2010 - Page 8 of 41 - Captain Greybeard

Ordeal over – now for a shower

After three days at sea without hot water, air conditioning or hot food, 3,299 passengers from the cruise ship Carnival Splendor finally stepped ashore on Thursday. Six tugs guided the ship into port in San Diego, California to end the ordeal which began on Monday when an engine room fire crippled the vessel and left it without power. Many of the passengers said the overall mood aboard the ship remained fairly upbeat, under the circumstances, with cold, makeshift meals being one of the chief complaints. "I never saw a hot dog salad before," Tom Fisher told Reuters news agency. "We [...]

By John Honeywell| 2015-04-12T21:11:49+00:00 12 November 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments

Spreading Allure around the fleet

Welcomed by a flotilla of fire tugs shooting gallons of water into the air, and surrounded by circling news helicopters, Allure of the Seas entered harbour at Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the first time today. Members of crew crowded onto cabin balconies and the railings of the sun deck as the giant vessel, measuring 360 metres (plus an all-important 50mm) long and with a beam of 66 metres, inched along the entry channel and headed towards the berth at the $75 million Terminal 18, which was specially enlarged last year to handle the 6,000 passengers each joining Allure and sister [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 11 November 2010|Cruise News|1 Comment

Allure is going round in circles

Allure of the Seas has been making good progress on its journey across the Atlantic. Running fast to stay ahead of the worst of the weather, Captain Hernan Zini has brought the biggest cruise ship in the world to its new home a day early. There was time for a quick pit stop in Bermuda to pick up a group of technicians and to carry out tests on the ship's thrusters before today's early arrival at Fort Lauderdale. But there's still time to kill so that the entry into port can be in daylight for the benefit of spectators and, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 11 November 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments

John keeps spirits up on Splendor

With their ship under tow and heading slowly towards San Diego, passengers on board Carnival Splendor are making the most of their plight. Their relaxing week-long cruise to the Mexican Riviera was over almost before it began - they had time for little more than dinner and a show on Sunday evening before the engine room fire which crippled the ship on Monday morning. With no refrigeration to keep fresh food and no cooking facilities, they are having to rely on pop tarts and tins of Spam delivered by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. And because there's no hot [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 10 November 2010|Cruise News|1 Comment

Sacre Bleu! Saga line up a third ship

This sounds too good to be true, and maybe it's just a dream, but I have been hearing whispers that there might be a surprising addition to the ships sailing for UK cruise lines. If my information is correct, Saga - who only this year introduced Saga Pearl II as a replacement for the much-loved Saga Rose - are lining up a third ship to join their fleet. They are about to announce the acquisition of Bleu de France (above), a 37,000-ton ship which has had a chequered history since it was built in 1982 as Europa for the German [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 10 November 2010|Cruise News|2 Comments

Stranded cruise ship under tow

Latest update from the Carnival Splendor, which was left drifting without power after an engine room fire, is that the first Mexican tug have arrived to take it under tow. Additional tugs are heading for the cruise ship. The original plan was to tow the vessel to Ensenada, but Carnival now say it will reach San Diego, California by late Thursday. Arrangements are neing made to provide hotel accommodation for the 3,299 passengers before taking them by road to Long Beach, , where they embarked on Sunday. If the ship is unable to make sufficient speed under tow, it is [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 9 November 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments

Egypt invests to improve cruising

Whether it's a for a river cruise on the Nile or a Red Sea voyage on an ocean-going ship, Egypt can be a memorable destination. The Pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor, Karnak and Abu Simbel, and the tombs of the Valley of Kings are all spectacular sights, but sadly visits to Egypt can provide memories of a different kind. The middle reaches of the Nile can get crowded, and mooring can often mean tying up alongside a gaggle of other boats - all of which have to be negotiated before passengers can step ashore. Safaga, the Red Sea [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 9 November 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Passengers and crew to the rescue

Following yesterday's news about the aid given by the crew of P&O's Oceana to the people of St Lucia, I have been sent some heart-warming pictures from Holland America's Noordam. The second cruise ship to return to Castries after Hurricane Tomas hit the island, Noordam provided 45,000 gallons of drinking water and 15,000 lbs of food, including beef, rice, sugar, vegetables and flour to help the relief effort. Passengers chipped in by donating $3,300 (about £2,100) in cash, and crew gave bottled water and food from their own stocks A group of 19 orphans from the Holy Family children's home [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 9 November 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Myleene’s cruise ship adrift after fire

A fire in the engine room has crippled cruise ship Carnival Splendor, 150 miles south of the California port of San Diego. The ship, carrying 3,299 passengers and 1,167 is awaiting the arrival of tugs to bring it into port. No-one was injured in the fire, but power was disabled and air conditioning, phones and flush toilets are not operating. The ship is dead in the water with no propulsion, and US Coastguard and the Mexican navy sent aircraft and cutters to provide assistance, and tugs are on their way to the vessel to bring it into port. The Splendor [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 9 November 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments

First cruise ships return to St Lucia

The first cruise ships have returned to the Caribbean island of St Lucia following the devastation caused by hurricane Tomas. P&O's Oceana arrived in Castries yesterday, closely followed by Holland America's Noordam. Oceana's captain, Mark Symonds, was met by Prime Minister Stephenson King and tourism minister Allen Chastanet as he presented donations to the local Red Cross, including two pallets of mineral water, biscuits, mattresses and furniture. The Prime Minister reported that Tomas has destroyed the island's entire banana crop, and "wiped out" agriculture. The town of Soufriere was the hardest hit and roads to the town in the south [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:17+00:00 8 November 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|1 Comment