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whats happened to aurora?

seabourndt

By seabourndt,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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ladikara

ladikara

Posted
Posted

I have to say that i'm VERY disappointed in the lack of official updates from P&O, on their website. I understand the delay in calling passengers. But you would think they could at the VERY least make some sort of official annoucement on their website. Their "update" today is rewording of yesterday's statement. There hasn't even been an official update on their website about the new schedule. Outside passengers are having to hear the new schedule VIA other people ON the message board. I read the new schedule at 6am my time...that was over 8 hours ago!!!

 

I'd think as a company that is wanting to please their 2000+ passengers who are...well were...scheduled to make the cruise, that they would atleast make some sort of release to their non Southampton originators on the website. Just for they had some type of official CLUE to what is going on. Not having to read hear-say.

 

I know I may get grilled by other cruise critic posters regarding what I said. But I work in the airline industry and we strive on making sure our passengers have up to date information. Just 2 days ago we had to shut down operation to one of our major hubs due to freezing rain. We canceled over 50 flights that day to this station. I'd say within minutes of the employee annoucement, it was on our website for our passengers. So if they logged on, they could see up to the minute current information. It even would be nice to state something like, an official schedule will be released by 10AM Jan 19th. Or just something!

 

What does it hurt to just type something up quickly? I'm just very very disappointed in the lack of information given out by P&O. Just doesn't seem very professional to me.

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robynp

robynp

Posted
Posted

ladikara - I do agree with you regarding the lack of "official" information on the website. While the P&O "land" team have an onerous and probably rather unpleasant task ahead of them contacting pax with the news, those of us who are/were expecting to board a sector shouldn't have to hear all about it on the grapevine. While the Director of P&O, David Dingle is onboard keeping those pax fully informed, apparently making himself available to chat directly with pax in the bars late at night and sitting with them at breakfast, it doesn't help those of us on shore.

 

Word from onboard is they are now uncrossing wires (literally). It appears that during the repairs to the electric motor, some wires were re-connected the wrong way round and need to be reversed! Now expected to sail a further 8 hours from the time of 1700 given for Tuesday, and I'd estimate this to be 1 to 2am Wednesday 19.

 

On the plus side (if there can be one), she will (eventually) be doing a real world cruise, i.e. Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans, rather than just the Atlantic and Pacific. No consolation to you and your family I know - suppose that's why they called it a 'Grand Voyage' rather than World Cruise.

 

Will keep my ear to the ground and eye on the webcam and post when I have further news. Still hopeful of catching up with you in Sydney.

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robynp

robynp

Posted
Posted

ladikara, yes that's me on the 'other' CC board. And yes, I've read the latest!

 

My understanding is latest leaving time is around 1am UK time/2pm Oz time/6am your time.

 

I'm having dinner tonight with my cruise agent friend to discuss possible alternative cruises. After that, and no doubt way too much red wine :eek:, I'll check the webcam again at midnight Oz time/2pm UK time/5pm your time. If she hasn't moved by around 1am (Oz time) I/we will know all is completely cancelled, and I'll start to move on my 'contingency plans'

 

Cross everything you have - I certainly am!

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ladikara

ladikara

Posted
Posted

I think we have already planned on canceling the trip. Tonight we are going to talk about it as a family over dinner.

 

There are a couple options. There is a Princess cruise that goes from Australia to Taiwan that looks pretty good. It's a couple of days earlier then we had planned, but will work. We do not know if P&O can or will do something for us, since it's a Princess ship. We do not know the agreements or if they could do anything at all. Otherwise we have talked about just going to Hong Kong as we had scheduled, then spending a couple of days there then flying to Tokyo and spending a couple days there...then fly home. Lastly we talked about the Oriana Best of the Mediterranean cruise in late March. (depending on if there is still room). There also has been talk of going to Germany...which is a family favorite! I love it there!

 

Either way we are going somewhere. We will continue to watch Aurora, but still makes it very hard on us to catch up with her if/when we go. Since we have to fly from San Francisco and back home now.

 

I looked on that Southampton movement website and she is still not listed, so I am trying to be positive for your sake, but I have a feeling it's not looking good.

 

Keep me posted on what your plans are. Maybe down the road in the future we can meet up on a ship....heck we will be getting a 25% discount on a future cruise.....per the grapevine. :(

Maybe next week P&O will make an "official" annoucement about what the heck they are doing. :confused:

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transat_jon

transat_jon

Posted
Posted

When I got in this morning and looked out the window I was surprised to see Aurora still there.

 

If she stays much longer I wonder if P&O will need to apply for planning permision from the council for this new building now on Southampton waterfront?

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Globaliser

Globaliser

Posted
Posted

To add insult to injury, there's now something on the P&O website main page that's triggering my anti-virus software - it's detecting a Trojan.

 

Today's popup says:-

P&O Cruises can confirm that further checks have revealed that more work needs to be undertaken on the propulsion motor. Having dealt with the original cause of the problem through making changes inside the motor, it is now necessary to balance the motor to ensure smooth running.

 

It is anticipated this work will be finished later this afternoon when it will then be necessary to again test the motor.

 

Should these tests prove successful, the ship will move off the berth to test at higher power.

 

All being well Aurora will then begin her Grand Voyage later today.

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Bollinge

Bollinge

Posted
Posted

From The Times:

 

"January 19, 2005

 

One last chance for jinxed cruise ship

 

By Philippe Naughton, Times Online

 

trans.gifP&O Cruises was facing the cancellation of a £25 million round-the-world cruise today as engineers tried frantically to fix one of two main propulsion motors on its ill-fated flagship, Aurora.

 

The ship's captain, Hamish Reid, told increasingly frustrated passengers this morning that a decision would be made at 5pm on whether the Aurora could set sail today, 10 days late, on its "grand voyage" around South America, Oceania and Asia.

 

But a shipping source in Southampton told Times Online that the prognosis was not good and the ship might have to be sent back to its manufacturers in Germany to have a replacement motor fitted - a task that could take weeks to complete.

 

"It looks like it's all going pear-shaped," the source said. "If they have to replace the whole propulsion unit it will mean approximately a nine-week wait for a replacement and docking the ship to install it."

 

The engine fault is just the latest problem to hit the ship, which has been considered jinxed ever since, at its naming ceremony four years ago, the bottle launched at it by the Princess Royal fell unbroken into the water.

 

The Aurora broke down in the Bay of Biscay on her maiden voyage, costing her owners £6 million in compensation, and has twice been hit by serious viral outbreaks, including one which hit almost 600 passengers and crew last year.

 

So far its passengers, many of them regular cruisers, have been supportive. Less than a fifth of the 1,752 passengers are thought to have taken refunds, and the remainder had been confident that they would set sail yesterday afternoon as promised on a shortened 93-day cruise that would allow Aurora to start her next trip, due on April 22, on time.

 

Then last-minute tests on the repaired starboard motor showed that it was still not ready for the rigours of a round-the-world cruise. A P&O Cruises spokeswoman said the unit would be "rebalanced" today and tested at quayside, and maybe in a short sea test, before the decision was taken on whether to set sail.

 

"This afternoon, we will be in a better position to know exactly whether the ship will be able to undertake her grand voyage," the spokeswoman said.

 

Passengers on the ship - average age around 56 - have been kept entertained by free food and drinks in the ship's restaurant and bars and excursions into Southampton and the nearby New Forest. The ship's owners have laid on free entertainment, including shows by Jimmy Tarbuck, Paul Daniels and Elaine Paige, but have been unable to open up the ship's casino or duty-free boutiques while docked in the UK.

 

The cruisers have even had the odd glimpse of open water, including a couple of days of sea-tests off the Isle of Wight last week and a return trip to Torquay on Monday night.

 

Brochure prices for the cruise per person range from £9,800 for an inner cabin to £41,985 for a penthouse suite. At an average price for the trip of £13,883 and with 1,750 paying passengers on board, the total cost of the cruise would exceed £24 million.

 

But with repairs to the ship, which cost £106 million to build, and refunds on future trips, the total cost would far exceed that. P&O Cruises has already offered all passengers a 20-per cent refund and a discount on their next booking equivalent to 10 per cent of the cost of this cruise. Passengers who decide to leave will get a full refund and a 25-per cent discount on their next booking.

 

In preparation for a possible cancellation, passengers were told this morning that they would be offered first refusal on a shorter cruise around South America that P&O Cruises hope to squeeze in before the ship's next scheduled trip if this cruise is called off."

 

 

What was the previous fault that was referred to in a prior post?

 

Does she have azimuthal pods? How can they repair them whilst the ship is in the water? Can divers do any maintenance work on these in situ? Marine engineers replies please.

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cruisebore

cruisebore

Posted
Posted

Does she have azimuthal pods? How can they repair them whilst the ship is in the water? Can divers do any maintenance work on these in situ? Marine engineers replies please.

[/size]

 

She does not have azi pods. She has diesel engines/generators supplying two electrical motors driving twin props.

You will find a full spec. here:-

http://www.sam-electronics.de/neue_dateien/pad/broschueren/1.059.pdf

 

regards

Cb

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Globaliser

Globaliser

Posted
Posted
The ship's captain, Hamish Reid, told increasingly frustrated passengers this morning that a decision would be made at 5pm on whether the Aurora could set sail today, 10 days late, on its "grand voyage" around South America, Oceania and Asia.
The tension mounts. It's 1553 and she's still at the dock ... I wonder when they will do the "final sea trial" that P&O has been talking about today.
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ladikara

ladikara

Posted
Posted

Well we are going to go on that cruise out of Sydney. I'm scrambling at work trying to get my vacation time rearranged. I cannot even 100% say I will for sure get it off.

 

We still haven't heard a single word from P&O. I'm just amazed they didn't call us today. It's now been 2 days since they canceled the Hong Kong to San Francisco portion. We were told there were only 12 parties scheduled on that segment of the cruise. People who were getting on the ship in Hong Kong and getting off in SF. You'd think since they cut out that whole portion, they would give us a call. We got a letter from our travel agency that booked the cruise saying they called P&O to find out what is going on and they won't even speak to them. :confused: All I hope is that the other 11 parties that are going from HK to SF have the internet and access to P&O's message board, just so they can keep up with the grapevine. Becuase P&O sure is lacking professionalism and calling us. Robyn, have they called you yet?

 

Just is amazing how poor their communication is. Shoot it's been 2 days since they did the new schedule and it's not even POSTED by P&O on their website!!

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