Main Dining Room
New Public restrooms going in.
I have been back in Venice now for 10 days and I thought it was about time I sent an update to you.
Bridge nearing completion
My first few days back was spent getting ready to join the Seabourn Encore on a short time at sea before going to Trieste shipyard. Let me explain.
The ship is at the point in her life where the machinery and the ship herself needs to be tested. Any major problems with propellors and so forth need to be found now when we still have time to correct them. The Seabourn team were onboard as observers because until we take delivery of the vessel from the shipyard we are not the owners. So, the builders, Fincantieri had their own Captain and crew onboard together with around 400 technicians and us.
We left the shipyard on Friday morning and spent the rest of the day, Saturday and most of Sunday putting the ship through her paces testing various bits of equipment. We zig zagged at high speed to test rudders and propellors and bearings. We ran slow and fast to test the propulsion, we dropped anchors and lifted them and dropped them again. We spun around using the thrusters. You must remember that this is the first time any of these units have been run in earnest in the life of the vessel.
We are now in Fincantieri’s Trieste dry dock. The one in Venice already has a new Carnival ship under construction occupying it. Here will be get our final coats of paint on both the sides, tops and hull of the ship. When she leaves here she will look stunning.
The dry dock gave me a chance to see the parts of the ship normally hidden from view under the sea. I will leave you with some photos that hopefully give you an idea what I am talking about. Incidentally I slept in suite 619 on Friday and Saturday nights on a temporary bed. That suite will forever be special to me now. I was the very first person to use it albeit in a rather spartan state right now.
On the open sea for the very first time.
Approaching our dry dock in Trieste
Seabourn observers including my self, far right, and our project manager Jan Velthuis fourth from right.
In the dry dock.
In the dry dock with the water pumped out. Look at the men to give a scale.
Starboard side propellor and rudder.
Starboard stabiliser fin tucked away in its housing.
Two stern thrusters. We dont have these on the Odyssey class vessels.
Chief Engineer Pekka Piipsa discusses some technical details with Project manager Jan Velthuis in the dock bottom.
This is a photo of the ships bottom plates resting on big blocks that support the ships weight when the sea water is pumped out of the dry dock. 40,000 tonnes lie above my head.
I hope this brings you up to date and gives some idea behind the scenes what is going on. Ciao Ciao.