Live from Celebrity Millennium Panama Canal Oct. 27 (15 night) aka “Let’s Just Leave the Lifeboat”

[Ipeeinthepools]

They crew has made significant progress in raising the supports.  I think they are try to get them to the point where they will flop into the final position 

 

[FLCruiser97]

Did the ship have any Halloween celebrations or costume parties? I noticed from marine tracker that you are off the coast of Acapulco. 

[BoundForSea]

They need to get those arms retracted before arriving at and proceeding through the Canal. 
 

I would also hope, and expect, that upon arrival in the next port, that every lifeboat is deployed and retracted to ensure proper operation and the deployment rigging inspected. This is done on a schedule however given the now known risk, this would be an expected mitigation. 

[JRG]

2 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

They crew has made significant progress in raising the supports.  I think they are try to get them to the point where they will flop into the final position 

 

Thanks for the update and this is pretty exciting for those of us sitting at home.     It almost makes us feel like we are there with you.    

 

Its a good time to point out that......tendering from Cabo with these lifeboats have always been a pita and I'm not talking about the sandwich thing.

 

Maybe it is a good time for some better tendering crafts or a new dock in Cabo so we can get on and off easier and I know its a tight squeeze in the harbor there but we give them enough business you would think they could provide bigger glass bottomed boats....

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 10/30/2021 at 8:45 AM, gerelmx said:

Isn't passenger safety compromised by missing a lifeboat?

Not with current passenger load.

[Jim_Iain]

I just pulled up a chair and look forward to your report.  

[Ipeeinthepools]

Sorry for the lack of any updates, consider it an update on the internet capabilities.   I’m not sure if it was the location of the ship or something else but the internet was very poor yesterday.

 

In any case, plan B was successful.  The the crew used multiple attachment locations higher on the support and located higher on the ship to pull more vertically.  As the support neared the vertical location, they switched attachment locations.   Here’s a picture of the support as it neared the final location.

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

17 hours ago, BoundForSea said:

They need to get those arms retracted before arriving at and proceeding through the Canal. 
 

I would also hope, and expect, that upon arrival in the next port, that every lifeboat is deployed and retracted to ensure proper operation and the deployment rigging inspected. This is done on a schedule however given the now known risk, this would be an expected mitigation. 

 

Perhaps the crew had their had enough to do working on this broken support but I did not see any other lifeboats lowered when we stopped in Puerto Vallarta the next day.  We’ll see what happens today.

 

 

[Benthayer Gonbak]

4 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Perhaps the crew had their had enough to do working on this broken support but I did not see any other lifeboats lowered when we stopped in Puerto Vallarta the next day.  We’ll see what happens today.

 

 

To me that’s a tricky call if you aren’t at a port that can do good repairs.  If the life boats are actually needed it won’t matter much whether the arms can retract, it would however be nice to know that they wouldn’t drop occupants in an emergency!  Seems a minimum of a visual inspection after figuring out what failed on the first one would definitely be in order!  
 

I’ve seen the drills in port, hopefully there is a schedule drill that will allow for everyone to feel safer.  My choice would be after traversing the Panama Canal, lots more help on that side or so it would seem. 
 

safe travels!

[Mcgeneseo]

Hi.  Have there been any announcements regarding COVID cases on your cruise?  Your ship and the Equinox are yellow on the CDC scale and indicate they are being "investigated" by CDC.  I'm just wondering what that means in English......thanks and safe travels!  PS Thanks for letting us tag along....😁

[Ipeeinthepools]

4 hours ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

To me that’s a tricky call if you aren’t at a port that can do good repairs.  If the life boats are actually needed it won’t matter much whether the arms can retract, it would however be nice to know that they wouldn’t drop occupants in an emergency!  Seems a minimum of a visual inspection after figuring out what failed on the first one would definitely be in order!  
 

I’ve seen the drills in port, hopefully there is a schedule drill that will allow for everyone to feel safer.  My choice would be after traversing the Panama Canal, lots more help on that side or so it would seem. 
 

safe travels!

 

I can only guess that they have done visual inspections but I’m not aware any lifeboats being lowered to the water.  The crew had several drills today but none of the lifeboats were lowered.

[Ipeeinthepools]

2 hours ago, Mcgeneseo said:

Hi.  Have there been any announcements regarding COVID cases on your cruise?  Your ship and the Equinox are yellow on the CDC scale and indicate they are being "investigated" by CDC.  I'm just wondering what that means in English......thanks and safe travels!  PS Thanks for letting us tag along....😁

 

I haven’t heard about any Covid cases onboard.  Since this is a longer cruise, it’s my understanding that everyone will be tested sometime in the next few days.

[Ipeeinthepools]

The is working to re-string the cables.

[Maggie North]

Thank you for your report; we board on the 11th. Looking forward to read about your experiences! Enjoy your cruise!

[BoundForSea]

2 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I haven’t heard about any Covid cases onboard.  Since this is a longer cruise, it’s my understanding that everyone will be tested sometime in the next few days.

I watched a Vlogger on YT who was on board a recent Princess Canal crossing, they had to test the entire crew before they would allow the ship into the locks and it had to be done apparently the day of. Now like anything else with these Vloggers on YT one never knows if it’s fake or exaggerated click bait news or not. 

[GMoney]

I’m on this cruise and was on the prior Pacific Coast one as well. Overall, things have been good, especially the weather. I think that’s going to deteriorate a bit as we approach Panama, but oh well. 
 

The only exception has been Internet performance, which has been brutally poor the past 2 days. I don’t expect land type spied but I do expect to be able to send a text. I can post her only because it’s 3 am. 
 

Today’s stop in Guatemala was a bit disappointing as well.  Very industrial port with nothing nearby. It would have been much nicer to see Acapulco. However, I knew the itinerary going in, and am really here just to transit the canal and get home to Florida. 
 

with that said, there was been very little discussion of the canal. Hopefully that will change with today’s destination talk, and now that is closer. 
 

On a side note, I love M class. Great size, decent ship features, strong connection to the sea. 

Edited November 3, 2021 by GMoney

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, GMoney said:

Today’s stop in Guatemala was a bit disappointing as well.  Very industrial port with nothing nearby.

Were you docked at Puerto Quetzal? There’s usually an interesting excursion to Antigua. 
 

Glad you are otherwise enjoying your cruise!

[FLCruiser97]

4 hours ago, GMoney said:

I’m on this cruise and was on the prior Pacific Coast one as well. Overall, things have been good, especially the weather. I think that’s going to deteriorate a bit as we approach Panama, but oh well. 
 

The only exception has been Internet performance, which has been brutally poor the past 2 days. I don’t expect land type spied but I do expect to be able to send a text. I can post her only because it’s 3 am. 
 

Today’s stop in Guatemala was a bit disappointing as well.  Very industrial port with nothing nearby. It would have been much nicer to see Acapulco. However, I knew the itinerary going in, and am really here just to transit the canal and get home to Florida. 
 

with that said, there was been very little discussion of the canal. Hopefully that will change with today’s destination talk, and now that is closer. 
 

On a side note, I love M class. Great size, decent ship features, strong connection to the sea. 

Thanks @GMoneyfor the report. Especially the port report. I don't think anybody else yet has reported on any ports.

[GMoney]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Were you docked at Puerto Quetzal? There’s usually an interesting excursion to Antigua. 
 

Glad you are otherwise enjoying your cruise!

Yes - we were docked at PQ. Captain earned his pay with docking successfully at such a small pier. 
 

the idea of Antigua didn’t really do much for me - too much time in a bus

[GMoney]

4 hours ago, FLCruiser97 said:

Thanks @GMoneyfor the report. Especially the port report. I don't think anybody else yet has reported on any ports.

You’re welcome. Glad it’s appreciated

 

 i attended the second and final destination / excursion presentation today. I have a canal tour booked, featuring the Culebra Cut,  but it seems redundant if we are sailing through the canal, so I have to decide what to do. It’s sounds like we will be transiting the old locks. 

[FLCruiser97]

6 minutes ago, GMoney said:

You’re welcome. Glad it’s appreciated

 

 i attended the second and final destination / excursion presentation today. I have a canal tour booked, featuring the Culebra Cut,  but it seems redundant if we are sailing through the canal, so I have to decide what to do. It’s sounds like we will be transiting the old locks. 

We were on a canal cruise just before the covid shutdown and we went thru the new locks but my husband was trying to see the old locks from on deck with no success. He was stationed there many many years ago. If possible, please take some photos and post. It would be much appreciated.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, GMoney said:

Yes - we were docked at PQ. Captain earned his pay with docking successfully at such a small pier. 
 

the idea of Antigua didn’t really do much for me - too much time in a bus

 

Sorry about that.  It's a very interesting, historic city.   

 

Enjoy the Canal transit!

 

[GMoney]

On 11/1/2021 at 10:35 AM, FLCruiser97 said:

Did the ship have any Halloween celebrations or costume parties? I noticed from marine tracker that you are off the coast of Acapulco. 

There was a Halloween party on deck that night. Decorations went up that afternoon. Nothing extravagant but nicely done - black balloons, inflatable pumpkin, “do not enter” door decorations. There was a costume contest with prizes. 

[janetmojo]

To clarify no one was on the tender/lifeboat when it came down.  
 

Ah so the terrible loud noise on that next sea day was the wench breaking, I was in the casino with my back to that area and it was terribly loud, almost frightening.  Hubby, a USMC veteran was about to dive under the poker table.  Also an update the lifeboat will remain in Cabo until next April per the officers.

 

Sorry for the lack of updates, I hope to make that up to you today with a massive dump of info.  The internet it terrible though and I’m typing on a different device from where my photos are so first I’m just going to post a ton of info, then hope to go back and add some photos.  

[FLCruiser97]

2 minutes ago, janetmojo said:

To clarify no one was on the tender/lifeboat when it came down.  
 

Ah so the terrible loud noise on that next sea day was the wench breaking, I was in the casino with my back to that area and it was terribly loud, almost frightening.  Hubby, a USMC veteran was about to dive under the poker table.  Also an update the lifeboat will remain in Cabo until next April per the officers.

 

Sorry for the lack of updates, I hope to make that up to you today with a massive dump of info.  The internet it terrible though and I’m typing on a different device from where my photos are so first I’m just going to post a ton of info, then hope to go back and add some photos.  

Looking forward to your updates @janetmojo