No word yet on the cause or extent of the problem - indeed, there's no mention at all on the Celebrity website - nor of passenger compensation.

Given Summit was in recently and Millenium is currently in dry dock or just come out this if true is a horrid situation for all concerned.

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I have to say that although these are possibly my favourite ships I would have to seriously consider not cruising on them unitl the pod issue is resolved, it would seem a bloody good chance your cruise will be disrupted.

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[ 11-28-2006: Message edited by: Tom Burke ]

I recall reading sometime ago that the problems were caused by the Celeb pods being the first and that they were not large enough for the job. I do not think the latter comment could be at all valid comparing the relevant sizes/output of those on the other ships which don't have the problems.

It is very odd these problem haven't been solved, so many times the bearings have been changed/lubrication and so on... have they ever changed the whole pod unit? Or is it also something to do with other parts too... on the other hand one could suggest Celeb are wrecking their own engines.. boy racer style

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Originally posted by Fairsky:

I would think Celebrity would insist on a complete replacement of the propulsion system on the M-class ships given the horrible reliability history. These ships are lemons.

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I agree that Mermaid owes RCI/Celebrity a huge sum of money for the problems these pods have caused. It's not just refunding passengers and lost revenue due to canceled sailings, but also the reputation of the line and the negative impact the pods have caused. I'm not sure how much money can repair that? I never did hear the outcome of the lawsuit already filed.

As for the ships being "lemons", I don't agree. These are fabulous ships and four of the best sailing today. The true lemons are the Mermaid pods that propel the ships.

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Originally posted by Fairsky:

I would think Celebrity would insist on a complete replacement of the propulsion system on the M-class ships given the horrible reliability history. These ships are lemons.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:

If these pods are not large enough and are overworked how difficult would it be to install larger units??

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I would think the potential problem here could be stability. The hull and it's center of gravity have been planned based on the size and weight of the existing pods. To simply install larger ones may either put too much stress on that area of the hull or affect how she handles and sits in the water.

[ 11-28-2006: Message edited by: timb ]

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Originally posted by Patsy:
Why don't they just go back to oars or sail? That'll solve the problem of the pods.

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Or buy dependable outboard motors such as Evinrude.

What's the most powerful model and how many would need to be clamped on the back of Millennium?

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Originally posted by PamM:
The MSC quads and Seven Seas Mariner also have these pods, yet they don't have the problems.

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I have just got off Mariner and she has been having problems on the current Circle Asia and Pacific cruise.It was reported she was limping around Alaska and into Asia.Repairs have been done but she can't maintain top speed and 2 calls have been cancelled for her current return trip to LA.I also heard that Voyager is having problems and 2 cruises are in doubt while she is being repaired.
I was only on board while she was in NZ waters and we had a port each day, so did not notice anything amiss,in fact commented on how smooth and vibration free the ship was.
On disembarrking I noted a dive team had arrived on the wharf,so presume they were checking her out before before setting off back to the States.

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Originally posted by bmajor:
I have just got off Mariner and she has been having problems on the current Circle Asia and Pacific cruise.[/IMG]

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I read your other thread and meant to comment that "whoops I had spoken too soon"
But every engine from time to time will have a problem somewhere, whatever type. Overall are pods any less reliable than a standard engine/prop etc?

It doesn't seem so to me, but then I am not likely to know of all engine failures going. We only hear about the nuisance ones. I also remember the initial problems Carnival had with the ABB pods, a number of cruises were missed there too I seem to recall, but all forgotten about now.

The divers could have also been part of security. I noted when in Civitavecchia with Seven Seas Voyager earlier in the year, she was the only vessel in port with a Zodiac and divers hanging about her all day [she was also the only non-European vessel in port, asides from the USS Austin which should have been able to protect her].

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Originally posted by bmajor:
I have just got off Mariner and she has been having problems on the current Circle Asia and Pacific cruise.[/IMG]

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I read your other thread and meant to comment that "whoops I had spoken too soon"
But every engine from time to time will have a problem somewhere, whatever type. Overall are pods any less reliable than a standard engine/prop etc?

It doesn't seem so to me, but then I am not likely to know of all engine failures going. We only hear about the nuisance ones. I also remember the initial problems Carnival had with the ABB pods, a number of cruises were missed there too I seem to recall, but all forgotten about now.

The divers could have also been part of security. I noted when in Civitavecchia with Seven Seas Voyager earlier in the year, she was the only vessel in port with a Zodiac and divers hanging about her all day [she was also the only non-European vessel in port, asides from the USS Austin which should have been able to protect her].

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But every engine from time to time will have a problem somewhere, whatever type. Overall are pods any less reliable than a standard engine/prop etc?

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I certainly don't have any figures for overall reliability. But here's another factor: if you have a problem with a pod, you can't fix it (broadly speaking) without a drydock, and as someone on another forum said, that takes at least three days: one to enter the drydock, one to fix the problem, and the third to get out of the drydock. Whereas presumably with everything in the engine room, you can have a team of engineers repairing/replacing components while you're still operational. Possibly operational at reduced power, but you don't have to cancel cruises to get to a dry-dock.

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
But here's another factor: if you have a problem with a pod, you can't fix it (broadly speaking) without a drydock,
So even if pods are aren't actually any less reliable than conventional propulsion systems, the impact of a problem when it arises seems to be greater.

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