General Cruise Discussion

[RooFlyer]

Had a chat with the captain of my current Ponant vessel. He’s French, but based in Sydney and is just relieving the ships captain for this voyage.

* no fuel issues for their fleet ‘so far’

* they use the Windy app, which I knew but they do their planning on forecast wind gusts, rather than forecast wind, as a conservative measure, so add 15 either knots or km/hr -I forget which it was - to the actual forecast wind which makes for much more restricted route possibilities if they’re looking after the passenger comfort which is a usual priority.

 

[Quickstatus]

A cruise ship just transited out of SoH
4 other cruise ships are also on the move . 1 remains moored

All do not have any passengers

 

[RooFlyer]

A cruise ship just transited out of SoH
4 other cruise ships are also on the move . 1 remains moored

All do not have any passengers

Bizarre place for a cruise itinerary. I wonder if they were just in some heavy maintenance yard?

 

[Quickstatus]

wonder if they were just in some heavy maintenance yard?

No indication based on this

 

[Pushka]

Bizarre place for a cruise itinerary. I wonder if they were just in some heavy maintenance yard?

The cruise that @love_the_life and I went on sailed through the straight of Hormuz and into Dubai. The security was impressive back then with RAF helicopter and mercenaries on board and the water pumps manned.

Cunard. QMII. Lots of Americans and UK people onboard. And a couple of bogans. Actually a lot from OZ . It left from Singapore but was part of the World Cruise.

 

[Quickstatus]

straight of Hormuz

Were there cliffs on both sides of the Strait (the pointy bit)

 

[Pushka]

Were there cliffs on both sides of the Strait (the pointy bit)

I reckon we went straight through the middle. No memories of cliffs unless we passed through during the night. I think that is @love_the_life capturing sunset that evening.

 

[Quickstatus]

Remind me why the RN and mercernaries were involved?

 

[Pushka]

Remind me why the RN and mercernaries were involved?

Houthis. Piracy. Protection of significant UK and US civilians and property.

 

[RooFlyer]

The cruise that @love_the_life and I went on sailed through the straight of Hormuz and into Dubai.

Ah, of course. I was thinking further up the Gulf.

 

[Gladstone Tim]

Houthis. Piracy. Protection of significant UK and US civilians and property.

Do you think the cruise companies pay for such protection or does the government just offer it?

 

[Pushka]

Do you think the cruise companies pay for such protection or does the government just offer it?

I reckon the onboard mercenaries are paid by the cruise line but it’s just a guess. The Air Force ? Maybe not. We experienced similar on a Viking cruise traversing the Gulf of Aden. And ship decorated nicely in Oman at the port of Salalah which is the port the hijacked Maersk left from. This is where the mercenaries boarded but they departed in the Red Sea via launch.



When these events are occurring all lights are turned off on the decks and no balcony lights allowed. We had to close up the drapes by sunset and not open them until morning. Outside decks closed.