Trouble on the Ryndham

[skyking]

Hello All,

 

I just got off the phone with my dad who just got off the ship 30 min ago in San Diego. He told me some weird stuff....My dad is part owner of a travel agency and has been on 50+ cruises, so I know he know's his stuff when it comes to cruises. Well he told me that the ship went DEAD in the water NOT once, but twice during the sailing. He said the first time was for about an hour and the second was for almost two hours. He also said that last night they had 30 foot waves coming up north. I asked him about the CODE RED and he said that you could not touch anything in the food area and all the food was served to you in the buffet, even if you wanted ice tea they poured it for you. And also hand sanitizer was all over the place. He also could not believe that they were going to turn the ship and go out again today knowing the engine problems, could you imagine the engines going out in the 30 foot waves??? WOW

[skyking]

Just called my dad and asked him about the electrical problem, he said that they did loose all power one night at sea, but that the engines failures were a totally different issue. WEIRD HUH??

[Copper10-8]

Thanks for the update, Skyking. The Code Red is nothing new. It was initiated during the last three days of our cruise (prior to your dad's). IMHO, the crew and pax handled it well and it did not have an adverse impact on our cruise. They were hoping to cancel it during your dad's cruise but, by the looks of it (from what your dad is saying), they more than likely had additional cases of Norovirus raise it's very ugly head so had to keep it in effect:(

The "loss of power" is a whole other story. During our cruise, Captain van Maurik told us that one of Ryndam's five generators (that supply power to the engines) was taken off-line. They had opened that generator up for scheduled routine maintenance and had found that it was in need of more than just "routine" stuff. That did affect the horsepower and speed that Ryndam was able to make on the way back to SD.

[GmaPajama]

I'm so sad to know the Ryndam is still fighting that Code Red. They have scrubbed and sanitized - and scrubbed and sanitized - and over and over again. I just can't imagine how that bug has remained so stubborn. The crew must be exhausted, and they certainly have my sympathy.

 

My kindest thoughts too, to all the folks who've been inconvenienced by that, as well as by the other Ryndam problems. Sometimes we have to look a little harder to see the sunshine, and I know most HAL cruisers will try to do that. Even so, it's always a disappointment when things go awry.

 

I'll be looking for the next installment from your Dad (through you of course), skyking.

 

Donna

[Jade13]

I would not make anything of "hand sanitizer". Personally I think it is a good thing and as far as I know they always use it.

 

We have a large bottle and use it in our home.

[Nutrioso]

Ryndam is scheduled for dry dock in September 2007. Don't know what work is scheduled, but generator must be on the list, for sure. Hope everything is fixed prior to my November sailing. BTW, when we were on the 23 March Ryndam sailing we booked the November 20th 23-day cruise. At that time the cruise consultant told us that passengers on Ryndam cruises after October 2007 would be offered Anytime Dining as well as Traditional Dining. She said that Anytime would be on the lower level of Rotterdam DR and the Traditional on the upper level. We chose Anytime. We like to eat when we're hungry.

[Copper10-8]

I would not make anything of "hand sanitizer". Personally I think it is a good thing and as far as I know they always use it.

 

We have a large bottle and use it in our home.

 

You are correct! However at least on Ryndam, there has been a very visible increase in the quantity and locations of the Purell dispensers. You'll find crew basically making it mandatory for us as pax to use them when boarding and re-boarding the ship as well as in the dining room (with two head waiters manually dispensing them in your hands prior to entering).

You'll also find them in the Explorations Cafe, Pinnacle Grill, Lido restaurant, Casino, Vermeer Lounge, Ocean Bar, Crow's Nest and I'm probably forgetting some other locations.

Ryndam's biggest challenge right now appears to be that every time they embark new pax, several of them are already ill with Norovirus. With an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours, the passengers didn’t contract the illness on Ryndam. That ship was completely cleaned and disinfected during the two days prior to Rev Neal's cruise. Then you have the fine folks that don’t want to admit to having the symptoms so, instead, they continue to walk around the ship touching/contaminating everything before finally reporting it to the medical staff. By then it is already too late – and the vicious cycle starts again for another 10 days.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

At that time the cruise consultant told us that passengers on Ryndam cruises after October 2007 would be offered Anytime Dining as well as Traditional Dining. She said that Anytime would be on the lower level of Rotterdam DR and the Traditional on the upper level. We chose Anytime. We like to eat when we're hungry.

 

 

We are booked on the first sailing after Dry Dock and have not been told any of this. Last I knew we were confirmed Early Lower for our October 9th sailing.

[Nutrioso]

She told us "cruises after October". I took that to mean, for the Ryndam, beginning in November.

[skyking]

I am more concerned about the total engine loss while at sea. Could you imagine loosing engines, epecially if it were the last night with 30 foot seas. A certain video I have seen on these boards come to mind.

[joeinsb]

This is probably a good way to get flamed, but a man's gotta do what he's gotta do.

 

There seems to be some confusion about engines, generators and such that drive ships. So here's the deal.

 

Small cruise ships as well as yachts, motorboats, etc have an engine (or engines) that essentially drive a propeller. Kinda like direct drive, although it ain't that simple because ya gotta be able to disengage the engine from the prop or the ship would never stop and would crash into a building on shore just like in that "Speed: Cruise Control" movie.

 

But most bigger ships, like Ryndam and everbody else, are diesel electrics. That is, they have two or four or five diesel engines, which drive generators, which generate electricity. The electricity is directed into a common grid (like a feeder) and is distributed wherever it's needed--to power the motors that turn the props, to run the air conditioning, pumps, lights and anything else that runs on juice. Depending on the load, the Captain can run only a single engine (say, like in port, when all they need is electricity to run the lights, a/c, etc) or he can run the whole lot when he needs to cruise at maximum speed.

 

When you say a generator is out (or an engine), it's not a big deal, as there are more (Ryndam has two). But running on only one would certainly handicap her speed. Also, if the whole electrical system went down (say there was a short or something), then ya would have a problem.

 

One last thing: a few ships (Celebrity's Millenium class, for example) use gas turbines--like the engines that power a turbo prop airplane--and while they are quiet and smooth and pollute less than diesels, they are getting expensive to run because their fuel (kinda like jet fuel) costs about four times as much as diesel oil. Or so the Captain of Century told us.

 

Other than that, enjoy you cruise. And get our you bluebooks and pencils.:)

[skyking]

This is probably a good way to get flamed, but a man's gotta do what he's gotta do.

 

There seems to be some confusion about engines, generators and such that drive ships. So here's the deal.

 

Small cruise ships as well as yachts, motorboats, etc have an engine (or engines) that essentially drive a propeller. Kinda like direct drive, although it ain't that simple because ya gotta be able to disengage the engine from the prop or the ship would never stop and would crash into a building on shore just like in that "Speed: Cruise Control" movie.

 

But most bigger ships, like Ryndam and everbody else, are diesel electrics. That is, they have two or four or five diesel engines, which drive generators, which generate electricity. The electricity is directed into a common grid (like a feeder) and is distributed wherever it's needed--to power the motors that turn the props, to run the air conditioning, pumps, lights and anything else that runs on juice. Depending on the load, the Captain can run only a single engine (say, like in port, when all they need is electricity to run the lights, a/c, etc) or he can run the whole lot when he needs to cruise at maximum speed.

 

When you say a generator is out (or an engine), it's not a big deal, as there are more (Ryndam has two). But running on only one would certainly handicap her speed. Also, if the whole electrical system went down (say there was a short or something), then ya would have a problem.

 

One last thing: a few ships (Celebrity's Millenium class, for example) use gas turbines--like the engines that power a turbo prop airplane--and while they are quiet and smooth and pollute less than diesels, they are getting expensive to run because their fuel (kinda like jet fuel) costs about four times as much as diesel oil. Or so the Captain of Century told us.

 

Other than that, enjoy you cruise. And get our you bluebooks and pencils.:)

 

I totally understand what you are saying, but she was dead in the water. No engines, others who were onboard have also been posting this.

[Copper10-8]

Awesome Joe! Thanks for enlightening us in ship propulsion 101! Learned a whole lot again, today.:)

Now, I could have sworn Captain PJ told us Ryndam has five generators!;)

[Sale Away]

I'd forgotten about it when I wrote my review but the Oosterdam lost it's head housekeeper last week to the Ryndam. Guess the Code Red issues were so bad that they wanted an extra head housekeeper over there.

[amusea]

I think that the loss of power is more common than is commonly believed. While on the QEII in the middle of the Atlantic we lost power, lights, everything. I took the opportunity to go on deck and look at the sky which is spectacular when there is absolutely no light on the surface of the earth where you are located. After several hours the problem was fixed and we were on our way. It was never reported as far as I know because it is not that unusual.

[gratefulguy]

Ryndam is sailing out of San Diego now (10:18pm PDT webcam shot), un-aided by tugs!

Bon Voyage.

[joeinsb]

Copper 10-8: Now you wake up :)

 

You are right (and I should have checked the fact sheet before I lept). Ryndam, if she's exactly like Veendam on which we sailed, has five generators and five engines. There are two 12 cylinder diesels (each one is 51,600 cubic inches) and three 8-cylinder diesels (each is 34,400 cubic inches). There are two propulsion electric motors (the ones that drive the props) that make 32,000 horsepower each. The 20-inch diameter prop shafts turning propellers that are 17.5 feet in diameter, turn at 147 rpm when the ship is cruising at full speed. All this from the Veendam fact sheet. Shouldn't have ass-umed.

 

Still, dead in the water is dead in the water, I guess...

[tc2828]

Copper 10-8: Now you wake up :)

 

You are right (and I should have checked the fact sheet before I lept). Ryndam, if she's exactly like Veendam on which we sailed, has five generators and five engines. There are two 12 cylinder diesels (each one is 51,600 cubic inches) and three 8-cylinder diesels (each is 34,400 cubic inches). There are two propulsion electric motors (the ones that drive the props) that make 32,000 horsepower each. The 20-inch diameter prop shafts turning propellers that are 17.5 feet in diameter, turn at 147 rpm when the ship is cruising at full speed. All this from the Veendam fact sheet. Shouldn't have ass-umed.

 

Still, dead in the water is dead in the water, I guess...

 

I am sure the Captain will do something if the ship really have a big problem. So maybe the problem is only temporary and not really serious.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just get the Ryndam ready for us for our Nov cruise!!!

[jhannah]

Power loss can happen on any ship. Several years ago we were on the Regal Princess when she lost power for several hours. We were dead in the water, weathervaning with the wind. No vacuum system for the toilets. Nothing. (Emergency lighting, of course.)

 

It's not a "fun" thing to experience. But ships, like cars, can break down ... even when they're well-maintained.

[boards]

It happened to us on Festivale (Carnivaline) before we even left the dock in San Juan. They served free drinks for several hours and after a while we didn't if we ever left the dock, but it did and it was good cruise, nothing further happened.

[househunter]

Do we have a CC who is on the current cruise who will be reporting in? I leave on the 22nd and would love an update!:confused:

[dacade]

We were on the Ryndam 4/2-4/12. We got home late last night after a long day of stand by-ing to get from SAN to SEA. The ship got in about 11:15am and we were x-pressed off at about 12:45pm. Our 9:50am flight had long since gone bye-bye.

Yes, the power did go out, and yes we were severely slowed due to propulsion system problems two separate times on our way back to San Diego: once Wed. evening, and the second time, yesterday morning. we were never actually dead in the water at any time; just severely slowed.

The Code Red was an inconvenience for us, and one that the ship has been dealing with for most of the past 2 months. There were 19 total confirmed passenger cases that we were told about by the captain as of last Tuesday. Don't know about how many of the crew were affected during our trip.

Also, there was much, much heavy duty maintenance work going on during our voyage. For us, it was the noisiest cruise we have ever taken.

[Boatdrill]

The ship had no reported cases of the virus (or symptoms resembling it)for the first three days of the cruise. After the first port, medical staff had sick passengers, and a few more after the second port. The 1%-2% who reported being ill during this last cruise was the lowest number yet for this ship during the past months. It appears that the strict health protocols, in place both shoreside in San Diego and onboard, are beginning to work.

[Adrift in Paradise]

We booked at the last minute so got what I call a "crap" cabin.... right up in the bow on the 5th deck. (Not their fault we booked late so I have no complaints about the cabin.) Anyway, almost immediately when the ship went dead in the water the front thrusters started. I think that is what they are called. About 11pm the power went out for about five minutes. Probably due to them trying to fix things. Passengers were kept very well informed about the problems the entire time until we reached port in SD. None of the passengers seemed at all frightened.

 

As far as controlling the virus. Thank You Holland! This past summer on Norwegian in Hawaii they were totally lax in handling the illness. Holland was totally up front prior to boarding when I asked. Out of Cabo the seas got rough and I was having a balance problem and ordered dinner in our cabin. While the steward seemed to be very concerned with being of service I am sure he was also checking to see in I had symptoms of the virus. I would rather have the staff and crew over react to controlling the illness. Announcements were made twice (that I heard) about the number of passengers affected. If I remember right there were no more than 8 or 10 at at time with symptoms. They did a wonderful job controlling it.

 

My complaints with this cruise are minor and unimportant. Not enough trash cans in public areas. And when seas got rough in the pool area the deck in the entire area was very slippery. Putting down temporary carpet runners would have been a good idea. I saw 5 people slip in fall (including my travel partner) in an hour.

 

We were lucky since the engine problem was at the end of the cruise and arriving about 5 hours late which would affect those with airline reservations but not much of an inconvenience to anyone else. I feel for the next cruise since being 5 hours behind schedule and not knowing if the engine problems were solved would affect their time at the ports of call.