Two more seas with a pod - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Cruise Travel, July-August, 2002 by George E. Thiel, Jr.

The article on Azipod propulsion systems ("A to Z of Azipods," Cruise Travel, June 2002) was very good. However, it was incorrect to state that Royal Caribbean International has seven ships using turbine-powered electrical-generating systems. RCI's Voyager Class ships--Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas (due to debut late this year), and Mariner of the Seas (due in late 2003)--all have diesel-electric, not turbine-powered, systems.

One thing that you didn't mention is the fact that the Celebrity Cruises' Millennium Class ships have had problems with their Mermaid brand podded propulsors. (ABB Azipod is the manufacturer of the pods on the RCI ships.) I was on Celebrity's new Summit for the March 18th cruise when the port pod malfunctioned and we had to skip two ports-of-call on the 11-night cruise due to lack of speed.

George E. Thiel Jr., New Port Richey, FL

We have discussed the pod problems in the individual Millennium Class ship stories, where appropriate. We trust those problems have been solved. And indeed, we incorrectly mixed in the Voyager Class ships with the listing of the RCI Radiance Class ships (the Radiance of the Seas has a turbine-powered electrical-generating system and ABB Azipods). And one other thing that we didn't mention, but should have, is that two Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' vessels, the Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Navigator, have podded propulsors.