Star Azipod News and progress

[FrankWuff]

We are scheduled on the 2/18 cruise. We have been offered a 100% future cruise credit should we decide not take this cruise. We will arrive in Aukland on the 16th regardless and plan on having a great time seeing New Zealand if the cruise doesn't depart at all.

 

for real? We have only the offer to get back free of charge without compensation

[BettyNL]

We are scheduled on the 2/18 cruise. We have been offered a 100% future cruise credit should we decide not take this cruise. We will arrive in Aukland on the 16th regardless and plan on having a great time seeing New Zealand if the cruise doesn't depart at all.

 

As a "guest" on the 5 January Mystery Cruise.........please tell what you get if you DO take this cruise ??

[karoo]

As a "guest" on the 5 January Mystery Cruise.........please tell what you get if you DO take this cruise ??

 

 

I think it's $500 and 25% future cruise credit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Jrlang1]

 

I am surprised to see this still up

[ChrisOz]

Question if I may...

 

It seems that this ship has had a number of bandaid repairs and yet the Azipods keep breaking down.

 

Is this due to the nature of the propulsion system? The engines as such are NOT inside the ship where engineers might be able to obtain access while in port.

 

The engines are actually in pods or nacelles UNDER the ship and as such the ship would need to be in dry dock to effect a long lasting repair?

 

The fact that the ship has ongoing Azipod problems leads me to think that dry docking can't come soon enough.

[kiwicruisers51]

I think it's $500 and 25% future cruise credit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

The $500USD OBC = $250 per person

[jamesboat]

Glad you put "tens of millions" in quotes, as neither you nor I know how much compensation they have paid out because of the Star. It could be "tens of millions", and it could be a couple of million, unless you are on NCL's board you wouldn't know. Are NCL's bookings suffering? According to their 3rd quarter 2016 statement, advanced bookings for the first half of 2017 are ahead of 2016's record bookings. We will see what effect the latest Star problems have for NCL.

 

The Carnival "poop cruise" disaster depressed cruise ship bookings across the entire industry for a year.

 

I can see this incident heavily affecting the willingness for Australia and NZ residents to book a cruise (any cruise) in the near future.

[biker@sea]

Question if I may...

 

It seems that this ship has had a number of bandaid repairs and yet the Azipods keep breaking down.

 

Is this due to the nature of the propulsion system? The engines as such are NOT inside the ship where engineers might be able to obtain access while in port.

 

The engines are actually in pods or nacelles UNDER the ship and as such the ship would need to be in dry dock to effect a long lasting repair?

 

The fact that the ship has ongoing Azipod problems leads me to think that dry docking can't come soon enough.

 

The 4 engines Are Inside They Run generators.

 

The 2 Azipods Under the ship use the generated electric.

.

[doublebzz]

We are scheduled on the 2/18 cruise. We have been offered a 100% future cruise credit should we decide not take this cruise. We will arrive in Aukland on the 16th regardless and plan on having a great time seeing New Zealand if the cruise doesn't depart at all.

 

Let me get this straight. If you decide to cancel, NCL will give you a future cruise credit. What if NCL decides to cancel the cruise, then I assume you would receive a full refund or am I wrong?

[casofilia]

The $500USD OBC = $250 per person

 

If it were me I would make sure I got it!! Hang the cost of 3% I would withdraw it through the casino asap!!

[geezer466]

If it were me I would make sure I got it!! Hang the cost of 3% I would withdraw it through the casino asap!!

 

Why?

 

You are still liable for the daily service charge which on this 19 night cruise (provided it runs) runs to just over $500 for two persons.

 

Compensation package is to pay the staff :)

[VK3DQ]

As a retired U.S. Navy Captain who commanded a warship, I can tell you a ship without propulsion is in a precarious situation, bow thrusters or not.

 

Thank you ! its always nice to get support from "Your Little Navy"

 

And I can assure all readers that they do not want to be adrift in Bass Strait ..its a very hazardous seaway ....

 

Regards

 

John RN Retired

[VK3DQ]

Precarious perhaps. Life threatening, probably not. One can look at Carnival's Splendor and Triumph fires where the ships had no power at all, though thankfully in good weather. For a bad weather example of a ship surviving, look at the SS Badger State, which lost power in a typhoon, the cargo of bombs punched holes in the sides, a bomb exploded, and the ship caught fire. Completely abandoned, listing and on fire, and it weathered the storm and was found afloat 10 days later.

 

Is a ship without propulsion going to be unpleasant, yes. Is it going to sink, not likely unless it starts to take on water, and its basic intact stability changes.

 

If I was adrift in Bass Strait and there was a southerly front approaching , I would consider the matter life threatening , as I have said and I repeat , they have no concept of how lucky they have been , this could have been a tragedy , if they had been a little further out into the Southern Ocean well I shudder to think

 

The ship does not have to sink before people start to die , just think for a moment about attempting to transfer people from one ship to another in a 6 mtr swell in the dark and its raining and the winds blowing hard , it you think a ship that has lost its propulsion in NOT in a life threatening situation think again

 

 

Kindest regards

 

John RN Retired .....:p

[VK3DQ]

Question if I may...

 

It seems that this ship has had a number of bandaid repairs and yet the Azipods keep breaking down.

 

Is this due to the nature of the propulsion system? The engines as such are NOT inside the ship where engineers might be able to obtain access while in port.

 

The engines are actually in pods or nacelles UNDER the ship and as such the ship would need to be in dry dock to effect a long lasting repair?

 

The fact that the ship has ongoing Azipod problems leads me to think that dry docking can't come soon enough.

 

Depending on the fault they may be able to repair them without removing them , but history suggests it might just be a sensible idea to bite the bullet and replace both azipods

[lovenewexperiences1]

In a perfect world, assuming they just replace both, that takes how long?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[VK3DQ]

In a perfect world, assuming they just replace both, that takes how long?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

In a perfect world ... 36 hours ..assumes dry dock ready replacements ready and no issues ... in Melbourne .. at least a week :D

[joluvscruzin]

Congratulations to you and congratulations to NCL for doing the right thing . BTW , is there a time limit to use this offer ?

 

5 years

[triptolemus]

In a perfect world, assuming they just replace both, that takes how long?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

You don't just replace Azipods like you replace the tries on your car. These are complex pieces of machinery that are manufactured to order. They are not just sitting on a shelf somewhere.

 

Wouldn't it be silly if they just "replaced" the Azipods and it turned out that the control systems or the PLC or the electrical system on the ship caused the latest issue? All this talk about "replacing" the Azipods and "band-aid" repair, but (mostly) nobody here really understands the fundamental concepts or the complexities of a system like this.

[chengkp75]

Question if I may...

 

It seems that this ship has had a number of bandaid repairs and yet the Azipods keep breaking down.

 

Is this due to the nature of the propulsion system? The engines as such are NOT inside the ship where engineers might be able to obtain access while in port.

 

The engines are actually in pods or nacelles UNDER the ship and as such the ship would need to be in dry dock to effect a long lasting repair?

 

The fact that the ship has ongoing Azipod problems leads me to think that dry docking can't come soon enough.

 

Well, I will still debate the "band aid" repair until it is shown that the repairs effected did not meet manufacturer's specifications when completed. I use the example of your car engine. The fan belt breaks, and you replace it. Then the choke solenoid breaks, was the fan belt repair a "band aid"?

 

Now, I will be a bit pedantic here, but the "engines" don't drive the azipods. Electric motors drive the azipods. Electric motors are historically very reliable, which is why they were considered to be a good idea to install in pods (not that you could put a diesel engine in a pod). Given such historical reliability, access to the motors can be limited, but there is access to some areas of the pod (just not while turning) to effect maintenance and repair, as was done in Singapore. On these older style azipods, the only thing that cannot be repaired from inside (except of course a total motor winding burn out) are the thrust bearings and the shaft seal. I haven't seen anything that the latest failures are thrust bearing failures, and you cannot do a "band aid" repair to these, they will either get replaced or they will fail completely. Shaft seal failures are common to shafted propeller systems as well, and are usually from "ingesting" commercial fishing line around the shaft, damaging the seal and causing the lubrication oil to leak out. These can normally be repaired in the water using divers.

 

Now you come to the great control system for azipods. These control systems are also common to the electric motors used to drive the propellers on ships with shafted propellers. Ship's generators generate power at one frequency, 60 Hz, just like shore power, so electric motors run at fixed speeds (typically 1800rpm or 3600 rpm depending on how they are wound). But propulsion motors (whether in pods or not) run at variable speed to adjust the speed of the ship. How do we do that? They take the 10,000v 60 Hz power generated for the ship, transform it down to 800v 60Hz in a transformer (actually two per pod), then take that power and convert it to 1000v DC, and reconvert it back to 800v but with a variable frequency (done by semi-conductors in a unit called an inverter) so the propeller can turn at variable speed. As with the transformers, there are two inverters per pod. Each transformer/inverter set provides 50% of the power for the pod motor, so failure of one only reduces the available power by 50%. All of this electrical equipment is up inside the ship.

 

Now, you get to the azimuthing system, where electric motors drive hydraulic pumps, which in turn drive hydraulic motors which turn the pod assembly to face the direction needed to steer the ship. This system has a redundant system as well. All of this machinery is up in the ship.

 

So, what has failed each time that the pods went down? Motor, thrust bearing, shaft seal, transformer, inverter (power SCR's, or control circuit boards), azimuthing system? I can't say, but it is highly unusual for these systems, which are required to be inspected by third party (class society) and serviced every drydocking, and the maintenance program to meet the manufacturer's and class society's standards for reliability, to fail repeatedly as they have on the Star. Especially when you think that the thrust bearing/shaft seal modules renewed in drydock came from another ship, and the ones removed get serviced and sent to the next ship that needs them. I'll dispute the "band aid" theory, and going back to the car example above, when the fan belt broke, would you think to replace the choke solenoid, unless there was historical evidence that it was likely to fail soon. Again, you fix what's broke, and you maintain what has historically had a service life, but you can't go and just willy nilly change everything because it "might" break.

 

Believe me that drydocking is not the end all and be all for ship repairs.

[joluvscruzin]

for real? We have only the offer to get back free of charge without compensation

 

Maybe because we haven't sailed yet. It will be interesting to see what happens if the Star doesn't make it to Aukland in time. They already had modified the itineray taking off three ports, but adding an overnight in Aukland to depart on the 19th.

[lovenewexperiences1]

You don't just replace Azipods like you replace the tries on your car. These are complex pieces of machinery that are manufactured to order. They are not just sitting on a shelf somewhere.

 

 

 

Wouldn't it be silly if they just "replaced" the Azipods and it turned out that the control systems or the PLC or the electrical system on the ship caused the latest issue? All this talk about "replacing" the Azipods and "band-aid" repair, but (mostly) nobody here really understands the fundamental concepts or the complexities of a system like this.

 

 

Fact. I know absolutely nothing about these systems or anything electrical. Just trying to stay optimistic and searching for hope we will still be able to go. [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[joluvscruzin]

Let me get this straight. If you decide to cancel, NCL will give you a future cruise credit. What if NCL decides to cancel the cruise, then I assume you would receive a full refund or am I wrong?

 

Yes, full refund. That is in the guest contract on the website. it's on you vacation summary at the bottom under "What you need to Know".

[chengkp75]

In a perfect world ... 36 hours ..assumes dry dock ready replacements ready and no issues ... in Melbourne .. at least a week :D

 

I would say this may be accurate (I would go 72 hours in most shipyards around the world), but add in the time to set the keel blocks for the ship, flood the dock, dock the ship, pump the dock and install services, and reflood the dock after repairs with watertight integrity checks, add at least 3 more days. And, the manufacturer does not keep entire spare azipods sitting around on the shelf.

[Charlies Aunt]

Interesting thought .To quote Shakespeare, "A pox on both your houses."

 

 

LOL!! You just made me spill my coffee...

 

As someone booked on March 9th sailing I offer another quote from Ol` Willy Waggledagger "To be or not to be that is the question"

[chengkp75]

If I was adrift in Bass Strait and there was a southerly front approaching , I would consider the matter life threatening , as I have said and I repeat , they have no concept of how lucky they have been , this could have been a tragedy , if they had been a little further out into the Southern Ocean well I shudder to think

 

The ship does not have to sink before people start to die , just think for a moment about attempting to transfer people from one ship to another in a 6 mtr swell in the dark and its raining and the winds blowing hard , it you think a ship that has lost its propulsion in NOT in a life threatening situation think again

 

 

Kindest regards

 

John RN Retired .....:p

 

If the ship is in no danger of sinking, why would you consider transferring people off of it? I know the US Navy and the USCG would never consider this, even in calm seas, again reference all the cries about why there was no evacuation from the Carnival Triumph. And yes, people will get injured in severe rolling, and will dehydrate from sea sickness, but you also have a medical center with medical personnel and a crew that can assist them with basic care conditions.