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Silversea Explorer Damaged


kobecat

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My cousin was due to do the Antarctic sailing on 21 January. She just called me to say she had a call from Silversea at 5.30 this morning (Perth time, now about 3 hours ago) to say the ship had been damaged and their cruise was cancelled.

 

They were due to fly out of Perth this afternoon so now a scramble to get things sorted. They were offered 50% off another Silversea cruise if they postponed this one to next year, but just a straight refund otherwise.

 

All sorts of other expenses of course, non-refundable hotels, airfares, etc.

 

Does anyone know any more? I have not been able to see any news on this as yet.

 

Beryl

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I don't see anything about this yet on the all-knowing Google...

 

SS website lists the 1/31/13 cruise as being available, though, but not the 1/21. So, hopefully a minor issue and a quick fix, but what a shame for your cousin. Sorry to hear...

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Thanks for sharing the news kobecat. Feel for your cousin. I know how excited my family and I get preparing to cruise aboard Silversea. So, can only imagine what disappointment they must be feeling at the moment.

 

If I could offer some ideas for your cousin, I would suggest the following:

  1. Get a dated letter in writing from Silversea acknowledging the cancellation of their cruise.
  2. In the meantime, contact the hotels and airlines, and explain the situation, including a refund request. Forward the letter from Silversea as necessary for proof of claim.
  3. Although I'm sure your cousin is disappointed, I definitely would take up Silversea on their 50% off a future cruise offer. Accidents do happen and thankfully they were notified of its occurrence before they departed from home.

From my experience, hotels tend to be more accommodating with refund requests than airlines. However, in the states, when one has to cancel an itinerary, you don't lose the value of the airfare completely. While non-refundable, the value of the airfare is still available (less any cancellation penalties - sometimes up to $150) for 365 days.

 

Best wishes to your cousin and her family.

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Holy smokes! A wave smashes the bridge. One can only imagine how that ship must have really been tossing and turning.

 

The article only states four injuries. Hopefully, the balance of the passengers and crew are safe now and experiencing calmer seas on their return to Ushuaia.

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I looked on the blog on the silversea website, but it hasn't been updated since the middle of summer.

 

That must have been some wave. Sorry for those onboard and for those missing out on the next cruise. If I had tickets to buenos aires, I would probably still go there and have a land trip. Lots of great options, though not an Antarctic cruise.

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I have this (crazy/silly/your word) ...desire to be in a really big storm......and survive unharmed.... of course.

Pretty rough coming back across the Drake on the PAII when we went south but the boat was still fairly dry. In that context, enough of a wave to wash over the bridge must have been a dooozy.. whoooeeeeee

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Having experienced 15-18 metre waves coming back from Antarctica on a similiar size ship to the Explorer a storm at sea is no longer on my wish list.Fortunately the waves were coming from the stern.We however were on deck 5 and had waves coming over our balcony.

Only good thing was the dining room was pretty empty.

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kobecat/Beryl, thanks for sharing this unfortunate Silversea Explorer news.

 

drron29--and thank you for posting brief news clip of this incident.

 

Hoping for the best for four folks injured. Also, hope pax on board/planning to board get well taken care of by Silversea.

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In December of 2011 we had about 36 foot waves southbound in the Drake and had our cabin flooded on-board the L'Austral. Probably 6-10 cabins on the port side were flooded during that crossing.

 

Heading northbound on the Peninsula, we had 40 foot waves at night and the ship was really heeling over. The captain termed that evening as "fighting our way up the peninsula".

 

Weather can be really unkind and unpredictable in Antarctica, and I hope the injuries were minor. I will be anxious to hear about the extent of the damage. We are due on board the Silver Explorer in May and I hope she will be shipshape by then.

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I contacted our agent who in turn contacted SS. The official word is that there was damage to the bridge which is under repair, our cruise (31st Jan) is unaffected! Phew, that was a close call, glad I packed the sea sick pills now.

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I contacted our agent who in turn contacted SS. The official word is that there was damage to the bridge which is under repair, our cruise (31st Jan) is unaffected! Phew, that was a close call, glad I packed the sea sick pills now.

I hope the bridge damage was minor (sounds like it) and the injured folks were not badly hurt.

 

Have a great cruise.

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I contacted our agent who in turn contacted SS. The official word is that there was damage to the bridge which is under repair, our cruise (31st Jan) is unaffected! Phew, that was a close call, glad I packed the sea sick pills now.

 

Glad to hear that your late January adventure cruise is still on. Good luck!! In July, 2010, we had a chance to tour this ship in Norway, talk with the staff, etc. It was fun and interesting. The passengers all had nice smiles on their faces and seemed to be enjoying their wide range of activities. Below are a couple of my visual samples for this unique ship while the two Silversea ships were docked together in Tromso along the Norway coast.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 92,054 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

From the deck of our Silver Cloud in Tromso, Norway, you can see the Prince Albert II, as known then, docked nearby. Many of the passengers and staff did tours of this ship, including seeing video of their viewings of polar bears, etc.:

 

TromsoPrinceExcView.jpg

 

 

From the deck of the Prince Albert II, a staff geologist is explaining during our full tour for how this ship operates during trips to and around the Arctic, Antarctica, etc.:

 

TromsoOnPrinceAlbertII.jpg

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I thought I wanted to cruise Antarctica on the Explorer. Now, not so much.

I have this (crazy/silly/your word) ...desire to be in a really big storm......and survive unharmed.... of course.
And, to think I thought the goal was to avoid the storms. ;)
Having experienced 15-18 metre waves coming back from Antarctica on a similiar size ship to the Explorer...
That's equal to 49 - 59 feet waves! :eek:
In December of 2011 we had about 36 foot waves southbound in the Drake and had our cabin flooded on-board the L'Austral. ...Heading northbound on the Peninsula, we had 40 foot waves at night and the ship was really heeling over.
I couldn't imagine what it must have been like aboard the ship.
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I thought I wanted to cruise Antarctica on the Explorer. Now, not so much.

 

Go for it! This is still a very rare occurence, and not unique to the Drake Passage.

 

From the deck of the Prince Albert II, a staff geologist is explaining during our full tour for how this ship operates during trips to and around the Arctic, Antarctica, etc.:

 

TromsoOnPrinceAlbertII.jpg

 

That's Juan Carlos Restrepo - he was the geologist on our Svalbard cruise the following year as well. Super nice guy, and his wife Robin Aiello is also a naturalist (and a great zodiac driver). Thanks (as always) for the visuals, Terry!

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Currently posted on the Silversea site, Silver Explorer page.

 

January 15, 2013

The expedition ship Silver Explorer encountered heavy weather and sustained damage at approximately 1725 hours local time on January 12, while on a cruise from the Argentinean port of Ushuaia to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

The vessel has full power and control, with stabilizers in good working order.

The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our paramount concern. All 133 guests and 113 crew members are safe; no guests were injured but four crew members received minor injuries and were treated in the ship's Medical Centre.

The Captain has briefed all guests on the situation and resumed passage to Ushuaia during the afternoon of January 13.

Guests have been able to keep in touch with their families via the ship’s Internet facility.

Voyage 7302, scheduled to depart on January 21, has been cancelled. Our reservations team has contacted guests, or their travel agents, to assist in making alternative arrangements.

It is anticipated that Silver Explorer will resume her normal Antarctic schedule with Voyage 7303, departing January 31

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That's Juan Carlos Restrepo - he was the geologist on our Svalbard cruise the following year as well. Super nice guy, and his wife Robin Aiello is also a naturalist (and a great zodiac driver). Thanks (as always) for the visuals, Terry!

 

Appreciate the added details from Mike2131 on the posting from Silversea.

 

Glad to get the additional info from our Albany friend about Juan, his wife, etc. Below is another picture of him and the ship. He gave us a wonderful tour and had a great, warm personality.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 92,054 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

After our tour, here is a wonderful English couple from our ship standing next to the then Prince Albert II and our tour guide, Juan Carlos Restrepo, a geologist on this explorer ship.:

 

TromsoPrinceAlEngCouple.jpg

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I thought I wanted to cruise Antarctica on the Explorer. Now, not so much. And, to think I thought the goal was to avoid the storms. ;)That's equal to 49 - 59 feet waves! :eek:

I couldn't imagine what it must have been like aboard the ship.

...and had a fabulous cruise. I will second the other voices - go!! Antarctica is an experience not to be missed.

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Thanks Mike for the updated announcement from Silversea.

 

Does anyone know if this particular voyage was a private charter? The 2013 Expeditions brochure doesn't show a 2013 voyage until Jan. 21 and the last one that I can see was the the 14-day 2012 holiday voyage that departed Ushuaia on Dec. 23.

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Stumblefoot, you definitely want to do Antarctica on the Explorer. You can't imagine how much you will love the expedition and will be wowed by that part of the world. Don't be dissuaded by this accident. It's probably the most stunning trip I have ever been on!

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Hi Stumblefoot

 

This was indeed a charter sailing by A&K. Xcountry posted this link on a different thread. Looks like there will be a lot of disappointed kids onboard but a lot of relieved parentents and teachers that everyone is ok.

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2012/12/29/colrain-high-school-student-heads-antarctica/Vqg4flqvXl5912yEV53rJK/story.html

 

Crossed fingers that our 31st of January trip goes ahead and that we have calm seas and fair winds. Like Fudge we've been building up to this trip for years!!

 

Regards

Maddie

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