QM2 dead in ocean again having lost all power

[SY7DNEY CRUISER]

Events at Sea Feb 4th 2012

 

 

From a reader: So I'm lounging by the pavilion pool on deck 12 when the Commodore comes on the tannoy to announce that the Queen Mary 2 pride of Cunard is dead in the ocean having lost all power. We're on emergency generators so hopefully the vacuum toilets will work. Probably a temporary situation but if not you'll see us on the nightly news. We are situated halfway between South Africa and western Australia near nothing. Update one generator is now back up with three more to come on line. Brief thoughts of another Carnival nightmare at sea. Update: all are now up and running . . . And the vacuum toilets are fully functional.

[Aussie_Flyer]

Events at Sea Feb 4th 2012

 

 

From a reader: So I'm lounging by the pavilion pool on deck 12 when the Commodore comes on the tannoy to announce that the Queen Mary 2 pride of Cunard is dead in the ocean having lost all power. We're on emergency generators so hopefully the vacuum toilets will work. Update: all are now up and running . . . And the vacuum toilets are fully functional.

 

One has to wonder how the Sailng Ships would have handled no Vacumn Toilets

[BlueRiband]

One has to wonder how the Sailng Ships would have handled no Vacumn Toilets

 

Well, the tail end of a ship is called the poop deck..:D It probably was not a place anybody would want be in the morning when the cabin stewards came out to take care of the chamber pots.

 

This power outage posted by SY7DNEY CRUISER is puzzling, especially since QM2 is just out of refit. Is this happening more often or is it just being reported more often? After that capacitor explosion in 2010, maybe systems are now set to shut down rather than risk going into overload.

[Pushka]

This power outage posted by SY7DNEY CRUISER is puzzling, especially since QM2 is just out of refit. Is this happening more often or is it just being reported more often? After that capacitor explosion in 2010, maybe systems are now set to shut down rather than risk going into overload.

 

I think that these issues occurred frequently but one of the potential "downsides" to this world of instant communications is that we hear it about, instantly. Just like all the terrible things that happen in this world, we can usually see it, in full colour, within a couple of hours of the event. People capture events on their phones. While this can be a good thing, sometimes I think we have information explosion. And because bad news sells more than good news, usually that is what we get.

[Megawat]

Laying in bed, awaiting her arrival in 3 more days, this is not the info to share with my friend!

As you say Pushka, it is the modern way of technology, good in some ways and awful in others:confused:

 

However I trust these things have been dealt with and all is fine and dandy:)

[Pushka]

Laying in bed, awaiting her arrival in 3 more days, this is not the info to share with my friend!

As you say Pushka, it is the modern way of technology, good in some ways and awful in others:confused:

 

However I trust these things have been dealt with and all is fine and dandy:)

It was just a test run to make sure all is good before ya board!:p

[Megawat]

It was just a test run to make sure all is good before ya board!:p

 

Oh thank goodness, I feel so much better now, will give you all the goss in Adelaide:D

[Whitemarsh]

Oh thank goodness, I feel so much better now, will give you all the goss in Adelaide:D

 

You have only three days to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[foodsvcmgr]

I suspect in the next few years QM2 will have some version of the "re-engining" that QE2 had. The pods are questionable, the turbines have

had fires, and the circuitry keeps shutting down.

 

I wonder how much of her low speed operation is truly fuel saving or concerns over the fragility of the powerplant?

 

It would be great to see her, like QE2, come back even faster than built with a more reliable system.

[Salacia]

Events at Sea Feb 4th 2012

 

 

From a reader: So I'm lounging by the pavilion pool on deck 12 when the Commodore comes on the tannoy to announce that the Queen Mary 2 pride of Cunard is dead in the ocean having lost all power. We're on emergency generators so hopefully the vacuum toilets will work. Probably a temporary situation but if not you'll see us on the nightly news. We are situated halfway between South Africa and western Australia near nothing. Update one generator is now back up with three more to come on line. Brief thoughts of another Carnival nightmare at sea. Update: all are now up and running . . . And the vacuum toilets are fully functional.

 

 

Hi Sid7ney Cruiser. Thanks for your post. Gald to hear all is well now. How are sea conditions in the middle of the Indian Ocean? Cyclone Iggy has also power from what I've read, so hopefully you're not in harm's way.;):)

Best wishes -S.

[Salacia]

I think that these issues occurred frequently but one of the potential "downsides" to this world of instant communications is that we hear it about, instantly. Just like all the terrible things that happen in this world, we can usually see it, in full colour, within a couple of hours of the event. People capture events on their phones. While this can be a good thing, sometimes I think we have information explosion. And because bad news sells more than good news, usually that is what we get.

 

Pushka, no one is selling news here (at least no one is paying me); just my personal opinion, but people post news from onboard -both good and bad - because we care about the passengers and crew and all ships Cunard. You never know when instant communications can be very helpful. Regards, -S.

[jenno10388]

What's the latest? Is the ship behind schedule now? Has all the food gone off!? Gosh not what you want to hear when you have an upcoming trip on her! :(

[Salacia]

I suspect in the next few years QM2 will have some version of the "re-engining" that QE2 had. The pods are questionable, the turbines have

had fires, and the circuitry keeps shutting down.

 

I wonder how much of her low speed operation is truly fuel saving or concerns over the fragility of the powerplant?

 

It would be great to see her, like QE2, come back even faster than built with a more reliable system.

 

Hi foodsvcmgr, I also wondered about the fuel savings vs fragility of powerplant. When QM2 cancelled the port stop at Mauritius, but came close enough to shore to permit a guest speaker and his wife to disembark via a launch, that indicated to me that fuel economy was not the issue. (And if fuel economy was the issue, how much did that detour cost in fuel? But perhaps there was another reason for the off-shore stop that hasn't been disclosed.) The most important thing is that all is well, and the voyage continues. Regards, S.

[Salacia]

What's the latest? Is the ship behind schedule now? Has all the food gone off!? Gosh not what you want to hear when you have an upcoming trip on her! :(

 

Jenno, I join you in wishing all the best to the passengers currently on board and continued safe voyage to port. Regards, -S.

[Louise D]

I think the poor QM2 is telling the Commodore that she does not like to go so many days without a port stop, and that all the way from Durban to Fremantle is too hard on her and also the passengers in board. She plays up when she is bored. Apparently she is looking forward to Australia and will be on her best behaviour as long as Australia promises plenty of people turn out at each of the ports to welcome her.:D

[Salacia]

I think the poor QM2 is telling the Commodore that she does not like to go so many days without a port stop, and that all the way from Durban to Fremantle is too hard on her and also the passengers in board. She plays up when she is bored. Apparently she is looking forward to Australia and will be on her best behaviour as long as Australia promises plenty of people turn out at each of the ports to welcome her.:D

 

:) Cheers! -S

[jenno10388]

The passengers will be fine... It is 2012 not 1912... I have no conceren. My main conceren is more realistic, will the ship be ok for the circumnavigation of OZ for all of us involved! now that is cause for concern!

[PortOffPort]

Phew... I was worried about those vacuum toilets.

 

Good to know the necessities worked.

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Hi all,

 

We've been in touch with the folks and Cunard, and they've told us it was a 15-minute loss of power due to routine maintenance. They said the power was restored, everything is fine, and the remainder of the sailing should be unaffected.

[Pushka]

That was good of you to do that Ashley and reassure everyone.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jakkojakko]

Hi all,

 

We've been in touch with the folks and Cunard, and they've told us it was a 15-minute loss of power due to routine maintenance. They said the power was restored, everything is fine, and the remainder of the sailing should be unaffected.

 

There is no routine maintenance that involves a power loss in mid ocean!

Something broke down and was fixed, or at least contained, in 15 minutes.

 

This is obviously a pr reply that is transparantly wrong.

[Salacia]

Hi all,

 

We've been in touch with the folks and Cunard, and they've told us it was a 15-minute loss of power due to routine maintenance. They said the power was restored, everything is fine, and the remainder of the sailing should be unaffected.

 

Hi Ashley. Thanks, that's interesting. Isn't routine maintenance scheduled in advance? From my experience on QM2, whenever routine maintenance was scheduled, passengers were given advance notice (for example, when the water supply was shut-off ship wide, passengers were given 24+hours notice, and on my most recent voyage, the Chef's Galley was closed for routine maintence with advance notice given to passengers). Yet according to the OP, passengers learned of the loss of power after the fact when the ship was dead in the water - do you think that's unusual, or that it's unusal to schedule such routine maintence that would result in power loss in the middle of the Indian Ocean? Regards, -Salacia

[Tinytim84]

Modern cruise ships are incredibly complex pieces of engineering. Power has to be generated and distributed to a vast array of machinery and equipment from the vacuum toilet system and lighting to the high voltage propulsion motors, AC compressors and thrusters. And everything in between!

 

The QM2 has the back up of the emergency generators which allow all of the essential systems on board (steering gear, em lighting and necessary equipment to get the main generators back on line) to continue working in the event that the main generators fail (which could be for thousands of different reasons).

 

When there is a problem with a generator (power station) on land power is simply diverted from somewhere else via the national grid. Unfortunately at sea there is no such luxury. Without meaning to come across as a Jonah, every ship i have ever sailed on has at sometime 'blacked out'.

 

To have a complete power loss at sea and get power restored within 15 minutes is no mean feat. Well done to the Technical Dept!

[Louise D]

One of the passengers on board reported that part was planned (ie rotatation of the generating systems) but part was unplanned (ie this process does not normally cause problems but on this occasion everything came to a stop).

[Leucothea]

There is no routine maintenance that involves a power loss in mid ocean!

Something broke down and was fixed, or at least contained, in 15 minutes.

 

This is obviously a pr reply that is transparantly wrong.

 

It is amazing how stupid corporations must think the general public is. Wouldn't it be refreshing and marvelous if companies would actually just be completely honest about things? In the end I don't think it would do them any harm or cost them any money, but it would restore confidence in them and would be positive all around. One does get tired of being taken for a fool. Honesty, the new policy! How about it?