Viking's Riverboat Kirov hits barge!

To those people booked on Viking's riverboat Kirov,

Just read on Cruise Critic's News section that Viking's riverboat Kirov has hit a barge. Just wanted to let anyone leaving soon know so they can call Viking to find out the details.

Sheila

on the ports section,one poster has been worried about this weeks Kirov trip due to temps,fires,etc...now this...poor guy,,,and fellow cruisers on ship....hope he lets us know how it went....will check that section...

Know we were on SeaDream last month and had fire on board, inconvenient and very hot in rooms,but no injuries....but sort of scary....:eek:

to Alexandra cruiser,

Wow, is right! Poor guy what awful luck! We were in Europe last month with the temps in Switzerland and Germany in the high 90's and heard about the record heatwave in Moscow and even Siberia.

Hope he posts again -- I see he is new to Cruise Critic.

Sheila

and temps were warm,,but Im from Florida,,so used to it...but on SeaDream and cabins dont have balconies,or windows...first and last time with that,,,

I posted a reply on that Port website...maybe he ll let us know,,,was supposed to by in Moscow by now....

Cruising is great,,but at mercy of Mother Nature,,,that s for sure....:D

News report I just read said that all passengers had been evacuated from the Kirov because it was too damaged to continue. The passengers are being transported to Moscow by bus. So sorry to hear this!:(

can stay in hotel,,,or come home if smoke bad and can change flights...would have been worse at start of trip...always worry about this kind of thing..feel so sorry for passengers,,,,hope no one hurt....anyone on this,,let us know:(

They are saying that alcohol was a factor in the crash. They have tested the captain of the tug and say that it will take 10 days to get the results. No word from Viking yet on what will happen to the next cruise.

I was going in the 22 August sailing, changed plans and I am staying for a few days in Vienna. Have to be positive.

Enjoy!!!

but staying in Vienna not that bad,,ahahaha...maybe ship damage was minimal,,,,if so,, enjoy Russia,,,let us know....good luck....hear weather is cooler and less smoke,,,great....now you just need the ship.....:eek:

As for the Kirov collision. I was awakened at 3:00 AM with a bump and a loud scrape. (Expletive deleted) We scraped bottom on a shoal or some rocks. We did not sink. We did not drift. We weren’t listing. We just came to a rather abrupt stop. I learned later that the center of impact was about 10 feet under my cabin and it roughly included cabins 216-222 on the front starboard side, main deck. Of course everyone put on their life vests and milled about in the hallways wondering what happened. The crew scurried around doing what they had to do to contain the problem. After about an hour things calmed down. There was water in the lower crew deck where the kitchen service people stayed. It was unfortunate for them that a sewage tank was somehow compromised and not only were their clothes soaked in water, they were toxic from the waste. A few experienced a few bumps and bruises.

It was announced that everything was under control so I went back to bed, with my clothes on.

It was announced that we would be evacuating the boat in a few hours so I had time to shower and shave and have breakfast and pack our bags. We were provided with box lunches and bottled water for the trip to shore. (My only complaint about the whole episode so far was that the sandwiches had to much mayonnaise on them). We were not in a narrow river, but approaching the river. So, my preliminary conclusion that we simply went aground was not accurate. So, why didn’t we sink? It looks like the crew knew what to do to prevent that. But I still think that since the boat was not moving whatsoever that perhaps the collision forced a grounding? I don’t know now will not speculate further. It wasn’t until sunrise until we could see the barge that hit us broadside. The water outside my cabin was filled with every type of maritime policeman, water authority, military, reporters all taking pictures with their cell phones. My estimation was that we were about 1000 to 2000 feet from shore and the sand barge was idle in the water approximately a 1/2 mile into the reservoir.

Now for the bunk part. Two smaller boats arrived to off load the passengers. It was raining. One of the smaller boats was very wet (as told to me by people who knew) and when it came back for a second trip. The luggage that was transported got soaked from the trip. When the boat came back, the second group refused to board for fear that their belongings would get soaked. So, the reporting was such that it made it appear that the refusal to board the rescue boat was based on “snobbish, first class passengers refusing to get on a rescue boat that was of less social status than the Kirov. The truth is that it was an inferior boat and had nothing to do with social status.

Once things got sorted out on the dock, we had a full entourage of officials milling about. I was asked if I would participate in a reporter’s quick interview. Mind you, it was raining. I answered the first question, and then out came the prepared questions all slanted towards danger, horror, etc. I said I got robbed of a few hours of sleep. It was not a big deal and just wanted to get out of the rain and onto my bus.

The trip to Moscow was unbelievable. We had a full police escort ala presidential motorcade or funeral procession. It was a long trip and we did not arrive until midnight. About 50 km out of Moscow, we saw lightning all over the countryside flashing red and orange. Aha, the fires were still raging and this must have been the smoke from the fires. Whenever a cold front blows through, it cleans the atmosphere like a vacuum cleaner and the next morning was beautiful which totally nullified my earlier concerns about the heat and smoke.

To warp it up. Viking did a first class job at recovering from what could have been a real disaster. The crew and Viking personnel were on top of things. An event like this is a meeting planner’s nightmare and yet they did an extraordinary job. In addition, all purchases onboard for extra curricular tours etc. were zeroed out without canceling the tours. We also got a sizeable discount for our next Viking cruise. All meals were included the Grand Marriot Hotel, within walking distance of Red Square. To be upgraded room a small boat cabin to a luxurious hotel room was greatly appreciated by all passengers. On the night before departure, a Viking person reported that the ship was pumped out, temporarily sealed and was enroute to St. Petersburg for correct repairs as he spoke. The boat is expected to be out of service for about two or three weeks.

All in all, I am glad we took the trip even with my heat and smoke concerns etc. or previous posts. It was a most rewarding experience, especially since the weather behaved “normally.” I only packed one long sleeve shirt and could have used a sweater. I am willing to answer any questions you may have.

I am not a Viking employee and in fact I was rather upset with them when they would not cancel the cruise because of the fires. This is my second cruise with them. Right now, I have nothing but praise and I highly recommend them.

Scud Runner

So glad to finally get a report from an actual passenger--news has been impossible to locate after the initial reports. Good to hear that you had a great end to your trip despite the accident. Now, you'll have a great story to share about your very special trip to Russia.:):)

If you have Google Earth, the actual resting point was

58 degrees 08.39 North

38 degrees 23.66 East

At the south end of the Rybinskoye Reservoir

These are various sources that might still be active. It is interesting to note the differences in numbers. I saw the airline manifest and counted 170 passengers + at least two who were staying on and two in the hospital for non crash related reasons. Then there was the boat crew and food service people, plus Viking personnel, so my estimate would closer to 225.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hqKvFEUz7NH1gql4fAw_lExgzixAD9HLOPH80

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/08/18/16324257.html

http://www.comparecarrentals.com/news/russian-cruise-ship-hits-barge-53849531.html

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4033

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/339964,collide-russia-summary.html

There might be others that I haven’t investigated.

Scudrunner

Thank you for posting. Viking does bend over backwards when things don't go exactly to plan.

we ve all been keeping track of accident and fires,,,,good no one really hurt,,and that you got to do cruise at all,,,then to have nice rooms in Moscow,,not bad...didnt even have to travel to Red Square...

Glad you liked it,,,regardless,,,of problems....

Feel sorry for above poster who was to have gone this week,,since in drydock for awhile,,wonder what they ll do,,,just refund,I guess...

We were on SeaDream when it had fire,,,both generators down,,and in Adriatic Sea,,with no power,,just emergency lites...not fun,,,you never know WHAT we happen,,,but just roll with punches,,,,right???;)

Thanks for the report, it appears extremely objective and I am pleased to learn that Viking behavede the way they did