800-929-9391 or 206-626-9190 (local) 
We are available Monday – Friday: 6:00am to 5:00pm PT
Saturday: 6:00am to 3:30pm PT
Sunday: 7:00am to 3:30pm PT
 
Southampton Office (GBP Currency): 
Contact us at 0344 338 8610 
We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm 
Saturday 8:00am to 4:00pm
 
Rotterdam Office (EUR Currency): 
Contact us at 00800 1872 1872 
We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm 
Saturday 9:00am to 4:00pm
 
Sydney Office (AUD Currency): 
Contact us at 1 300 987 323 
We are available Monday – Friday 8:30am to 7:00pm
 

[phil09]

toseaornottosea,

 

What a great user name!!  Just my opinion - if I were booked on one of the Antarctic trips in question because of the issue with Venture's stabilizers I would absolutely, positively go.  I've never been to the Antarctic but I did spend some time in my younger years on ships of very similar size to Venture in some pretty rough seas.  Yes, the ships were painted gray with a number on the bow, but they didn't have stabilizers and we survived a few exciting days and nights with no problems.  The opportunity to see a part of the world most human beings will never see and enjoy the magnificence of Antarctica and it's wildlife would be worth a little rough seas.  My guess is Seabourn will be careful to pick good crossing times and I suspect your overall cruise experience will not be affected.

 

[toseaornottosea]

phil09, Thanks for the compliment on the user name and the encouragement.  We plan to go unless there is some major change or bad news.  It's a once in a lifetime trip and life is short and getting shorter.  And I'm sure you're correct that Seabourn will do everything possible to make the crossings and the entire cruise as safe and as comfortable as possible.  

[Moihereoui]

We’re booked for the cruise leaving on 1/4/23.  Not a lot of communications other than their talking points.  Waiting to hear from my travel agent and Seabourn—they are late for a scheduled call.

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, Moihereoui said:

We’re booked for the cruise leaving on 1/4/23.  Not a lot of communications other than their talking points.  Waiting to hear from my travel agent and Seabourn—they are late for a scheduled call.

Plenty of time yet

[crunchii]

We're booked on 1/4 cruise as well. We have not received any communication from Seabourn about the stabilizer issue. We're still going regardless though. Crossing my fingers that we won't have any serious issues!

 

I'll try to post from the ship and let you know how things are going.

 

P.S. I received the email from Seabourn just when I was going to click on Submit Reply! LOL. The wording is exactly the same as what toseaornottosea posted.

[Heidi13]

16 hours ago, toseaornottosea said:

And here they are.

 

And I would love to hear from someone currently on the Venture as we have a decision to make.  And soon.

 

Q&A
 
Q: What exactly is wrong? What equipment is involved?
A: The issue is with a non-essential ship feature called the stabilizers. The stabilizers are normally retracted into the hull and not used during the vessel’s voyage, as they are not needed. They can be extended to help further reduce the ship’s movement due to excess wind or waves in times of inclement weather. The feature is not currently operational.
  
Q: What if guests would prefer to cancel their booking?
A: If guests would prefer not to sail on Seabourn Venture at this time, we will work with you to move their booking to an alternate future voyage. Please reach out to us at the appropriate office:

 

If stabalisers were non-essential, why does almost every passenger vessel have them. Yes, they are not required for safety, but if the cruise line really does value the comfort of their pax and crews, they are essential, especially in these waters.

 

The marketing types that wrote this letter are trying to convince you that the stabalisers are rarely deployed - from experience, I call BS. Using the stabalisers does reduce the vessel's speed and use more fuel, but in these waters, I'll suggest they are normally deployed when in open waters. They can justify their statement by considering the length of the entire voyage, as in sheltered waters they should rarely be required. However, when crossing Drake Passage, I'll suggest they are used > 90% of the time.

 

I recall the days when running late, we brought the stabalisers in to get additional speed, only to put them out before making a big turn. When making open ocean passages, there were few days we didn't have the stabalisers out. Sorry, but from experience, stabalisers are used more than they are stowed.

 

Although this isn't a safety issue, it is most definitely a comfort issue. Yes, they can time transits across Drake Passage and adjust courses, but in all probability that will impact the time in Antarctica.

 

Personally, even with a fully operational vessel, I expect weather issues and reduced time in Antarctica. With stabaliser issues, when you pay this much for a cruise, I don't think it is reasonable for pax to have the potential for significantly increasing the loss of additional landings, as they time the crossing.

 

Rather than only offering to rebook a cruise, with a damaged ship, as a good faith gesture a quality cruise line should also offer full refunds.

[toseaornottosea]

2 hours ago, crunchii said:

We're booked on 1/4 cruise as well. We have not received any communication from Seabourn about the stabilizer issue. We're still going regardless though. Crossing my fingers that we won't have any serious issues!

 

I'll try to post from the ship and let you know how things are going.

 

P.S. I received the email from Seabourn just when I was going to click on Submit Reply! LOL. The wording is exactly the same as what toseaornottosea posted.

Please do post as much as you can on your 1/4 cruise.  

[TReg]

We're on the Jan 25 sailing on Venture and just received the email from Seabourn about the stabilizers.  Despite Seabourn claiming not having functioning stabilizers are just a comfort issue, I beg to differ especially going through one of the roughest seas (if not THE roughest) seas there is.  

 

The only remedy that Seabourn is currently offering is to cancel my booking and issue a future cruise credit that must be redeemed (as in begin sailing) by December 2023.  If Seabourn does not anticipate being able to fix the stabilizers until the end of this current Antarctica season, it only leaves a small window of November and December 2023 to move my booking to another Antarctica cruise on a Seabourn ship with functioning stabilizers.  

[cruisr]

Family and I were on one of the original sisters in the Caribbean.  Caribbean can be quite rough sometimes.  My DH and the kids were all feeling queasy.  When we saw the Captain, much to my embarrassment he asked him if he had the stabilizers on.  The Captain said, “Yes, of course”.  My husband replied, “Really”.  The Captain came back with, “If you would like I can turn them off so you could see what the ride would feel like without stabilizers”.

 

I have crossed the Drakes Passage twice.  Once, not exactly Drake Lake but it was tolerable.  The second time was brutal and we had stabilizers.  Hate to think what that would be like without stabilizers.  

[Kauaijim]

Too bad they moved the Quest off the route. It was a tough crossing but no real issues. 

[saminina]

On 12/28/2022 at 11:15 AM, Heidi13 said:

 

Rather than only offering to rebook a cruise, with a damaged ship, as a good faith gesture a quality cruise line should also offer full refunds.

Yours is a well written post and lists everything one needs to know.    

 

Would I go?  Yes, but my tolerance for rough seas is extremely high.    It's about understanding your tolerance level.  Like any good amusement park ride, you will probably survive.

 

 

[PACruiser5]

Agree it is a personal tolerance issue, with no absolute right answers. BUT, for any of you who have South Georgia on your itinerary, if they are not going to promise that I would cancel. In early December we completed the Falklands, S Georgia, Antarctica trip on Ponant. Almost everyone described South Georgia as the highlight of the trip and would not have missed it willingly. 

My 3 cents...

 

[rallydave]

8 minutes ago, PACruiser5 said:

Agree it is a personal tolerance issue, with no absolute right answers. BUT, for any of you who have South Georgia on your itinerary, if they are not going to promise that I would cancel. In early December we completed the Falklands, S Georgia, Antarctica trip on Ponant. Almost everyone described South Georgia as the highlight of the trip and would not have missed it willingly. 

My 3 cents...

 

There is no promise/guarantee for any port/stop on any cruise line for any cruise. This is clearly stated in all cruise line Ts &Cs. 
 

agree missing South Georgia would not be a good thing but you take your chances with EVERY cruise you book. 

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, saminina said:

Yours is a well written post and lists everything one needs to know.    

 

Would I go?  Yes, but my tolerance for rough seas is extremely high.    It's about understanding your tolerance level.  Like any good amusement park ride, you will probably survive.

 

As a pax, I concur that our tolerance for the motion of the ocean is a key factor is deciding whether to sail under these conditions. Personally, I have never had an issue in 40 years at sea, but DW, not so much.

 

Another factor to consider is the crew and how they handle the movement. Seasickness is not something that many people grow out of with more seatime, as I have seen many "Old Salts" afflicted as soon as the ship starts moving. Pax are only aboard for a short period, but the crew can be 6+ months.

 

With respect to the hotel ratings providing pax service, the short term impact of seasickness is that a number of them are unable to report for duty and others that do report for duty are working below optimum levels, which can potentially impact pax service.

 

When the ship operates in these conditions for a prolonged period, the impacts are cumulative, with crew being exhausted from sickness and lack of sleep. With the hotel ratings, this is another potential for impacting customer service, and if any of the Bridge or Engineering officers are afflicted by seasickness, fatigue is a potential even when getting the required hours of rest.

 

 

[Travels with Lisa]

It's a little frustrating as those of us on the February 17th sailing that includes South Georgia as we have not heard a peep from Seabourn.  I, for one, would like to plan another holiday in February if we are a no go.

[rallydave]

4 hours ago, Travels with Lisa said:

It's a little frustrating as those of us on the February 17th sailing that includes South Georgia as we have not heard a peep from Seabourn.  I, for one, would like to plan another holiday in February if we are a no go.

Rather than wait on seabourn suggest you and/or ta contact seabourn. Your cruise is less than 60 days away and have to believe they should have an answer. 
 

From what I have read in this thread South Georgia is out for this season 

[dgannett]

Here is the latest from Seabourn sent to my TA today:

 

December 30, 2022

 

Dear Travel Partner:

 

We look forward to welcoming booked guests on board Seabourn Venture for our upcoming expeditions to Antarctica.

 

On a recent voyage, our teams determined a comfort feature called the stabilizers that help further reduce the ship’s movement during inclement weather are not operational. The ship is designed to safely sail with or without the stabilizers, and as always, our Fleet Operations Center is hard at work planning our route for the smoothest possible sailing.

 

We will manage the timing of crossing through the Drake Passage to take advantage of the most optimal weather windows. We applied this approach during our recent Antarctica sailing with positive results. Once we reach Antarctica, we are in more sheltered waters.

 

As the areas around South Georgia often experience heavy seas with large swells, we have regretfully made the necessary decision to cancel our planned South Georgia Experience on Monday, February 27 through Wednesday, March 1. Instead, we will extend our time in Antarctica, and may also spend additional time in the Falklands. Our extended time in Antarctica will give us the ability to explore further than our planned itinerary, potentially exploring south past the Antarctic Circle. This also gives us much more flexibility in choosing our sites for Zodiac landings and kayak and submarine opportunities.

 

We recognize many guests were looking forward to visiting South Georgia and apologize for any disappointment this may cause. We appreciate their understanding as we work to maximize their comfort while also maximizing their exploration. The updated voyage plan provides the opportunity to take guests to areas that are rarely visited, and we hope they enjoy this unique experience.

 

As a gesture of good will and gratitude for their understanding, each guest who sails will receive $1,000 USD as refundable onboard credit. This credit can be used toward Seabourn experiences such as kayak and submarine expeditions, spa treatments, and all purchases in the boutiques.

 

Additionally, each guest who sails will receive a Bonus Future Cruise Credit of 15% of the cruise fare paid. The terms and conditions of this credit are detailed below.

 

Here at Seabourn, the safety and comfort of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. The Captain will make announcements to keep guests informed while on board, and please see below for a Q&A to address some questions they may have.

 

On behalf of all of us at Seabourn and the team on Seabourn Venture, we look forward to sharing these expeditions with our guests. Thank you for your partnership and we remain, as always, at your service.

 

Kind regards,

 

Seabourn

---

Q&A

 

Q: What exactly is wrong? What equipment is involved?

A: The issue is with a non-essential ship feature called the stabilizers. The stabilizers are normally retracted into the hull and not used during the vessel’s voyage, as they are not needed. They can be extended to help further reduce the ship’s movement due to excess wind or waves in times of inclement weather. The feature is not currently operational.

 

Q: Can the ship operate without stabilizers? Is there any impact to safety?

A: These are comfort features and are not required for the safe operation of the ship. In an abundance of caution, we have consulted with vessel’s class authorities and the system’s manufacturers, who confirmed the vessel is cleared to safely sail.

 

Rest assured, the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees is our top priority. Our teams are highly focused on ensuring comfort and safety.

 

Q: Is there a plan to fix the equipment?

A: Yes. We are working with the stabilizers’ manufacturers to determine the best opportunity for repairs, likely after the Antarctica season.

 

Q. What are the terms & conditions of the 15% Bonus Future Cruise Credit?

The value of this credit may be applied as a payment toward a new reservation with Seabourn and is combinable with any other applicable discount. The new voyage must be booked by and sailed by December 31, 2023. You may choose any available suite category, but the credit may not be transferred or refunded. It may be used as a deposit, for taxes, fees and port expenses, or for optional programs or services such as flexible Flight Ease flights (added before final payment), pre- and post-cruise packages, or the SeabournShield program for yourself or other guests on your new booking. It cannot be used for onboard purchases, shore excursions, restricted Flight Ease flights, or flexible Flight Ease flights made after the booking’s final payment date. This credit is attached to your Seabourn Club number and will automatically be credited toward your next new booking. We suggest that you or your travel professional verify this credit at the time of booking to confirm that the credit has been applied.

 

For full Future Cruise Credit Terms & Conditions, please visit our website.

 

Q: What if I would prefer not to travel?

A: If you would prefer not to sail on Seabourn Venture at this time, we will work with you to move your booking to an alternate future voyage. Please reach out to your travel advisor or to us at the appropriate office:

 

Seattle Office (USD/CAD Currency):
Contact us at 800-929-9391 or 206-626-9190 (local)
We are available Monday – Friday: 6:00am to 5:00pm PT

Saturday: 6:00am to 3:30pm PT

Sunday: 7:00am to 3:30pm PT

 

(end of message from Seabourn)

 

Unfortunately, my wife has trouble with seasickness and missing South Georgia is a dealbreaker for me. We will be working with our TA on alternate arrangements. We were really looking forward to this trip! I hope this information is helpful..

 

--Dave & Nancy

Portland, OR USA

[twodjs]

Thanks Dave and Nancy for this post. Our TA is working on alternate arrangements as well.

[Travels with Lisa]

Thank you for posting. .