Hi Fran,i know what you mean about being worried we cruise on 9/12/06 an now I'm really nervous it is also our first cruise which I have already spent a fortune on!!! My husband is not to happy right now!!!! Hope to hear from you maybe we can console one another? First time nervous cruiser Vita

Hi DJ5, my husband and I were booked on Princess out of Fort Lauderdale a couple of years ago when Hurricane Frances hit the coast. The ship could not get back into the port and no one could get to Fort Lauderdale, but right up until the time we were support to depart they were saying that we would sail as planned. The ship did not get into port until 3 days after it was suppose. They refunded all our money and cancelled the cruise we had booked. They went on a shortened cruise for those who wanted to still go and who were there.

So, keep checking with Princess right up until the last minute. If they cancel it will be on the day you are suppose to leave in all likelihood. Good Luck

Hi Vita, if you purchased the insurance you can cancel and get a percentage back depending on the date you cancel in relation to when the cruise leaves. Read your cruise information and it should tell you the details, or call Princess and they will explain. If you did not take the insurance, I think you lose your money if you cancel for no reason. Good LUck!
Go on the cruise, it will be fine, and you will have fun.

Hi Vita, I'm am trying to read all the news sites and get all the information I can. Another couple is going with us on Sept 30 and they don't seem so concerned,they said the "kinks" will get fixed, but I think otherwise. I'm trying not to think about it, but it's pretty hard, you always have second thoughts. Let's both hope that in time, everything will get worked out and we both have a great cruise!!! Keep the faith, Fran

Princess will do what is necessary, as would any other line that experiences any problems. You will be refunded, rebooked, or taken care of. They will fix the problem with the steering. They are really not out to kill or mame anyone. Any major line that has any problems, will correct them. As with any aircraft, vehicle we drive, trains, buses, etc. Don't panic, things will work out.

Hi Ladies thanks for the comfort we did take the insurance so I will check that out,thanks for the tip! Fran, I guess you are less nervous then me?But you are right we have to keep the faith now a days what other choice do we have lol!!!! I called my travel agent and of coarse she said not to worry! that did not help at all when I think about all those people on that ship they must have been terrified and I know there not telling us everything on TV thats for sure.So I'll calm down in a few days. Hope to hear from all soon Vita

Go Here to read the July 19 update from Princess Cruises.

Hi Dave, I went to the site and read the article you must be a very experienced cruiser,thanks for the tip!I was wondering how you felt about what happenned on the crown and how nervous I should really be? Any info. would be appreciated. Very New and Nervous first time cruiser Vita

Vita,

I'm sure it was a scary experience for the passengers AND the crew. But it appears to be a mechanical/electrical type of problem, possibly involving the computers they use to steer the ship. This is all speculation. I will say that it is exceedingly difficult to capsize a modern ship, even from severe rolls that would appear hopeless to the untrained (or panicked) eye. A ship is designed such that they "want" to stay upright. Sort of like an airplane - if designed properly and flown correctly an airplane "has" to take off and stay aloft. It is simply a fact of physics. I happen to know that one thing they do during sea trials of new ships is to run up to full speed and then heel over to port or starboard with full rudder - essentially they make a 90 degree turn at top speed. It is an uncomfortable manuver but the ships all seem to make it through this.

In some other post, I noted how I went through some extreme sea conditions during my time in the Navy. We took rolls of greater than 40 degrees, and had waves breaking over the bridge for what seemed to be an eternity. But what most don't realize is a good part of the extreme motion of bad rolls (lists) is caused by the ship counteracting it and staying upright.

Princess has had a lot of bad things happen lately. The fire on the Star Princess, and then this Crown P episode. But they reacted properly. It isn't as if they knew these things would happen and took a risk. They will get it turned around. I would not let it bother me, and indeed, I'd gladly sail on the Crown P on the first cruise they do after repairs.

Thanks Dave,I feel a little better. Vita

Dave,
You are quite right - as a matter of fact, airplanes (if properly trimmmed) will actually fly better "hands off" than with a pair of "hams" on the stick.

Today's ships and aircraft (and some autos) have some type of "by wire" type of control. That means that there is no direct link between the (for example) steering "wheel" and the rudder. What happens is that as the "wheel" is pointed in one direction or the other, an electrical charge (positive or negative) is sent down to an actuator (an electro-mechanical device) that causes the rudder to move in the direction it was "pushed" by the actuator. There are "fail-safe" devices in place to correct erroneous signals so several things had to go wrong at the same time to cause the problem. But, the fact that the ship corrected itself says that the other "fail-safe" devices were working.

So, boys and girls, that is your Science lesson for today. For your homework, read pages.....

quote:

Originally posted by ChucksOK:
Dave,
You are quite right - as a matter of fact, airplanes (if properly trimmmed) will actually fly better "hands off" than with a pair of "hams" on the stick.

I learned this first hand (or ham) while on the Diamond Eclipse flight. We took off and my friend immediately asked me if I wanted to fly the airplane. I took the stick for a few minutes while he was talking to the controller at HSV. I then glanced over and saw he had his hand sort of on his control stick so I figured he had taken over (or never really relinquished it). So I took my hand off my control stick. About 5 minutes later he looked over and said "oh, you stopped flying". I then told him I thought he was, to which he said as you did - that we probably would have kept on going straight with no one the wiser and eventually drift into a slow turn or something like that.

In an afternoon update, Coast Guard officials say the Crown Princess rolled 15 degrees and they were reviewing data from the ship's version of a "black box". Crown Princess was on "auto pilot" when the incident happened.

I realize it was scary and no one was prepared for it, but 15 degrees is really not that significant of a roll as far as affecting the seaworthiness of the vessel.

Read more here

Vita,
You just might get your money back if you state your fear since the accident. Are you booked on the Crown? Call your travel agent. Good luck!

Is this a opportunity? At the bottom of this link is a advertisement: Princess 75% off

http://www.dailycomet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060718/APN/607180867

Great PR

They keep calling it a severe "list". If it was a sharp turn, then I think they would be using different terminology. I think its more likely that they had a malfunciton in the port side stabilizer. Maybe it went into some over-correction mode and just kept pulling the port side of the ship down??? Aren't they just like giant submarine dive planes? if it got stuck in the down position... that could have caused this. Either way, I agree with Dave as I would have no issue with going on the next cruise. You can bet the authorities would not let the ship sail again until the problem can be explained and prevented from happening again. I assume these new ships have a black box type of data recorder and they should be able to quickly tell what caused the list. The tricky part is figuring out how to fix it.

Although I agree with 7thSon in that there may be some Princess cruising bargins to be had soon...

Yes, doing some fire sale business (pardon the pun) would do a lot to restore confidence in Princess cruises. Not that I don't have confidence in them, but many are rattled by the fire on the Star and now this Crown event.

Here is an Update for those cruising on the July 20 sailing of the Crown P. I think this is actually a great itinerary! Plus a 50% refund and reimbursement for travel problems.

I saw several reports locally on an Orlando news programs that said it tilted any where from 40 degrees to 45 degrees, ( I live in Orlando), but earlier today I saw a report on CNN that said it tilted to 35 degrees, the reporter said that if it had tipped any further it might have turned over completely. That report link Dave56 gave said the Coast Gaurd said it was only 15%. How did anyone get injured on a 15% turn? Must have jolted extreemely quickly to cause all those injuries. The local news reports here had many interviews with passengers and they all said they thought the boat was going to flip over, a lot of them said everything went to the other side of the room or deck and everyone was really freaked, they looked shaken in the interviews. My wife wants to cancel our Princess Cruise now, (She also has a severe fear of flying!). Argh! I do wish that I didn't have to hear all these conflicting news reports. I'd like to believe the coast guard, sure they don't have a reason to lie, right?