Aurora - mechanical problem slowing her down, itinerary altered

[KiwiAtSea]

I just looked through the Wynyard Silo Webcam, which is looking right at her berth... and she's still here. :confused:

 

Not a very clear webcam, but you can zoom it in and see her.

 

seacity.co.nz

 

webcam link is in the bottom right hand corner. After it opens, click on the gizmo in the bottom right-hand corner to control the lense and zoom in...

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks for the link Babe,

great cam, shame its so jumpy.

we will all have to wait and see what noon brings.

It must be very frustrating for the passsengers.

 

Sunrise on Aurora this morning

7.30 am local time

Thursday 12 March 2009

 

http://seacity.co.nz/

 

 

 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Just checked Ports of Auckland schedule

changed again to 6pm tonight...

 

AURORA 06/03/2009 23:32 12/03/2009 18:04

 

Getting very tight for its SF call

[spritealpine]

had our sailaway party in Auckland last night, still tied up this morning. Itinery will now mean 1 day late arriving Hawaii and San Francisco and onward from there. They willtry to make up missing day by missing Madiera and substituting Porto Delgardo. Ship now with lots of unhappy bunnies

[Aussie_Kingpin]

She's on the move now.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

They are sailing.......

YAY!!!!

[jimgib]

Hey Guys

Guess What?

We are sailing! we sailed just turned 5pm, Capt says pilot will leave 6 pm shortly after ship will stop for more testing, then around 9pm we will drop off the makers engineers some 90 miles noth cant remember the name think th place starts with a 'W' will be dropped off by pilot boat. Then off we sail for Hawaii, I will check the speeds we are running at and report back tomorrow. Just hope we dont wake up and find we are back in Auckland.

Even though we were stuck there for all those extra days I hope to return to Auckland its a great place and even the Kiwis are ok, jsut dont like the Rugby team beating th english!! ah well no one is perfect.

 

regards

JimGib

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Bon Voyage (I hope) Jim,

 

90 miles north sounds like Whangarei. There is the oil refinery, and the port of Marsden Point there, so it sounds like that is where the pilot boat will come out from.

Good luck with the tests.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Whoooo Aurora is on her way :D

 

[jimgib]

Thnks David

I will give you a wave as we pass Orewa

I do remember going thru it the other day.

 

regards

JimGib

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Nice to see you moving.

Just passing Orewa as I post,and happy to say she is moving a lot faster than when she came in:)

[jimgib]

We are sailing well keeping a steady 22 knots, it looks like they are going a bit easy on the repaired engine, as when you look out the stern it is making less waves than the starboard one .

 

JimGib

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks for the update Jim.

Everyone down here is following your progress with interest and we all wish you smooth seas and a wonderful conclusion to your grand adventure.

Lets hope that every time you look at your Morris and James pieces you will have good thoughts about your time in the antipodes.:)

[spritealpine]

Well, were home now. Flew back to the UK from San Francisco after crossing from Auckland via Honolulu. We left Aurora with lots of very disappointed and unhappy people on board. They were even more disappointed that Ponta Delgardo was being substituted for Madeira in order for the ship to make up the day late she arrived in San Francisco. A passenger committee was formed after a meeting about the compensation package offered by P and O which filled the Theatre so stormy times ahead for the company since there is a considerable breadth of professional expertise aboard.

We were disappointed that we missed 5 out of 7 ports of call after having to travel half way round the world to join her but thank heavens for Auckland and the New Zealanders we met, we will be back for an extended visit, what a wonderful country!

I bet that they will turn the ship straight round in Southampton and take her back across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, I shall follow developments with interest! Any members booked on this cruise?

[Theora]

Here's an article regarding the voyage.

 

So sorry to hear that there's problems like this.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/92014/Mutiny-on-the-luxury-cruise-ship-dogged-by-problems-

[daiB]

Here's an article regarding the voyage.

 

So sorry to hear that there's problems like this.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/92014/Mutiny-on-the-luxury-cruise-ship-dogged-by-problems-

 

 

Sounds like some greedy so and so's. £500 + 4 days cruising is around another £400 + a number of days of free booze + free excursions when in New Zealand.

 

That seems a fair deal to me to compensate for what they have lost.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[CASPALL]

All those days at sea would have suited me fine! Wish I was on Aurora - though all those complainers would be ruining the atmosphere I suppose.

I think P&O have been very generous with their compensation and freebies!

[BrianI]

I think for some people, the biggest disappointment was missing the Pacific Islands and as this is for some a once in a lifetime cruise. Its a little bit different than missing an odd port like Vigo, which can easily be repeated on a future cruise.

Brian

[CASPALL]

The islands we visited last year would be worth missing! Especially Pago Pago!

I think it was different ones this year.

Caryl

[soletread]

They should get rid of the aurora !!!!!!

 

HAD TO SAY IT

 

JACK

 

 

Have to agree have tried Aurora and don't understand the attraction at all I much prefer the Arcadia horse for courses I suppose But I cannot see either Arcadia or Ventura goind any where is more like to be an Aurora or an Oceana thats moved on if any ships are let go

[daiB]

Have to agree have tried Aurora and don't understand the attraction at all I much prefer the Arcadia horse for courses I suppose But I cannot see either Arcadia or Ventura goind any where is more like to be an Aurora or an Oceana thats moved on if any ships are let go

 

 

NO chance.

 

Aurora still comes top in all polls that I have seen.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[CASPALL]

I really like Aurora!

 

Caryl

[jimgib]

We have just got home today after being on the Aurora world cruise, we are both so happy to be home, which is the opposite to the feeling we had on last years Oriana world cruise. So Aurora is off our list, as is P & O and probably all the carnival ships! at least for a few years.

After the mechanical problems it was P & O's attidude that was totally wrong, I tried to be sypathetic and sent a few emails with a few questions and suggestions only to receive a standard email confirming receipt and saying it would be sent on to the correct dept. After which I received a standard letter on each occasion which summerised was a

' go away dont bother us we have been very goodto you!'

They also said they would disscus nothing with anyone until we got off the ship. I think if they had been more concerned and understood our dissapointment things would have been very different, they have lost so many very loyal clients. The thing that got me was an insulting letter from Nigel ???? MD I think? where all he went on about was the problems

P & O Had, and how hard he was working trying to sort things out, also how unreasonable we were by complaining. It was all about himself and P & O's problems not concern for his clients.

I cant imagine the P & O of old handling the problem like that. Guess thats progress. But with the way cash is in the world and all the new ships comming on line you would think yhey would want to hang on to valued cstomers.

Yes when I got home there was a cheque waiting for me for £2506.74, but would rather have had the cruise I paid for or at least feel the company were interested in me.The only bit of concern was in the final paragraph of the letter quoted below.

 

'' I do hope despite your experience on this occasion, you may still consider P&O Cruises in your future holiday plans, as it would give us great pleasure to welcome you back on board.''

 

All I say is NO CHANCE!!!

They are still more concerned about P & O than they are about their customers.

 

Sorry to have gone on somewhat.

Regards

 

JImGib