Ovation of the Seas back in Sydney today 16 Dec

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Ovation is back in Sydney today . 

 

[MicCanberra]

I welcome them back and hopefully the passengers will be able to cope okay

[mr walker]

Must be a sad day for all passengers & crew. I've seen some media grabs from passengers who disembarked this morning - seems that some wanted the ship to just come back to Sydney directly from Tauranga, & some wanted the full itinerary to be completed, so it was not possible to please everyone.

 

Just a very, very sad happening.

 

 

[2Tack]

I just got home from this cruise. The facts are that the captain was pathetic and lacked any leadership.  He gave 2 updates a day initially but when he decided to cut our cruise in half without reason or explanation  he then went missing. 

 

As sad as it is for those that chose to visit an active volcano, they made that decision and must bear responsibility of that decision. It is unreasonable to remove the second half of the cruise without cause disadvantaging the bulk of passengers. If anyone on the cruise wanted to go home they could avail themselves of the airport and head off.  

 

There was no issues with weather, there was plenty of time and it was straight out a disgraceful action robbing the majority of passengers of the experiences that they paid for. A paltry $112 refund per person does not make up for this decision by the Captain and Royal Caribbean. 

 

Add to this the Captain not attending the ceremony by local Maori people conducted as a healing activity and his straight out avoidance of taking of responsibility for his decision, leaving guest  services to explain to disgruntled passengers his decision, demonstrates his lack of leadership and lack of fitness for the role of captain of a ship that size. 

[By The Bay]

Greetings 2Tack and welcome to CC.  I am sure you will fell better when the shock of this very sad disaster that occurred on your cruise. My thoughts are with the unfortunate victims and their families and also the other passengers on the ship that were visibly in grief.

[Elorac123]

43 minutes ago, 2Tack said:

I just got home from this cruise. The facts are that the captain was pathetic and lacked any leadership.  He gave 2 updates a day initially but when he decided to cut our cruise in half without reason or explanation  he then went missing. 

 

As sad as it is for those that chose to visit an active volcano, they made that decision and must bear responsibility of that decision. It is unreasonable to remove the second half of the cruise without cause disadvantaging the bulk of passengers. If anyone on the cruise wanted to go home they could avail themselves of the airport and head off.  

 

There was no issues with weather, there was plenty of time and it was straight out a disgraceful action robbing the majority of passengers of the experiences that they paid for. A paltry $112 refund per person does not make up for this decision by the Captain and Royal Caribbean. 

 

Add to this the Captain not attending the ceremony by local Maori people conducted as a healing activity and his straight out avoidance of taking of responsibility for his decision, leaving guest  services to explain to disgruntled passengers his decision, demonstrates his lack of leadership and lack of fitness for the role of captain of a ship that size. 

God forbid anything like that happening at any time in the future, if I was on that particular cruise I would like to think I would handle the decisions made   with grace.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Elorac123
Missed words

[2Tack]

13 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

God forbid anything like that happening at any time in the future, if I was on that particular cruise I would like to think I would handle the decisions made   with grace.

 

Elorac, 

 

we were treated like a nuisance. It was obvious that the officers in charge just were trying to find a way to get us off and out of the way with minimal effort. There was one announcement about red cross counsellors but in reality there was zero support for passengers by Royal Caribbean. 

[Elorac123]

Oh dear that’s sad.

[cruisine21]

1 hour ago, 2Tack said:

 

Elorac, 

 

we were treated like a nuisance. It was obvious that the officers in charge just were trying to find a way to get us off and out of the way with minimal effort. There was one announcement about red cross counsellors but in reality there was zero support for passengers by Royal Caribbean. 

It might have not been the captains decision. I fairly sure that quite often especially in situations like this the captain has to follow orders from RCI head office in Miami. The captain would have been under enormous about of stress. We have previously cruised with the same captain.

[MicCanberra]

I suppose this site is called Cruise Critic.

[Chiliburn]

I think Royal Caribbean handled it well,if they just left and kept to the itinerary wouldn’t there be a stink. Everyone would be saying -heartless multinational.

 

 Currently on voyager and there’s talk of a boycott of ovation.

 I haven’t heard of anything so ridiculous.

[Rassa]

I am booked on Ovation in 2021 on a sold out cruise and nobody is talking about cancelling the cruise on our roll call.  

 

Very sad situation indeed the death of the tourists.

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, Rassa said:

I am booked on Ovation in 2021 on a sold out cruise and nobody is talking about cancelling the cruise on our roll call.  

 

Very sad situation indeed the death of the tourists.

Exactly, the cruise lines send the big ships here because they know they will fill them up.  Just stay away from volcanos.

[vxmono]

2 Tack, 

RC definitely did not earn many Of the passengers respect for their paltry refunds Which I am sure they put down due to force majeure. Definitely upsetting and insulting. However, I agree with others’ that the captain was most likely taking orders not only from the Head Office in Miami,  but RC’s legal team and most likely from the NZ and AUS government officials. Imagine how much responsibility rests on their shoulders. His and the crews’ hands were tied. Also, if you look at the footage of the Maori event, one of the senior officers motions to the captain who was watching from above with the other crew members on the platform mid ship. 
Very sad and frustrating experience for all. I think RC should have issued a refund or credit towards another trip. 

[2Tack]

20 minutes ago, vxmono said:

2 Tack, 

RC definitely did not earn many Of the passengers respect for their paltry refunds Which I am sure they put down due to force majeure. Definitely upsetting and insulting. However, I agree with others’ that the captain was most likely taking orders not only from the Head Office in Miami,  but RC’s legal team and most likely from the NZ and AUS government officials. Imagine how much responsibility rests on their shoulders. His and the crews’ hands were tied. Also, if you look at the footage of the Maori event, one of the senior officers motions to the captain who was watching from above with the other crew members on the platform mid ship. 
Very sad and frustrating experience for all. I think RC should have issued a refund or credit towards another trip. 

I have no doubt that RC had a hand in the decision but the Captain is the master of the ship and needed to take command and explain to passengers and crew what was happening. 

 

I am well versed in the processes involved in dvi and police forensic procedures and that was why we were initially supportive and only a handful of people complained initially about remaining. 

 

I was watching the Maori ceremony from my balcony and like all the passengers around me were unhappy and embarrassed that the Captain failed to go down to be part of it. The symbolic staying in his castle was not lost on us and was a sign of things to come from him. The local Maori people and locals did more for the passengers and crew then RC and the officers which again is ahead indictment upon RC and the captain and his officers.  

 

I also note that in spite of RC saying we'd have customer surveys to complete the day of disembarkment that they have not appeared. Maybe they have torally written this cruise and its passengers off.

[MicCanberra]

To 2Tack,

Some facts.

 

The $112 provided would not be compensation but a refund of the port fees and taxes for missing Dunedin and the sounds.

If you actually read the cruise contract that you signed, you will find that Royal actually delivered what you paid for, ( a cruise out of Sydney), despite not completing the planned itinerary.

I can understand your disappontment in missing some ports and having the cruise affected, but your lack of empathy is truely astounding.

I hope you can find some peace and move on, not something that is as easily to do for the friends and family of the victims.

[Scanorama]

Hi 2Tack, I can understand your frustration at the disruption of your cruise. However, the cruise line and the officers of the ship also have a duty of care to all the passengers on the ship. After the eruption, the number of causality and the injury of the passengers were unknown. Many of whom were critically injured and passed away, the degree of their injures made identification impossible. The ship couldn't have just departed with the whereabouts of many passengers were still unknown.

 

I also read that after the eruption, New Zealand Police boarded the ship and collected DNA samples from the injured/missing presumed dead's cabins to aid identification. The Port Authority and the Police could have also ordered the ship to stay in port until all DNA samples are collected and passengers are accounted for (either injured in hospitals or presumed dead). Had the ship departed as scheduled, RCL would have grossly breached their duty of care as they knowingly left with many passengers unaccounted for.

 

I hope you will feel better soon about the situation, yes it is sad and disappointing for missing so many ports, but alas this is also an exceptional, unfortunate tragedy that noone could have foreseen. A lot of families were broken apart or wiped out and the lives for the survivors will never be the same again. Not many would go on a cruise and visit to New Zealand would even thought of losing their lives or those of their love ones.

[Te Aroha]

The ship was held in port by the authorities here, the Captain had no say in that decision, I was also aware that the Captain was visibly distressed as was shown on TV here at the loss of passengers which were in his care. He would also have been under restraint by the Company as to his actions regarding the ship and other passengers. The time the ship was held in port had to be taken from somewhere in the ships expected itinerary.

 

I am also aware that passengers on the ship will not have seen this TV footage.

 

I know for sure of the distress and compassion shown in New Zealand. Just because you didn't hear what you wanted to hear doesn't mean that the Captain was in any way not as compassionate and thoughtful about the rest of his passengers and trying to do his best for all concerned. Would your complaints be the same if this had been a tragic bus crash with similar outcomes, requiring that the ship remain in port?

 

It is a very sad day indeed to think that loss of life and life changing injuries are so unimportant as to warrant this sort of complaint, even if you consider that this sad event was a choice made by those passengers, who would never have thought that this could happen, it was an act of god, which no one could have predicted.

 

My thoughts are with the families, carers and loved ones who have lost and are still coming to terms with this tragic event, that has changed many lives and futures.

 

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui.

Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.

[Chiliburn]

Who was the captain hindrick hoy or captain Fleming is usually the fill in captain.

 I’ve had them both and they are professional.

 

we had a medical evacuation on voyager here a couple of days ago.

The ship had to go flat out towards Rockhampton for six hours to meet a helicopter.

 

Talking to a officer ,The captain had to contact Miami and ask permission to do so because of the expense and company procedures.

 

Back to ovation,people around the world were watching and I don’t think Royal Caribbean would care about upsetting a few passengers and cutting their cruise short.

[NSWP]

23 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Who was the captain hindrick hoy or captain Fleming is usually the fill in captain.

 I’ve had them both and they are professional.

 

we had a medical evacuation on voyager here a couple of days ago.

The ship had to go flat out towards Rockhampton for six hours to meet a helicopter.

 

Talking to a officer ,The captain had to contact Miami and ask permission to do so because of the expense and company procedures.

 

Back to ovation,people around the world were watching and I don’t think Royal Caribbean would care about upsetting a few passengers and cutting their cruise short.

Yes, the 'bean counters' back at RCI HQ in Miami would be counting out the beans.  With 4500 pax, only human nature that a  couple of dozen would not be happy little Vegemites missing out on Dusky Sound etc.  Such is life.

[Chiliburn]

45 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Yes, the 'bean counters' back at RCI HQ in Miami would be counting out the beans.  With 4500 pax, only human nature that a  couple of dozen would not be happy little Vegemites missing out on Dusky Sound etc.  Such is life.

To add to the voyager evacuation 

We currently have captain Thor who one of the principal captains for Royal Carribean and he had to ask permission from head office to divert and burn a extra $30,000 in fuel and order  a helicopter.

All because of 2 drunks fighting.

 

 

[Esilef]

We are going on the ovation in February. It never crossed my mind to cancel.

 

i have learnt with life, you can never be guaranteed of anything. Life has a way of throwing you curve balls. It’s how you deal with these challenges which is what matters. 

[datone]

Isn't it obvious that they couldn't keep to the itinerary due to having to stay the extra time in port and that other ports would have to be missed.   What did you expect RC to do - carry on with the same itinerary and arrive back in Sydney 2 days late?  Then half the passengers would of missed flights home and another shipload of passengers would have had to hang around in Sydney for 2 days waiting - many of them having to book hotels as they were from out of town.   Would RC then take 2 days of their cruise?   Just cannot believe you don't understand all this.   We missed a day out of a cruise a few years ago when a passenger jumped overboard the last night and they had to go back and search for him.   Out of town cruisers had to book hotels and a port was missed as we boarded 24 hours late.    Things happen and quite frankly it's not the end of the world to miss a day or two of a cruise.   You should be thankful you haven't had to go through what the families of the deceased have.

[2Tack]

2 hours ago, datone said:

Isn't it obvious that they couldn't keep to the itinerary due to having to stay the extra time in port and that other ports would have to be missed.   What did you expect RC to do - carry on with the same itinerary and arrive back in Sydney 2 days late?  Then half the passengers would of missed flights home and another shipload of passengers would have had to hang around in Sydney for 2 days waiting - many of them having to book hotels as they were from out of town.   Would RC then take 2 days of their cruise?   Just cannot believe you don't understand all this.   We missed a day out of a cruise a few years ago when a passenger jumped overboard the last night and they had to go back and search for him.   Out of town cruisers had to book hotels and a port was missed as we boarded 24 hours late.    Things happen and quite frankly it's not the end of the world to miss a day or two of a cruise.   You should be thankful you haven't had to go through what the families of the deceased have.

Simply they had the time to continue the itinerary and chose not to. They were never going to be back 2 days late and anyone who says that was going to happen is either a liar or plain stupid. Adding the hours at Wellington and then the Picton stop was ridiculous. If anything Wellington could've been missed and the rest of the trip continued.

 

Frankly I'm amazed that all those who weren't on this ship of doom with no personal knowledge of how RC and the captain kept the flea markets going and skipped the major draw of the cruise wish to defend them.

 

Anyone who was there and has knowledge of the Captain and officers lack of interest in the welfare of the rest of the passengers and outright neglect of their duty to keep passengers and crew informed while they wallowed in self pity, especially after RC had been trying to flog the fatal shore excursion, have been disgusted by it and all those supporting RC and captain with no idea of the facts should accept they don't know what they are talking about and be quiet. RC is profit driven and demonstrated this clearly in this instance with the dollars and protection of the brand being put first and foremost. 

[2Tack]

5 hours ago, Esilef said:

We are going on the ovation in February. It never crossed my mind to cancel.

 

i have learnt with life, you can never be guaranteed of anything. Life has a way of throwing you curve balls. It’s how you deal with these challenges which is what matters. 

I do agree with you and the captain and RC  showed with their actions exactly what they were made of and how badly they lacked in leadership and consideration for the welfare of almost 5000 passengers plus their crew.