Rotterdam Sep 14 Hurricane Incident - Pictures as promised!

[zackiedawg]

OK...I'll try a few different methods here. I finally had the chance to upload the digital pics from my parents' trip in which the Rotterdam encountered Hurricane Karl in the North Atlantic and lost power for 3 hours during the storm.

First, here is the link to the gallery where I uploaded the pics. NOTE: This is a 4 page gallery, and the first 2 1/2 pages are from around my neighborhood after Hurricane Frances dealt us a blow...the Rotterdam pics begin about halfway down page 3, which I am linking here:

http://www.funtigo.com/zackiedawg?b=191115&c=177495&p=2.0&n=2&af=y&nav=next

You are welcome to look at the Frances pics...but just didn't want anyone to get confused if the page loads pictures that don't look like the Rotterdam! There are 3 pics on page 3 related to the Rotterdam, and the rest are on page 4...in case you can't get to page 4 in my gallery, here is a direct link:

http://www.funtigo.com/zackiedawg?b=191115&c=177495&p=3.0&n=3&af=y&nav=next

Here is one of the pics which I will try to post directly to this thread:

http://www.funtigo.com/go/h9915980?i=h9915980_52193.jpg

When viewing the gallery, the pics are smaller size...to see a larger version of any picture, just hover the mouse over the picture, then click on the icon that appears in the top left corner...you will see a drop-down menu with a choice to view a larger version. I uploaded all pics in a maximum of 800x600 to save some space.

Sorry the pics aren't high quality...I'm sure it was dark and nerves were a bit frayed, so taking the perfect picture wasn't exactly on their minds! But this will give you an idea of the type of damage the ship suffered - cosmetic, messy, but not structural or life threatening. Certainly enough to put a damper on the cruise though!

Comments welcome.

[gizmo]

Oh My!!!!

Thanks for the pix.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Wow!!! Those are great pictures! Thanks so much for posting them ... it gives us a real feel of what it must have been like. Both DH and I decided we're not ever doing an Atlantic crossing. We weren't tempted anyway, but this cinches it.

[Sage]

Incredible pictures. Thank you for sharing them with us. It's amazing not more people were hurt.

[Druke I]

Have been in rough seas - not always fun times!

Thanks for sharing the photos.

[bombero]

Looks like you all had a wild ride.. Glad your ok.. :)

[cactuslady]

Wow, what pictures! Thank you.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for posting the pictures from your parent's cruise on the Rotterdam.

It is amazing that a lot of people weren't seriously hurt.

[Randyk47]

Incredible pictures! That's actually more damage than I'd imagined. The grand piano upside down was particularly interesting.....the captain and the crew obviously had their hands full. Now I'll never get DW on a trans-Atlantic. :(

[Orcrone]

Wow, those are some pics. Doesn't remind me of any cruise I've been on (luckily), but it does bring back memories of college days in my fraternity.:D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have to agree with Heather, this would cinch it for me about doing a cross Atlantic Cruise. I will stick to where the ship can get to Land a little bit sooner. I can only imagine how bad my motion sickness would get. There would be no way my Bonine would work on that.:eek:

Thanks so much for sharing your pictures, this could scare a first time cruiser so glad I never saw this before our first cruise;)

[LizB1]

I, too, want to thank you for taking the time to post your parents pictures. Quite an experience I would say. The few pictures of the ocean (I presume a day later?) don't look as bad as what we experienced last year on the Rotterdam though. I think the biggest problem was no power this time.

Thanks again. Wonder what our Maasdam cruise next July will hold for thrillers??

[ekerr19]

I've never seen (or imagined) anything quite like these. It is truly amazing no one was hurt. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like as a passenger.

Thank you for sharing.

[RuthC]

thank you so very much for posting these pictures. just looking at them breaks my heart---I recognize every shot. :(

[doone]

Ruthc, I am sure those pictures brought back memories for you!!

[zackiedawg]

You are all welcome...I really wanted to make sure the middle ground was reached between those underestimating what scare the passengers went through and those overestimating the damage the ship sustained. And for everyone else, I just wanted to show what happened!

My parents are regular cruisers...80+ times each...and had been through hurricanes, earthquakes, and other incidents none of which ever scared them from cruising more. Though my stepfather took it fine, he is currently saying he's done the Transatlantic enough, and doesn't need to do it again. They've crossed maybe 15 times, and always had calm seas and no incidents...he figures they pushed their luck and finally got a piece of the North Atlantic everyone usually talks about. My mother wasn't deterred though...she'd get on this weekend crossing the Atlantic if the price was right.

I have been in several stormy seas on board various-sized vessels, and am not much prone to seasickness luckily. I was on one previous cruise with a larger incident...The Carnival Jubilee Mexican Riviera cruise out of Los Angeles in late 1993. Coming out of Puerto Vallarta, during the deck party, the ship listed sharply and the winds picked up ferociously...the ship sat on what was claimed by the captain as a 17-degree list for over a minute before recovering...it FELT like alot more than 17 degrees, but apparently those slab-sided ferry cruisers can't handle much more than 20 degrees, so it was probably accurate.

The result was similar to the pics here, but on a lesser scale: chairs knocked over, bars emptied of bottles and glasses, buffet lines tossed to the deck, and a good bit of the pool emptied over the port side and made its way down the staircase. But pianos and casino tables tossed over is the next level!

I would guess the best preventer of large injuries was that the ship would have been rolling in heavy seas but still somewhat stable until the power was lost...after momentum was lost, the ship would slowly give in to the wave action and begin more random bobbing...so the passengers had some warning as the roughness and tossing slowly built up, allowing most people to find the most stable place to settle down and ride it out. Those who were hurt were primarily those who were caught taking a nap in their cabins who didn't know it was happening, or those who might have been trying to walk or move around during the worst of the tossing.

As for the seas...the shots in the gallery were from the morning before the power-loss, when the seas were getting larger and loooking ominous. I would guess the seas grew somewhat larger during the peak of the power-loss, but may not have ever grown to the level seen last year. The difference, of course, was the power loss which prevented the ship from facing its bow into the oncoming waves and control the motion. Even a 20-30 foot sea hitting from the side of the ship instead of the front can be quite a ride!

[ekerr19]

Thanks again Justin!

I notice on your list of cruises you have "Carla C" - which line is that? My Mom still talks about a cruise she took on the "Carla" and I keep thinking she's just confused... :confused:

[BJane]

Amazing and scary pictures! Last year we boarded the Rotterdam for the cruise after the one that RuthC was on. I remember the crew talking about the crossing. I'll bet they are REALLY talking about this one. The overturned piano is, I believe, in the Ocean Bar. When we boarded last year, Perry Grant was playing that piano during embarkation. So even overturned, it brings back some wonderful memories of Perry and his Piano Bar.

[karen&kevin]

I notice on your list of cruises you have "Carla C" - which line is that? My Mom still talks about a cruise she took on the "Carla" and I keep thinking she's just confused... :confused:

I can answer that question! I was on the Carla Costa in 1988 for my very first cruise and it was absolutely gorgeous! It had been retrofitted in 1984 and was in excellent condition. It will always be my favorite ship, although Celebrity's Horizon comes very close. (I prefer smaller ships!) I can see why your Mom still talks about her cruise!

In 1992 the Carla Costa was sold to the Greek Epirotiki Line, and renamed Pallas Athena. In 1994, a fire, which started in an empty stateroom as passengers were disembarking, and spread quickly, destroyed the ship. The superstructure of the ship collapsed on itself and after the fire burned itself out, the ship was towed out to sea and sunk. If anyone knows any more details, I'd love to hear about what happened.

[jhannah]

Yikes! :eek: To experience that would end cruising so far as my DW is concerned. I agree with others who have said that would clinch the decision to not do a crossing.

[GrammyPL]

Thanks so much for posting the pictures. It really let us know what the ship looked like. Penny

[cactuslady]

I don't know about staying away from any crossing. Engine failures can happen anywhere. Certainly, after this year we all might be choosing more carefully about where to cruise during hurricane season.

[bobpatj]

Oh my! Sooooo sad. Having taken the eastbound transatlantic on the Rotterdam in June, this is very hard to look at. Thank you for sharing and how fortunate they were able to continue sailing from New York. What a huge job it must have been to get everything back in order,

[mickey]

Thanks for posting the pictures. We sailed the transatlantic 34 day cruise this past summer on the Rotterdam and know all the places in the pictures very well, and we also live in the same town and Hurricane Frances did as much, maybe more to our neighborhood. I can't say it was a joy, but seeing both sets of pictures together was "very interesting."

[bepsf]

Those are some amazing pix!

- Anyone know how long it took for the crew to have everything cleaned up and righted?

[longtimecruiser]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post the pictures. Having been on the Rotterdam last year in the terrible storm, this brings back memories. This cruise was worse as we never lost power. It was interesting to see the pictures and recognize right where it was on the Rotterdam. It must have been frightening for your parents. I remember how scary it was on the Rotterdam in the storm. I was in the dining room and chairs fell over, glass broke, trays dropped. Food and broken dishes everywhere. Like your parents, it was a cruise to remember.

[RuthC]

The overturned piano is, I believe, in the Ocean Bar.Funny, I thought it looked like the Explorer's Lounge. :confused: Note the unusual lampshades.
Liz, any thoughts? I know you spend some time there evenings.
Adele?

[dakrewser]

Fan-flaming-tastic, as the teenagers would say! Thank your parents for taking the time (and taking the chance) to get the snaps.


It's a solid reminder that, while we call them "floating hotels", they're still ships and the sea is still the master.

-dave

[LizB1]

Ruth, you are correct the piano was in the Explorers Lounge not in the Ocean Bar. I was amazed to see the casino table on its side too. The rolling must have been awful. Truthfully, after all my cruises and Transatlantic crossings I would have been scared to death knowing we had absolutely no control. Thank God that didn't happen to us last year!! Also hope it doesn't happen next year.

[grannynurse]

I agree, Chuck does too, that it's the Explorers Lounge. The shops are on the same side (starboard) directly forward of the lounge with the casino on the port side. WOW! I can't believe the damage! how sad!

[ekerr19]

I can answer that question! I was on the Carla Costa in 1988 for my very first cruise and it was absolutely gorgeous! It had been retrofitted in 1984 and was in excellent condition. It will always be my favorite ship, although Celebrity's Horizon comes very close. (I prefer smaller ships!) I can see why your Mom still talks about her cruise!

In 1992 the Carla Costa was sold to the Greek Epirotiki Line, and renamed Pallas Athena. In 1994, a fire, which started in an empty stateroom as passengers were disembarking, and spread quickly, destroyed the ship. The superstructure of the ship collapsed on itself and after the fire burned itself out, the ship was towed out to sea and sunk. If anyone knows any more details, I'd love to hear about what happened.
karen&kevin-

Thank you! I couldn't imagine what ship or what line it was - all she remembers was it was during the 80's and she didn't want to lug out the stored photos to check!

I told her I'd never heard of such a vessel - I guess I can call and tell her I was wrong. :)

Thanks again!

[rjbean4]

Am new to Cruise Critic but my mom & I were passengers on board the Rotterdam trans atlantic that went dead in the water. Have read a lot about what people are saying & wondering. So much its hard to remember all i've read. There were 2 pianos that flipped. The one in the Explorers and also the one in the CROWS NEST!!!! I WAS RIDING IT OUT IN THE CROWS NEST WHEN IT FLIPPED!!!! The Explorers piano was done at that time because one of the legs broke. The one in the Crows Nest was able to be played after it was put into its normal position but may have needed some repairs.

Saw a post about the captain & officers being seen with life jackets. As someone else also had a comment about that, of course this was TOTALLY FALSE. Was too busy working to get everything going agian and keeping us informed as to what was going on with frequent announcemets to keep us up to date. The very 1st announcement that was made after we went dead in the water included the warning that we could lose power. With every update people were reminded to please stay where they were and stay seated. Stay in your cabin or the public areas. I could go on & on. If people did not comply and got hurt then it's their own fault.

I could go on an on and on. Instead I should do a post of my own. All 4 now. Am also a veteran of almost 15 years of cruising with HAL and 42 cruises to date totalling 459 days at sea at the age of 39. Oh yeah, we will be back on the Rotterdam in December for the Holidays.

[cruznon]

Amazing pictures!
After these pix, think I'll avoid a transatlantic cruise....must have been a very scary situation

[iluvcruzin]

Wow.. Incredible photos. Thanks so much for taking the time to put them together and share with us.

[LizB1]

rjbean...thanks for your excellent input on this sad situation. Could not imagine what it was like way up in the Crow's Nest...it must have been awful if you were also pitching. Glad none of you were hurt!

[rjbean4]

Yeah nothing better than staying put as we were told and being in the Crows Nest but there were others up there besides me. I had just gone up there to see what it was like from there in the rough seas and we all of a sudden went dead in the water. I sensed it and then got out my hand held GPS to use and confirm it. Then started up the video camera and taking my pictures

Its very bothersome to see what some people are writing. maybe they should have been there to find out for themselves as I was. I read a article where it was said that it was a hour before the captaim made an announcement about the uncomfortable motion of the ship. That's not true. that was done right away. Another one I saw was something that we had not had food in 24hrs? THAT'S A BUNCH OF #(@(^#)^%_^@%@!)*!!!!!! Heck, this all happened when people that had 5:45 & 6:15 seatings in the dining room for dinner. When the crew were going around checking on everyone they were handing out bottled water & sodas to anyone who wanted it. After we finally got moving again the Lido opened since no one really got dinner. My goodness, that comment is so false and people would be so surprised after what we had been through how fast the Lido opened.

I found someone accusing the captain to be a idiot, moron, etc. because we were effected by the hurricane. Too many people are jumping to conclusions and have no idea how much we had headed south before heading west across the Atlantic to go around it as it was moving north. As before I could go on and on and on.

Yes we were offered the 50% refund on the cost of the cruise if we signed a waiver as it appeared everyone was doing, but we also had a night of free drinks for coctail hour before dinner, another day that was 2 fot 1, and the tours in Halifax for those that had tours booked were paid for by HAL and the capacity of the tours were increased to accomidate additional space to offer so that more passengers could take advantage. Oh and speaking of Halifax, we were not DIVERTED there. It was a part of our regular itinerary for that day

The last letter that we were given specifically stated that the engines shut down due to a reduction in lubricating oil pressure caused by blockage of the lubricating oil filters. The ship is designed with redundant systems so that even if something like this happens with one engine, it should not impact the others. Obviously, the redundant systems did not prevent the loss of power and the investigation was to continue as to the reason for this and wether there may have been something wrong with the lubricating oil delivered to the ship. Also being considered is that the rolling of the ship caused by hurricane Karl may have kicked up excess sediment from the lubricating oil tanks.

Up till the time we went dead in the water, yes it was rough out there in the north Atlantic but we were moving along just fine and we had slowed down some throughout the day to reduce the motion because of the rough seas.

42 cruises on HAL at the age of 39 with 2 more booked. A bad experience won't stop mom & I from continuing to cruse HAL. Heck, we will be cak on the Rotterdam in December for the Holidays.

[dakrewser]

Its very bothersome to see what some people are writing. maybe they should have been there to find out for themselves as I was.

Thanks for this report which puts it all in perspective.

-dave

[localady]

rjbean-

Thanks for letting us know the real account of what happened!! Glad to hear you've planned to cruise with HAL again. We are sailing the Rotterdam in December!:cool:

[The_Hall_Monitor]

I read this entire string, and come away with a few observations because I was there.

People must always find blame and insult others. I did see a lady fall and twist her ankle, but she was told twice to stay where she was and ignored the instructions. Oh could she complain.

The post by rjbean is right on point. That's what happened. An unhappy experience but not like some others have portrayed it.

And to those of you who are afraid of the North Atlantic and puff you'll never take such a cruise, you'll miss one of the best cruises you could have.

[rjbean4]

Hall monitor thanks for backing me up.

I was in the Crows Nest during all the fun. Its really anoying the hear how some want to come up with such stupid stories to make something sound so much worse than it was. The rolling to 28 degrees from that location was not fun, but I did what I was told and stayed put. Those of us in the Crows Nest made the best of it and there was no panic but I heard there was some in other areas of the ship. There was one person that kept getting up to leave and come back. I never said anything but thought the same thing. Some people were just not paying respect to the instructions to stay seated. After the all clear I saw someone next to the aft elevators on our deck being put on a stretcher. Think it was the person that broke their hip. My thought was what was he doing there? Couldn't he have just stayed where he was and found a place to sit down? As a result of not doing that look what happened.

My mom rode it out in our cabin and at the time we were not using our 2 way radios otherwise I would have stayed it touch with her. She knew where I and was fine and I eventually made it back to our cabin as one of the bartenders walked with me from the Crows Nest. Our cabin was a mess and the glass table flipped but DIDN'T BREAK as a couple did in the suites. It also was quite a site to see everyone pitching in to help get things cleaned up once we got the 2nd engine. Heck, those of us from Florida are used to cleaning up after hurricanes. I was sitting on the floor in our cabin with our door propped open to get light from the hallway when I suddenly felt some vibration. That was the best vibration as we had our propulsion back and shorlty also electricity. I went out on to our verandah to check and yeah we were slowly moving again.

To our surprise at embarkation of this cruise, a very dear and close friend of mine that's a bartender was on board. He was suposed to come back to one of the other HAL ships from his last vacation but ended up on the Rotterdam instead. When we found him there within 1/2 hour after embarking I was getting the ball rolling with our travel agent via email & the internet cafe to change ships for the holidays to be with him. That's why we will be back on the Rotterdam in December. We do what we can to help him with things while he is away from his family working on the ship. He is getting close to 20 years with the company and he said that he had never been through anything like what happened to us. I even emailed his daughter back in the Phillippines for him so that his family would know why they wouldn't get any text messages from St. John's, Newfoundland and that we had a problem but that he was just fine.

R.J. Bean
Palm Harbor, FL

If Holland America doesn't go there, WE DON'T GO!!!!

[LizB1]

Once again thanks to both rjbean and The Hall Monitor for the true story!! I am sure it was not a pleasant experience but agree that if folks would follow instructions from the bridge it would have probably made for fewer injuries.

I wasn't there but had a hard time believing that Capt. Fred would not have come on for an hour to make an announcement. It doesn't sound like him as he always keeps his passengers informed. Also, last year when we were headed into very bad weather on our return to NY from Ireland he altered our course 200 miles to the South so that we would not hit the remains of Isabel (I think it was). I felt this was the reason you would not be going to Newfoundland...that he was altering your course further South and going directly to Halifax.

Anyway, glad to hear your stories and that you were all safe.

[rjbean4]

Guess this isn't the first time that Captain Fred has had to re route the Rotterdam on a trans atlantic cruise. Mom & I, a short time ago finished watching the video from those 3 hours of fun we had dead in the water. I can add that before we even went dead in the water the cruise director came on the P.A. to make some announcements and included a reminder for everyone to please be careful moving around the ship. People should have used common sense and just sat down to ride it out. Problem was people wouldn't do that or if they did they would get up to do something & come back. My mom said she never moved in our cabin. I didn't move from my spot along the front windows over looking the bow in the Crows Nest till I decided that I had, had enough. Others left just ahead of me and one of the bartenders walked with me to our cabin so I wasn't by my self.


There was one passenger that approached our cabin steward who at the time I was helping clean up our cabin after we got the all clear who wanted him to come to help them with some cleaning. I tried to tell him to be patient as the same cleaning was going on all over the ship. It was like he didn't care and our cabin steward was to stop what he was doing to help him. There were just too many people on board that had stubborn written all over their forehead and there were those that were looking to help with the cleaning like myself.

Based on the mileage we had yet to go to reach St. John's, Newfoundland when we went dead in the water & using my GPS, its hard to say if we would have been able to get there. We had slowed down during the day as it was and then sitting for 3 hours didn't help. It took a while to get our speed up again so it was just easier to cancel St. John's and head for our scheduled stop at Halifax.

Based on watching my video, the 1st announcement that was made by Captain Fred right after we had stopped. He mentioned from the very beginning what the problem was with the clogged lubricating oil filters. It was just unfortunate that is took as long as it did to get everything going again and it wasn't something that anyone expected to take as long as it did to get taken care of.

Peolpe were told that anyone who suffered any injury no matter how minor to get it checked out at the infirmary as all fees had been waived for the rest of the cruise.

In closing this entry, one other thing that was mentioned in one of our letters was that "sometimes the complex equipment we work with does things which we would not have anticipated" I think we have all encountered that some place at some time. For us on board the Rotterdam doing this 16 day trand atlantic from Harwich, England to New York (Sept 14 - 30) it was a bad time for all of us to be in that place in the Atlantic Ocean on the evening of Sept. 24th. A cruise that those of us on board and the crew will never forget but hopefully it won't keep people from wanting to cruise again. We aren't wasting much time as we will be back on the Rotterdam in December.

R. J. Bean

42 cruises on HAL at the age of 39
12/04 Rotterdam Holiday Cruise
8/05 - Veendam Alaska
If Holland Ameirca doesn't go there, WE DON'T GO!!

[serendipity1499]

Zackiewdawg, thanks so much for posting your parents pictures.. They are incredible! But, they won't stop my DH & me from doing another Trans-Atlantic..

Also, thank you RJBean & Hall Monitor for your posts..I knew some of the other posts were outright lies but couldn't prove it! We have cruised a great many times with HAL & other Lines, & have NEVER encountered a crew that did not care about the safety & well-being of their passengers..If the crew put on their life Vests, you can be sure they will instruct the passengers to put theirs on too!..Maybe, those who posted those lies should be called down about it & HAL should sue them for Slander!

During our last Trans-Atlantic crossing in April, 2002 (on NCLs Norwegian Dream from Miami to Rome), we encountered a big storm...They closed the port in the Azores & we had to go directly to Gibralter in the storm..The waves were high & the wind blew all night.. We rocked & rolled but our Captain & Crew were on high alert & kept us informed the entire time...I'm sure there were probably some stubborn demanding fellow passengers who refused to follow the crew's directions...If they were injured, I would say to them.. " It's your own fault"..

However, in defense of the gentleman who broke his hip; do you know for a fact that he did not follow the Crew's instructions or could it have been that Nature called & he could not wait! It's happened to me, more than once! It's no fun rocking & rolling in the "Betty"..(That's what my DH calls it because his name is "John" & he hates that expression)

Would a threat of a Hurricane or storm keep us from another Trans-Atlantic..No way!...In 30 days we fly to BCN to board the "Westerdam" for her "Farewell to Europe"..I can't wait! Happy Cruising everyone!

Betty

[Cruiseoften]

I was not on the Rotterdam but agree with rjbean4 and The Hall Monitor.

Having crossed the Atlantic more than once in 23,000 ton ships I've experienced rough seas....it was impossible to stand upright and crockery etc. crashed to the floor. Young and foolish, my friends and I delighted in sliding around the dance floor on cushions as the ship pitched and rolled. There were 'hang-on-to ropes' everywhere....always there were the passengers 'who knew best', and refused to obey instructions from the crew. They were the people who suffered the consequences and blamed the Line for their injuries. Guess it's human nature! I still enjoy an Atlantic voyage.

[Mirish]

The crew worked all night and by the next morning everything was ship-shape again.
The next day the engineers were seen everywhere, fixing elevators etc.

[rjbean4]

Serendipity1499, Glad to hear your comments. Have fun on the Westerdam. We have been on both the Zuiderdam (Eastern Caribbean Feb. 03) & Oosterdam (Western Mediterranean Oct. 03).

The cruise staff, supervisors, & all the crew for that matter were EVERYWHERE making sure everyone was OK. Handing out bottled water, sodas, etc & what ever they could get to eat. It was there for us. I was asked repeatedly by one of the bartenders in the Crows Nest if I was OK. He is the same one that insisted he walk with me back to our cabin. And if that didn't show that he cared than WHAT DID. My goodness. The 1st night out when he realized who I was and a very close frined to one of the other bartenders, he knew who I was because he had already heard of my mom & I.

My best friend in life who is there as a bartender that I am referring to called our cabin to check on us. He talked to my mom and then also found out that I was in the Crows Nest. He definitely cares VERY VERY MUCH. To us he is ADOPTED. In his mind we are his American family, mom & sister. He calls my mom, mom also. To us he is my Philippino brother and to my mom, son. We care for him very very much and have for almost 15 years. We have changed ships more than once to cruise with him. That should say something in itself.

Regarding the gentleman with the broken hip next to the elevators, I don't know. After we got our announcement that we got the 2nd engine and had our propulsion back and shortly after that our lights, I helped our cabin steward get our cabin cleaned up. Think he came to us 1st because our door was open. When I left after the cleaning is when I found the genteleman next to the aft elevators on our deck. I don't know how long he had been there or what happened to cause the injury. Was only a quick look as he was being put on a stretcher as I wanted to go check in with my friend and let him know we were OK.

One other thing I forgot to share was that my mom had a conversation with a couple one day after this all happened and found out about a lady they had to deal with because after she left the dining room she had to have a smoke. They tried to take it away when she tried to lite up. She walked away and tired to do it again. Someone else did the same thing to her. She was being told that it wasn't the time or place since we had no AC, so no ventilation. She sounded like a stubborn old witch. Don't know if she finally got the message.

This was our 2nd trans Atlantic, both on the Rotterdam. We did the eastbound crossing in Aug. 02 and had a terrific time & good weather. I don't expect this recent crossing to say we won't do it again. We are only headed to Alaska next summer because this has been the 3rd year in a row we have done a cruise involving Europe and just taking a break.

R. J. Bean
Palm Harbor, FL

42 cruises on HAL at the age of 39
459 days at sea on 11 different "DAM SHIPS"
12/04 Rotterdam Holiday Cruise
8/05 Veendam Alaska
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[merryecho]

Re; determined smoker. I had to laugh while watching 'morning after' coverage of the first Florida hurricane. A news crew had come upon a man who had been trapped in his car all night, after it had gone off the road. They asked him why he had left home in the middle of the hurricane, and he replied "I went out to get some cigarettes".
That must be one bad addiction- thank heaven I never started.

[zackiedawg]

RJ Bean and Hall Monitor...

Thanks for adding to the thread with further updates on the reality. That was actually the whole reason I posted the pictures of the ship...I had seen other threads which made it sound like the ship would never sail again!

Though the damage in the picture may have looked more severe than some people had in their minds, it certainly wasn't anything structural or detrimental to the ship's stability or strength.

As I mentioned, my parents were certainly not scarred for life...they have cruised the Rotterdam many times, and likely will again, and are frequent HAL cruisers. My mother will be joining me for a cruise in November on Celebrity, then they are planning a Silversea cruise in late January, followed by another HAL in March.

Though the story of the rolling and pitching and the damage being done to all that beautiful decor was amazing to hear, neither of my parents had anything bad to say about the captain, crew, ship, or how it was handled. I would find it very hard to believe that the crew would be anything less than gracious, helpful, and accomodating...they always are.

As for lifejackets...my stepfather mentioned that there were some staff...but no officers that he saw...that were stowing equipment on the outer decks who were wearing lifejackets when outside...which sounds like a fairly standard safety issue with the ship pitching or rolling fairly randomly in heavy seas and the engines off. Likely they were required to wear them if negotiating the outer decks to stow furniture, musical instruments, lock up outside bars, etc. Possibly some passengers may have seen these employees coming in or out from the outer decks with jackets on, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Anyway...great information from everyone who was onboard. Thanks for the further clarifications for everyone reading.

For my fellow Frances-encountering residents...I'd say that was the biggest storm we've gotten in my history of being here, since 1975. But overall, I know of few if any homes that suffered any form of severe damage in our town...just alot of trees, powerlines, signs, and other riff raff that was knocked down or torn up. Not too bad, considering what the poor folks in the central counties went through and what Charley and Ivan did in their eyewall strikes. I just wanted to show some friends who know my neighborhood what it looked like afterwards!

[Toad]

Must have been truly frightening! Thanks for the pictures. Glad you are home safely!

[rjbean4]

Zackiedawg,

You are on one side of the state and we are on the other. Speaking of the hurricanes, those of us in the Tampa area were supposed to be the ones to take the direct hit from Charley. I remember that morning at a fire station really close to us getting a few last sand bags for our doors to keep the wind out. Was a scary thought. Then that afternoon it suddenly changed its course. We have relatives in Orlando that got it worse than we did as we ended up getting nothing. Then before leaving for the cruise we had Frances. We were without power from a Sunday afternoon to Tuesday evening. When we left for London there was Ivan. We did our sandbagging again just in case but Ivan stayed away. Instead we got Jeanne a couple days after our wild ride on the Rotterdam. Once again our area was without power for 3 days. We left the freezer empty and nothing that would be a problem in the frig. Un plugged tv's, stereos, computer, etc. We just came home to the mess our lawn service left behind as they blew everything under bushes, trees and along the side of our garage. What we pay for them to do they did the opposite. Such IDIOTS!! Our area experienced 70 mph winds but no damage to our home.

Regarding the Rotterdam, we will be right back on her in December for the Holidays so we aren't wasting much time getting back out to sea. Some of the things I read were just so badly blown out of proportion. No it wasn't fun in those seas rolling the way we were but maybe that's the joys of trans atlantic cruising. You can do what you can to go around them and still things can happen. Like it said in one of the letters we had that sometimes the complex equipment we work with does things that would not have been anticipated. Like a car that won't start and its not because of a dead battery or a bad altinator. Have to keep looking for the problem other than normal causes.

I saw a post from someone who I won't name that accused the captains on all HAL ships to be senile, idiots & morons. I had something to say about that and I did and so did others. Haven't seen that person post a response since.

If crew were seen with life jackets it was for a reason like you said. When I had the bartender from the Crows Nest walk back to the cabin with me I noticed crew in the mid ship staircase with them but not on them. If it was part of the announcement that was made for crew to report to passenger assist stations then that's why. If some had to be out on deck for some reason they would have been stupid not to have one on.

Those of us in the Crows Nest made the best of it. There was no panic. Speaking of the decor & all, the sound of hearing everything falling & breaking wasn't pleasant but what else could we do? Stay seated that's what. From 2 of the photos you posted it looks like your parents were also in the Crows Nest but if they also had photos of the Casino they didn't stay there. I never got to the Casino to see that mess before everything was put back. I was helping our cabin steward with our cabin clean up. Have video of what it was like from the Crows Nest with how the bow of the ship was taking it and the sights & sounds of that location with everything going on.

The crew were great as I have mentioned in previous posts. People just don't think it can be this way and only think of the worst case senario under those circumstances. Sure we will find out more about what the cause was when we visit my friend on the Rotterdam in Ft. Lauderdale next month and/or in Dec.

To those that were hurt? well all we can say is sorry. But it seemed that there was a lot of stubborness on board for some and they failed to comply with the instructions to stay seated somewhere. A gentleman kept getting up to leave the Crows Nest and comming back. Don't know why. Story of anther lady that had to have a smoke and other passengers really getting on her case that it wasn't the time or place since there was no air conditioning or ventilation. Sounds like she needed a real slap in the face. Another one about a lady that hurt her ankle but she had been told more than one to not get up & walk around. Sure there was more.

R. J. Bean
Palm Harbor, FL
42 cruises on HAL at the age of 39
459 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS
12/04 Rottedam Holiday Cruise
8/05 Veendam Alaska
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[zackiedawg]

Then before leaving for the cruise we had Frances. We were without power from a Sunday afternoon to Tuesday evening. When we left for London there was Ivan. We did our sandbagging again just in case but Ivan stayed away. Instead we got Jeanne a couple days after our wild ride on the Rotterdam. Once again our area was without power for 3 days. We left the freezer empty and nothing that would be a problem in the frig. Our area experienced 70 mph winds but no damage to our home.
We got nothing from Charley either...too far east and Charley was a very small storm. It may have been more intense than all the others, but had a very small eye and concentrated winds. Frances dealt us the worst blow of all of them...we had sustained 75MPH winds and gusts to 100, and it lasted for nearly 3 days. Frances was a huge storm and moved very slowly, so we were still getting the back bands while she was hitting Tampa the next day. Ivan of course was far away, but Jeanne tracked staight down Frances' path and gave us a second blow. However, Jeanne was slightly smaller, and our town was far enough south to only get 60-70MPH sustained winds...plus she was moving faster so the effects only lasted for one night. Plus, Frances had already blown down anything loose that was prone to damage, so Jeanne didn't have much left to impact! We lost power after Frances for 6 days, and just under 3 days for Jeanne. Frances cost 2 refrigerators and freezers full of food...we hadn't stocked up too much by the time Jeanne arrived, so I could fit everything in coolers. I've got lots of battery-powered stuff, so I had plenty of light, fans, radios, TVs, even a DVD player...so it wasn't too bad - the worst part was the heat and humidity which made you not want to move a muscle.

Those of us in the Crows Nest made the best of it. There was no panic. Speaking of the decor & all, the sound of hearing everything falling & breaking wasn't pleasant but what else could we do? Stay seated that's what. From 2 of the photos you posted it looks like your parents were also in the Crows Nest but if they also had photos of the Casino they didn't stay there.
I believe they were originally in the casino. My mother ended up in a lounge on the same deck as the casino and stayed put on one of the couches...my stepfather has trouble staying seated for too long as he has a bum knee, so he alternated between sitting and grabbing columns. I believe some of his pictures from other areas of the ship were after the power was restored, but before everything could be cleaned up...moving around was easier and safer with the ship handling the waves bow-first. He is a born-and-bred New England mariner and has the uncanny ability to walk a perfectly straight line even in heavy seas...even on his 30-foot fisher...so the rolling seas didn't really bother him too much. But he said he never left the lounge he was in while the power was out, both for his own safety and to obey the crew's request.

I believe many injuries were likely from passengers NOT listening to the advice of the crew to stay put...and it is unfortunate in our litigious society that they could probably successfully corner HAL into a settlement. For those who were injured while following the crew's advice, that is very unfortunate and certainly deserving of some reimbursement for their unfortunate situation (for example, one lady was reputed to have broken several ribs and severely bruised her face when she was thrown out of her cabin bed).

I wouldn't let the rare incident interfere with my love of cruising...things can always happen, but one must play the odds. We've lived in Florida since 1975 and never had hurricane damage, including after this most recent barrage of storms. So despite the danger, and the image that Florida has as a hurricane alley, we can see that the odds are in our favor and are willing to take the chance. There will continue to be problems or incidents involving cruise ships...high seas, hurricane encounters, loss of power, fires, collisions, groundings, even the rare sinking (and in the rest of the world cars will crash, planes will crash, tornados will strike, lightning will hit, floods will strike, etc). But factoring in the number of cruises that depart in a given year around the world versus the number that experience problems, the odds in favor of happy cruising are great.

[zackiedawg]

I notice on your list of cruises you have "Carla C" - which line is that? My Mom still talks about a cruise she took on the "Carla" and I keep thinking she's just confused... :confused:
To EKERR19 and to Karen&Kevin,

I drummed up an old photo of the Carla C that I took in Curacao:

http://www.funtigo.com/go/h10368051?i=h10368051_35038.jpg

So EKERR could see what it looked like and so Karen&Kevin can have a fond memory!

[Kami's pal]

Awesome I say. Referring both to the pictures, and to the topic. You could likely make some money from these. Thanks for sharing so generously.

I do admire your parents. So glad everybody all right.

The crew deserves many kudos for getting right back to work.

Your description of the event also very well written. The power of the seas fascinates me, but I have no desire to experience it this way, in a ship without power. Hope all lessons possible were learned from this so power isn't lost for that reason ever again.

[rjbean4]

Zackiedawg,

So the Crows Nest photos were after I left. Just wondered. When I finally left we did have one engine and they were working to get the 2nd. When I left the Crows Nest we didn't go out to that side and it was dark so I wouldn't have bee able to see the mess on the floor as good as if we had lights. I spent my time hearing it go from side to side as we were rolling from side to side. That was enough in itself. After a while a point was reached where what could fall & break had, so there was nothing else that could fall & break. The bartenders there secured what they could but after a while there wasn't anything else to secure because it had fallen & broke. But the whole time they were taking it the same way as those of us that were up there. Had to laugh & joke about it at times. Be positive.

Regarding the casino someone told me that was also in that area that hearing the one lantern fall was quite a sound. A rought iron 6 ft lantern hitting a steel deck. One did fall and the other was put down. Also that they thought the roulette table was going to go out through the window. In case people are not aware that I also heard that the equipment in the Ocean Spa (some or all) fell over and the mirror in there along the starborad side cracked in 2 different places. That I did see for my self.

For me it was the stongest test of my sea legs and I passed with flying colors. I was born & raised on the water. In specific the St. Croix River between Minnesota & Wisconsin. This river also empties into the Mississippi. But I know for others that was not the case. Yeah will see what happens if there are people that try and go after HAL for this but lets hope not. Mother nature started all of this despite our efforts to avoid it. As we have said, and I stongly agree that people that were hurt could only blame themselves in most cases. They should have known better but there are some that JUST DON'T LISTEN and they can be so RUDE. I have already mentioned some examples of that. The next day I was talking to a couple of ladies in the Crows Nest and they tried to say that this & that wasn't done. I tried to convince them that what they were talking about was done. YOU JUST DIDN'T SEE IT!!!! I also tried to say that these things can happen. I used a car as an example. If it doesn't start and its not becasue of a dead battery or a bad altinator then its something else and a mechanic has to keep looking. They didn't like that and I tried to say that's just the way life is. They still didn't want to hear it so I got up and moved somewhere else.

At work yesterday I was explaining to one of our volunteers what had happened and someone over heard me. They then said that this is Hurricane season. I then said we were in the middle of the North Atlantic doing a trans atlantic cruise from Europe to New York. In all the years of cruising we have also had bad weather in the Caribbean, Alaska and in the Pacific going to Hawaii on the Statendam. Can happen anywhere at any time.

Regarding the hurricanes in our area there was damage but not to the extent as other areas of the state. In the case of Frances & Jeanne, by the time they got to our area the storms intensity had dropped since it had made landfall and was over land but there are still signs of a lot of trees down. One big concern here was a storm surge as it could have put Downtown Tampa under so much water. It did do some of that as it was for Frances and Bayshore Blvd was under water. Don't know about Jeanne since we wern't here. The Port of Tampa was closed more than once and was being shown on the news as Carnival's Sensation was headed back out through Tampa Bay to get back out into the Gulf to ride it out at sea after disembarking passengers only and then leaving Channelside where the cruise ship terminals are. No traffic was allowed in unless they could un load their cargo and get back out in a set length of time. If not they had to wait out in the gulf. That's why we were having problems with shortages of gas because people were filling their cars and the tankers couldn't get in here to bring more.

Yes things happen and always will. That's just the way life is. If we chose to travel its bound to happen. I shold know. Not only with the cruising we do but also that my dad was a 747 captain for Northwest and flew for 31 years. He came home with some wild stores sometimes. There were times he was late because of weather.

Speaking of this I can add another one as we were waiting in line for the elevator at pier 88 in NY after disembarkation to get down to street level. There was a lady that just seemed like she had a anxiety problem or something because nothing was going her way or fast enough. Both my mom & I got on her case and eventually she shut up and waited her turn. We basically told her that if you choose to travel then you have to expect some things to happen. If you can't deal with it then you shouldn't travel and stay home. Because of my father's occupation I have been traveling all my life. IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY!!!!.

R. J. Bean
Palm Harbor, FL
42 cruises on HAL at the age of 39
459 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS
12/04 Rotterdam Holiday Cruise
8/05 ALaska on the Veendam
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[user8]

I just got off the Rotterdam last week and the crew did a fantastic job in cleaning up everything. If I had not known about the storm they went through, I would have not known anything had happened. Everything was emaculate. The only thing I know of which might not have been rushed back into service was the popcorn machine outside the Wajang Theatre. It appeared to be broken but they still had popcorn to give out. Of course the popcorn machine may have been out of service because of something else.

In talking with our room steward, he said the worst part was loosing all power as it was very dark in the halways and especially in the inside cabins and that people were scared and crying. He said I should have heard the cheers that went up when power was finally restored.

Incidentally, he said the power was off from about 6:00 PM until about 10:00 PM

Thanks for sharing the pictures. They really tell the story.

[richtersl]

I am absolutely awed by these photos. Holy cow! :eek:

Thank you for sharing them. And, thanks to all who shared their experiences on this thread. I'm sure it was the "cruise from He11" for you folks.

Kind of makes all other cruise complaints sound rather trivial.

I'm glad you all made it back safely.