Cruise Talk: Black out in Europe - due to Norwegian Pearl transfer?

Cruise Talk

Cruise News

Welcome to Cruise Talk the Internet's most popular discussion forum dedicated to cruising. Stop by Cruise Talk anytime to post a message or find out what your fellow passengers and industry insiders are saying about a particular ship, cruise line or destination.

>>> Reader Reviews
>>> CruisePage.com Photo Gallery
>>> Join Our Cruise Club.

Latest News...Carnival Freedom is returning to service following a 35-day dry dock at Chantier Naval de Marseille in France, emerging with a redesigned funnel, expanded casino space and a series of interior upgrades. The ship departed the shipyard en route to Barcelona ahead of its first post-refurbishment sailing. The dry dock marks one of the vessel’s most significant updates in recent years and prepares...

Latest News...Princess Cruises has released its 2028–2029 Americas program, a wide-ranging deployment featuring more than 250 sailings across North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Antarctica. The season includes the line’s first return to the Amazon River since 2014, along with expanded offerings in Canada & New England, Hawaii, Mexico, the California Coast, ...

Latest News...Holland America Line has outlined a series of Pan Am-themed experiences that will be featured on its 28-day Pan Am 100th Anniversary Legendary Voyage aboard Zuiderdam, departing October 30, 2027. The sailing, roundtrip from Miami, will retrace portions of Pan American World Airways’ historic routes through the Caribbean and Central America, incorporating onboard programming and shore...

More Cruise News...

my profile | register | search | faq | forum home

»	Cruise Talk » Technically Speaking » Black out in Europe - due to Norwegian Pearl transfer?

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Black out in Europe - due to Norwegian Pearl transfer?

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 11-05-2006 10:20 AM

Parts of Europe have been without electricity - a possible cause might have been the power line which has been switched off for the Ems passage of the Norwegian Pearl. Has anoyone more detailed information?

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Tom Burke
First Class Passenger
Member # 5238

posted 11-05-2006 12:02 PM

Yes! I wouldn't have believed it, but that is indeed what the BBC is saying (although they aren't identifying the ship or the river). It's expressed as 'may have been due to...'

Here's a link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6117880.stm

Posts: 1469 | From: Sheffield, UK | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

Cunard Fan
First Class Passenger
Member # 7530

posted 11-05-2006 08:19 PM

I don't get it, why would the ship cause power failer

Posts: 2327 | From: Pasadena just north of Queen Mary | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 11-05-2006 08:25 PM

To allow a safe passage of the new Norwegian Pearl on her way to the open sea a power line had to be switched off. There is the suspicion that this contributed to the collapse of the power grid. (Altough it has already been said that this alone probably is not necessarily enough to explain this collapse)
Electrical power grids are delicate - one has to 'feed in' precisely the amount of 'electricity' as 'consumed' - a disturbance can cause the whole grid to 'black out'.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-06-2006 03:21 AM

It may well have just been a coincidence that the power line over the Ems was switched off.. further reports are along the lines of an extreme power surge due to the cold weather with 2 major lines failing causing the auto systems to re-route supplies, sending supplies through lines which tripped because they couldn't handle the excess, hence the pack of cards scenario.

Power lines are switched off for one reason or another every day; it seems unlikely a single line across the Ems could cause such a mess.. more likely just one thing along with many others which all happened at the same time. Maybe reports later on today will add more details.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Johan
First Class Passenger
Member # 4458

posted 11-06-2006 03:39 AM

I was one of the (apparently) many whose power failed sometime about 22.20 hrs last saturday night.
I live on the left bank of the river scheldt in Antwerpen : there was light on the right bank, but all of the left bank, as far as I could see deep in the hinterland (I live on the 16th floor) was dark...including the motorway lighting..quite eerie. ...behind some windows you could see a candle.

The dependence on electricity is great, and the realisation of this unnerving.

Power came back after some 35 minutes.

LAst night on the news they showed the Norwegian Pearl, and it was said that the disconnection of some pylons over the River Ems caused an overflow on other lines, which had its effects on the whole of europe.

It was also said that the cities and region were the power failed were not accidently chosen, but "prewired" (so to say). These are said to have some special "safety" procedures, otherwise the powercut would have been on the whole of europe, and now contained to various parts.

Posts: 1895 | From: Antwerpen, Belgium | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

Onno
First Class Passenger
Member # 3071

posted 11-06-2006 06:50 AM

Here in Eindhoven and neighboring villages we also experienced a brief power failure, only lasted for 10 minutes.

Onno

Posts: 3583 | From: the Netherlands (Berenbotje ging uit varen...) | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-07-2006 03:51 AM

E.on have now admitted is was indeed the shut down of this single line which caused the problem. Incredible really. It shouldn't have happened and has at least prompted some sort of a review into making sure there isn't a re-occurrence.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 11-07-2006 05:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
E.on have now admitted is was indeed the shut down of this single line which caused the problem. Incredible really. It shouldn't have happened and has at least prompted some sort of a review into making sure there isn't a re-occurrence.

Although that's always what power companies say when something like this happens. It'll keep on happening from time to time, all over the place - when complex networks are under strain, the effects of doing something apparently simple are not always predictable. It's the sort of situation for which chaos theory was invented.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)

Ultimate Bulletin Board^TM 6.1.0.3

VACATION & CRUISE SPECIALS

Check out these great deals from CruisePage.com

Royal Caribbean - Bahamas Getaway from $129 per person

Description: Experience the beautiful ports of Nassau and Royal Caribbean's private island - CocoCay on a 3-night Weekend Getaway to the Bahamas. Absorb everything island life has to offer as you snorkel with the stingrays, parasail above the serene blue waters and walk the endless white sand beaches. From Miami.

Carnival - 4-Day Bahamas from $229 per person

Description: Enjoy a wonderful 3 Day cruise to the fun-loving playground of Nassau, Bahamas. Discover Nassau, the capital city as well as the cultural, commercial and financial heart of the Bahamas. Meet the Atlantic Southern Stingrays, the guardians of Blackbeard's treasure.

NCL - Bermuda - 7 Day from $499 per person

Description: What a charming little chain of islands. Walk on pink sand beaches. Swim and snorkel in turquoise seas. Take in the historical sights. They're stoically British and very quaint. Or explore the coral reefs. You can get to them by boat or propelled by fins. You pick. Freestyle Cruising doesn't tell you where to go or what to do. Sure, you can plan ahead, or decide once onboard. After all, it's your vacation. There are no deadlines or must do's.

Holland America - Eastern Caribbean from From $599 per person

Description: White sand, black sand, talcum soft or shell strewn, the beaches of the Eastern Caribbean invite you to swim, snorkel or simply relax. For shoppers, there's duty-free St. Thomas, the Straw Market in Nassau, French perfume and Dutch chocolates on St. Maarten. For history buffs, the fascinating fusion of Caribbean, Latin and European cultures. For everyone, a day spent on HAL's award winning private island Half Moon Cay.

Celebrity - 7-Night Western Mediterranean from $549 per person

Description: For centuries people have traveled to Europe to see magnificent ruins, art treasures and natural wonders. And the best way to do so is by cruise ship. Think of it - you pack and unpack only once. No wasted time searching for hotels and negotiating train stations. Instead, you arrive at romantic ports of call relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Holland America - Alaska from From $499 per person

Description: Sail between Vancouver and Seward, departing Sundays on the ms Statendam or ms Volendam and enjoy towering mountains, actively calving glaciers and pristine wildlife habitat. Glacier Bay and College Fjord offer two completely different glacier-viewing experiences.

More Vacation & Cruise Specials...