I can only imagine that this is done because the lines are too mean to take their ships out of service for more than a few weeks, every two or three years!

I recall that Carnival actually set one of their ships on fire, while welding took place during a cruise. The QE2 went to sea with fare paying passengers and a refit still in progress. Such practices are not acceptable, as far as I'm concerned. Can you imagine taking a flight, only to find engineers working inside the cabin?

Have CruiseTalkers experience or opinions about onboard maintenance?

I would guess that, facing the immense cost of laying a ship up for a week or two -or- taking a chance that the work can be done with minimal disruption, a company would keep it sailing. A few 50% fare returns are a lot cheaper than a 100% no-fares.

To be fair it was a minor annoyance and overall we had a great time.

Just wanted to point out that hotels are exactly the same.

Even if the ships were taken out of service twice a year, they would be very shabby - if not downright dangerous - after six months with no maintenance.

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Originally posted by Colin:
Believe me Malcolm, there are worse things to have your cruise disrupted by than maintenance.

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I don't agree! If maintenance completely spoils your cruise and risks passenger safety, what can be worse than that?

(The brouchures do not feature pictures of guys welding and hammering. They often talk of quite and relaxation!)

I don't doubt that it would cost a cruise line lots of profit to have more maintenance periods. They would argue that it would put the fares up.

However, it must cost an Airline a lot of money to maintain a 747, but they still take it out of service! They still manage to offer some cheap fares too!

Welders set alight laundry on the Carnival ship a few years ago, causing a major fire. People could have died! Luckily the ship was near Miami port within easy reach of the fireboats. When lives are lost due to on board maintenance, only then will the matter be properly reviewed.

Routine maintenance is all the myriad items which are taken care of every day in order to keep the ship running cleanly and efficiently. Many of those things are ordinary common or garden good housekeeping.

You mentioned a laundry fire...it wasn't, it was a fire caused by drier lint being ignited by a welding spark and the consequent flames shooting up a drier vent, which had not been cleaned of lint and then igniting synthetic mooring ropes.

That was poor housekeeping and poor inspections, as this has been a well known fire hazard for a long time. As has been grease in the galley stove vents particularly those with deep fat friers.

As for 'welding and hammering' well ships, like us, get older, and sometimes repairs have to be done right away, which is'nt any different than you & I going to see the Doc to get something fixed up.

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Originally posted by gohaze:
As for 'welding and hammering' well ships, like us, get older, and sometimes repairs have to be done right away, which is'nt any different than you & I going to see the Doc to get something fixed up.

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Yes, but if I needed Surgery I would go to the hospital, and not expect the surgeon to operate on me at my work place, while I work on regardless!

Joking aside Peter, I appreciate your expertise. It is all a fine line. I'm just aware that from time to time cruise companies have mismanaged the maintenance and ruined peoples cruises.

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Originally posted by gohaze:
Forty years ago most ships had a month every year for refit and drydocking and then there were always "voyage repairs" every trip.

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I recently cruised on a ship built in 1972. The chief Engineer told me that she was only dry-docked for maybe 2-3 weeks every 3 years! The crew had to undertake just about every aspect of repair and maintenance onboard!

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Originally posted by Winner:
Sorry Malcolm but this time I think you are way overstating your point!

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What only this time?

I have been on more than 40 cruises and have never experienced major drilling, etc., only carpet cleaning/repair, varnishing and painting.

Winner you are obviously a lucky person. I'm the sort of guy who buys a new TV, then it blows up on the first day. When I take it back to the shop the guy tells me that he's never heard of this happing in 30 years! I've been to a Pizza Hut and been told "sorry, we don't have any Pizza's today". I've been on four public buses that have crashed - thankfully none of them seriously!

On my last cruise the crew spent two weeks welding, hammering and pipe-fitting near and actually 'in' our cabin. You should cruise with me, I'd show you some excitement, the ship would probably sink!

A friend of mine had her first ever cruise ruined by workmen - and that was on the QE2.

Would you wait until your house needed major repairs or do them as they came due?

Oh I always wait until the water pours in!

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I've been on four public buses that have crashed - thankfully none of them seriously!

On my last cruise the crew spent two weeks welding, hammering and pipe-fitting near and actually 'in' our cabin. You should cruise with me, I'd show you some excitement, the ship would probably sink!

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I think its possible that Joe will now receive 14 cancellations on the Norway's transatlantic

You cannot be serious, 4 buses have crashed that you have been on?

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Originally posted by Scottylass:
You cannot be serious, 4 buses have crashed that you have been on?

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Yes, I am serious! They were the Red London Double Decker sort. Nothing very serious: one hit a bridge, one hit a van, one took off an open car door, one ran into the back of a lorry. Minor damage, no injuries

I not tried a sinking ship...YET!

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Nothing very serious: one hit a bridge, one hit a van, one took off an open car door, one ran into the back of a lorry. Minor damage, no injuries

I not tried a sinking ship...YET!

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Very funny Malcolm "sounds serious enough for me".

What is serious though is that Fred Olsen decided to do major repairs whilst the "Black Watch" was cruising, I do not think that I would have been too happy about that, but at least you got some money back to spend on another cruise.

Their major project was to replace/upgrade a metal and frame fire-door that led to the crew quarters. (It was located on our deck. Other passengers on other decks would not have even known) Olsen told me that the door had always been deemed up to standard in the past, but a recent inspection gave them a limited number of days to upgrade it. They said that maritime law gave them no choice?

We had a plumbing problem in our cabin (the shower) which was swiftly fixed, but involved a couple of guys working in our cabin for an hour or two. Then again I reported the problem, they fixed it, and I got two bottles of free Champagne

I had a call this afternoon from a friend who works on the MAASDAM.During our converstion,he told me that the ship is going into dry-dock in January,after my Christmas/New Year cruise,for about a week.They will be in Alabama for the maintenance.

I thought this was quite a coincidence considering our current topic. Perhaps I will be able to find out the extent of the maintenance when I am on board in a couple of weeks.....