LIVE from Explorer with a bad propellor 2/1/09

[megr1125]

Meg,

 

Thanks for all the information you gave us - someone I work with is on the Explorer now - I can't wait to hear what he has to say when he gets back to work on the 25th. I was also wondering what it was like coming back - the weather here was awful winding .

 

Pat

 

It was SUPER windy and super bumpy.......at various points some of the outside decks were closed, and the pools drained (at least partly) and covered.

[beachbuzzard]

Pretty amazing what a fence, locked gate, and a guard with a gun can accomplish.;)

 

Yeah, we could have used an armed guard in that cab that day!!! :D

[esbie11]

I just heard from my TA. She was told by RCCL that the prop was repaired and the current sailing (as well as all of those after) have no itinerary change. This is not what we have heard so far, as we have already heard that San Juan will be shortened as well as some other rumors. I thought the shortened San Juan stay was confirmed by someone on the ship now. Yet again, the information is not adding up!

[YSTim]

I just heard from my TA. She was told by RCCL that the prop was repaired and the current sailing (as well as all of those after) have no itinerary change. This is not what we have heard so far, as we have already heard that San Juan will be shortened as well as some other rumors. I thought the shortened San Juan stay was confirmed by someone on the ship now. Yet again, the information is not adding up!

 

I imagine it depends upon the itinerary. The current cruise had originally scheduled only 2 days at sea to return to Cape Liberty from San Juan and were leaving in the afternoon. They may have to leave early.

 

However, if the speeds reported and knots calculations are correct, the following cruise (2-22-09) may not need to have it's itinerary changed. We already had more hours to arrive in San Juan (the visit may be shortened) and had three full days at sea to return to Cape Liberty from Antigua. (Tortolla was cancelled some time ago).

 

I think a lot depends on whether or not they must skip a port. If they don't have to skip a port, they would say that everything is fine and no changes. If port stays change somewhat, RCC would view that as not serious. My assumption is that, at this point, they think they can make all ports on the schedule and may just adjust times ashore.

 

It would be interesting to note if any cruises further in the future will have their times adjusted.

[pkexton]

It was SUPER windy and super bumpy.......at various points some of the outside decks were closed, and the pools drained (at least partly) and covered.

 

When me & my sister did the Hawaii cruise & were coming back to San Diego the sea was rather rough - they had the barf bags on each floor on the railings - I made sure I got a pic of that:)

[mkg]

BAGS were out! I do not get, well...'upchucky' BUT i took a couple bonines.....i TRIED to walk down the steps...started on the right side, wound up on the left...it was REALLY hard to walk straight early on, hmm..i guess it was thursday! Holy cow....what a mess!

 

You really had to hold the rails....(i guess i should have had a drink-that way if you are unstable due to seas AND booze, they 2 unstables should equal out to stable eh???:confused::confused::D

 

Spent 90% of thursday alternately laying down and packing...boy was THAT fun!

 

Even some crew were sent to their cabins due to being lovely shades of green!

 

UGH, I just can't imagine! Went on my last cruise in Oct with my daughter and it was very cool and windy, ONly one bad night after we left Key West, but half the ship was sick including myself, by 2am it was fine. How was it originally leaving Bayonne on the 1st?? Did they Bonine work?? I'm gonna get myself something for sure, but want something that I know WILL work!! LOL.

[mamapan]

I just heard from my TA. She was told by RCCL that the prop was repaired and the current sailing (as well as all of those after) have no itinerary change. This is not what we have heard so far, as we have already heard that San Juan will be shortened as well as some other rumors. I thought the shortened San Juan stay was confirmed by someone on the ship now. Yet again, the information is not adding up!

 

 

We're going on 4/17 too and I'm wondering what we'll end up doing. Maybe I'll give our TA a call while I'm thinking of it...:eek:

[2sunny]

This happened coming out of Samana we think. I don't think it happened coming in. We had to move at one point when the tendering was started. The water was rough and the captain had to repo the ship....who knows. I know that when we left we were really closer to the shore line and I thought it must have to be a really deep channel. Near the beach we went to, many including myself at one point thought we saw whales, which this area is noted for, and my hubby said they were rocks...sure enough they were. we saw them when leaving in the tenders.

 

I was really amazed at the amount of upset passengers giving guest relations grief. They were afterall getting very well compensated. Sure it was a beautiful day however safety is far more important.

 

I agree if the pilot was at fault....lookout....

 

 

May I ask what OBC was given - I talked to someone that was on that cruise and he said there was not an OBC given.

[crisndeefromde]

May I ask what OBC was given - I talked to someone that was on that cruise and he said there was not an OBC given.

 

OBC is on board credit. We were in a grand suite and recieved 200 per person. My daughter was in a inside cabin and got 100. Yes obc was given for missing Labadee due to the accident.

[mrspjotter]

We had the sick bags out on each floor on the last day back into Bayonne on the cruise that left on 1st Feb. This was my first cruise but I never thought a ship that big would move about so much - even on the days when there were scheduled "moderate" seas it moved far too much for my liking. On the last day we were in our cabin on deck 8 "8200" right at the front (yeah I know worse place to be!) and the waves hit our porthole - some brave people were also sat round the pool that day on deck 11 and got showered several times by the waves coming up over the front. Even our assistant waiter who we saw at the Windjammer at lunchtime was looking a bit green and he is used to it so no wonder 4 out of the 5 of us were sick!:(

 

There were a lot of stories and speculation about whether or not the propeller was fixed in St Maarten most of which indicated that it was not fixed and that there was also damage to one of the stabiliser water tanks which may have contributed to the amount of movement we encountered but I guess we will never know.:cool:

[nana nancy]

We are 30 minutes from Cape Liberty and thought it would be fun to take a drive and watch her sail. Anyone able to tell me what time that would be this Sunday? A friend has never seen a cruise ship except on TV, so she would really get a charge out of seeing EOS.

[cruiserbryce]

All pax are getting OBC - the amount depends on your cabin type. It's a pretty generous amount, and it is PER PERSON....and will be refundable too!

 

seems like a pretty reasonable recovery. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your cruise

[jimmercoons]

I just heard from my TA. She was told by RCCL that the prop was repaired and the current sailing (as well as all of those after) have no itinerary change. This is not what we have heard so far, as we have already heard that San Juan will be shortened as well as some other rumors. I thought the shortened San Juan stay was confirmed by someone on the ship now. Yet again, the information is not adding up!

 

I have talked to RCCL many times since this all came about.

Couple things as far as the port changes in time and or cancellations.

Basically it comes down to the safety and timing issue. If for some reason there may be a safety issue they will change the timing on a stay at any port. They also look at the weather. if there is a forecast of rough seas they will also adjust the times to make sure they are back in time to NJ.

We are on the 3/6/09 cruise for our anniversery believe I have called everyone at RCCL. Everyhting will be fine Happy vacation!

[megr1125]

We are 30 minutes from Cape Liberty and thought it would be fun to take a drive and watch her sail. Anyone able to tell me what time that would be this Sunday? A friend has never seen a cruise ship except on TV, so she would really get a charge out of seeing EOS.

 

generally she sails at 4 PM or shortly there after.......

[esbie11]

I am confused as to why my TA would be told that there are no changes to Explorer's current itinerary. The change to San Juan was also reported on cruisejunkie.com. I can understand that RCCL may not be able to tell us if there will be any changes to a cruise that isn't happening for another 2 months, but wouldn't customer service (or whoever my TA spoke with) be aware of the current change to the itinerary regarding San Juan??? It seems that the decision has been made to change to an earlier departure from SJ as reported by the passengers onboard, yet RCCL continues to deny any problems or changes. This is a bit concerning and does not make me feel confident when they continually tell us that our cruise will go on as planned.:confused:

[beachbuzzard]

I am confused as to why my TA would be told that there are no changes to Explorer's current itinerary. The change to San Juan was also reported on cruisejunkie.com. I can understand that RCCL may not be able to tell us if there will be any changes to a cruise that isn't happening for another 2 months, but wouldn't customer service (or whoever my TA spoke with) be aware of the current change to the itinerary regarding San Juan??? It seems that the decision has been made to change to an earlier departure from SJ as reported by the passengers onboard, yet RCCL continues to deny any problems or changes. This is a bit concerning and does not make me feel confident when they continually tell us that our cruise will go on as planned.:confused:

 

I know you have concerns over your stops but the fact remains that they have no obligation, as per the terms of your contract, to take you to ANY of the ports listed in your itinerary. Here's the facts as they've been presented on this forum. They most likely will make all of the stops. There most likely will be some schedule changes because Explorer is not able to sail at full speed.

 

From customer service's point of view, stopping at a port is stopping at a port. Adjustments in arrival/departure time are probably not their concern. Those adjustments and announcements will be made on board at the discretion of the captain.

 

I understand some of your angst over this, as I also am wondering will we lose some time in San Juan, etc. But I will not let this ruin my vacation. Explorer is damaged and they are trying to do the best they can. For me, getting on that ship and having my vacation, even if we lose a little bit of port time, is MUCH better than being here in cold NJ and going to work every day.

 

Just so I understand, what do you plan to do with any information you might get? If they told you that they have confirmed it likely the stop in San Juan will be shorter, are you going to cancel over THAT?? Heck, I've been on cruises and lost ports of call before because of storms, rough water, etc. It happens. It's cruising! I don't necessarily like it when it happens, but it comes with this mode of transportation. So I deal with it and have a good time!

 

Edited to add: I see you're getting married on this cruise and I recall you mentioning something about getting married in San Juan. I really understand your angst if that is the case, but the facts remain the same. I'm sorry that makes it tough for you. Hang in there, I'm sure everything will work out fine. I would if I were you, formulate a backup plan just in case San Juan doesn't work for some reason. Food for thought.

[Staraj]

It is understandable that some things are 'beyond the control' of RCI. What is not acceptable is the misleading information. If ports are to be dropped, changed or times modified for a future cruise, it is RCI's obligation to inform its customers. Otherwise it is classic bait and switch tactic, selling something that they know not to be accurate.

So RCI, buck up and be open.

[beachbuzzard]

It is understandable that some things are 'beyond the control' of RCI. What is not acceptable is the misleading information. If ports are to be dropped, changed or times modified for a future cruise, it is RCI's obligation to inform its customers. Otherwise it is classic bait and switch tactic, selling something that they know not to be accurate.

So RCI, buck up and be open.

 

The point is they plan on making every stop and the scheduling changes are going to be minor, maybe a couple of hours at a couple of the ports. Based on weather, etc, they probably don't know exactly how much adjustment. That makes this is a bait and switch?? If they knew for sure that they weren't taking us to a port and were still saying they were, THEN you'd have a point. I'm one of the first to pile on when RCI pulls some of their stunts, but I just am not understanding the static over this one.

[Shar27]

The point is they plan on making every stop and the scheduling changes are going to be minor, maybe a couple of hours at a couple of the ports. Based on weather, etc, they probably don't know exactly how much adjustment. That makes this is a bait and switch?? If they knew for sure that they weren't taking us to a port and were still saying they were, THEN you'd have a point. I'm one of the first to pile on when RCI pulls some of their stunts, but I just am not understanding the static over this one.

 

I think that is exactly the point. We are not talking about something that comes up during the sailing that causes a port to be missed, we are talking about something that RCI has known about for almost a month. They should be well aware at this point if there are to be any port time changes or cancellations. I completely understand if there is a weather or safety issue that causes a port to be missed, but that is not the case here.

 

On my last cruise we missed Grand Cayman because the water was too rough at the dock to tender. (Although there were two Carnival ships on the other side of the island). Was I dissappointed, yes, did it affect my cruise enjoyment, no, we had a beautful day at sea.

 

For people to keep saying to check your cruise contract, is not only not applicable to this situation, it is totally unreasonable.

 

Esbie11 has mentioned that her cruise is costing her $22,000 including her wedding. To tell her that she should have booked an island vacation is just ridiculous. For her to be stressed and concerned is to be expected. She should be able to get a straightforward answer from someone at this point. I, for one, wish her all the best and hope everything works out.

 

Can we not stop defending RCI for just one minute to see that they might possibly be wrong on this one???

 

JMHO

[beachbuzzard]

Like I said, rare for me to defend them so don't make me out to be one of those "RCI is never wrong" peeps. That shoe doesn't fit here.

 

OK, so I again ask the question... if RCI thinks they are going to make it to every port (even if some adjustment is required on arrival/departure times), isn't what they are giving the correct answer? What are they supposed to say? I'm not sure I'm following what answer we're looking for from them, that's all. I think they are saying we will not miss any ports because this is what they expect to happen. And I think they are not giving exact arrival/departure info because I think they really are not certain how fast the captain will be able to move Explorer in different weather conditions... perhaps he CAN make it on time with smoother waters and the stabilizers off, but can't make it on time if seas are rougher and the stabilizers on??

 

Yes, IF they have knowledge of a port cancellation and IF they are withholding that information from the pax, THEN you are correct. But do we know that is the case here? If so, how do we know that??

[massfriends]

JMO.......

 

Actually, at this time I don't see how RCI can even know if they will be able to make every port. They probably do know but, have to wait until they sail her a few times.

 

We where on the first sailing after the damage. The reason we missed PR was so the ship could go directly to St. Thomas to try to remedy the problem....NOT because we couldn't make it to PR. Heck, check a map, you have to sail right pass PR to get to St. Thomas. To most onboard that was understandable....

 

The ship is now on the 2nd sailing since the damage to the prop happened and also, the 1st sailing from NJ since the repair attempt in St. Thomas.

 

Geez, give them a chance to at least sail the ship a few times from NJ before they can even know what to expect.

 

Again.....JMO

[2sunny]

Like I said, rare for me to defend them so don't make me out to be one of those "RCI is never wrong" peeps. That shoe doesn't fit here.

 

OK, so I again ask the question... if RCI thinks they are going to make it to every port (even if some adjustment is required on arrival/departure times), isn't what they are giving the correct answer? What are they supposed to say? I'm not sure I'm following what answer we're looking for from them, that's all. I think they are saying we will not miss any ports because this is what they expect to happen. And I think they are not giving exact arrival/departure info because I think they really are not certain how fast the captain will be able to move Explorer in different weather conditions... perhaps he CAN make it on time with smoother waters and the stabilizers off, but can't make it on time if seas are rougher and the stabilizers on??

 

Yes, IF they have knowledge of a port cancellation and IF they are withholding that information from the pax, THEN you are correct. But do we know that is the case here? If so, how do we know that??

 

 

Royal Caribbean announced on Oct 14th that they will be making changes to their 12 night southern cruise on the Explorer of the Seas that leaves out Tortola. Is this the same cruise that all of you are talking about?

[esbie11]

Royal Caribbean announced on Oct 14th that they will be making changes to their 12 night southern cruise on the Explorer of the Seas that leaves out Tortola. Is this the same cruise that all of you are talking about?

 

No, we are talking about the changes that are occurring due to the "semi-fixed" propeller on the current and potentially upcoming cruises.

[beachbuzzard]

Royal Caribbean announced on Oct 14th that they will be making changes to their 12 night southern cruise on the Explorer of the Seas that leaves out Tortola. Is this the same cruise that all of you are talking about?

 

Well, my cruise is effected by this (I'm on a 12-nighter), but I think esbie is on a 9-nighter that was never intending to go to Tortola. But both of our cruises start with a stop in San Juan, and it is the first and the last ports have the most possible impact by a slower ship because of the distance to/from Bayonne.

 

And just to be fair to RCI, they did notify us WELL in advance of our cruise that Tortola was being removed from the itinerary. So I really think if they felt the upcoming ports were in real jeopardy, they would tell you. I really do esbie.

[SI Cruiser]

Royal is not going to tell anyone anything. They are not going to tell us that the Captain has been relieved from duty because he caused millions of dollars in damage to the pod.

 

They are not going to tell us that they were able to only cut away the bent pieces of each prop blade and that it will not be replaced until drydock in 2010.

 

They are not going to tell us that every cruise will have some port hours chopped off because the ship vibrates when it hits 20 knots.

 

And why won't they say anything, because people will cancel or cry for OBC's.

 

Royal has never been very open with its passengers. When a company is experiencing hard financial times they get even more tight lipped.