Fire on Freedom?

[cruiseaddict5279]

That...and the cause of the fire and the extent of damage. It would be nice to get back on that subject rather than bickering about inappropriate questions.

 

I agree. Someone mentioned earlier that scrubbers are being installed, and someone had been up there working. I have to agree with them that it seems fire would be unlikely to be up that far if it was in the engine room. I have to wonder if they're right and it had something to do with the installation of the scrubbers. That had to be some HELL fire to melt that steel like that.

[chengkp75]

I agree. Someone mentioned earlier that scrubbers are being installed, and someone had been up there working. I have to agree with them that it seems fire would be unlikely to be up that far if it was in the engine room. I have to wonder if they're right and it had something to do with the installation of the scrubbers. That had to be some HELL fire to melt that steel like that.

 

I'm actually a little skeptical that that area is steel. Aluminum for non-structural plating is far more common on cruise ships. Admittedly, it is a poor picture quality, but I don't see any internal framing, which leads me to the idea of either "decorative" or vent trunking, either one of which could be aluminum.

 

I thought the scrubber install was completed (at the very least as far as structural mods and humping the big iron in). Given the multi-engine type of scrubber RCI is using, with bypass doors, its possible that exhaust gas got where it shouldn't have been, and ignited something. Exhaust gas at that area will be 600*F or so.

[loeytalldog]

I'll post when I get back on Sunday what I see them doing for the rest of the week.

[Aquahound]

That had to be some HELL fire to melt that steel like that.

 

Maybe chengkp75 can weigh in here. Typically, aluminum is used on a ship's superstructure because it's lighter than steel. I don't know about the housing around the stacks though. Aluminum melts at a significantly lower temp than steel.

 

Edtit...sorry, I see he already responded. :o

Edited July 23, 2015 by Aquahound

[mellibee]

That's so nice of you. Looking forward to that info. We were on the June 28th sailing. Missing being on Freedom. :)

[Ocean Boy]

Sorry but I didn't think the question was that out of line a whole day after the fire. I mean, they're in Grand Cayman already. Just sayin' ;)

 

No kidding. The fire is out, the ship didn't sink, reports are that there were no injuries, and the cruise is continuing. What is the big deal with moving onto other issues of curiosity? People just feel like jumping on other people today.

[chengkp75]

As for repairs, if this is the only damage, other than possible machinery or electrical, you might not see any work other than tarping the area for the rest of the week. They would not want to do flame cutting or burning while at sea (too much wind), so it will depend on the itinerary.

 

My guess is that they have already contracted a ship repair company in Miami to prefabricate a new section to go in there. They will need to revise the logistics at turn around to accommodate a crane to lift the new piece up to the stack deck, but that's not a real big deal, just more gray hairs for the senior officers. Then they will have to trim the damaged area (burning while in port) to match the "dutchman", and then they can lift it into place with chain hoists and weld it in place. They probably will need a couple of cabins for contractors next cruise, and there may be some outside areas aft that are closed off during port calls during burning and welding, but nothing too disruptive. Machinery and electrical repairs, if needed will be started as soon as possible, and generally there is sufficient redundancy to allow repairs to continue in service. A little scrubbing and painting by the deck gang, and you'd never know it happened.

[island lady]

When we were on the Freedom in June, my DH who spent his career working as an engineer in various power plants around the world working on emission systems, talked to one of the head contractors hired to install the new scrubbers on the stacks. He found the man sitting on the heliport during the night as he was taking a break and they had an interesting conversation.

 

The new scrubber project was expected to take several months. They have an area walled off with tarps just behind the VCL and up into the stacks. The project is to reduce the amount of emissions that the stacks blow into the air. (Think acid rain) These scrubbers are going to be installed on all ships in the future, much like power plants are doing now.

 

There was a LOT of welding going on up on those stacks and a lot of contractors working on the project.

 

Several on this thread have mentioned the scrubber work. When we saw the article about the fire, and the location of the smoke, my DH immediately said. "Yeah, I bet I know what happened"

 

Will be interesting to find out if this was the cause.

[legaljen1969]

I kind of doubt they gave free wi-fi to everyone for the duration of the cruise?? Probably for a certain period of time ... does anyone know how this would work?

 

And I agree that once the danger is over, it's perfectly okay to ask about alternate arrangements for the areas of the ship that are closed ... sheesh ...

 

I, too, believe it is reasonable to ask about alternate arrangements for unusable areas of the ship.

[alfaeric]

I'm actually a little skeptical that that area is steel. Aluminum for non-structural plating is far more common on cruise ships. Admittedly, it is a poor picture quality, but I don't see any internal framing, which leads me to the idea of either "decorative" or vent trunking, either one of which could be aluminum.

 

IIRC, in the show that documents these ships being built, from at least deck 11 up, it's aluminum.

 

Pretty trick process to weld aluminum to steel so that this can be done.

 

And IIRC, aluminum burns at a relatively low temp- lower than what steel melts at.

 

So if my memory is anywhere correct, your skepticism is well founded.

[BillOh]

Selfish to the extreme? Really? It was established that all pax and all but one crew was unscathed, and the trip is going on as scheduled. At that point, the only thing left is information gathering. If they can't ask about parts of the ship they'll utilize, what in everyone's opinion is okay to inquire about?

 

Jesus. This place. Lol

 

Agreed, while I personally don't care about the answer, the self righteous non-appointed moderators sure got their feathers ruffled on that one. Just ignore somethings people, we need your indignation less than the original marginal question.

[Groucho]

When we were on the Freedom in June, my DH who spent his career working as an engineer in various power plants around the world working on emission systems, talked to one of the head contractors hired to install the new scrubbers on the stacks. He found the man sitting on the heliport during the night as he was taking a break and they had an interesting conversation.

 

The new scrubber project was expected to take several months. They have an area walled off with tarps just behind the VCL and up into the stacks. The project is to reduce the amount of emissions that the stacks blow into the air. (Think acid rain) These scrubbers are going to be installed on all ships in the future, much like power plants are doing now.

 

There was a LOT of welding going on up on those stacks and a lot of contractors working on the project.

 

Several on this thread have mentioned the scrubber work. When we saw the article about the fire, and the location of the smoke, my DH immediately said. "Yeah, I bet I know what happened"

 

Will be interesting to find out if this was the cause.

 

A spark from a welding lead?

[chengkp75]

IIRC, in the show that documents these ships being built, from at least deck 11 up, it's aluminum.

 

Pretty trick process to weld aluminum to steel so that this can be done.

 

And IIRC, aluminum burns at a relatively low temp- lower than what steel melts at.

 

So if my memory is anywhere correct, your skepticism is well founded.

 

While steel can be welded to aluminum (not all that difficult, just TIG or MIG), in a marine environment, you don't want to have two dissimilar metals in contact, or the less noble (aluminum in this case) will corrode quite quickly through galvanic action. In cases like this, the aluminum is joined to any steel structure with insulated bolts.

[chengkp75]

A spark from a welding lead?

 

Possible, but not likely. Marine repair outfits, and cruise lines as well, have strict guidelines regarding "fire watches" during cutting/welding operations. Not only will there be one or two people on the job site whose sole duty is to watch for sparks reaching combustible material and be armed with a fire extinguisher, but there will be someone stationed on the other side of any structure (like in another room on the other side of the wall from the work) to watch for possible combustion there due to the welding heat causing paint to burn. The ISM code has strict guidelines about the need for "hot work" (welding/burning) permits and checklists for ships, and the Safety Manager and Senior Engineers are required to tour the area several times daily to look for potential problems. Not saying it couldn't be, just that things are much stricter onboard ships because of the increased danger that fire causes.

[alfaeric]

While steel can be welded to aluminum (not all that difficult, just TIG or MIG), in a marine environment, you don't want to have two dissimilar metals in contact, or the less noble (aluminum in this case) will corrode quite quickly through galvanic action. In cases like this, the aluminum is joined to any steel structure with insulated bolts.

 

I thought I saw that they were using blast welding for this particular application.

[MaryAnn&Don]

Glad this fire didn't ruin your cruise. I always hate hearing news like this but happy no one was seriously hurt.

 

I think every cruise I've been on a couple people decide they are special and don't need to attend muster drill. There should be fines when people violate international laws but usually a kind reprimand is all that is ever done.

 

I'm surprised that free wifi was given and I agree this can punish those who paid and now suffer a loss of speed. Bandwidth speed on ship wifi is always a concern. I'm a user so I understand. If RC is reading, please don't do that, Rather the OBC is a real thank you for being cooperative because everyone can use that as they personally wish.

 

Last year we were off the coast of Mexico and the Captain decided to abort a port of call because the seas were too rough for him to dock the ship. Another cruise ship launched tenders as we passed by. We got no credit but people with shore excursions from RC were given OBC credit for their excursion refund. We just planned on walking the little town and shopping so we got nothing. Consider your $200 special!

 

I didn't see a post in the thread but I assume your POC in Falmouth was aborted or at least excursions were cancelled since you may have been late getting on shore. Anyone care to post what happened later that day in Falmouth?

Edited July 23, 2015 by MaryAnn&Don

[chengkp75]

I thought I saw that they were using blast welding for this particular application.

 

If you mean the application of aluminum to steel in general, as opposed to this particular application, then that is more common when laminating plates of dissimilar metals onto each other, rather than joining a piece of aluminum to a steel angle, for instance. I don't believe I've ever heard of blast welding being used in shipbuilding.

[ryano]

 

I didn't see a post in the thread but I assume your POC in Falmouth was aborted or at least excursions were cancelled since you may have been late getting on shore. Anyone care to post what happened later that day in Falmouth?

 

Falmouth wasnt aborted. I dont know what happened to excursions but they actually stayed over an hour longer in Falmouth than usual to give people more time in port

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

No kidding. The fire is out, the ship didn't sink, reports are that there were no injuries, and the cruise is continuing. What is the big deal with moving onto other issues of curiosity? People just feel like jumping on other people today.

 

Just today? ;)

[reallyitsmema]

Falmouth wasnt aborted. I dont know what happened to excursions but they actually stayed over an hour longer in Falmouth than usual to give people more time in port

 

Excursions went on as planned once all passengers were found. There are links to tweets by people on the ship earlier in this thread.

[cruisegirl1]

Some had life jackets others didn't. The rooms stewards were in the hall and some told people to take their life jackets, others like ours said not too. We originally walked in the hall with ours and our stateroom attendant said we didn't need them so we threw them back in our rooms, stupid move on our part if we really needed them, but honestly it was hard to think fast because we could see/smell the smoke from our balcony. I took our passports and meds at least!

 

Thank you. They do say that in a real emergency ( which this was) passengers can get life jackets at muster stations.

 

I read a comment after the last ship fire ( don't recall the ship but it was an aft fire), to keep the contents of your safe in a zip lock bag in case you need to get out quickly. - you just grab the zip lock and every thing is watertight. Also since that fire I always keep meds together.

 

Glad you are OK

 

Thanks,

M

[cruisegirl1]

Glad this fire didn't ruin your cruise. I always hate hearing news like this but happy no one was seriously hurt.

 

I think every cruise I've been on a couple people decide they are special and don't need to attend muster drill. There should be fines when people violate international laws but usually a kind reprimand is all that is ever done.

 

I'm surprised that free wifi was given and I agree this can punish those who paid and now suffer a loss of speed. Bandwidth speed on ship wifi is always a concern. I'm a user so I understand. If RC is reading, please don't do that, Rather the OBC is a real thank you for being cooperative because everyone can use that as they personally wish.

 

Last year we were off the coast of Mexico and the Captain decided to abort a port of call because the seas were too rough for him to dock the ship. Another cruise ship launched tenders as we passed by. We got no credit but people with shore excursions from RC were given OBC credit for their excursion refund. We just planned on walking the little town and shopping so we got nothing. Consider your $200 special!

 

I didn't see a post in the thread but I assume your POC in Falmouth was aborted or at least excursions were cancelled since you may have been late getting on shore. Anyone care to post what happened later that day in Falmouth?

 

In your example of a cancelled port, it is likely that those with shore excursions got that OBC as a REFUND for the fees they already paid, not an extra bonus. That has been our experience.

 

M

Edited July 23, 2015 by cruisegirl1

[MaryAnn&Don]

Thanks for the updates on the extra hour and that the POC wasn't aborted.

 

Someone from the cruise was asking about the stock. I'm a stock holder and while it did have a $1.8 per share drop off, I would not consider this panic mode. The company has been doing extremely well as a long term investment. Consider this a small discounted opportunity to buy. :)

[sfaaa]

Um seriously? Wow. Now I have heard everything. The pettiness astounds.

 

She paid for something that is subsequently offered free to everyone. How is that pettiness?

[MaryAnn&Don]

In your example of a cancelled port, it is likely that those with shore excursions got that OBC as a REFUND for the fees they already paid, not an extra bonus. That has been our experience.

 

M

 

from what others on the cruise told me- REFUND for the fees they already paid, only.

My wife did remind me the Cruise director scheduled an additional show repeat in the main theater that afternoon as a bonus, but nothing else.