Royal Princess - Belfast ?

[EDL]

Hi All, Does anyone know why Royal Princess has not yet docked in the port of Belfast, she is currently laying off Bangor in Belfast Lough.

 

Thanks in advance Ed.

[LaBelle]

Royal Princess is unable to dock in the Port of Belfast due to high winds. A friend, who is a Tour Guide, was at the docks at 8 am this morning as she had two tours booked from the ship. She has been advised to return at 5 pm when hopefully the ship will be docked and she will conduct a short Belfast City Tour. Very disappointing for those who had hoped to visit the Giants Causeway or other tour.

 

It is a nice sunny day in Belfast - but windy!

[EDL]

Hi, I live in Carrickfergus and cant believe its been delayed due to the weather. A ship that size and with all that power would have no trouble berthing in Belfast Harbour..

 

Very strange indeed.

 

Think of all those passengers with tours booked and people like your friend the tour guide.. massive loss to all.

 

I wonder will they keep Titanic Belfast open late ?

 

Ed

[LaBelle]

Must be something to do with the gusts - I was on Queen Mary 2 a few years ago and she broke her mooring in Zeebrugge due to a gust of wind! Fortunately no one was on the gangway at the time. My friend is on standby and a few minutes ago hadn't yet had any further notice of her tour, so nothing definite yet.

[insidecabin]

It is the size of the ship that is the problem.

 

The wind speeds for safe close quarter work are quite low.

[EDL]

I could understand it if there was wind out there today but apart from a gentle breeze its a gorgeous day.

[insidecabin]

Pictures morning had tugs keeping the ship on station.

[LaBelle]

It sure is windy up where I am in Belfast! :)

[LaBelle]

Royal Princess at anchor in Bangor Bay earlier today - emailed by a friend.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Any updated news? I hope they make it into the port. It's an awesome city and area to visit!

[insidecabin]

Bridge cam showing along side in the Harbour.

 

Last update I found was due in at 17:45.

 

Surprised they bothered.

 

Must have had a good reason to need to go in.

 

Not sure many passengers were looking forward to an evening out on the town.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

The first two times we went to Dublin, ship could not get in only had an hour down town and had to leave, second time buses did not stop.

 

However was happy to get any time in for me was a new port, have since been back,

 

Expect those onboard the Royal will feel the same way any time in a new port is better than a sea day.

 

yours Shogun

[LaBelle]

It's a lovely calm evening in Belfast and still daylight at after 9 pm - only a short hop over to Scotland for tomorrow's port call in Glasgow. I believe they are due to sail just before midnight. I bet the Crown Bar will be buzzing. :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks for the update. Such beautiful countryside there, would hate for anyone to miss it.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi, I live in Carrickfergus and cant believe its been delayed due to the weather. A ship that size and with all that power would have no trouble berthing in Belfast Harbour..

 

Very strange indeed.

 

Think of all those passengers with tours booked and people like your friend the tour guide.. massive loss to all.

 

I wonder will they keep Titanic Belfast open late ?

 

Ed

 

 

Why is it strange? I would imagine the Captain and the port authorities know how to handle a large ship and what would be safe and what would not be. :(

Think of the safety of all those disgruntled passengers.

[norn iron]

There is no way the weather was a factor in the delayed arrival.

I watched the ship sail up Belfast lough this afternoon, passing Holywood at about 4:30pm.

 

Keep in mind this ship is designed to sail the Atlantic in conditions tougher than Belfast Lough can ever conjure up!

[Shogun]

Hi All Few years ago l was with Captain Nash after missing a port other ships had gone into port he said no, now many were complaining, a few hours later the wind measuring instruments were ripped off the ships mast .

[LaBelle]

'norn iron' - nothing to do with the sea conditions, sure the web cam showed Bangor Bay was like a mill pond, all to do with the wind gusts and safety of docking. The wind gusts were something fierce today at my house in south Belfarst! :rolleyes: Need someone like my father who was a naval architect and worked on the hull design of the Canberra to explain. And as I said in an earlier post I have been on QM2 which sails the Atlantic and a real ocean liner, when she was ripped from her mooring in Belgium on a lovely midsummer's day due to a gust of wind. The Royal Princess arrived in Belfast around the time you mention (their web cam is -1 hr being GMT) and the wind had died down then.

[insidecabin]

There is no way the weather was a factor in the delayed arrival.

I watched the ship sail up Belfast lough this afternoon, passing Holywood at about 4:30pm.

 

Keep in mind this ship is designed to sail the Atlantic in conditions tougher than Belfast Lough can ever conjure up!

 

Sailing the Atlantic and sailing close to land are not the same.

 

Large modern ships are not that good in high winds close to land, they have a habit of hitting the land.

 

One thing they don't want is to be pinned to the land when the wind is right direction they cannot thrust off the berth and even help from Tugs may not be enough.