# Pacific Sun - Truth behind dream cruise which 'resembled Titanic'



## shamrock (May 16, 2009)

The report into the cruise ship 'Pacific Sun' incident last year where she hit severe weather has been released by New Zealand authorities, 77 people were injured when the ship rolled 31 degrees in heavy seas...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10581131

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10581136


----------



## Rutts (Jun 28, 2005)

The report has been released just in time for her winter cruises out of Auckland, nothing like a bit of publicity. We have just had the shortest day and winter normally sets in now for the next couple of months so it will be interesting if she makes the news again during the current cruise programme.

Cheers


----------



## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

It is interesting that one of my concerns about problems with designated muster stations that I have mentioned in other threads actually happened on this ship according to the report. In other words, no plan B it seems. 

Again it proves my point about poor or no information given to passengers new to cruising or knowing nothing about ships when they encounter rough conditions. Crew wearing life jackets in this situation is normal practice if they had been alerted.

I have been in a force 12 aboard the old Arcadia, and the cyclone that destroyed Darwin in 1974. Heavy object like pianos were secured because were were always prepared for rough conditions, but there are always going to be injuries, especially if passengers did not take their own precautions. The most common injury was wrist fractures, people falling over putting their hands out to break the fall, and break their wrist(Colles Fracture). I remember the force 12 well, losing my breakfast over board taking it back to my cabin on the outside deck losing it over the side while resting the tray on the handrail while trying to open the door from passenger accommodation to my hospital. she lurched to starboard, and over it went!. So had to back for more!. And I lost the cover I had for ages!. Still floating around the oceans no doubt?!. The galley working as normal, a force 12 not stopping them. However, Arcadia was a purpose built passenger liner, built for all sea conditions even at 29,664gt. We just took it in our stride, and so did best part of the passengers most if not all experienced cruisers unlike today. By that time, Arcadia was a full time cruise ship. Also in rough conditions we put ropes across certain areas, we were always prepared. 

Cruises in the winter is not a good idea in my opinion, whether southern or northern hemisphere. These modern cruise ships are not designed for heavy seas, whether stabilizers work or not, and neither are many passengers these days often never been on a cruise before, which is why modern cruise ships do not cross the Atlantic during the winter unless designed for winter on the north Atlantic.

I have said it before and will say it again, seas can become very rough, especially in winter months, but also in summer as well. Passengers must realize they are going to roll badly even the monsters, with all the facilities of a holiday centre shore side. 

The ships may have changed, but the seas have not, they are as dangerous as they always were. And until some passengers realize that being at sea is very different to being on land, there is always going to be those who moan, who can't handle rough conditions, who injure themselves, and who have no idea what to do in an emergency or put on a life jacket.

David


----------



## exsailor (Dec 18, 2005)

Complete report on incident at www.maib.govt.uk/latest_news/pacific_sun.cfm

Dennis.


----------



## shamrock (May 16, 2009)

The PDF file report makes very ineresting reading...

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Pacific_Sun_Report.pdf

As usual it takes injuries for basic and logical changes to be made...ie, making sure everything that can be attached inside the ship IS attached thus avoiding injuries wherever possible.


----------



## shamrock (May 16, 2009)

The photos within the report before, during and after the rolling are quite frightening to see....those gaming machines, for example, could have killed a child had one fallen onto one. Makes you think just how many potential missiles there are on a cruise ship.


----------



## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

shamrock said:


> The PDF file report makes very ineresting reading...
> 
> http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Pacific_Sun_Report.pdf
> 
> As usual it takes injuries for basic and logical changes to be made...ie, making sure everything that can be attached inside the ship IS attached thus avoiding injuries wherever possible.


I have read the report, and will comment more when I have time. But the ships I served on and in far worse conditions than those experience by Pacific Sun were far better prepared. Also, when aboard Northern Star emigrating to New Zealand we hit a storm just the same as the Pacific Sun which hit the country, affecting road and rail very badly. But we sailed through it no trouble, although a few did not turn up for breakfast on the last day (Jester) 

David


----------



## fred henderson (Jun 13, 2005)

This is another example of the usual media hype. In no way did the cruise "resemble Titanic". Titanic sank with fearful loss of life. The newspaper report dated 28 June states “An official report into the accident, obtained by the Herald on Sunday but not yet shown to passengers” when in fact the report has been on the MAIB website since its publication on 24 June. http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Pacific_Sun_Report.pdf

No mention is made that the report also states: -
“The mainland of New Zealand was buffeted by the weather system encountered by Pacific Sun, which locally disrupted road, rail, and air travel, and electricity and water supplies on 30 and 31 July. People were advised to avoid unnecessary travel in the affected areas and to listen to local radio for updates from the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (CDEM). CDEM reported that:
Marlborough CDEM Group declared a state of local emergency in the Picton area at 3pm [30 June] due to flooding and the need to evacuate some people.
There were widespread reports of landslips, flooding, and damage to trees, buildings and roads in many regions of New Zealand during the storm.”

At one time people expected ships to experience the effects of storms. For example, the Italian liner Andrea Doria rolled twenty-eight degrees during a storm off Nantucket on her maiden voyage in 1952. There was no official enquiry, because at that time people expected storms at sea.

Fred


----------



## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Fred is right, this is another example of media hype.

I have been in far worse storms, and in smaller ships, but ships built for ocean travel, not floating holiday resorts.

The report mentions open decks that passengers were on deck 10 by the Lido pool bar. That is crazy. If the ship was rolling that badly, all outside decks should have been closed. 

In the pictures I cannot see ropes anywhere in open spaces. When Arcadia hit hurricane force 12 winds back in early 1974 between Vancouver and Honoloulu we ropes were put across wide spaces between alleyways etc for passengers to hold onto. All outside decks were closed. Arcadia was a smaller ship than Pacific Sun, and winds far stronger than storm force 9 as in the case of Pacific Sun.

The fact that stabilizers were not working properly along with a large swell would of course been a major problem, but all large items should have been secured as standard as with all passenger liners I sailed on.

It seems as feared that crew of cruise ships are not so well trained as my era from ships drill to securing items for bad weather. It also seems as I feared that when in a bit of a fix, they had no system of accounting for passengers once they had returned to their cabins. A recipe for mayhem as I have always been concerned about when going back aboard these floating holiday resorts and of course total mayhem when the muster station is out of action. I also note that e-mail was sent from the bridge. What the hell is wrong with the phone. We had no e-mail during my era, and no satellite communication which I understand meant the ship officers had reduced ability to contact Princess Cruise etc. Sparks on this site must be laughing like drains. How the hell do people think we communicated in our day?!. And I am laughing at at the mayhem caused by this puff of wind. And yes, compared to a force 12, and the cyclone that destroyed Darwin that Arcadia caught in, this was certainly a puff?!. 

On Arcadia, my hospital deck was on C Deck, but D Deck below me, also a passenger deck was under water. Yet the ship ploughed through like the steady ship she was, designed for the worlds oceans. Life aboard as as normal as possible. We even had the American group the Platters on board, and they did a crew show in a force 12. Yes, passengers were injured, usually wrist fractures, some being reduced in our hospital theatre. We just got on with it, the galley still churning out food for those who felt like eating. And the cyclone was no different, a bit choppy, certainly no cobwebs on deck, but the old girl ploughed through as usual.

When I was aboard Oriana not long ago, a ship nearly three times as big as Arcadia, we were rolling off of Ryde in a very slight sea. I could not believe it. 

I was also aboard Northern Star, even smaller than Arcadia at 24,756gt crossing the Tasman when emigrating to New Zealand in 1968. We hit a storm that hit New Zealand the same as the storm Pacific Sun encountered. Landslips, flooding, the lot. We were behind schedule because of engine trouble. We were supposed to call at Wellington and Auckland, but we only called at Wellington. I was due to get off at Auckland, so flew up because the rail line had been affected by landslips. Yet being a purpose built passenger liner, Northern Star ploughed through it with no casualties as far as I am aware. Open decks were out of bounds, and the restaurant was a bit empty. But it did not put me off, I was still there for every meal?!!.

It is beyond me that we were well prepared for heavy seas during my day including aboard Northern Star, passenger restriction and so on, closing decks, erecting ropes and so on, that they are not even *more* prepared today.

I notice in the report that the stretcher crew was called. Well, I was in charge of that on both Arcadia and Canberra And passengers should have been informed about crew being in life jackets. Again, it is a recipe for the mayhem that I have always been concerned about because passengers do not have a clue what is going on because they are not told, and know nothing about ships. And if they are told at passenger drill, few listen or read safety notices.

Passengers and crew aboard this ship were lucky really. It could have been far worse. And unless more is done to educate crew and passengers alike aboard these modern cruise ships, one day it *will* be worse. Sadly, former crew of the liner area have been saying it for years, but few are listening.

David


----------

