Regent Seven Seas Voyager Pod Update No. 2

I have heard again from Prestige Cruise Holdings with an update on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager which had its starboard pod damaged when entangled by fishing net after departing Singapore.

The technicians arrived in Cochin, India as scheduled and conducted a “thorough inspection”.  Unfortunately it revealed the damage is such that the pod “will require more work than than originally anticipated” (hoped?  prayed for?).  As a result any chance of stopping in Mumbai or Abu Dhabi has been eliminated.

The ship is now proceeding to Dubai where it “should have a two or three day window to complete the [more extensive] repairs”.

Remembering that I am, well, Iamboatman, I can give you a bit more insight than a travel agent as to what the factors are and why things are not more definite.

First, you may ask, “Why 2 or 3 days?  Don’t they know?”  Well, the reality in the ship repair business is that timing is everything.  It depends on what day the ship arrives and what time of the day it arrives. (A 2 AM arrival is not a good thing.) This can be affected by winds, sea conditions, etc.  So, hopefully, it is a three day window, but the work should be able to be completed in two days.

Second, there are issues of whether the workers will work during the Sabbath (as a weekend is involved in a Muslim country…but fortunately it is a very cosmopolitan Dubai!).  Will the parts arrive via air freight as anticipated.  Will the dock is available when it is supposed to be.  Etc. 

Then there are the mechanical issues of whether the damage is limited to what the inspections revealed.  Then simple things like if that darn bolt frees up or if the anticipated salvageable bearing or whatever actually is.  (Let’s not even go to the “You dropped what where?” or the “You lost what?” possibilities.)

So, from the silence of comment, it appears that drydocking (who decided that was supposedly necessary anyway?) is not happening (and would generally take many hours in and out, plus a good bit of preparation.).

And, it would appear that Regent is not anticipating any delay (or significant delay) in the next segment of the World Cruise.