Oriana problems

[anneed]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/1102992 ... ?ref=var_0


Passengers on Oriana may have had their cruise cut short (see above link) but they are certainly being well compensated. I am quite envious. They've enjoyed most of their original cruise, can choose between another free cruise on Oriana or have a whopping cash refund. And they get to stay in Southampton for three days being wined and dined (and no doubt being coached out to some nice places near by). Sounds good to me!

[Frank Manning]

Hi Anne,
The stern glands on prop shafts do fail occasionally, they are under quite significant stresses. They used to line them with lignum vitae which was self lubricating in water, but even so it was important not to let the shaft wear down too much or the gland would leak through the stern post. I called up the Echo column but I was a little disappointed to see the old Noro scare being dragged out ....the ship has suffered problems from time to time etc. BBC South Today once trotted out "Of course the Auwowa is an unlucky ship, the bottle failed to break at her launch".

The fact is that all ships, planes, trains, buses, cars etc suffer problems from time to time. However to get back to your point, I have to agree that the passengers seem to be having a good compensation package, and the Company are making the best of things too.

[oldbluefox]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the judder at the stern of Oriana. When we were on her it was difficult to hear what anyone was saying in the rear MDR and cutlery danced around the plate, such was the judder from the engines/prop shafts etc. Over a period of time something would have to give.

Interesting to hear of the use of lignum vitae - a timber which does not float.

[Frank Manning]

I seem to recall that the vibration was so bad when she was new that she had to have redesigned props then. If the props are suffering pulsating cavitation it wont help the life of the stern gland.

[oldbluefox]

I sometimes get pulsating cavitation and it hasn't done my stern glands any good at all, Frank.
Good luck with the footy this pm.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I was a little disappointed to see the old Noro scare being dragged out ....the ship has suffered problems from time to time etc.

As someone who has worked in the media, it is frustrating when I see what is basically lazy journalism, just trawling the files/internet to pull out some past stories, however irrelevant.

There can't be a ship out there that hasn't suffered Norovirus at some point (or an office, school, hotel, etc etc). I notice on another thread that even the We-are-better-than-anyone-else Celebrity have had an outbreak on Eclipse which has delayed the departure of one of our illustrious forum members. And plenty have suffered mechanical failure too. It's a complicated machine working 24 hours a day. It breaks sometimes.

But what relevance does that have to a faulty prop shaft? Not a lot! But hey, it sells papers.

The important thing here is P&O have done right by the passengers. I'll take half a cruise and a free one in the future anytime you like!

[Frank Manning]

I sometimes get pulsating cavitation and it hasn't done my stern glands any good at all, Frank.
Good luck with the footy this pm.

Whooooooh! Wait till Lady Blue Fox reads that!! Much worse is when you've got a problem with the slipper units in your thrust block, now that is oooh unbearable!

Reference:- Marine Engineering Knowledge, C MacGibbon. - James Munro & Co Ltd Glasgow. (in case anyone thinks I'm being a rudy boy!)

[Mervyn and Trish]

My turbo-encabulator packed up ages ago.

[oldbluefox]

Does it make your cutlery rattle too?

[Meg 50]

My turbo-encabulator packed up ages ago.

Does it make your cutlery rattle too?

not any longer - Merv said it's packed up

[Frank Manning]

Was it the General Electric 1962 model Merv? They were the last ones fitted with the Krupps Gesellschaft. Later models had the Drahtloss model. Oriana has been refitted with an ente esel which should have prevented these problems.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Was it the General Electric 1962 model Merv? They were the last ones fitted with the Krupps Gesellschaft. Later models had the Drahtloss model. Oriana has been refitted with an ente esel which should have prevented these problems.

I believe it was exactly that model Frank. I must look out the brochure sometime. But I think they used old stock on Oriana. Nothing like the clockwork the Italians fit these days.

[Kenmo1]

My sister has just phoned from Oriana. Having arrived at noon she could not board until half past two, although others were allowed on board, because several cabins had to be deep cleaned and hers was one of them. She phoned at 5.20 pm and said divers were still working on the propshaft problem so they had no idea at that stage what time the ship will leave Southampton. The SouthamptonVTS cruise schedule has been showing an estimated leaving time of 18.00 hours but that now seems in doubt at this stage. Hey-ho, the trials and tribulations of cruising.

I have put a link on the Meeting place for Oriana thread which is the webcam for Alta. It is http://portalta.borealiswebcam360.com/ and I have found it fascinating - I look at various times during the day when it is very clear and you can zoom in and see quite a lot. I look sometimes in the evening in the hope I might spot the Aurora Borealis - you never know your luck.

Maureen

[Ranchi]

She seems to be doing OK at the minute. 25 knots up the Channel. Now where did we put the cockerel?
Steve

[oldbluefox]

That's a great webcam Kenmo. Thanks.

[Dark Knight]

something to so with a stray seal getting in the propeller and it refused to be coaxed out despite being offered several fish and a beach ball

[daib GC]

She seems to be doing OK at the minute. 25 knots up the Channel. Now where did we put the cockerel?
Steve

I saw she topped 26.2.

The stokers must have been putting in a shift

Gan Canny


Dai

[Quizzical Bob]

She seems to be doing OK at the minute. 25 knots up the Channel. Now where did we put the cockerel?
Steve

I saw she topped 26.2.

The stokers must have been putting in a shift

Gan Canny


Dai

That's got to be a fair tide, I thought the normal maximum was 24 knots and that would be expensive.

[Meg 50]

I was wondering whether it was doing that speed the other week (to outrun the storm) that caused the problems in the first place?

[Kenmo1]

I'm starting to feel like a peeping tom as I am now watching the Stavanger webcam. Oriana should dock there today but hasn't arrived there yet so I hope she hasn't 'blown a gasket' trying to get there at such high speed. We debated whether to join my sister on this cruise but decided against it but now I have seen some of the sights on the webcams, especially the stunning views in Alta, I am starting to wish we had gone.

Maureen

[Kenmo1]

I can't believe how pleased I am to see Oriana arriving in Stavanger now on the webcam. My sister and her husband have been so looking forward to this trip. The housework will have to wait and I'm going to be a real saddo and watch people getting off once it docks.

Maureen

[Kenmo1]

Sent my sister a text to tell her to stand by the anchor on the quay at Stavanger and sat and waited for ages but eventually got a text saying they were there and I could see her in her pink anorak with her husband and they waved to the webcam and we sent a text saying we were waving back. Then they quickly phoned us and we had a quick chat and we were able to say that we could see them by the jetty which sticks out.

They were just heading back to Oriana for lunch after a walk round. So pleased to see them. I know I'm a saddo but it was lovely.

Maureen

[Frank Manning]

Good for you Maureen, and no you are not a saddo!

[Gill W]

Glad they have got to Stavanger.

When the brochures came out, the Oriana cruise going on 13th March caught my eye, as my birthday is on 15th, and I'd love to try and see the Northern Lights. But we chose other cruises, however, would still like to do this one at some point

[Lollie]

Maureen you are most definitely not alone, a funny 'bonus' of all these webcams, we did years ago when our daughter and boyfriend were in New York, waving at a webcam in Times Square probably looked more strange there! Similarly we have done the same on Oriana, she has a very well-placed camera.