# Aurora develops fault down under (BBC News)



## SN NewsCaster (Mar 5, 2007)

A Cornish couple's luxury world cruise has turned into a "disaster" after their ship broke down in New Zealand, says daughter.

More from BBC News...


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Very annoying when this happens having paid to much money, but I wish I was stuck in Auckland. Can think of no better place?!. She is still there as I type looking at her web cam.

But I understand how her passengers feel having paid to much money. They will miss the Bay of Islands, Moorea, and Papeete. We missed Pago Pago when I went out to Brisbane on Oriana two years ago. That upset me because it was a port I wanted to see again.

The couple on board as mentioned in the report, if in the most expensive stateroom/balcony would be £18,099 each for the entire world cruise. The cheapest being £16,199 each. The cheapest outside twin, roughing it with just a window on lower decks would be £9,899 each up to £13,799 each. Or if they really wanted to have the very basics an inside cabin would be from £8,599 each to £9,259.

And for a the top of the range you can have a Penthouse Suite for £37,249 each or rough it with just a Mini Suite from £24,899 each. I couldn't even afford the £899 now?!.

These things happen however, ships break down, like any engine breaks down. Aurora will always be remembered the world cruise where she did not make it past the Isle of Wight, but she steams a lot of miles, and parts wear out. Passengers will no doubt be refunded, and enjoy another cruise, but it sadly does not always make up for missed ports. anyway, they were in Auckland long enough to drive up to the Bay of Islands. I used to do it in a 1939 Morris 12!.

Shame to miss Tahiti, I always liked it there, but if you look at her entire world cruise it is pretty impressive, so a couple of missed ports and staying in Auckland for longer can't be that bad *and* all the food you can eat?!.

David


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Aurora still in Auckland according to her web cam.

David


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## Rutts (Jun 28, 2005)

Aurora is due to sail within in the hour, that would have made her call in Auckland a total of 5 days.

Aurora is not alone with regards to mechanical problems as Celebrity Cruises Millennium is due to arrive on Sunday and is also experiencing problems. The next cruise has been cancelled and the vessel will return directly to Sydney for repairs.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10560998


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Steve

I see she is still there at 1230 your time Thursday. 

David


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## Rutts (Jun 28, 2005)

Must admit it was a bit of a surprise when I turned up at Birkenhead Wharf at 0630 this morning to catch the ferry to town and to see her still there. I kept an eye on her ETD as posted on the ports website, It changed 4 times during the day....06:30, 12:00, 18:00 and then finally 17:00. If she had maintained the midday departure I would have ducked down to Orakei and photographed her sailing out. Her port call was from 2332/06 through to 1705/12 March.
I sailed on her transtasman last year between Auckland and Sydney, she is a great ship. I did the same on Oriana in February and even she had the misfortune to stop for about 30 minutes due to a technical problem whilst we were 24 hours from Sydney. Both are excellent ships and we will see neither in Auckland next year so we have to make the most of them when they are here.

Regards


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

Trouble down under david. That mean she's "Incontinental" ...LOl


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

I see from her web cam she has gone, and now at sea. I wonder if she will reach Honolulu by Wednesday 18th?. She was due at Papeete tomorrow.

David


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## Geoff_E (Nov 24, 2006)

"Caveat Emptor".

Ships break down, even the bright shiny ones in the adverts. Not really worthy of a news item!


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I have just come back from a month's visit to my old home town of Auckland and while there we took a drive across the harbour bridge to visit the sea side suburb of Devonport, a very English style old area that boasts some of the most expensive real estate in Auckland in the form of heritage protected old villas and bungalows, an esplanade and a high street full of good cafes among other shops.
We parked our car in the street as it was a quiet Monday morning and went into our favorite coffee shop to find it full of middle/old aged couples all taking with various British accents and one very Welshman asked "Are you off the Ship?" I replied "No" but asked what ship was in port to be told the whole sad story about losing one engine just off Sydney heads and not being allowed to return to that port they proceeded to steam to Auckland on one engine taking 41/2 days, about 10 knots equivalent. 
We chatted for a while and after inquiring what was wrong with the ship I got various replies such as a broken propeller, a faulty propeller shaft and a damaged engine bearing all of which indicated that the passengers had been told very little.
I mentioned that I had been a ship's engineer many moons ago and one passenger asked me to confirm that coming all the way from Sydney would have worn out the good engine twice as fast and that they could be in dire straits later in the voyage because of it. I assured her that was not the case but that did not lift the anger and despondency of most of the cafe's patrons. 
Later we walked up the High street and while Pam went into a dress shop, as women tend to do, I was looking in a travel agent's window at a list of special air fares when another passenger asked me why the offered cheap one way air fares to Australia and not to Britain and it soon became obvious that he was considering leaving the ship and flying home, he was most upset and agitated as he told me the story of the ship's plight and his worry about safety at sea.
I made a comment about "you British people" and he erupted with a loud explanation that he was an Englishman from Manchester and not a Scot or a Welshman, Irishman or a Paki etc and this developed into a full blown rant about the invasion of his England by all manner of foreigners, a bit like some of the posts that we enjoy on this site. 
I was tempted to ask him did he live near Coronation Street but I decided against it as he was beyond any humour.
While he was performing a crowd gathered, all ship's passengers and one or two tossed a few good natured baits at him and another confirmed that he was virtually the ship's pain-in-the- ass, the one that you get on every trip.
WE walked away up the street and a sweet old lady standing 20 yards away said to us "Sorry about that" and we realised that she was the disillusioned gent's wife but I assured her that it was all quite amusing.
It soon became apparent that of the 1600 passengers at least 400 had decided to take the ferry ride to Devonport which was a boon for the village as every cafe was filled with lunch time diners and the "English Shop" that marketed all manner of treats from Britain were flat out selling everything from blackballs and toffees to Branston pickles as those suffering from home sickness soothed their souls.
All in all we were there for about three hours and talked to a lot of people, most were unconcerned about the delay but disappointed about missing out on visits to at least six scheduled ports.
For us it was as good as a trip to a small English town, hardly a Kiwi accent to be heard and lots of moaning!! 
After reading David's account of fare paid for this 90 day around the world voyage I can well understand the aggro we met and I am sure that there would be at least a thousand souls that will not be recommending such a cruise to their friends and neighbours.
Sounds like this Company needs to lift it's act but for me it was an enjoyable chatty day.

Bob


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

So you met the modern day cruise passenger Bob? (Jester) 

By Auckland they would have got into a clique. They would have missed three ports after Auckland, one being the Bay of Islands. They were in Auckland long enough to get up there by road. I used to drive up there is a 1939 Morris 12!. The ports after Sydney were Wellington and Napier. Not sure if they missed these or not, but it was certainly not 6 ports unless she missed others earlier.

I expect they were kept up to date by the captain, but some cruise passengers hear what they want to hear or what they think they hear. The fact that one thought the other engine would wear out shows how clueless some are. 

If any flew home they would have been crazy. She is going through the Panama on 31st March, a special event however many times you have done it. And before Sydney, she had visited 17 ports, and as long as she does not break down again, 7 ports including Honolulu.

There is no pleasing some are there [=P] 

I envy you visiting Auckland, and going across to the north shore. I wish I had been stuck there for 5 days, and a spare £12,000 to rough it in a standard cabin with window even with a moaning Milly on a world cruise?!. (Thumb) 

David


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