Star Azipod News and progress

[tazza_0712]

Just confirmed. The Star is dead in the water drifting. I am contact with my wife who is on board. They are waiting on tugs. People are being told they will have to remain on ship for 7 days. They cannot leave ship. They don't want people talking to press.

 

 

 

How awful!

 

And how stupid of NCL, that makes no sense re press, a simple phone call/FaceTime to news outlets will take care of that - being so close to shore there will be phone reception.

 

 

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[doublebzz]

Just confirmed. The Star is dead in the water drifting. I am contact with my wife who is on board. They are waiting on tugs. People are being told they will have to remain on ship for 7 days. They cannot leave ship. They don't want people talking to press.

 

Doesn't sound reasonable to me. Perhaps they want guests to remain on board because they believe repairs can be effected in short order and the ship will depart thereafter. Always the optimist.

[JVilleGal]

This sounds like an excellent reason to dispute the charge on the credit card used to pay for this trip!

 

 

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[areobee]

Nope.. heading back to Australia.

[areobee]

They are saying they have to stay on board 5-7 days.

[karoo]

I'm aware of what NUC means, and how it's signaled. However, since neither you nor I are there, we can't see the navigation lights or day signs. I don't believe that the Navigation Officer would enter NUC in the AIS system unless they were actually NUC. The fact that they are most likely drifting at a knot and a half is irrelevant.

 

 

Thanks for all your input. It's great to read technical knowledge from an expert. Your information always sounds logical.

 

 

 

 

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[karoo]

Feb 10, 2017... The Star is dead in the water drifting .. waiting for tugs. People were just told they will be held on ship for 7 days. They cannot leave ship because they don't want people talking to press.

 

 

Oh my goodness! I was on the Jan 5th & Jan 18th cruise. I was tempted to book this leg, but needed to return home for medical appointments, get my affairs in order etc. I have just booked the one after Auckland to Singapore. My guess is - that might not go ahead! My goodness, after the 2nd Azipod developing problems and the passenger mayhem that went on, I can just imagine the passenger pandemonium going on at the moment.

 

 

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[rdnpdx1]

Just confirmed. The Star is dead in the water drifting. I am contact with my wife who is on board. They are waiting on tugs. People are being told they will have to remain on ship for 7 days. They cannot leave ship. They don't want people talking to press.

The last part is not accurate. We were told by captain that we will be towed to Melbourne - 71 nautical miles away per ship nav channel info - and to a dock for repairs. We were not told we could not leave the ship. Repairs 4-5 days estimated then straight to Auckland. Offered full refund and 50% FCC.

 

Our group of ten is mulling options to staying on board on return to Melbourne.

[BettyNL]

lets hope they fix it quickly...too much bad publicity for ncl with the star the previous days...this would cause serious trouble to the company

 

 

PREVIOUS DAYS ?? TWO months since this Saturday !!!

[doublebzz]

We were not told we could not leave the ship. Repairs 4-5 days estimated then straight to Auckland. Offered full refund and 50% FCC.

 

 

I'm not a lawyer but I don't see how a shipload of guests can be detained against their will without due cause such as a medical quarantine of the ship, for example. Mechanical repair of a ship doesn't seem to meet this standard. I would really like to hear an attorney's perspective on this.

[laurabegorrah]

Just to reiterate, we are not being held hostage.... The captain told us we were welcome to "stay on board and enjoy the ship's amenities" while it is being repaired. But we are more than welcome to get off as well. Estimated 5 days in Melbourne to fix, then straight to Auckland.

 

To quote an Italian passenger this am, we are planning to make lemoncello out of lemons hehe

[tazza_0712]

Just to reiterate, we are not being held hostage.... The captain told us we were welcome to "stay on board and enjoy the ship's amenities" while it is being repaired. But we are more than welcome to get off as well. Estimated 5 days in Melbourne to fix, then straight to Auckland.

 

 

 

To quote an Italian passenger this am, we are planning to make lemoncello out of lemons hehe

 

 

 

Yes. The initial report re being held onboard seemed inaccurate. Especially as a method of preventing passengers from talking to the press.

 

Enjoy your time in Melbourne, limoncello is delicious :D

 

 

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[rdnpdx1]

Just to reiterate, we are not being held hostage.... The captain told us we were welcome to "stay on board and enjoy the ship's amenities" while it is being repaired. But we are more than welcome to get off as well. Estimated 5 days in Melbourne to fix, then straight to Auckland.

 

To quote an Italian passenger this am, we are planning to make lemoncello out of lemons hehe

 

Laura is correct. We just got a second announcement - first tug due at 1700 hours - eight hours from now. Second. A bit later. Drifting 20 miles from land.

 

Glad we are in an owner's suite. Limoncello it is.

[doublebzz]

Just to reiterate, we are not being held hostage.... The captain told us we were welcome to "stay on board and enjoy the ship's amenities" while it is being repaired. But we are more than welcome to get off as well. Estimated 5 days in Melbourne to fix, then straight to Auckland.

 

To quote an Italian passenger this am, we are planning to make lemoncello out of lemons hehe

 

Thanks for your clarification. Events like these seem to invite all kinds of spurious information. Enjoy your lemoncello although I would be imbibing in something a little stronger at this stage.

[backsbanny]

Oh ny god ncl has lost millions with all the last sailings of the star...Fdr might not be happy at all...well they have to fix this ship asap...its been too long with all these problems..

[internetwhiz]

Latest info... NOT GOOD...

 

Well Guess what guys... Star is dead in the water again. i have two people on board (im being vague 'cause they said two people were kicked off the ship for being outspoken) and they just said ship has not moved since 3am feb 10. (3 hours) crew is not giving any word. In reading below post, we tried and tried to cancel and get money back before the cruise and NCL refused. You save up for years and years for a trip of a lifetime and its trashed and ruined because of greed. Sad.. I will send more updates as i get them

 

 

 

Do you have cruise/trip insurance. I'm so sorry for all of you. Other lines do better.

 

Doesn't anyone on the ship passenger-wise have contacts at corporate? An email ALL can write?

[chengkp75]

I'm not a lawyer but I don't see how a shipload of guests can be detained against their will without due cause such as a medical quarantine of the ship, for example. Mechanical repair of a ship doesn't seem to meet this standard. I would really like to hear an attorney's perspective on this.

 

The poster you quoted said they were not told they couldn't leave the ship. My suspicion is that this has to do with Australia's cabotage laws, much like the PVSA. I suspect that the passengers were told they could not permanently disembark the ship, as this would be coastwise transportation of passengers between Sydney and Melbourne without an intervening foreign port call. I am not as well versed on the Oz laws, but I do know that non-Oz flag ships that apply for coastwise trade have to file for and receive a waiver, in advance, and these waivers are for a certain number of ships and a certain number of voyages. I don't know what restrictions the Oz government places on passengers who violate the law. NCL may just be telling folks that they can't go home until the ship reaches NZ.

[kerimac]

YUP.. my wife is on board... she just sent me word that ship has not moved for 3 hours.

I also heard that they intend to stay in Melbourne for 4 - 5 days and then go directly to Auckland. If they can spend that much time in one place, maybe they an get it FIXED. Then all will be well for those of us boarding in Singapore. Ever hopeful.

[casofilia]

Having had a wonderful cruise from Rome to Singapore on the Star at the end of 2016 I feel very sorry for everyone who has had to endure all the problems since the 12th December. I feel more so for those still to embark who must be concerned if their cruise will even take place never mind if it will be normal.

Edited February 9, 2017 by casofilia
date!!

[geezer466]

I also heard that they intend to stay in Melbourne for 4 - 5 days and then go directly to Auckland. If they can spend that much time in one place, maybe they an get it FIXED. Then all will be well for those of us boarding in Singapore. Ever hopeful.

Maybe they have decided to bite the bullet and effect the FULL repairs the vessel needed weeks ago....

 

Fingers crossed but sympathetic towards current stranded passengers.

 

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[Portybelly]

Unbelievable! It is so lucky that this latest breakdown in the ongoing farce didn't happen in the middle of the Tasman sea. This is no longer a matter of inconvenience, but of safety of the passengers and crew. Repeated mechanical failures, and NCL's blatant disregard for the possible consequences of these by continuing to run this 'lame duck' are leaving themselves wide open for all sorts of legal action as well as hugely damaging their reputation. Coupled with an incompetent lack of communication and miserly approach to compensating what is a trip of a lifetime to many passengers, their repeated incompetence beggars belief.

 

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[areobee]

My wife is on board and the captain said tugs won't show up till 5pm (currently 10am) and it will take 20 hours to get to port . They made the announcement That they would not be allowed off ship. She recorded it. What burns me is they knowingly endangered my wife. We knew the ship had problems a week before sailing. We tried to get out money back and NCL refused. With now power to maneuver what if rough seas. We live on the Florida coast our whole lives and around boats. How stupid and selfish to put people on a broken ship. This was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime. Saved for years. So to travel around the world for this? My wife will never make back there. Sad

[karoo]

According to a poster on another thread, said they are drifting 20 hours from the nearest land, but are safe. The first tugs won't be arriving until 5pm Aus time (9.50 am here). It will take 4-5 days to fix. Aus laws would allow them off as border control happened in Sydney. (Bio security happens at every port). Not sure where they are being towed to. Chances are they can't get off as they are not porting. The port could be booked out, repairs might be best done anchored out at sea/ Just my guess. (Not fact). A lot of rumors and untruths circulate when an incident like this happens as I discovered on the Jan 18th cruise. I don't think they would be holding them onboard due to fear of passengers talking to the press as these days with Internet, social media, mobile phones etc the media would be very easy to contact. I think it would be more to do with not being able to port. I'm sure the crew would rather them get off for the day as on most cruises with sea days the crew are exhausted, whinging passengers get them down, plus they like to get off too!

 

 

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[areobee]

My wife recorded the captain saying they could not leave.

[Level six]

Unbelievable! It is so lucky that this latest breakdown in the ongoing farce didn't happen in the middle of the Tasman sea. This is no longer a matter of inconvenience, but of safety of the passengers and crew. Repeated mechanical failures, and NCL's blatant disregard for the possible consequences of these by continuing to run this 'lame duck' are leaving themselves wide open for all sorts of legal action as well as hugely damaging their reputation. Coupled with an incompetent lack of communication and miserly approach to compensating what is a trip of a lifetime to many passengers, their repeated incompetence beggars belief.

 

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EXACTLY! I was on the December 11th (and previous 21 day) and I have been on this board saying exactly that for the last 2 months. You stated it much better than I have, but when will NCL fix this before they allow more and more passengers vacations to be ruined? Pay up NCL, fix the ship, refund passengers out of pocket and stop sailing a broken ship!