Voyager is SCREWED in Athens - Cruise CANCELLED

[NCCruzQueen]

Beyond sad...I have been counting the days for many months - it's our 25th anniversary. We were going to see our son in Prague...sooo sad.

 

Sorry your cruise was canceled, 4corners. Can't you still go to Prague to visit your son? Get your TA on it.

[TheSeaAroundUs]

Oooohhh, that's gotta suck. (I was on the final, IST->FLL leg of last year's WC and therefore I _know_.)

 

I was under the impression that Mariners' and Voyagers' pods were made by the same manufacturer but were different models. Maybe you're right and they're different companies. Either way, of course, the parts are not interchangeable. Furthermore, they can't just grab a new one off the shelf & swap it in as if it were a standardized commodity like a spark plug or an oil filter. These babies are custom-built to order and there aren't any fresh ones lying around on the shop floor.

 

I had more to say, but I'm outside a couple of drinks at the moment. I remember there was something cute I was going to say to TravelKitty, and maybe to Hondorner. Oh, well.

 

Best of everything to everyone!

David

 

p.s. So sorry, 4corners ... hoping you find another way to make the anniversary memorable (as it surely will be on its own anyway!). And Prague may well be worth its own visit! Best.

[mikeb384]

I posted that message in this forum after I talked with RSSC this morning and they told me that they had just canceled the cruise. I received a letter from my travel agent this afternoon offering a full refund plus $1,000 credit for each of us on a future cruise, or rebooking on any other RSCC cruise this month at the same rate, even if the new cruise is longer.

 

Unfortunately, the only other cruise we might have wanted is full, so we're not sure exactly what we're going to do at this time.

 

This is a real disappointment for us and many others who wre just over a week from leaving for Venice.

 

Mike

 

:mad:

[Travelcat2]

I posted this on another thread, but feel it applies here as well.

 

First of all, those of us on the Regent board feel very sad about the situation the passengers and crew are in as the result of the Voyager's mechanical problem. We know that your cruise was planned months (if not a year) in advance and, in some cases, is a celebration of a special event that will not seem as special on another cruise at another time.

 

However, the fact remains that the Voyager is a beautiful ship (the best in the fleet in my opinion) and, once repaired, will be happily sailing the seas again. If your TA is not being helpful, I urge you to find another TA. It is truly in your best interest to book another Regent cruise. . . . whether it is on the Voyager, Mariner or Navigator. Booking a cruise on Silversea would be fine. . . . . but, you have a valuable credit on Regent. Look at the 2011 Regent schedule and see what works for you. One thing my DH and I learned after 31 years of marriage is that every day is a celebration of life and being together. I believe that your upcoming cruise, whenever it may be, will be as perfect as you have imagined:)

[mimito4]

So sad for all the disappointed passengers, and sad as well, for Regent, the company. Obviously, Regent would love for this to not be happening, and so I hope the fix can happen soon.

 

Sending positive thoughts to everyone affected.

[ridolphi]

We just got home last night from the Oct 3 cancelled cruise. Most disappointing of course, and depressing as well. But we did enjoy three nights in Athens, and two nights on the ship with our many friends and travel companions.

 

We will be receiving a full refund, and were told by the Executive Concierge probably some other compensation as well. Considering the compensation for those on the Oct 17 cruise added to the refund, hopefully we too will get something along those lines added.

 

Agree with TC2, Regent is still a great line to cruise on great ships, with wonderful staff. And speaking of staff, they were in general wonderful, everyone, just wonderful. They had a tough road to haul trying to get 800 passengers home, and they aren't all home yet, and some will apparently be put up in a hotel until they can get it all sorted out, but I cannot say one negative word about the entire staff in this situation, it has to be a nightmare for them as well, and I'm sure many of the staff will have a forced time off as well while they repair the ship.

Everyday is a blessing, every trip an adventure of some sort, (althought this was not quite the adventure we'd hoped for) and hopefully we can find a future itinerary that will provide us with the ports we so wanted on this one.

[OrpingtonT]

We just got home last night from the Oct 3 cancelled cruise. Most disappointing of course, and depressing as well. But we did enjoy three nights in Athens, and two nights on the ship with our many friends and travel companions.

 

We will be receiving a full refund, and were told by the Executive Concierge probably some other compensation as well. Considering the compensation for those on the Oct 17 cruise added to the refund, hopefully we too will get something along those lines added.

 

Agree with TC2, Regent is still a great line to cruise on great ships, with wonderful staff. And speaking of staff, they were in general wonderful, everyone, just wonderful. They had a tough road to haul trying to get 800 passengers home, and they aren't all home yet, and some will apparently be put up in a hotel until they can get it all sorted out, but I cannot say one negative word about the entire staff in this situation, it has to be a nightmare for them as well, and I'm sure many of the staff will have a forced time off as well while they repair the ship.

Everyday is a blessing, every trip an adventure of some sort, (althought this was not quite the adventure we'd hoped for) and hopefully we can find a future itinerary that will provide us with the ports we so wanted on this one.

 

Thank you for this and I am so glad you are home safely. As I know too well, Regent do work hard to minimise the problems and I hope you can sort something out for a future cruise.

 

I am sweating on everything being right for our Nov. 8 cruise.

[WesW]

JoAnn, glad Frank and you made it safely home...your positive attitude is very admirable having experienced this gut wrenching cruise to nowhere thanks for your sharing your personal experiences here, and for your sterling example.

 

ps..Tom, the first cruise Regent is offering as a substitue for this cruise is our 8 Nov TA (there are also 3 (25) day Voyager WC segments offered)

at no additional costs for the 3 Oct pax.

[Anna B.]

We just got home last night from the Oct 3 cancelled cruise. Most disappointing of course, and depressing as well. But we did enjoy three nights in Athens, and two nights on the ship with our many friends and travel companions.

 

We will be receiving a full refund, and were told by the Executive Concierge probably some other compensation as well. Considering the compensation for those on the Oct 17 cruise added to the refund, hopefully we too will get something along those lines added.

 

Agree with TC2, Regent is still a great line to cruise on great ships, with wonderful staff. And speaking of staff, they were in general wonderful, everyone, just wonderful. They had a tough road to haul trying to get 800 passengers home, and they aren't all home yet, and some will apparently be put up in a hotel until they can get it all sorted out, but I cannot say one negative word about the entire staff in this situation, it has to be a nightmare for them as well, and I'm sure many of the staff will have a forced time off as well while they repair the ship.

Everyday is a blessing, every trip an adventure of some sort, (althought this was not quite the adventure we'd hoped for) and hopefully we can find a future itinerary that will provide us with the ports we so wanted on this one.

 

Thanks Joanna! Very well said! Despite the unfortunate turn of events over here we did also manage to have a lot of laughs. As they say, when life gives you lemons.......

 

Loved meeting you both!

 

Kathy

[ridolphi]

Thanks Kathy, we too enjoyed meeting you and wish we had had more time to spend getting acquainted. Remember there is Joanna, and then there is me JoAnn (married to Frank). I get called Joanna all the time -- even Ken calls me Joanna.:) Did you get home yet? Or get your air info?

 

OrpingtonT & Wes - Good luck, hope it all gets sorted out before your cruise. We did that in 2007 and it was a wonderful cruise and we loved the long stretch of sea days. Will keep fingers crossed that its a go.

[jwas1]

The pods are too far underwater to come out and cavitate like an outboard motor. The previous problem with a pod requiring a slow trip back from Dubai was caused by fouling with a large fishing net. Most new cruise ships have pod drives including the QM2. They are much more efficient than traditional shaft drives and make a ship very manuverable saving tug costs when docking. Volvo makes a similar IPS system for recreational boats that steer with a joystick. One of our friends is a naval architect who arranged for a tour of the Voyager's engine room including a view of the top of the pods during a cruise several years ago. As noted above, vibration in the stern of Voyager and its sister ship is apparently an unsolvable problem related to the diesels, not the pods. I cannot imagine how disappointing this problem is for those currently on the ship and booked on near future cruises. Regent should immediately post up-to-date information on their website which I cannot find right now. The best defense in such a situation is a good offense. Good official company information is what is needed with timely updates.

[wripro]

I don't mean to be a pessimist here but didn't Regent supposedly repair this problem after the 2009 WC situation? And here it is happening again. So what's to keep it from happening again at any time and destroying more peoples' vacations? I just hope they find a more permanent solution this time.

[Travelcat2]

I don't mean to be a pessimist here but didn't Regent supposedly repair this problem after the 2009 WC situation? And here it is happening again. So what's to keep it from happening again at any time and destroying more peoples' vacations? I just hope they find a more permanent solution this time.

 

Although we don't know if it the same pod, in 2009 there was fishing net caught in the pod -- everything was working fine prior to that incident. So, since the Voyager was built, hasn't there really only been one pod mechanical problem prior to this?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

wripro, as the previous poster suggested, I would guess that this new problem is unrelated to the issue last time, which was caused by fishing nets tangled in the propellers.

[Anna B.]

Thanks Kathy, we too enjoyed meeting you and wish we had had more time to spend getting acquainted. Remember there is Joanna, and then there is me JoAnn (married to Frank). I get called Joanna all the time -- even Ken calls me Joanna.:) Did you get home yet? Or get your air info?

 

JoAnn: so, so sorry! Of course I know the difference between you and Joanna...think I've been in a fog all day!

 

We are currently at The Intercontinental Athens. We fly out tomorrow, overnight at CDG (airport hotel - unfortunately) and home very late on Friday.

 

Tonight we had dinner in Compass Rose. It was so sad.....many of the staff were sent home yesterday......more leaving tomorrow.....many tears and sad faces. We are upset about missing a cruise, and these poor people don't know if they have a job. This has been such an unfortunate turn of events for all involved (including Regent) :(

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you all for the up-to-date information you have given us from your cancelled cruise. I hope something good comes your way after this.

 

Anyone had access to web cams to see what happened when Voyager left Athens? (as it presumably did).

[WesW]

fyi Terry Breen's (well know guest speaker employed by Regent for more than nine years) blog post (today) gives her opinion on Voyager pod issue including estimates of pod repair time from sources now on board the Voyager---however, we won't know reality until after the drydock repair report--if Regent announces.

 

http://www.cruiserfriendly.com/cruise_blog/what-are-people-talking-about/pods-poop-out-on-voyager/

[mrlevin]

Thank you all for the up-to-date information you have given us from your cancelled cruise. I hope something good comes your way after this.

 

Anyone had access to web cams to see what happened when Voyager left Athens? (as it presumably did).

 

We are still in Athens. ;)

[WesW]

Dan Askin CC Asst Editor provides another well written and up to date report on the Voyager and outlines options Regent is offering to affected pax, pls see link below:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4123

[WesW]

Just heard from a Voyager Pod Cruise Pax, she was with the last group off the Voyager today. She told me Voyager will leave tomorrow morning at 8am. Also, she mentioned Regent discovered the pod problem on a routine maintenance check when they finished the last cruise. Regent was fortunate to find it before the cruise began.

[ridolphi]

Kathy - thanks for the update, hope you have a safe and relatively easy trip home.

 

So sorry to hear about last night's dinner in CR, I know so many of the staff are sad and wondering about when they might get back onboard. I'm sure it was very hard for everyone.

[mariners]

Anna B, you've raised a really important point. Those of us who have gone through cancelled Regent cruises know that Regent really comes through for us. I hope that they also do for staff members/crew who are going through such a difficult time. Does anyone know if they have lay off clauses or something else in place that would allow them to at least receive some money to help them through? If not, I hope that the crew fund is used for such circumstances.

[kennicott]

I was reading Terry Breen’s post regarding pod propulsion. She indicates that both the Mariner and Voyager have “asipods”. It is my understanding that there are three principal manufacturers of pod propulsion devices, their trade names are Azipod, Dolphin and Mermaid. I wonder if she has confused a trade name here and used it generically or if these two Regent ships have Azipod manufactured pods.

 

The mariner was built in France while the Voyager was constructed in Italy. That doesn’t preclude two different ship builders from using the same propulsion devices. There are approximately 60 ships using pods now, including the largest of the large. If I remember correctly the worst mechanical nightmare with these was experienced by Celebrity on at least two of their ships some yerars ago. Think they used “Mermaid”.

[ridolphi]

Well said Mariners.

 

We were just discussing this over dinner tonight, one which I had to cook when I thought it was going to be cooked for me -:(:(, and we too hope that Regent has some plan in place to help these crew members out. We always contribute to the crew fund at the end of our cruise, knowing there are emergencies where sometimes staff members need to fly home unexpectedly - and that it also contributes to some fun time for them as well in the form of crew parties. So maybe the crew fund will be of help to them in this situation, as I think I heard somewhere, but this is not gospel so to speak, that the crew had to pay their own airfare when traveling to/from their contracts. Lets hope Regent also takes care of their own.

 

OK, I need another glass of wine ---- where is the bar??????

[Travelcat2]

I was reading Terry Breen’s post regarding pod propulsion. She indicates that both the Mariner and Voyager have “asipods”. It is my understanding that there are three principal manufacturers of pod propulsion devices, their trade names are Azipod, Dolphin and Mermaid. I wonder if she has confused a trade name here and used it generically or if these two Regent ships have Azipod manufactured pods.

 

The mariner was built in France while the Voyager was constructed in Italy. That doesn’t preclude two different ship builders from using the same propulsion devices. There are approximately 60 ships using pods now, including the largest of the large. If I remember correctly the worst mechanical nightmare with these was experienced by Celebrity on at least two of their ships some yerars ago. Think they used “Mermaid”.

 

This link will tell you about the Mariner. It has "Rolls Royce azimuthing propulsers". http://claytonshipping.com/SevenSeasMariner.aspx The information I brought up on the Voyager is more detailed -- here is the link for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/PRINT/mmipods3.html