Live from the crashed Grandeur in Costa Maya

[wwinfl91]

Thanks for the update Cindy. It is interesting that except for one news network that got the cruise line wrong there has been little work of the accident here in the USA. Keep your chins up and enjoy the extra time in Costa Maya as much as possible.

 

And have a much much better next cruise.

[moofus]

Go to Chops or Portifino's, buy some Bling Bling in the stores, PLAY BINGO, it's not like real gambling ( if you have a moral issue with Casino Gambling). Buy your table mates a bottle of wine, go to Johnnie Rockets a lot, buy portraits ( which are much to expensive anyway), buy disposable cameras in the ship shop... buy CHOCOLATE, or have it transferred to my cabin! HA HA

[dlb1357]

I find it so midleading that RCI reps are telling yall when to expect our return, when our Captain doesn't even know. We received a letter in our staterooms about an hour ago which just reiterates that the Captain said around noon ... they'll have a more definite answer by 6:00 pm today and if the ship isn't going to make it to NOLA this weekend, we have the option for them to take care of our airfare from here on Sat or Sun, or we can stay with the ship until repairs are finished, and then they will take care of our airfare from NOLA.

Thanks for the "real time" info Cindy. It has been great to get the word from someone who is actually onboard and as up to date as possible.

[Ericknow32]

I am really upset about this. I love ships and to see one with such damage really saddens me. I personally hope that the captain is fired. If the weather was too bad to dock then they shouldn't have docked. Do ships have insurance for this stuff or are we going to pay for the repair?

[jamieng]

Look at the bright side! An unexpected extended vacation is nice -- I'd be soakin up the rays by the pool!:) :p

[jwlane]

you spend all this money' date=' just to sit around [/quote']

 

Isn't that what a vacation is? Sign me up!!!

[deborahjo]

The picture are amazing to me. It is a hugh hole. Reading that they are going to try to fix it in Costa Maya is amazing. Just makes me wonder how safe it will be to sail home.

[Retired not Expired]

Look at the bright side! An unexpected extended vacation is nice -- I'd be soakin up the rays by the pool!:) :p

 

Yeap, and if a lot do have to fly home to get back to work, you may have a lot of the ship to yourself. I wonder, if a lot of cabins do open up, how about an up-grade. I know I'd stay. It could be a special ending to a not so special incident.

[FinelyCruising]

The only time a Pilot takes command of a ship is through the Panama Canal where it is required. The transfer of the Command of those ships are actually signed for by those Pilots.

 

To Cindy, a Great Sailor, thanks to you and the others for all the updates. Best to you all.

[1corona4u]

Harbour Pilots do not operate the controls of the ships they are on. They tell the crew were to go and ensure the ship travels the seaways into and out of port. For the docking and undocking the ships bridge crew are always in control. If you think about it it only makes sense. Every ship is different. The controls, the power of the engines, the postions and effectiveness of bow thrusters, azipods etc. Harbour pilots cannot be masters of the controls of every vessel (Type of ship) plying the oceans of the world.

 

I have been on the bridge of several non cruise ship vessels for entries into harbours all over the world and I can assure you they do not take the wheel, the helm or any control device.

 

Well, Cindy, who is on the ship, said that the Mexican pilot WAS in control of the ship when they were trying to dock. I think she knows what she is talking about....otherwise why or how would she know that?

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

Royal Caribbean just announced special pricing for sailings on the Grandeur... everything will be "Hole-Sale"... Ha Ha Ha.:D

Holy Ship Batman! :D

[pablo312]

Go to Chops or Portifino's, buy some Bling Bling in the stores, PLAY BINGO, it's not like real gambling ( if you have a moral issue with Casino Gambling). Buy your table mates a bottle of wine, go to Johnnie Rockets a lot, buy portraits ( which are much to expensive anyway), buy disposable cameras in the ship shop... buy CHOCOLATE, or have it transferred to my cabin! HA HA

 

Don't worry I will use the credits. I'll drink to your good health and fortune with the Johnny Walker Blue that I will buy. LOL.

 

Has anyone noticed that we have not heard from anyone on the ship since about noon today. Wonder if good ole RCL shut down the internet cafe when they found out folks were posting to this site?

[FinelyCruising]

1 -- I don't doubt there is a flurry of all kinds of dialog and speculation on that ship.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Don't worry I will use the credits. I'll drink to your good health and fortune with the Johnny Walker Blue that I will buy. LOL.

 

Has anyone noticed that we have not heard from anyone on the ship since about noon today. Wonder if good ole RCL shut down the internet cafe when they found out folks were posting to this site?

 

Cindy just posted.

 

###

[spocruiser]

In reading boards and posts to get ready for our first cruise two weeks ago, I saw several references to tendering problems at Grand Cayman when there was bad weather, but nothing about problems getting ahsore at Costa Maya.

 

But our ship skipped Costa Maya due to high winds, with crew members telling me there was a fear of damaging the dock. Sure didn't hear anything about the ship being at risk.

 

Very sorry to hear about those of you affected by this.

[Cruise Cat]

Everybody realizes that there are reporters lurking on this site???

 

Sorry, I couldn't finish catching up on the whole thread before I replied to this one. You would have to understand KTRK to realize you are not talking about reporters here. (IMHO) However, they are one of the best about making sure you don't find out what happens behind their closed doors or why.

 

..... Back to the original subject.

[Mark]

What is the name of the Captain of the Grandeur? Interesting to know how long he retains command of the Grandeur and what his next ship is?

[wallie5446]

Reuters news has put up a small story. About what we here already knew!

 

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8257117

[Globaliser]

You can see photos of the wreck on CruiseJournals. I'm not allowed to put the link to the site in the boards, but if you're crafty you can find it.

There's no point even trying, because they're only the same photos that have already been posted to this thread.

[FinelyCruising]

That kind of thinking is like saying someone's driver's license should be suspended because they slid on ice and hit a guard rail.

[Tjukka]

Well, Cindy, who is on the ship, said that the Mexican pilot WAS in control of the ship when they were trying to dock. I think she knows what she is talking about....otherwise why or how would she know that?

 

 

1Corona4u,

 

Well if the pilot was in charge the Captain is still responsible. It is always the Captains lisence on the line the pilots only have to have a mates lisence. In Mexico don't know if they even have that. Maybe a corona in hand.

That would be like you driving someone elses car and wrecking it then saying I didn't have a lisence. But the Captain did.

 

Tj

[bobbie_81348]

I started reading the post and there were eleven pages so not sure if this has been posted or not. We were suppose to go out on the 23rd. All packed and ready to leave in the morning and we got a call today from Crucon. We are suppose to report to the pier on Sunday the 24th now for the cruise. We were told we will be given a $125.00 per person ship board credit and 25% off of a future cruise. That was the plan at 2 o'clock. Hope nothing changes. We are driving down so don't know what arrangements would have been made if we had been flying. Hope this helps.

 

Barbara

[brn2crz]

Well, Cindy, who is on the ship, said that the Mexican pilot WAS in control of the ship when they were trying to dock. I think she knows what she is talking about....otherwise why or how would she know that?

 

My guess is that Cindy may just also be under the assumption,that since there was a "pilot" aboard,he was at the wheel....

I too have been told on many occasions,by ships Captains,and Staff Capts that

they are only there to advise on weather,current and pier conditions..

 

And again...You have to remember where TJ is coming from.

[canes41]

We sailed on the April 9th cruise on the Splendour and hit the same dock we we were leaving....no hole though....just a big scrape mark and a little concrete off the dock....

It must be a very difficult pier to dock at. In March on the Splendour of the Seas we missed Costa Maya because the captain said the waves were too rough although it didn't look like it to us. He tried docking it once and then made the announcement that we would miss this port. Seems that our captain was right not to risk it. Meanwhile at the time we were calling him a wimp. Oh well hindsights 20-20 they say. Glad to hear no one was injured that we know of. I hope they treat the passengers like gold and let them comp all there drinks.

[Capt_BJ]

Who was driving?

 

To he who says the pilot never drived @ the pier I ask, have you heard of a docking pilot?

 

and to he who says a pilot never moored I ask, are you aware of the laws of Mexico vs US? How about the laws of this port specifically?

 

Think they don't apply?????? Why?

 

Been there - done that.....the pilot may have had the CONN, if the Master let him. But the Master still had the responsibilility. A very common discussion in the industry. What are the limits of the pilot's authority vs the Master's. Guess what? If the Pilot scews up, the Master goes down. Formal term is deligation.

 

True, the Panama Canal is one of the FEW locations where the Master/Captain is absolved/relieved of responsibility by the pilot. That's a condition of passage. Will a pilot assume he is to moor/unmoor? Damn right they will. Some masters let them, some do not. But they retain the responsibility either way.. In some ports the Master does nothing from 3 miles out! That's the law. There may be 3 different pilots....outer reach, inner harbor and a docking pilot.

 

That is one of the first discussions I had with the pilot when he came aboard....since we only occasionally spoke the same language it was often interesting.

 

Since the average cruise ship is in the same port and working with the same pilot every week - or even more frequently - some are more than happy to let the pilot drive. After all, they get paid whether they drive or not....

 

Remember that on a 'modern' cruise ship neither the master or the pilot is really driving....they push a joy stick in the direction they want to go and a computer does the rest.... If the computer can't handle the conditions...wellllllll that's when someone needs to recognize the need for a sailor to step in. I'm sure the Master is a sailor, but stepping in may have been a bit too late.....

 

Lastly - been there - the currents there can be a bitch. Not the first time a cruiser clipped the end of the pier. 75,000 tons moving at 1 mph vs a firmly rooted pier equals trouble if you don't land flat.. That's why I always smile when an airplane pilot tells me how hard their job is vs mine. True we have a more forgiving platform but it doesn't react quickly...you need to be thinking about 2 minutes ahead.