Getaway arriving late tommorrow??

[dcipjr]

16 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Not too happy with NCL's choices & options this winter and next year for the N.E. - looking ahead for 2025, which is something that we don't normally do.  

Hey Henry, I sort of feel the same. We are going to Bermuda next week aboard the Getaway, but probably would have preferred another itinerary option—but there aren’t really that many. 
 

We thought about Caribbean cruises from Florida, but the flights were expensive, and NCL’s offerings were a bit pricey too, and fairly limited (not much that we haven’t done before).

 

This was our best bet for a quick and (relatively) inexpensive trip, and it might be fun to do some non-beach activities in Bermuda. Still would have preferred warmer weather, but will take a week without household responsibilities either way. 

I’m thinking about trying other lines. NCL’s itineraries have gotten a bit stale. 

[billslowsky]

I'm catching a show near the port but the paranoia about departure time today is distracting.   Planning to show up a little after 4.

[The Traveling Man]

26 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

I'm catching a show near the port but the paranoia about departure time today is distracting.   Planning to show up a little after 4.

Movie or theater matinee?

[billslowsky]

2 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Movie or theater matinee?

Off Broadway at 50th st

[destar]

Any further updates, is ship departing tonight?

[GeezerCouple]

19 hours ago, hallux said:

You can't PM on CC, so 'side chats' are pretty difficult...

If you each have an anonymized type of CC or general travel e-address, just post that here on CC.

 

You know, something like [and this is NOT a real one!]

TheTravelingGCs at aolyahoogmail dot com 😉 

 

Once you've connected that way, you can un-anonymize yourselves or not, without involving all of CC... and all of the Web!

 

GC

[shof515]

ship AIS data is updated according to marine traffic, the ship will be docking in Bermuda on March 20 at around 7am . looks like everyone onboard will lose a day in Bermuda and the ship will be in port the usual Wednesday to Friday

[dcipjr]

15 minutes ago, shof515 said:

ship AIS data is updated according to marine traffic, the ship will be docking in Bermuda on March 20 at around 7am . looks like everyone onboard will lose a day in Bermuda and the ship will be in port the usual Wednesday to Friday

I figured there was no way she’d make her originally-scheduled arrival. 
 

I’m curious how long she’ll remain docked in New York, and what time on Friday she’ll leave Bermuda. 

[UKstages]

i walked by the ship at 3;20 PM this afternoon. looked to me like the final stragglers were just getting off. there were quite a few people arriving. on the sidewalk, it looked like the equivalent of 9:30 or 10 AM on any standard embarkation day.

 

i can hear the horns from departing ships in my apartment... the getaway is definitely still at the pier, as i haven't heard it depart yet.

[mking8288]

10 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

... curious how long she’ll remain docked in New York, and what time on Friday she’ll leave Bermuda. 

Sue is on this week's Bermuda 7 days run and knowing her, probably and hopefully, we'll get updated later on.  While enjoying a nice, late Sunday brunch out here in Queens - CC friends of ours texted me, saying their friends currently waiting to disembark ... said they felt like the GA is running with just one engine (probably 1 less engine than max) heading back to NY once they're informed by the captain of the delayed disembarkation, while evading the specifics (typical of NCL's corporate communications these days, as some of us recognized ...)   *.away class ships have 4 engines and generally can run on 2 or 3 only to a max of 16 kts but the 4th engine is needed to push up full throttle to 20-22 kts.  

 

Early this morning, she was at 9.5 to 10 kts off NJ and south of Sandy Hook - not making up for any lost time en route (could also be high/low tides related)   The use of 2 or more tugboats to assist in the final docking, also, not a good indicator - suggesting maybe the azipods and steering might be in play.  

 

I would be very surprised that they can sail before 8 or 9 PM this evening, with provisions to load and they are probably at rush hour boarding the remaining guests now.  When I last checked the ship's live streaming webcam around 4 PM, there were still disembarked pax with luggage across 12th Avenue at the taxi stand ... perhaps, they're finally reached zero counts around that time and began Haven & VIP, priority boarding.  

 

BTW, that could've been me writing out thoughts of ours about NCL's NY operations.  We aren't sailing the Joy (again) to Bermuda in May this year but got extended family & friends doing the short 7 days loop, getting burnt out doing the same old, same old.  MSC's prices on the off-peak rates out of NY is looking good, less than ... much less than what NCL is charging for comparative reasons.  Critical reviews of MSC, outside YC, are a mixed bag and more similar than different from NCL - between rocks and hard places - we might just scale back & do less cruises ahead, after next month - just one more this Fall, at ease with the older ships and the basics.  We don't care for the bells & whistles, the games shows and the adult rides - sea days are fine and we'll get to see distance places that we couldn't do while still working years ago.  

 

Almost 6:30 PM, GA still berthed at Pier 88 ... not sure if Marinetraffic's AIS data are truly updated, but surely don't see she getting there later on Tuesday ... unless they can restore full systems and can push the necessary speed - with roughly 750 nautical miles to cover, an average speed of 16 kts is going to be tough, plus the return from Bermuda has zero allowance for a slow dance.  Maybe, someone currently onboard will give us the info - the CC roll call is almost non-existent but apparently, a very active group on the other platform.  (And, if CC continue to not address some of the issues others and I previously raised ... the problems with the declines in seeing inactive CC roll call will worsen)  

 

The next batch of questions are coming next for the Getaway to NCL - will passengers be issued any kind of token compensation, aside from the pledge of reimbursement for interrupted/delayed travel using NCL Air ... the next group now onboard, how will NCL handle this "unforeseen" situation, as a good will gesture in missing a day ashore.  Of course, we all know, things happen & that's another reason to carry good insurance coverage.  

[kitkat343]

22 hours ago, weisla said:

Announcement onboard said we are sailing at reduced speed “due to a technical issue which has impacted the speed” of the ship. ETA now 12:30pm with self-assist disembarkation to begin at 1:30, though must vacate staterooms by 10:30. The final call to exit the ship is 3:30pm. They opened up free internet to rebook travel arrangements and will reimburse up to $300pp for any airline imposed fees not covered by travel insurance. I hope they will honor this for my Amtrak reservations. Arrival time was not certain when they made the announcement so I gave upon rebooking train tickets and booked a 1-way rental from EWR. Folks onboard seem to be taking it in stride.

Good luck to you and the rest of the passengers!

[billslowsky]

1 hour ago, dcipjr said:

I figured there was no way she’d make her originally-scheduled arrival. 
 

I’m curious how long she’ll remain docked in New York, and what time on Friday she’ll leave Bermuda. 

I arrived at 4:00, boarded at 6:15.  Lots of people behind me.  9:00 might be optimistic.   People are fairly calm.

[weisla]

30 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

Good luck to you and the rest of the passengers!

The crew of the Getaway handled the delay seamlessly and all of the passengers I saw were calm, orderly and in fairly good spirits. I’ve seen much worse during regular disembarkations! I’m not sure if this is the norm, but NCL had a fleet of buses waiting for on the spot airport transfers at $25 per passenger. We were off and cleared customs before 2pm and planned to get a cab. We caught a bus instead for a seamless and pleasant transfer to Newark. It seemed the old luck of the Irish ☘️ was with us all day, especially since we were able to make fairly painless alternate travel plans. I feel for people whose return home was more negatively impacted. I hope decent luck holds out for the embarking passengers and this next voyage isn’t interrupted any further.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

The use of 2 or more tugboats to assist in the final docking, also, not a good indicator - suggesting maybe the azipods and steering might be in play. 

Not necessarily - I'll let @chengkp75 explain it, but the tugs may have been precautionary due to whatever caused the reduction in speed (likely a generator unexpectedly offline).

[UKstages]

i'm guessing the ship just left... 7:43 PM.

 

i heard the ship's blast from my nearby apartment. it's the only ship in town, so it must be the getaway.

[mking8288]

9 minutes ago, UKstages said:

i'm guessing the ship just left... 7:43 PM ... heard the ship's blast from my nearby apartment. it's the only ship in town, so it must be the getaway.

You win the jackpot 🎇. Here she goes 👍  backing out of Pier 88

Bon Voyage, happy & safe travels to all onboard ☘️

 

 

Wow, that's a pretty quick turn "Getaway" on the move ... kudos to the team's rapid turnaround for sure

 

... All abroad, Bermuda bound ... dinner on the Hudson with the moving skyline.  

Edited March 17 by mking8288

[billslowsky]

2 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

You win the jackpot 🎇. Here she goes 👍 

 

Bon Voyage, happy & safe travels to all onboard ☘️

 

 

 

 

Yup!  Away we go!

[billslowsky]

Captain announced that repairs were done, no real details.  And that seas may be rough tomorrow. 

[itsnotjustme]

WiIl she be capable of better than 16 knots?  "Scotty, we need that azipod online now or we won't get these folks to Bermuda."  

[billslowsky]

14 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

WiIl she be capable of better than 16 knots?  "Scotty, we need that azipod online now or we won't get these folks to Bermuda."  

He suggested all was working.

[chengkp75]

10 hours ago, mking8288 said:

The use of 2 or more tugboats to assist in the final docking, also, not a good indicator - suggesting maybe the azipods and steering might be in play.

 

9 hours ago, hallux said:

Not necessarily - I'll let @chengkp75 explain it, but the tugs may have been precautionary due to whatever caused the reduction in speed (likely a generator unexpectedly offline).

If an azipod was down, which would have required a tug escort all the way from the Ambrose sea buoy, then the use of two tugs to dock would be expected, but I didn't hear about a full tug escort, so I don't think this is the case.

 

Docking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, for the large ships, is typically scheduled around times of slack water, and the unusually late arrival likely meant the tide and current were running together to make the turn into the berth very difficult.  Remember that a perfectly working Carnival ship rammed the pier a few years back.  The turn from the Hudson into the berth at MCT is historically difficult, even with azipods and thrusters, as the current the ship is fighting while turning, suddenly goes to zero as the bow becomes shielded by the pier structure.

[Laszlo]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

If an azipod was down, which would have required a tug escort all the way from the Ambrose sea buoy, then the use of two tugs to dock would be expected, but I didn't hear about a full tug escort, so I don't think this is the case.

 

Docking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, for the large ships, is typically scheduled around times of slack water, and the unusually late arrival likely meant the tide and current were running together to make the turn into the berth very difficult.  Remember that a perfectly working Carnival ship rammed the pier a few years back.  The turn from the Hudson into the berth at MCT is historically difficult, even with azipods and thrusters, as the current the ship is fighting while turning, suddenly goes to zero as the bow becomes shielded by the pier structure.

Curious what could have been down that they were able to repair it in port?

[chengkp75]

27 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Curious what could have been down that they were able to repair it in port?

I suspect that one diesel engine was down, and it just required an amount of time to repair.  Sometimes repairs take more than a day to complete, and crews are no longer allowed to work round the clock, unless the safety of the ship is involved.

[Laszlo]

36 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I suspect that one diesel engine was down, and it just required an amount of time to repair.  Sometimes repairs take more than a day to complete, and crews are no longer allowed to work round the clock, unless the safety of the ship is involved.

Thanks, I figured it would was internal and not external and the need for divers.

Edited March 18 by Laszlo

[dcipjr]

She's heading for Bermuda at 20 knots right now, so she seems to be making expected speed for a Wednesday arrival.