Norwegian Star broken down near Melbourne; cruise ship to be towed and repaired

[MicCanberra]

The present sailing has got 100% refund whether they disembark or not. 50% is towards a future cruise. If they disembark they have been given extra money for flights to NZ or to make changes if they want to fly directly home from Melbourne. All cruises with itinerary changes have been compensated depending on the impact to the itinerary. I have just cruised on the Jan 5th&Jan 18th cruise. I booked a few days ago to cruise on the Feb 18th cruise using my FCC from the Jan 16th cruise. I also met passengers on my last two cruises who had booked and paid with their refund from the Dec 11th cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I imagine like most offers, some will be very happy, some will be satisfied, some will be accepting but disappointed and some will be very unhappy. If you can make it work for you hat is awesome.:D

[902tater]

I have family on that cruise. Big disappointment because it was a very long way to travel for a vacation that never happened. Probably never going back, so their dream of seeing New Zealand is over. At the same time it has been well handled. I have cruised on older ships without hesitation. Just unfortunate, what can you do?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[OzKiwiJJ]

I have family on that cruise. Big disappointment because it was a very long way to travel for a vacation that never happened. Probably never going back, so their dream of seeing New Zealand is over. At the same time it has been well handled. I have cruised on older ships without hesitation. Just unfortunate, what can you do?

 

 

 

Could they not disembark and fly to NZ for a few days? At least they might get to see some of the country that way. The refund from the cruise line would cover hotel costs, and even internal flights or a short tour in NZ

[VK3DQ]

I have family on that cruise. Big disappointment because it was a very long way to travel for a vacation that never happened. Probably never going back, so their dream of seeing New Zealand is over. At the same time it has been well handled. I have cruised on older ships without hesitation. Just unfortunate, what can you do?

You

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

You should thank the gods of calm weather .. people could have lost their lives if a gale had been blowing. Its blowing now just a little late for a disaster

 

Regards john

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

Yup the wind is up now - I don't think the tow through the rip would have been such a breeze (pun intended) if the weather was anything like it is now

[MicCanberra]

Lucky indeed, could have been tragic.

[SinbadThePorter]

Yup the wind is up now - I don't think the tow through the rip would have been such a breeze (pun intended) if the weather was anything like it is now

 

It looks like where they broke down the wind is now 30 knots from the SW with 4 metre seas.

 

If they had broken down today it would have made for very different headlines.

 

Without propulsion it would have been a race between the tugs and Wilson's Prom as to which got the ship first.

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

It looks like where they broke down the wind is now 30 knots from the SW with 4 metre seas.

 

If they had broken down today it would have made for very different headlines.

 

Without propulsion it would have been a race between the tugs and Wilson's Prom as to which got the ship first.

 

dunno how to do the interweb high five thingy so I just do it in wirds :p

[Sportfisher]

If the ship was drifting close to the shore the crew would have set the anchor. That would have kept the bow facing into the wind and been quite stable and safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[PrincessBelle39]

Yeah, no. Bunnings only stock Carnival props. If you want a NCL prop, ya need go to Masters - oh wait....

 

 

Yep that could be a problem. [emoji12]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SinbadThePorter]

If the ship was drifting close to the shore the crew would have set the anchor. That would have kept the bow facing into the wind and been quite stable and safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I've missed quite a few tender ports because the anchor couldn't be set in high seas and winds.

 

I'd hate to rely on it.

[Robandmary]

I was on the star out of Hong Kong we missed 5 ports not a good start to the Australian adventure ,,and we were fobbed off from start to finish,has any one had all there money back yet

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[GandM-nq]

Seriously though, someone from the government should 'ground' this ship on safety reasons and not let it sail from Melbourne with passengers IF the 2 azipods are not up and running. Else, I have heard of the Maritime Union refusing to 'release' ships on safety grounds. Something should be done to ensure this problem is addressed appropriately and not let this ship float around playing 'Russian roulette' with passenger's safety.

[thepinky]

I was on the star out of Hong Kong we missed 5 ports not a good start to the Australian adventure ,,and we were fobbed off from start to finish,has any one had all there money back yet

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

We where on the Christmas/new year sailing. We got one deposit on the credit card we you to book some items. Two days after we stared the cruise and the last of the refund came through last week back to our travel agent. And the pod broke 11 days before our departure hope this mite give you some time frame for the refund. It is a refund for the cost of the roomon the ship not port charges and taxes.

 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Forums mobile app

[VK3DQ]

If the ship was drifting close to the shore the crew would have set the anchor. That would have kept the bow facing into the wind and been quite stable and safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Its not anchors that hold a ship in such conditions , its CHAIN that is let out to lay on the sea floor to hold the anchor and the ship in position. Ships regularly drag their anchors in bad weather , ships break away from moorings and even can be blown off a wharf to which they are moored ....

 

on the coast near Wilsons Prom / Wonthaggi I doubt if anchoring would do much to save a vessel in gale force winds and massive seas

 

The passengers on board Norwegian Star dont understand how near a brush with death they have had

 

Readers may like to consider this

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c6f23ed915d4c1000000b/StenaAlegra.pdf

 

 

 

Regards

 

John

Edited February 12, 2017 by VK3DQ

[VK3DQ]

Seriously though, someone from the government should 'ground' this ship on safety reasons and not let it sail from Melbourne with passengers IF the 2 azipods are not up and running. Else, I have heard of the Maritime Union refusing to 'release' ships on safety grounds. Something should be done to ensure this problem is addressed appropriately and not let this ship float around playing 'Russian roulette' with passenger's safety.

 

 

Norwegian Star is like just about all of the current fleet registered in a FOC state and not subject to Australian Law,

 

Regards

 

John

[The_Big_M]

Norwegian Star is like just about all of the current fleet registered in a FOC state and not subject to Australian Law,

 

Yes and no. It is not subject to Australian law, but equally to use port facilities as it is it needs to comply with the local maritime authority, which is AMSA. And AMSA is able to enforce inspections for example in line with international maritime regulations.

 

So while we do not dictate specific standards on the ship generally, it has to comply with SOLAS for example and may be inspected and potentially theoretically held (but extremely unlikely in practice as both parties do not want to impact operations). This is done in conjunction with the registry safety authority e.g. Bahamas.

 

As an equivalent example, when Anthem was storm damaged last year, her release after repairs was subject to inspection and release by the US Coast Guard with Bahamian investigators.

[MicCanberra]

Its not anchors that hold a ship in such conditions , its CHAIN that is let out to lay on the sea floor to hold the anchor and the ship in position. Ships regularly drag their anchors in bad weather , ships break away from moorings and even can be blown off a wharf to which they are moored ....

 

on the coast near Wilsons Prom / Wonthaggi I doubt if anchoring would do much to save a vessel in gale force winds and massive seas

 

The passengers on board Norwegian Star dont understand how near a brush with death they have had

 

Readers may like to consider this

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c6f23ed915d4c1000000b/StenaAlegra.pdf

 

 

 

Regards

 

John

Interesting article. I think the Star was very lucky as well.

[cme2c]

If the ship was drifting close to the shore the crew would have set the anchor. That would have kept the bow facing into the wind and been quite stable and safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

First off, the crews of the Hastings and Tom Tough should be commended on the tow. They got though the rip, and brought ship, passengers and crew safely to dock (including anchors and chains). Imagine if the Norwegian Star had sailed 1 day further at 16 kn before it broke down. I am not certain, but I think the Hastings is a coastal tug, not certified for open ocean. Even if it was , at 10 kn that's a day and a half. Coming back at 5 kn in a good sea, that's another 3 days. The BOM forecast for combined sea and swell in the Tasman today was 5m. Lucky doesn't begin to describe it.

[SuitesRbest]

First off, the crews of the Hastings and Tom Tough should be commended on the tow. They got though the rip, and brought ship, passengers and crew safely to dock (including anchors and chains). Imagine if the Norwegian Star had sailed 1 day further at 16 kn before it broke down. I am not certain, but I think the Hastings is a coastal tug, not certified for open ocean. Even if it was , at 10 kn that's a day and a half. Coming back at 5 kn in a good sea, that's another 3 days. The BOM forecast for combined sea and swell in the Tasman today was 5m. Lucky doesn't begin to describe it.

 

I'm pretty sure the Captain new the forecast and bit the bullet knowing there was a problem.

Captain thinking better get the help now while we are able due to the forecast because if he waited then they would have had to batten down the hatch's as they say.

[cme2c]

I'm pretty sure the Captain new the forecast and bit the bullet knowing there was a problem.

Captain thinking better get the help now while we are able due to the forecast because if he waited then they would have had to batten down the hatch's as they say.

 

If the captain knew there was a problem, why did he leave port? If he stopped as a matter of choice, why was the ship drifting?

[SeaDog-46]

The Stena Alegra report shows how things can go very wrong when weather goes above prediction with very little wiggle room [lee shore] & delays with engine power.

It does not prove anything in the NCL Star case. Ship's blow aground from anchorages all the time & for many reasons.

It the case of NCL Star any drift towards the shore in increasing winds would have seen the master lower one & then the other anchor out using nearly all the chain. Even if too deep to reach the bottom. As the depth became less the anchors would slow the drift & eventually hold. As this would be an emergency situation additional measures would have been undertaken to secure the anchor chain & windlass. A much better example of a similar case was the fire on the small French cruise ship L'Boreal off the Falklands that disabled the vessel. On a lee shore in a strong wind the master dropped the anchors & arrested the drift enabling a ship's boat & helicopters to rescue the passengers.

In any severe weather conditions the 2 harbour tugs, that had sea going certificated staff onboard to work off-shore, would not have been able to assist & a salvage operation would have been put into place.

Had the breakdown happened in the Tasman Sea a salvage or an oil field tow vessel/s would have been required.

Most of the successful resolution of getting the Star to Melbourne in near perfect conditions would be the planning required by Port Phillip Pilots, Port Melbourne Authority & AMSA. The 2 tugs did the job well & I hope the crew all got a bonus. Whether a salvage claim will be started depends on original agreement - but Lloyds Open Form is not appropriate in this case.

Denigrating AMSA shows just how little some people know about the operations of Merchant Shipping worldwide & how it is regulated.

[VK3DQ]

What we do know is that the ship had been operating for MONTHS before this failure and had been experiencing multiple propulsion system failures , which had NOT been fixed

The ship sailed into a sea area well known for extreme weather conditions and suffered a propulsion failure they were not able to fix ... if this had happened in a force 8 gale from the south (common in the area) , they would have been calling Mayday , not for a nice tow in benign conditions

 

The company did not fix the system properly at the first port after failure

 

FOC flag states offer temptations to even the best of shipowners

 

 

Regards

 

John

[VK3DQ]

If the captain knew there was a problem, why did he leave port? If he stopped as a matter of choice, why was the ship drifting?

 

I would suggest reading Brian Callisons book "Ferry Down" it answers the questions you ask

 

But to help a little .. Captains are only human , they want to keep their jobs , they work for Shipowners who call the tune , ship owners have only one aim in life , that is to make the largest profit they can from the ship.

 

This applies to passenger ships just the same as cargo ships

 

regards

 

John

[cme2c]

I would suggest reading Brian Callisons book "Ferry Down" it answers the questions you ask

 

But to help a little .. Captains are only human , they want to keep their jobs , they work for Shipowners who call the tune , ship owners have only one aim in life , that is to make the largest profit they can from the ship.

 

This applies to passenger ships just the same as cargo ships

 

regards

 

John

 

Hi, John,

 

I was asking those questions of @SuitesRBest who seemed to imply that the Captain chose to stop off Wilsons Prom, rather than head out into the Tasman. That's not how I read the situation at all. I believe the crew thought the ship was fixed whereas, with 20/20 hindsight either it wasn't, or something else failed in the azipod.

 

Regards,

John (also)