Live from Prinsendam Grand SA

[BajaFred]

Wow. That sounds like quite the adventure. We have friends on this trip that are taking their first cruise. They are also in a stateroom. Hopefully all has gone well for them also. I think I would of been a little scared, probably not so much when it was happening, but afterwards. Do not know if I could of calmly e-mailed about it.

Love those HAL crew folks.

 

Carole

[DFD1]

Incredible report. Your composure and your ability to get yourself together to write it so very well is remarkable. You are the clam in the storm.

 

Stay safe. God's Speed.

[OldCodger73]

Wow, Arzz, what an adventure! Your writing style makes one feel almost there.

 

This reminds me of when we were sailing north from McMurdo Sound and ran into the remnants of a typhoon. No wind but high seas. As I can best guess, the Curtis fell into a trough and rolled 18 degrees one way, than 18 the other. I was in the mess hall then and trays were falling on the floor all over. This was also the only time I was sea sick, we were tracking a weather balloon on the radar in the fire control tower, which is about the highest point on the ship and up there the arc of the ship's roll is really magnified. However, I attribute the sea sickness more to trying coffee for the first and last time shortly before.

 

Arzz, keep up the great travelogue.

[cruznon]

WOW!!!! Arzz, What an experience. So you have to go back through this again to deliver folks with medical needs , THEN go around the Horn yet a third time? Ruth's comment seems very prophetic---will there be any dishes left to finish the cruise????

You seem to be handling this quite calmly. I don't know if I could--especially multiple times around the Horn.

Have a safe journey--thoughts are with you.

[hammybee]

I am absolutely loving it that in spite of it all, most pax made their way to the DR to eat their lunch and PLEASE don't tell me that BINGO went on, regardless of it all. :)

 

Well you are having a fine adventure for yourself and somehow managing to post to us in the middle of it all. Now go back to your cabin and batten down the hatches, for the return to the Horn. And remember, all will be well in the end.

[ldog]

What an amazing account! I feel like I'm right there with you.

[zaandam_2]

I am absolutely loving it that in spite of it all, most pax made their way to the DR to eat their lunch and PLEASE don't tell me that BINGO went on, regardless of it all. :)

 

 

i don't think anything short of sinking would cancel bingo :D

 

thanks for the vivid descriptions. i like rough seas, but that's a bit much.

[earl_m]

wow!! What An Amazing Story.very Detail, You Had Me On Edge Of My Seat. Tell Us More.

[Love Cruises]

WOW... what a story. My husband and I just read it and he "wishes he were there"!!!.

 

You did a fantastic job of writing your experiences ... can't wait until more come on the board!!!!

 

Stay safe!

[arzz]

Cape Horn, Cape Horn ... and then Cape Horn Again?

 

That is certainly more than we bargained for -- but I think that is what we are going to get.

 

Let me first once again applaud the herculean efforts of our fantastic crew -- rising to and dealing with our current situation. They are certainly the best.

 

The other piece of important news: even though there are at least 17 passengers who must go ashore for x-rays and medical evaluation there are no critical injuries.

 

It is about 5:00 pm on Friday, 2/2 -- last night was a sleepless one for most on board as our seas were still very high and we were “rockin and rollin” in a most unpredictable pattern -- we passed Cape Horn (again) and entered the Beagle Channel about 11:30 am this morning -- even though the Beagle Channel was enduring 80 knot winds when we arrived - to us to lose those ridiculous waves it felt great. Now the wind is down, the sun is out and THERE ARE NO WAVES! Ushuia is outside our window at present -- we still do not know if we have dock space as we are unexpected visitors.

 

6 pm -- we have docked -- the sunny serenity here at Ushuia belies the furious weather that we have endured. We will have use of this dock until about 11:30 pm at which time we will go out and anchor off shore and will be provided with tender service.

 

The plan is to stay here tonight and until early evening tomorrow. The Captain met with passengers for a question and answer session this afternoon in the Queen’s Lounge. We were so impressed that after 36 hours on the bridge he was willing to do this. He really is a very charming man who has kept us well informed throughout this incident. We have come to appreciate the speakers in our cabin that were so silent early in this cruise.

 

We learned that at no time was the ship in any danger. The ship did what it was designed to do. We have no need of mechanical equipment, engineering or anything else. Oh, how right you are, Ruth C, it is the hotel department that sent up the red flag. HAL has organized crockery and other kitchen needs that are currently being flown to Buenos Aires and they have chartered a jet that will bring us what we need by about 6 pm tomorrow.

 

What happened: We were in 45 foot seas and hurricane force winds. We had actually passed the storm center and would have soon been in calmer waters when we were approached by not one, but two 60 some foot waves that were so close together there was no time for the ship to right itself after the first wave before the second wave tipped us further. The ship listed to port (as estimated by the Captain and he emphasized that it was only an estimate he has yet to calculate it out) about 20 - 22 degrees. The ship handled the waves beautifully -- it was just all of us (and the dishes and glassware) inside the ship that unfortunately did not have the correct ballast and design to move with the wave and recover so elegantly.

 

Amazingly, 5 hours after the big waves, the kitchen and wait staff were able to clean up sufficiently to organize a hot dinner last night in the dining rooms -- the Lido was closed. We expected sandwiches at best (many had missed lunch and some had not awakened for breakfast) -- we gave the staff a resounding ovation after the meal -- we did not, however, stand as we were still very unstable in the heavy seas.

 

At about 7:45 pm, between the dinner seatings, the Captain turned the ship to head for Ushuia. That meant that we had to go through the storm a second time (though it had weakened some in the intervening hours). Before making the turn he asked all passengers to sit down or lie down during the turn -- the turn was executed uneventfully.

 

Yesterday afternoon, last night, and this morning all cruise activities were canceled and passengers were asked to stay in their cabins. After entering the Beagle Channel activities resumed.

 

We were told today that HAL phoned the emergency phone number given by each passenger to let their families know that we had an incident but that all was OK. I have not yet heard from my family member to know if there was a call received. I would love to know what families were told.

 

As to itinerary -- there seems to be a lot of sentiment that Antarctica is an important part of this voyage so, weather permitting, we will set out for Cape Horn a third time tomorrow night. We will spend the three days in Antarctica to get down to Palmer Station and work our way back up, just as planned. Captain Keith Johnson, our “Ice Captain,” has assured us that a smooth passages of Cape Horn and Drake Channel (where our problems occurred) are extremely rare, even at this time of year. What is more typical are 9 foot seas and much less severe winds.

 

Seattle and the Captain have not yet set out is what is the plan from there. We have our own personal guess, but only time will tell -- we may be having to change our return plans.

 

The Nordnorge pulled in to Ushuia while we were at dinner. We believe this to be the sister ship to the Norwegian ship that went aground this week in Antarctica. If we are right she is the ship that picked up the passengers from the grounded ship. It is good to know that all is well there also.

 

From back in Ushuia

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thanks for the articulate and descriptive recap of your frightening event, Arzz. That is quite a saga, and you are quite a writer.

[cruznon]

Arzz,

Thank you so much for letting know more info on the double Horn transit--WOW seems to be the word that keeps coming to mind. What an incredible crew! Well, you won't forget this cruise! Your vivid descriptions have been amazing. Thank you.

[RuthC]

Thank you for the follow-up information. It's good to read that there were no severe injuries; hopefully everyone will check out fine and be able to continue the voyage.

I'm hanging on every word anyway, but especially thinking how much I wanted to be on this leg of this cruise.

You'll be dining out on these stories for years.

[puddles'n splashes]

You are having an incredible voyage. Thank you for your descriptive and eloquent reports. I am enjoying them all and look forward to more adventures. Thankfully, the injuries were not serious. We sailed on the Prinsendam in May and June, and found her a most seaworthy and comfortable ship, and the crew fantastic.

Thank you for sharing your voyage with us.

[Flyingfish]

DH and I were on a Discovery Antarctic cruise and experienced the same (I think about 50 to 55 ft waves) crossing the Drake Passage. This ship is 20,000 tons, lost an engine, and the Captain came over the p.a. telling us to "take to our beds" to ride it out. I already was in bed, having my head repeatedly banged against the wall. What a trip, we loved it. That is aside from the awful thought we might just go under!

[colliepup]

Arzz

First off, thank you so much for your detailed descriptions of the cruise:) I am one of those people that HAL got a hold of on Thursday night from their medical team. My Dad apparently was taken off the ship to receive X-Rays etc, at the time they did not know if he just bruised his ribs or if it was more serious. At 80 years old i think it can always be serious. However knowing my parents and their cruising they will not want to leave unless my Mom can't play Bingo anymore;) Since i have not received any further calls from HAL my family & I are assuming that they are continuing on like the seasoned cruisers they are.

So please keep us updated with your wonderful sense of humour.

 

Colliepup:D

[sailorgrammy]

ARZZ.....Your journal is terrific! We are enjoying every entry and are vicariously sailing right along with you. Since we are booked on the Prinsendam this summer for an eastern med tour, I was very interested in just how sturdy the "elegant explorer" has turned out to be....earthquakes, attack of the killer shrimp, and what sounds like a southern latitude version of "the Perfect Storm". I don't expect we will have similar adventures to those, but sure do hope that Captain Gundersen and the same crew are aboard with us! Thanks for all the info, and smooth sailing from now on.

[Deezy]

What a saga! Please keep up the postings as those of us who are getting on the Prinsendam right after she docks in FLL are glued to our computers reading about your voyage! De

[leoandhugh]

thank you for your wonderful description of your saga of the storm; and thank you for solving another mystery for me. This morning when i was checking the bowcams of other ships in ushaia I knew that I saw the Prinsendam at anchor and wondered what had happened. I wonder how ships like Golden Princess which is down there will handle a storm like that

[Iris5383]

Photo of the Prinsendam in Ushuia on 02/02/07 from website:http://www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/webcam/

[Ides of March]

From Bridgecam of Crystal Serenity

 

Ides

[Ides of March]

[earl_m]

You should write a book about this cruise, it would be a best seller.

[cruznon]

Iris,!

Thanks for another great webcam site!!! Prinsendam looks beautiful!

[arzz]

We have left Ushuia for the Second Time

 

We had a pleasant time in Ushuia on this our second visit of the cruise. We left Ushuia with a very bright rainbow to the port side. I take this as a good sign.

 

Today the Captain shared our revised itinerary. We will still do the whole three days in Antarctica as planned. We will visit (or attempt to visit) the Falkland Islands, as planned. We will arrive in Buenos Aires on February 12 (three days late). They have canceled one day in Rio, one day in Manaus as well as the calls at St. Lucia and Grand Turk. They have added a call at Half Moon Cay. Of course, not everybody is happy but I have to hand it to HAL, they have certainly tried to please with the new itinerary -- and this had to be difficult since so many port days have been changed which requires not only changes in the use of docking space, but will also require some major overhaul and/or adjustment of shore excursion arrangements. Clearly a lot of people have been very busy.

 

Personally, we are both pleased and befuddled. We are ecstatic that we have not lost our chance at Antarctica but the change in dates may do in our independent arrangements for Iguazu Falls.

 

We were informed this evening that some 200 cartons of goods arrived in Ushuia this afternoon and were transferred to the ship. In addition, the Captain said that we have emptied the Ushuia stores of all available glassware.

 

We have not had a game of Bingo since our encounter with the rogue waves. Not even today. I ran into the Bingo Lady a few minutes ago. She was carrying a small wire cage full of Bingo balls -- it seems the Bingo machine went down with the rogue waves and apparently Bingo is not a high enough priority -- they did not fly a new machine out. Bingo will resume tomorrow with the “low tech” replacement equipment.

 

There has also been a conspicuous lack of photos in the photo gallery -- don’t know for sure what that means about the photo development equipment, but it does seem ominous (RIP?).

 

The piano in the Queen’s Lounge as well as the “set” that the band sits in were both wave casualties. The large curved glass panel at the base of the staircase from the Explorer’s Lounge to the mid ships dining room was shattered and those stairs are now closed. Peter Daems, our cruise director survived the wave OK, but about 24 hours later he dropped his large TV on his left big toe while trying to reinstall it in his quarters. He is now condemned to wearing sandals in Antarctica. On the whole, however, the ship looks great and you would not guess its recent history by just looking.

 

Last night we all enjoyed a sound, motionless, night’s sleep. We are currently still in the Beagle Channel. The weather prediction in the Drake Channel is for waves that are a maximum of 15-18 feet and top winds of 25-35 knots. This is far different than the forecast was a few days ago -- we left Ushuia on January 31 expecting 30 foot seas and 50-60 knot winds. I am satisfied and willing to try this again as are most of the folks we have spoken to on board.

 

This is not to say that we are not now more cautious than we were a few days ago. The glassware in our cabin is stowed away, and many of us on board now have a secret stash of crackers in our cabin.