# Bad omen cast over ship's launch (BBC News)



## SN NewsCaster (Mar 5, 2007)

Two faces in British fashion are enlisted to help launch the world's second largest cruise liner.

More from BBC News...


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

Since when is the Ocean Village 2 the second largest cruise ship in the world, and also it was only a renamaing ceromony !!!!

Paul


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## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

Does anybody really believe in such omens in this day and age (EEK)


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Brian Twyman said:


> Does anybody really believe in such omens in this day and age (EEK)



Brian,

Without taking sides and giving credence to the belief, I would answer your reasonable question with the observation by saying; _yes, a lot of people do seem to put some store by this as a bad omen._ - Like many things in life, facts can with hindsight be twisted to fit the tale, so any minor fault that might otherwise be overlooked on any other ship, will now be pounced upon and given a mass of publicity.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Make-up artist and model? Celebrities? What a load of Tosh!

Grumpy Dave!


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

It is of course utter rubbish that Ocean Village Two is the second largest cruise ship in the world. But this BBC report is just what I have been complaining about for years. The media in general know nothing about shipping matters which is why they give incorrect information, and refer to cruise ships as liners and boats etc. It is no wonder that as much as 99% of the population are so badly misinformed.

For the record, Ocean Village 2 is 70,210. Quite small as cruise ships go today, although slightly bigger than Oriana. She is the former Crown Princess, A'rosa Blu and AIDAblu. She had always been a cruise ship, never plying a line voyage, so has never been a liner. But like the rest of the media, the BBC does not understand the meaning of the term liner, and possibly never will. 

As for bad omens this is just superstitious nonsense in my opinion. Aurora has had a few problems the biggest being having to cancel her world cruise. But outbreaks of gastroenteritis aboard her is no different to other ships going right back to my day working for P&O when such outbreaks were common. It is only now that the media pick up on it. Yet in truth, such outbreaks are small compared to shoreside. But they like to pick on cruise ships for some reason.

In the main, the Aurora has been a very successful cruise ship having just returned from a world cruise.

And I am sure that Ocean Village 2 will be popular as she has been in her other names. That is of course if the media will allow her to be and not tracking her every movement looking for an excuse to tar her with the same jinx brush as poor Aurora seems to be painted with. David


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

I read today that Holland America will launch the Eurodam next spring, she is 96,000 tons built inItaly,will carry 2,045 passengers with a crew of 800.
John.


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## marine master (Dec 28, 2006)

Superstition or not, this business of the bottle not breaking was taken very seriously. I remember a ship launch at the yard where I was an apprentice in the 50s. The bottle did not break, and the sponsor was taken out in a foyboat to the ship in mid river to break the bottle. Following this incident. the yard always ensured that the bottle would break in future by 'scoring' it with a glass cutter. Fred henderson will almost certainly know of this incident.


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## smoothride (Apr 4, 2007)

OK, since these little spindly models can't seem to handle breaking a bottle off a _steel _ hull, maybe there should be an automated bottle launcher that only takes the press of a button to pneumatically launch it against the hull with some force. Or use cheaper champaigne...

beers,

SR (Pint)


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## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

I do feel sorry for anyone who believes in such omens.Brian


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

superstition or rubbish this is not the launch of a new ship just a re-naming and a re-branding so what if the bottle did not break!!

Paul


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Maybe the girls were told not to hit it too hard in case it went through the 17 year-old steel which has already been weakened by burning-off & welding-on so many different names.

Looking at P&O's market targetting strategy I fear they may have erred in trying to attract the yobs that I have seen on television falling out of city bars, throwing-up on the pavement, flaking-out in the gutter & dancing on parked cars: things that even Jolly Jack doesn't get up to. Perhaps P&O's masters-at-arms (Valued Guest Restraint Operatives) will be able to issue teeny-bopper ASBOs for the currency of the voyage. 

It used to be a great life before the Virus-Boats & I am superstitious. What name is on the bell?

Tony


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

> The media in general know nothing about shipping matters which is why they give incorrect information, and refer to cruise ships as liners and boats etc. It is no wonder that as much as 99% of the population are so badly misinformed.


Most papers are written for someone with a grade 7-8 education-(sorry I don't know the equivalent in the UK). As for superstitious, I would have vehemently denied it right up til starting our rebuilt engine and generator last week, when indeed I found out I was. So I guess the bottle would be a big deal to some.


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

It used to be a great life before the Virus-Boats & I am superstitious. What name is on the bell?

Tony[/QUOTE]

There has always been gastroentertitis on board ships, both viral and bacteria. The current group of viruses known now as Norovirus was known to us years ago. It is only new to the public, not we medics. David


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

Tony Breach said:


> Maybe the girls were told not to hit it too hard in case it went through the 17 year-old steel which has already been weakened by burning-off & welding-on so many different names.
> 
> Looking at P&O's market targetting strategy I fear they may have erred in trying to attract the yobs that I have seen on television falling out of city bars, throwing-up on the pavement, flaking-out in the gutter & dancing on parked cars: things that even Jolly Jack doesn't get up to. Perhaps P&O's masters-at-arms (Valued Guest Restraint Operatives) will be able to issue teeny-bopper ASBOs for the currency of the voyage.
> 
> ...


Tony I would have agreed with you when I was on the final voyage of the last Arcadia across the Atlantic knowing just what they were going to do with her upon arrival in Germany, However the horrible paint job and the 18/30 clientele seems to be working. I know more seniors who have been on Ocean Village and the love the informal way of life.

Each to their own I suppose.

Paul


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

David & Paul,

Thanks your response. A question for David: when reading the CDC reports of gastro-intestinal illness on ships why are the percentages for ships crew always so much lower than those for pax? I am compiling a data base of cruise ship 'problems' & this qestion has been intriguing me for some time. Would also appreciate some info on similar land based establishments such as schools, universities, hotels etc. I realise the implications of physical restrictions that ships at sea have - but what happens ashore? 

Tony


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Went from the above to look at shipping casualties & there she was: OCEAN VILLAGE II had a fire on 16.04.07 shortly before completion of refurbishment at shipyard. The fire, in a 'tea kitchen' was quickly extinguished by firefighters & the damage was apparently not significant. I remain superstitious, especially if they changed the bell as well.

Tony


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## bobs (Aug 12, 2006)

Once went to the simultaneous 'christening' of two small tugs for Ocean Inchcape Ltd (OIL) at a yard in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. What a cock-up! 

The first fine lady in a fancy hat failed to break the bottle three times. She managed it on the fourth attempt but, no doubt getting a bit flustered by this time, gave the ship the wrong name!

Then the second fine lady in a fancy hat probably spoilt her chances of success by saying, through the microphone, "Let's see if we can do better." Predictably, the bottle bounced off. On the second try, not only did the bottle bounce but it also came off the 'string' and plopped into the drink.

Then we were all taken for a real posh nosh within the hallowed walls the Royal Yacht Club, where working class lads like me would normally never be allowed (but I was wearing a disguise - a suit)!

Afterwards I wandered back past the yard. The tide had gone out and a crowd of local urchins were frantically prodding around in the mud trying to find the lost bottle of bubbly.

I am not of a superstitious disposition but I did wonder about any crew sent to work on either of these vessels who might be and had got to hear of their 'ominous' beginnings. I found the whole debacle hilariously funny but laughing at the time was definitely not-on, though it really hurt to stifle it.


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

smoothride said:


> OK, since these little spindly models can't seem to handle breaking a bottle off a _steel _ hull, maybe there should be an automated bottle launcher that only takes the press of a button to pneumatically launch it against the hull with some force. Or use cheaper champaigne...
> 
> beers,
> 
> SR (Pint)



They have been doing this for years. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal launced Grand Princess? & the bottle was diamond cut & with a press of the button smashed against the stem covering all on the launch rostrum(Thumb) 
PS. I hate it during the naming ceremony when the lady say " I name this ship THE QUEEN MARY 2" There is no THE on the bow!!!(Cloud)


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## bobs (Aug 12, 2006)

I was at the launch of the second "Atlantic Conveyor" (to replace the one lost in the Falklands War) at Swan Hunter's Wallsend yard in 1985. Mrs "Hezza" Heseltine, wife of the then defence minster, Michael, performed the bottle-smashing bit perfectly and the ship set off down the slipway right on cue. But then, as the drag-chains started to follow, there arose a huge cloud of red rust, which the wind blew all over the assembled crowd, including all the ladies in their finery. Tried not to laugh. Failed!


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