Pacific Star cruise aborted in Vila

[Star-Man]

but you are younger than me and therefore more technologically advanced!!:p

 

So Id like to think anyway...

 

Truth be told, unless it has a lens on the front and a shutter button, im useless with it :rolleyes:

 

OK bed time for me, long day tomorrow. But I will try to check in tomorrow night for an update. Hopefully our Kiwi friends will have received some more information.

 

Time for me to turn in as well. Was at work since 9 this morning and now im really worn out.

 

I wish everyone who is booked on the upcoming cruises the best of luck as well. You never know, a miracle might just happen. If not, ill try and get down to portside to see the star return home early.

[arxcards]

Where did Kym say that? :confused:

 

Post #4. (After previewing, you are both heaps quicker - my excuse is the extra info\question)

 

Also Post #6 states ........have just checked the wording of the original email i recieved that states everyone is stay aboard the ship till they are flown out tomorrow(Monday) and Wednesday.

 

Seems a bit confusing, does anyone know when Pacific Star will actually leave Vila for Brisbane? Webcam is still black (damaged?), saying it is alongside at Port Vila. I figure the other post means they will be in port with passengers onboard until they can arrange accomodation or flights for them all. If it can't be done in 3 days, it can't be done with less.

 

Good luck to all intending cruisers, hope it all works out OK.

 

Cheers,

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Radio reports state that 400 were flown home last night and charter flights are under way for the rest.Still a bit confusing as it is being repoted that some passengers were still on the ship while others are being put at hotels.

 

Article from this mornings NZ Herald.

The Pacific Star's bow was damaged by the 10m waves. Photo / Andrew Read

 

Hundreds stranded by storm-damaged cruise ship

5:00AM Monday July 16, 2007

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10451749

 

By Errol Kiong

 

The Pacific Star's bow was damaged by the 10m waves. Photo / Andrew Read

Hundreds of New Zealanders on a "holiday from hell" have been forced to wait for flights out of Vanuatu because their storm-damaged cruise ship will not return to Auckland.

 

The 1200 passengers on P&O's Pacific Star are still in Vila, after the liner sailed through gale-force winds and swells of up to 10m shortly after leaving Auckland on Tuesday.

 

During the storm 50-knot winds, with gusts up to 70 knots, damaged the ship's bow and some of its windows and external doors, as well as satellite equipment.

 

P&O spokeswoman Sandy Olsen said the bow was being repaired in Vila, before the ship sailed to Brisbane, without passengers, for a thorough inspection.

 

"The ship can sail, but we want to inspect it thoroughly, so we are taking it to Brisbane."

 

She could not estimate the cost to repair the damage. "We have not even looked at that yet. At this stage we are focused on the passengers."

 

With commercial flights heavily booked out due to the holidays, and a local sporting event, P&O had booked charter flights from Vanuatu, Noumea and Fiji.

 

"The passengers will leave on charter flights over the next few days," Ms Olsen said.

 

Asked if passengers had complained about what had happened, she said they had been "very patient".

 

Passengers became so ill during last week's storm that they were given free doctors' visits and $100 vouchers.

 

Some are now questioning whether the ship should have set off in the first place. Auckland man Ian Trezise - whose wife Jill, stepdaughters Brooke Atkinson and Ellen Walker and sister-in-law Robin Casserly were on board - last night wanted to know who made the call to go ahead.

 

"Who makes the decision to cruise the boat through that bloody storm that everyone knew was coming ... when there was absolutely nowhere to go for shelter?

 

"You can sort of imagine the pressures that might have been brought to bear on a ship's captain to keep the cruise cruising, but look at what happened. It's a disaster.

 

 

"I've only spoken briefly to my wife and had a couple of emails, but they were a bit horrified by the weather."

 

One passenger said the dream trip to Vanuatu had started like the holiday from hell.

 

Conditions were so bad the ship had to cancel a planned stopover in Lifou, New Caledonia, instead heading straight for Vila for its scheduled Friday night stopover.

 

The company yesterday announced it was cancelling the rest of the cruise so that the Pacific Star could go in to drydock in Brisbane for a thorough inspection. It had been scheduled to return to Auckland on Wednesday.

 

MetService duty forecaster Allister Gorman said the first official warning of "storm-force winds" - winds over 50 knots - was issued on Monday at 11am.

 

"It'd only be a few times a year that we'd actually have to issue a warning of this type of strength for the Hauraki Gulf area."

 

Ms Olsen said while it might have been uncomfortable, at no time were passengers in danger. Captain Ivan Jerman had more than 35 years' experience at sea, she said.

 

"The safety and the comfort of passengers would always be the captain's first priority. And the captain would not have departed Auckland if he had any concern whatsoever. The weather, it would seem, took a turn for the worse in quite a short space of time on the Tuesday."

 

Ms Olsen said the ship had sought shelter behind Great Barrier Island initially, but because of the intensity of the storm had headed out to sea.

 

"In these sorts of circumstances apparently it's often safer to head to sea and you can ride the waves rather than be buffeted closer to the shore. And he slowed the ship down and he took the course of least resistance."

 

Auckland Regional Council harbourmaster John Lee Richards said last night he couldn't comment on whether the ship's captain made the right decision to sail, or to take shelter behind land.

 

He said the ship left the port about 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon in winds of about 20-25 knots. The port was closed about two hours later when winds reached 40 knots.

 

Mr Trezise hopes his wife will be home in time for her father's 80th birthday on Thursday.

 

"It is not something that we want to miss. We're pretty keen to get her back before then.

 

"They're not shipbound, they can no doubt take tours and make the most of whatever time they've got there, but I think the uncertainty of what's happening takes the edge off the enjoyment," Mr Mr Trezise said.

 

P&O said passengers will be given a full refund, as well as a 25 per cent credit on their next cruise.

 

They were also offered a complimentary phone call or internet time to contact family as a result of the cancellation.

 

The company is still assessing how long it will take to repair the ship. It will contact passengers if future cruises are in jeopardy.

[rockie]

I thought the Star now had a white hull?? I haven't seen her for real though only in the advertisments in the papers.

[tinibell]

Well, have a back up plan ready, just need to confirm with P&O that our cruise has been canned. I'm really disappointed, but feel for those poor fellas who were on the Star with that weather. Its bad enough on land! I have a workmate on board who had won a trip, and it was her first (and most likely last) time cruising.

Oh well, you can't tell the weather what to do. Good luck to all fellow sailers

[Chivalrygirl]

Me thinks that ship should never have sailed. It states it sailed at 4 pm but I think the wind were much stronger than stated in the paper at that time. People started losing power at about 4 pm, my bro did in Snells Beach, north of Auckland by about 1 hour. We lost our power just before 5pm on North Shore of Auckland. There were already very high winds for this to happen. Sadly had they waited till about 3 am the winds dropped right off. They would have still experienced nasty big swells but very little wind.

 

I am not a wimp I like a bit of rough seas and have experienced a fair bit of rough out of Auckland in July before. I would have hated being on that ship on Tuesday night, that would not have been funny at all. Or fun either for that matter.

[MsMinx]

WOW!! I can't believe how damaged the hull is!! Imagine what the rest of it looks like?

 

Sorry to hear that the next cruise has been cancelled. That's a shame :( Are they able to slot anyone into the next Sun cruise instead? Or is that me just thinking hopefully?

[Riffraff]

 

I am not sure but I would think that the cruising time to Brisbane and then to Auckland is longer than three days let alone to leave time for inspection and repairs in Brisbane. Can anyone confirm this?:confused:

 

Cheers,

Charmain:)

 

The sailing time between Vila and Brisbane would be about 3 days, and between Brisbane and Auckland would be around 3 and a half to 4 days..

[frog cruiser]

I agree the waves must have had paint stripper in them as she is the white lady not the blue stripe lady.

Know wonder they were always painting her if the paint comes off that easy.

Yes mum is talking Gold Coast :eek: but I never give up on on cruising holidays.

:D

[Star-Man]

I thought the Star now had a white hull?? I haven't seen her for real though only in the advertisments in the papers.

 

Nope, the Sun and the Star still have the old livery on them. They were due to get repainted when their turns for dry dock came up early next year, but i think because of the Star being sold, they wont bother with that one.

 

Here is her leaving Auckland earlier this year still with the old colours,

 

http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/426574.jpg

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Hi David,

I'm sorry but I can't see how the Star can be back in Auckland by Wednesday. Cheers,Charmain:)

 

Hi Charmain,

Looks like another theres another poster called Kiwi Cruiser.I am not cruising on Wed.

 

Kiwi_cruiser.....Please keep us posted as to what is happening with your cruise.

[Star-Man]

Looks like another theres another poster called Kiwi Cruiser.I am not cruising on Wed.

 

This is going to get pretty confusing :rolleyes:

[rockie]

I'm just waiting now for the cheap cruises that will be on offer. Going by talkback this morning before I left the house and couldnt' listen to it all, people 'are not amused' and some rung and criticised former trips on the Star.

If they still have the old livery on them, why are the papers showing photos of it all in white, (airbrushed) or I might not be looking at the ad properly. I must find an ad and have another look.

[Star-Man]

If they still have the old livery on them, why are the papers showing photos of it all in white, (airbrushed) or I might not be looking at the ad properly. I must find an ad and have another look.

 

The photos you are seeing in the papers are the old stock photos of the ships photoshopped to look white. Those same photos were used at carnival and costa before we got them. When they came to australia, they just photoshopped the p&o australia colours on them.

 

Besides, they have just gone through a big ad campaign about the "new look" that the ships are going to receive.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Are they able to slot anyone into the next Sun cruise instead? Or is that me just thinking hopefully?

 

The Pacific Sun does not come to Auckland during the winter (at lest at the moment, as far as I am aware) :(

 

If any one wanted to go on the Pacific Sun from Australia, its going to also cost them an airfare from NZ to Australia.

 

Kiwi_cruiser.....Please keep us posted as to what is happening with your cruise.

 

We are in the same boat as tinibell, we are just waiting to her from P&O to see if our cruise is cancelled, and we are also thinking about a plan B as well.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Here is the lasted on this:

 

Passengers flying home after horror cruise - http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.aspx?id=74955

 

Hundreds stranded by storm-damaged cruise ship - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10451749&pnum=0

 

Cruise cut short by storm damage - http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1232664 - includes video

 

Cruise ship 'holiday from hell' - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4129627a10.html & Your say: The 'holiday from hell' - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4129716a4621.html

 

Book club women caught in cruise drama - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4129739a10.html

[Star-Man]

The Pacific Sun does not come to Auckland during the winter (at lest at the moment, as far as I am aware) :(

 

 

I think you might find that when the next seasons brochures are released, they will have the Sun doing an Auckland season. Its replacing the Star cruising out of Brisbane and one would assume that it would mean also for the winter season it does from over there as well.

 

Dont lose hope just yet.

[Star-Man]

 

Cruise cut short by storm damage - http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1232664 - includes video

 

on the video, the first picture they show while she is talking about the Star is one of the Sun. I nearly fell off my chair

[kaseyoz]

so i guess we all need to tune in to "today/tonight" tonight

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Kiwi_cruiser.....Please keep us posted as to what is happening with your cruise.

 

We have just phoned the P&O free phone number and the message on P&O Sydney free phone number says that R726 cruise is cancelled :( & we just spoke to a P&O person & they confirmed that R726 is official cancelled!! :( :(

[Kiwi_cruiser]

For those in NZ here is the P&O Sydney free phone number: 0800 95 1200 press 1 for Pacific Star message

[LizCruising2007]

Oh gosh that is so depressing - I'm so sorry for you! :(

Does anyone know when the usual cyclone/hurricane season is? :confused:

To all that have had their cruise cancelled - come on over to the Gold Coast - you will have a lovely time and it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and part of the reason that I don't do land holidays - it's a bit hard to improve on perfection and it's damn hard trying to choose somewhere to go that is going to be better than here - that's why I choose to cruise. :p

[tinibell]

To all that have had their cruise cancelled - come on over to the Gold Coast - you will have a lovely time and it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and part of the reason that I don't do land holidays - it's a bit hard to improve on perfection and it's damn hard trying to choose somewhere to go that is going to be better than here - that's why I choose to cruise. :p

Guess what, I was thinking the same thing, so my family booked flights and a hotel over there:D . Yay, still get a holiday. Hope the weathers nice?

And good luck to everyone else, hope you can still get a great holiday somewhere

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Does anyone know when the usual cyclone/hurricane season is? :confused:

 

The stormy weather that hit NZ / Pacific Star was NOT a cyclone/hurricane (as some people have said (e.g.: on youtube), it was just a very bad storm like the one that hit Sydney, Australia a couple of months back.

[staceymrow]

were you offered any discounts on another cruise/holiday for the inconveniance?