Saturn damaged😢

[Clay Clayton]

Guess we are gonna have to cancel our July cruise on the brand new Saturn 😢.  According to @RBF aboard her now, an overly aggressive tug boat has dented Saturn.  

Why can’t we ever have anything new and nice? 😂

 

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Guess we are gonna have to cancel our July cruise on the brand new Saturn 😢.  According to @RBF aboard her now, an overly aggressive tug boat has dented Saturn.  

Why can’t we ever have anything new and nice? 😂

 

What would an iceberg do to that sheet metal....😳

[Azulann]

Where is the Saturn currently?

Oh Clay, I am sorry for you and all those who are/will be cruising on the Viking  Saturn.

How do they fix this quickly?

[Meander Ingwa]

dents near welds, sounds like a major investigation of the fidelity.  I dont think one of those suction thingies they can use on some car dents is going to work

 

Those gouges. 😬

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Meander Ingwa

[CCWineLover]

Lest we all get in a tizzy - and we board Saturn on June 7th . . . .

Please reference this post on the actual Roll Call of the current Saturn (which is enroute from Iceland to Greenland).

 

[Clay Clayton]

SorrySorrySorry, didn’t mean to get everyone in a thither…my “gonna have to cancel” was a joke.  But do hate to see a dent in something so new, like when you ding up your new car😢

[TayanaLorna]

16 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

SorrySorrySorry, didn’t mean to get everyone in a thither…my “gonna have to cancel” was a joke.  But do hate to see a dent in something so new, like when you ding up your new car😢

Ha, I knew what you meant!  I too was looking forward to a perfect brand spanking new Saturn in February 2024.  Haven't been on a new Viking ship since Jupiter.  Our cruise this year on the Sea had some "condition" disappointments.

[Azulann]

3 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Lest we all get in a tizzy - and we board Saturn on June 7th . . . .

Please reference this post on the actual Roll Call of the current Saturn (which is enroute from Iceland to Greenland).

 

Kent, You are on your final countdown! Hope you post a live trip report. 

I will board Jupiter on June 12 but will start my live report here on the forum on June 8  day of departure to airport.

Viking forum  needs some live reports. I am reading three of them on Celebrity forum ,currently. I love these reports  while I  have my morning coffee.

Safe travels to the Saturn from CA.

 

Patti

[deec]

2 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Ha, I knew what you meant!  I too was looking forward to a perfect brand spanking new Saturn in February 2024.  Haven't been on a new Viking ship since Jupiter.  Our cruise this year on the Sea had some "condition" disappointments.

what type of things needed attention?  carpet, upholstery ?  that is disappointing...I am surprised Viking is not keeping every ship in top condition.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Azulann said:

Where is the Saturn currently?

Oh Clay, I am sorry for you and all those who are/will be cruising on the Viking  Saturn.

How do they fix this quickly?

 

The Master and Chief Engineer will inspect the internal spaces to ensure the hull plating is not cracked or holed. If the hull is compromised a Class Surveyor (Lloyds probably) will specify any temporary repairs required and issue a "Condition of Class Certificate", which states the repairs required and any operational restrictions. The condition of class remains until permanent repairs are made good.

 

Cracks can be ground out and clad welded fairly quickly. This was a common repair when I managed the shipyard. Another option I have seen is a cement box, having crossed the Pacific on a ship with one. Permanent repairs will probably be at the 1st Special Survey drydocking.

[TayanaLorna]

14 minutes ago, deec said:

what type of things needed attention?  carpet, upholstery ?  that is disappointing...I am surprised Viking is not keeping every ship in top condition.

The arms of both our DV stateroom chairs were tattered.  The 2 veranda chairs were falling apart.  Friends in other staterooms complained about the same.  The teak railings on some decks needed varnishing. Took the Sea in 2021 for a TA.  Our PV sofa arms were getting very worn then, however, the deck crew was busy painting and varnishing on Decks 2 and 8 on our sea days.  Was hoping she would have some down time or dry dock before our next cruise.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Azulann said:

Kent, You are on your final countdown! Hope you post a live trip report. 

I will board Jupiter on June 12 but will start my live report here on the forum on June 8  day of departure to airport.

Viking forum  needs some live reports. I am reading three of them on Celebrity forum ,currently. I love these reports  while I  have my morning coffee.

Safe travels to the Saturn from CA.

 

Patti

Thank you Patti!  Same to you on your Jupiter cruise!

I'll try to post a live thread when we board June 7.  We leave Wednesday to fly to New York (spending a week ahead of time).

Viking is having a huge private ceremony on June 6 in New York for the naming of the Saturn.

Kent

[Romocruiser]

Hi Clay.  Where are you headed on the Saturn?  We were together on the Iceland cruise a few years back.  Since then, we did Belgium and Holland river, Chilean fjords, and most recently Norway.  Hope all’s well.  Steve.  

[Clay Clayton]

27 minutes ago, Romocruiser said:

Hi Clay.  Where are you headed on the Saturn?  We were together on the Iceland cruise a few years back.  Since then, we did Belgium and Holland river, Chilean fjords, and most recently Norway.  Hope all’s well.  Steve.  

We are sailing on July 19th from Reykjavik to Bergen on a new this year itinerary for Viking-Iceland and Norwegian Arctic Explorer. Only one repeated stop from “our” Iceland cruise-Ísafjördur and we were able to book Vigur Island so it will be new for us!  Join us!

 

We are just back from a TA on NCL followed by a week in Paris and 4 nights in Iceland in the way home.  We rented a car and visited some of the southern coast that we missed on our cruise with you. 

[FetaCheese]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

The arms of both our DV stateroom chairs were tattered.  The 2 veranda chairs were falling apart.  Friends in other staterooms complained about the same.  The teak railings on some decks needed varnishing. Took the Sea in 2021 for a TA.  Our PV sofa arms were getting very worn then, however, the deck crew was busy painting and varnishing on Decks 2 and 8 on our sea days.  Was hoping she would have some down time or dry dock before our next cruise.

Was on Sea Dec. 2022 TA.  Wonderful cruise.  Our DV also had peeling chair arms.  Wife thinks that peeling occurred during pandemic cruising when we all were using hand sanitizer.

 

Also, on Venus, Greek Odyssey Dec. 2021, DV chair arms were similarly peeling. That was the only thing I noticed in both cabins.  Didn't notice any other condition issues around either ship. 

 

Didn't say anything to to guest services, as it was such a minor issue.

[chengkp75]

15 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The Master and Chief Engineer will inspect the internal spaces to ensure the hull plating is not cracked or holed. If the hull is compromised a Class Surveyor (Lloyds probably) will specify any temporary repairs required and issue a "Condition of Class Certificate", which states the repairs required and any operational restrictions. The condition of class remains until permanent repairs are made good.

 

Cracks can be ground out and clad welded fairly quickly. This was a common repair when I managed the shipyard. Another option I have seen is a cement box, having crossed the Pacific on a ship with one. Permanent repairs will probably be at the 1st Special Survey drydocking.

Right with you Andy.  I don't see any deformation of framing, and the folds in the shell plating are not abrupt enough to likely warrant repair before next scheduled drydock.  I don't see any cracking evident.  Many ships, other than cruise ships for esthetic reasons, would likely allow this damage to remain for the life of the vessel.

 

I will disagree with the poster linked above, who claims that there is likely 2" of steel there.  The thickest steel I've seen, only at strategic high stress locations, is about 1-1/4", and at the place on the hull where Saturn is damaged, I would expect about 3/4" thickness.

[Big Lily]

May 30 The Captain of the Saturn just notified us of cancellation of both ports in Greenland today and tomorrow and the port in Newfoundland! We already missed the first two ports in Iceland. Beyond disappointing to miss more than half the ports. No mention of any damage. We were told that ice pilots onboard say ice floats made it necessary to largely alter the course! 

[Big Lily]

21 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

What would an iceberg do to that sheet metal....😳

Could this be the real reason our next three ports of call are all cancelled? They are worried about hull integrity and taking the fastest, calmest route to a safe harbor?? 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Big Lily said:

Could this be the real reason our next three ports of call are all cancelled? They are worried about hull integrity and taking the fastest, calmest route to a safe harbor?? 

No, by law they are not allowed to operate in certain ice conditions, whether with a pristine hull, or with a few dents.  The damage shown has done nothing to the thickness or strength of the hull.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Big Lily said:

Could this be the real reason our next three ports of call are all cancelled? They are worried about hull integrity and taking the fastest, calmest route to a safe harbor?? 

 

Couldn't be further from the truth.

 

I believe the Viking Ocean ships are classed as Ice 1C, which is the lowest level of ice classification. When you book cruises in these regions you need to expect changes due to ice conditions, unless the vessel has a Polar Ice classification of 5 or better. With Ice 1C, the vessel cannot legally sail in other than minimal ice, regardless if the hull is pristine, or has a few minor dents.

 

Ice conditions are constantly changing, so what is legal for 1 cruise may exceed the vessel's ice class the next cruise. When booking a cruise in ice regions on a ship that isn't PC 5 or better, you need to have realistic expectations and expect significant itinerary changes. We have a similar cruise booked in 2025, on a non-Polar Class ship and if we make any of the ports we will be happy.

 

If you don't want to miss ports, may I suggest the Caribbean and Meddy are better options.

[purpleally]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:37 AM, Azulann said:

Where is the Saturn currently?

Oh Clay, I am sorry for you and all those who are/will be cruising on the Viking  Saturn.

How do they fix this quickly?

It was a joke

[deec]

I wonder if one of the new ships that Viking is building ( someone on another group said they were told there are 10 planned for the future no dates given) will be another Expedition Ship so that these ports/water could be safely cruised?

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, deec said:

I wonder if one of the new ships that Viking is building ( someone on another group said they were told there are 10 planned for the future no dates given) will be another Expedition Ship so that these ports/water could be safely cruised?

 

Not sure about any newbuild expedition ships, but one of the 2 current ships is scheduled to cruise the Eastern portion of the NW Passage. Although only Polar Class 6, which is the lowest of the PC designations, it is still well above the ice class of the Ocean ships.

 

Therefore, the Expedition ship has a higher probability of maintaining the schedule when operating in ice.

[philw1776]

Astronomy

[OnTheJourney]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:19 AM, Jim Avery said:

What would an iceberg do to that sheet metal....😳

OR the rocks along the coast of Hustadvika in the case of the Viking Sky incident 😳