Voyager With 1 Engine Down

[Maracamama]

This morning Cap. Mario reported we have 1 engine down. Will be skipping Antigua today and headed straight to San Juan, scheduled to arrive 0700 tomorrow. How long we will be in port and still make FLL on time remains to be seen.

Beautiful day at sea, regardless.

[Travelcat2]

Also read that there was some flooding on deck 8 and that 5 suites were drenched. Really hope that this is a minor "fix".

Keep us posted when you can.

[popper]

Yes, please keep us posted. TC2 where do you get your news? I am concerned, because we are on the Dec 18 Cruise, and this is starting to sound like the cruise we had canceled 2 years ago on the Voyager, because of Pod problems. I would hate to have another cruise canceled days before we are suppose to sail.

Please keep us updated.

[TheSeaAroundUs]

I am hoping that this will indeed be a quick fix.

I was supposed to be in the IST->FLL crossing last year, the only leg that was cancelled.

This year, I'm on the first leg ...

[Wendy The Wanderer]

(Posting from onboard.) I overheard someone at lunch say that they had flooding this morning in their cabin, do not know where. Big patch of wet outside a service entrance near Obs lounge on deck 11, and various towels placed on floors that look like they are there to catch leaks.

No news on truncated San Juan time yet--we're supposed to get there early, who knows when we will leave. No great loss, although it's nice to get off the ship for a few hours.

[OrpingtonT]

Have you been having rough weather?

[Travelcat2]

Originally Posted by popper

Yes, please keep us posted. TC2 where do you get your news? I am concerned, because we are on the Dec 18 Cruise, and this is starting to sound like the cruise we had canceled 2 years ago on the Voyager, because of Pod problems. I would hate to have another cruise canceled days before we are suppose to sail.

Please keep us updated.

We have friends on the ship (they got on when we disembarked in Rio). So, this is accurate information. I'm sure they will do whatever they can to do the Christmas sailing if it is at all possible. Think positive -- the Voyager must be due for some luck.

[PaulaJK]

Well Jackie..I'm 'on' for some luck re: Voyager after being on the truncated 'd**m pod' [Jamie's phrase] cruise, the baggage door and port don't match cruise ending and the defective a/c in the cabin cruise...So help.....Were they in rough seas or is this some sort of leak? Any news on what might be the problem with the engine? Are these 2 issues connected?

Of course, I simultaneously wish Voyager some luck!

[xrvlcruiser]

My TA has clients on board andd they reported to her that the leak is air-conditioning related. I don't know any more than that.

And nothing about the pod.

[freddie]

We are chugging along quite nicely on three of our four engines and due into San Juan about 5 hours ahead of the original schedule, thereby giving all of us 5 more hours of rum-drinking than we’d originally anticipated. Now, how is that a bad thing??!!

We don’t know anything about the “flooding” on deck 8. The problem on our deck, 11, is limited to a wet spot on the carpet just before the entrance to the Horizon Lounge, which appears to be due to something like an overflow from the ice machine. As long as we have fewer than five cocktails, we are sure that we can maneuver around the little hazard sign.

All continues to be well on Voyager.

[Travelcat2]

No word on the pod yet. Just received an email saying that they will be arriving in San Juan 5 hours early. The passengers (Wendy the Wanderer is on board, along with Island Cruiser and many other CC members) do not seem focused on the problem. They do not seem to know about the air conditioning problem (read that on another board).

Interestingly, Island Cruiser and Freddie were onboard the Mariner when the pod whet out and they limped back to Alaska. The Voyager's speed is not that reduced which may be a good sign. I can't help but think about the Mariner -- 2 years older than the Voyager. . . maybe the pod needs to be replaced The Mariner managed to continue sailing another year and a half -- at reduced speed.

Paula, I believe the seas have been a bit rough as there was mention of a few people not feeling well from seasickness. I'll have to ask although I'm probably driving them crazy and they will soon be out and about in San Juan. I'll see if I can get them to post on this thread.

P.S. Guess Fred and I posted at the same time:-)

[xrvlcruiser]

Freddy talked about "three of our four engines" . . . so is it the pods or engines? I thought the ships had 2 pods. And what is the difference?

[OrpingtonT]

Originally Posted by freddie

The problem on our deck, 11, is limited to a wet spot on the carpet just before the entrance to the Horizon Lounge,
All continues to be well on Voyager.

Slip of the cocktail glass?

[hondorner]

Originally Posted by xrvlcruiser

Freddy talked about "three of our four engines" . . . so is it the pods or engines? I thought the ships had 2 pods. And what is the difference?

Technically, engines are most often internal combustion units like a diesel engine, while electric drive units are motors. In the case of pods, diesel engines within the hull drive generators which produce electricity. The electricity then provides power to the electric motors within the pods. The pods are outside the hull, and can be rotated for maneuvering. I don't know the exact configuration of Voyager, but many pod-equipped ships have two diesel engines for each pod. Thus, the idea of four engines and two pods would be pretty much a standard.

If Freddie heard correctly, that would probably mean that with one of the engines out, there is less "juice" available to run one or both pods, resulting in reduced speeds but decent maneuverability. If one of the pods is broken, as happened when one hit a fish net, the vessel would be both slower and more difficult to control, thus resulting in a true "limp back" situation.

If there are any marine engineers about, I'm sure they'll correct any of my simplistic explanation that I got wrong.

[xrvlcruiser]

Thanks Don!

It sounds as if this is more easily repaired that the POD issue the ship had last Spring. (she says hopfully)
I must say that the reports from the passengers on board do not sound as if they are very worried - which I'm going to take as good news.

I appreciate your "simplistic explaination" - it is far more than I know for certain!

Thanks!

[Island Cruiser]

It is 5:00 pm on board. No additional news. The Captain said it was an "engine" problem. We are sensitive to "engine" vs "pod" only in that we were on board Mariner when the pod went out.

The seas actually have been quite calm from my point of view except for a few hours when we departed Rio. But obviously different folks have different tolerances for ship motion.

The service on board continues to be superb. And the "entertainment" on board IMO is sensational. The new crew of Regent singers and dancers who boarded in Rio are excellent. It is wonderful to watch these kids strut their stuff for the first time. Our entertainers from the Mabel Mercer Foundation are over the top, but, then, I'm a Mabel Mercer fan. And our PBS lecturers are wonderful. Carlie Cook has drawn bigger crowds than I have ever seen on a ship. Gwen Ifel of PBS spoke for the first to three scheduled times this morning. She is as wonderful as you would expect. Don't know if Terry Breen is still on board. She is wonderful! So life is good!

We do so hope for Regent that the engine problem proves to be minor and temporary!

Our two ship tours so far have been more crowded than the typical ship tours when you paid directly for them. And several of our friends have said the same. If this is the new norm it is a step backward as far as we are concerned. Pat

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Pat, thanks for first-hand update... a few minutes ago USA Today's Gene Sloan is reporting-- spokesperson for Regent Seven Seas tells USA TODAY a faulty generator on Voyager's will be repaired at its next stop, San Juan. Regent's Voyager also is suffering from a pipe leak that has soaked several cabins. Unrelated to engine trouble.

[Erica@cruisecritic]

We spoke with RSSC rep Tim Rubacky. Here's our new report: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3592

He doesn't sound too concerned, so it sounds like the problems will be fixed in San Juan and won't impact future cruises.

[popper]

Thank Erica for the excellent and timely "reporting" on this issue and thank you Colonel Wes for posting this information earlier. We will rest a little easier now about our 18 December Voyager cruise.

[Travelcat2]

Erica, your post is exactly what everyone needed! Thank you so much. Once I learned the difference between an "engine" and a "pod", I figured that it was a fairly minor problem. Our friends on board are not concerned at all. We are just happy to hear that the Voyager will be just fine for their future cruises