Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Posted on 01/23/2006 4:51:04 AM PST by Vaquero
Queen Mary 2 Passengers Threaten Sit-In
Sun Jan 22, 6:43 PM ET
LONDON - Some passengers on the Queen Mary 2 are threatening a sit-in when the cruise ship reaches port in Brazil to protest a last-minute change in itinerary, the vessel's operator said Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT
The world's largest and most expensive ocean liner left New York on Jan. 15 and was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Feb. 22. Carrying more than 2,500 passengers, it hit the side of a Florida shipping channel Jan. 18, damaging a motor and reducing its speed.
The cruise cut stops in Barbados, St. Kitts and Salvador, Brazil, to make up for lost time, said Eric Flounders, a Cunard Line spokesman.
Cunard offered 1,000 passengers who had been scheduled to disembark in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a 50 percent refund to make up for the missing stops, Flounders said.
Some were unhappy with the offer and told the captain they would refuse to leave the ship, he said. He said only a small number of passengers were protesting, but he did not know how many.
"Cunard takes the view that they are on board, they're enjoying all the facilities of the QM2, all the food, the entertainment and so on, so while we very much regret they're missing the ports, we feel the 50 percent compensates for that," he said.
One passenger, Alan Berg, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that many people on the ship were extremely unhappy and demanding full refunds.
"We have been lied to and misled," Berg, 63, of Manchester, England, said. "We should have been allowed the option of getting off at Fort Lauderdale and not taking the cruise at all. It is not in fact a cruise now but a rather a voyage by sea to Rio. Many guests are on once-in-a-lifetime holidays and I have seen several in tears."
Flounders said Cunard did not know until after the ship left port how much speed it would lose and how many ports of call it would have to skip to reach Rio de Janeiro on time on Jan. 26.
Cunard is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator.
the title of this piece should be "Eric Flounders along with the Queen Mary 2"
Cunard still had to pay for the full staff; the passengers' food, etc, and their regular expenses. 50% is reasonable.
I would say that offering them another cruise at another date would be more in keeping with getting what one payed for.
I have a pet fish named Eric. He's a halibut.
Arrrrgh! The Cap'n ought to flog the mutinous riff-raff!
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Boohoooo. Reminds me of a bunch of idiots on an Australian cruise. 8 ft seas at the stop to snorkel at the Grt Barrier Reef, so the Capt canceled the excursion for safety. People bitched identically - "I can't afford to come back....you promised...etc"... I said, "let em go and get shredded to ribbons smacking up and down against the coral!" One of the staff whispered to me that they were more concerned about damage to the coral than the idiots!
Some one on board ran this thing into a canal and screwed up the screws...this is not an act of god, this is an act of man. They should 0ffer a free ride at another date.
Are all your pets called Eric?
Well, since the contract the passengers all signed says that Cunard owes them NOTHING for missing ports, etc, I think the 1/2 back is pretty good compensation.
They should offer a 50% refund. Oh they did. Fair nuff.
"...it hit the side of a Florida shipping channel Jan. 18, damaging a motor and reducing its speed."
Another clueless reporter writing in total ignorance of the topic.
"Many guests are on once-in-a-lifetime holidays and I have seen several in tears."
S**t happens. Get over it and move on.
I thought so too- but another poster posted a photo on another thread about this that showed external moveable pods with the screws mounted on them. I don't know if they're belt-driven from inside the hull or electrically driven from within the pod itself- but I didn't see any big shafts coming out of the hull- as might be expected.
Time to do some digging, I guess.
She uses Rolls-Royce Mermaid propulsion pods. Motor is in the pod itself.
http://www.rolls-royce.com/marine/product/propulsion/electrical/default.jsp
http://www.worldshipny.com/qm2pt2.htm
Between this system and bow thrusters, I'll bet she's extremely maneuverable for a ship of her displacement.
If I were the company this is exactly what I would offer them. Of course, anyone who accepts this offer must immediately get the hell off this cruise and find their way home on their own.
I'm guessing there wouldn't be too many takers on that one, eh?
Flogging will continue until morale improves.
Heckofadeal, as far as I am concerned. Those cruises cost a mint.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.