All Aboard!!!

Booking Number: GBSOU590697
Vessel: ASIAN KING
Port of origin: SOUTHAMPTON
Voyage: EA749-ASK
Port of Destination: New York, NY
Call sign: 3FYS8

Wallenius Wilhelmsen

Port Country Arrival Departure
HALIFAX, NS CANADA 18/12/2007 18/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 20/12/2007 20/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 21/12/2007 21/12/2007
BALTIMORE, MD U.S.A. 22/12/2007 23/12/2007
BRUNSWICK, GA U.S.A. 26/12/2007 26/12/2007
MANZANILLO PANAMA 29/12/2007 29/12/2007

My Mellow Yellow/Black MCS is on it's way to New York, then on to Hartford, CT! I know that at least one other forum member is on the Asian King with me.

Bored? Here's more info on the ship: http://cgmix.uscg.mil/PSIX/VesselRes...esselID=487116

Post any info you dig up as our journey begins...

Larry

 

that is one ugly boat.

 

It looks better on top:

 

Wow !! What does the inside look like?

 

This ship must be a bit faster than the FREEDOM as it is arriving in NY in 8 days instead of 9.

 

Alsatia (PS/B) is on that ship!

I just got back from a business trip and was too busy to check status so it was a pleasant surprise to see she is finally crossing the pond. I'm sure by this time Alsatia is drinking at the bar with the crew and the other newly hatched MINIs. I know what my bar bill was last time I cruised and I can only hope she does not follow in daddy's footsteps.

Glad to see she is not alone. larydata, where are you located? I'm in Philly so I expect the car will be offloaded in New York and driven down to the VDC. I'm hoping for a MINI Christmas but it most certainly will be a MINI new year!

 

Yes. And if you believe that:
Julie is your cruise director
Issac is your bartender
Gopher is your purser
Oh and Capt Stubing will have his daughter Vicki show you around

 

My Mini will be headed to Hartford, CT (where I work). I commute back and forth from Western MA.

Larry

 

This is the same ship my car arrived on back in August. It's a shame they don't participate in the weather reporting program, or you could track the ship across the Atlantic.

BTW, I think Gopher was sleeping in my car during the journey...

 

I didn't realize that they don't participate in the weather reporting program. So I guess I can stop clicking at sailfax 500 times per day?

Larry

 

Yeah, they did not back in July / August.

 

Have any of you been able to track the ASIAN KING. The west coasters are on the TASCO which left Southhampton at about 1400z on 12/12. I tracked the TASCO on Southampton radar, and in open water it was making about 21kts. We haven't been able to locate the TASCO since then. I read somewhere the we were now scheduled to arrive at Halifax on 12/18.

 

Yes! That's the boat I'm on. Well, not me literally, but I might as well be considering how productive I've been the past two weeks.

My MINI is zipping right through the process. I placed my order on 12/4, building began on 12/6, finished on 12/10, and arrived at port with only hours to spare to be loaded on the Asian King sailing 12/12. I guess he doesn't like sitting still.

The Asian King was easily topping 18 kts out of Southhampton according to the radar. Isn't the ship already one day behind the schedule on WW by leaving on Wednesday?

My MA said the truck ride from NYC to MD should be only a day. Hopefully, we will all have a MINI new year.

Cheers.

 

The voyage details no longer show a stop in Canada. Still shows NYC on the 20th.

SOUTHAMPTON UNITED KINGDOM 12/12/2007 12/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 20/12/2007 20/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 21/12/2007 21/12/2007
BALTIMORE, MD U.S.A. 22/12/2007 23/12/2007
BRUNSWICK, GA U.S.A. 26/12/2007 26/12/2007
MANZANILLO PANAMA 30/12/2007 30/12/2007

Let's hope the weather allows for an easy disembarkation procedure. Eight days seems like a long time to cross the pond but then I did it on a ship traveling roughly 24 knots (in 5 days).

Since the ship sails under a Panamanian flag do you think our cars will pick some Spanish while on the ship?

I'm going to go turn on BBC and learn some more British now.

cheers

 

I'm on the same boat. My Astro Black MCS aka Bob will be in NYC on the 20th.

 

That's odd-thanks for the update.

I wonder if that will speed things up for us?

Larry

 

It might prevent a delay for us but being as the schedule for NYC is still the 20th I don't think, sadly, it will accelerate any deliveries.

Maybe we can petition for the highway patrol to escort the trucks with our MINIs down to the VPC. I'm worried about a delay getting the cars to the VPC if the weather causes traffic. This part of the country can be a real mess this time of year.

 

oh bloody hell!

SOUTHAMPTON UNITED KINGDOM 12/12/2007 12/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 21/12/2007 21/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 21/12/2007 22/12/2007
BALTIMORE, MD U.S.A. 23/12/2007 24/12/2007
BRUNSWICK, GA U.S.A. 27/12/2007 27/12/2007
MANZANILLO PANAMA 31/12/2007 31/12/2007

Now arriving the 21st. There must be some delay at sea for it to skip a port and arrive a day late. Or my Mini is partying like a rock star and does not want to get off the cruise. I know that happened to me last time I was on a ship.

 

That sucks, although I didn't understand why there were two dates for NY before: 12/20 and 12/21. Maybe they just corrected the dates?

Old dates:
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 20/12/2007 20/12/2007
NEW YORK, NY U.S.A. 21/12/2007 21/12/2007

At least it's only a day difference.

Larry

 

the NyNj port cite has the Asian King arriving 12/22 at19:00 hrs. Check it out, enter the call sign 3FYS8.

http://www.firstnynj.com/

 

the ww site schedule is pretty lagged. the port's information is much more accurate. I'd bet on the firstnynj.com site being correct. The FREEDOM which was due at NYC on 12/18 (today), is now due on 12/19 according to firstnynj.com

 

I say again "oh bloody hell"

but thanks for the update. I hope the ship is ok as I don't see any other vessels getting this delayed. I just keep thinking back to the fact it took me 5 days when I crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship and how fast that ship was compared to these car carriers.

If I was on that ship I'd worry about them running out spirits.

 

The Asian King docks TOMORROW!!!

But I don't think there's much hope of it actually being ready at my dealer's until at least Dec 26th. More likely the 27th or 28th.

It's so tough to wait when it's only going to be parked a few hours away at the VDC. Hopefully all of our Mini's will be unscathed from the voyage, and will make their ways to the dealers ASAP.

Larry

 

So the ship will dock late tomorrow. I'm guessing it will take well into Sunday to unload all the cars. If they get to the VPC Sunday or Monday morning I don't think it matters. I don't expect anyone to do much other then check the VIN off a list until Wednesday. If the VPC works the same as every other American business on Wednesday then things will crawl as far as any work being done. I hope things would pick back up to normal speed Thursday/Friday. If work does start Wednesday, albeit slow, then I'll take the 3 day estimate for getting my baby through the VPC process. That makes it available to go to dealer on Friday night/Saturday morning. Friday night probably won't happen as my dealer is only 3 hours away and the dealership would be closed by the time the car got there. I'm guessing a nice Saturday drive from NJ to the dealership. Maybe if the car arrives earlier enough they will turn it around in one day. That means a delivery on Sunday or Monday.

Of course this is all based on no issues with the car making it across the pond (crosses fingers, knocks on wood, prays to the car gods) and no weather issues. Also I have only one dealer installed option that needs to go on the car and that's the magnetic badge plate. At this rate I'll be elated to take delivery before the 2nd.

Happy Motoring and cheers

 

OMG! I can't wait for the asian king to dock. I actually live in Staten Island and the ships anchor extremely close to shore as they makes their way to port. As in you can read the name of the ship and wave to the people as they wait for tide to come in. I've been to the shore but haven't seen our baby yet. Maybe in the morning. This is my second cooper and I can't remember how long the VPC works. Does anyone know? Also I heard they will be open for tours starting this coming April. Goodness I can't wait to drive Bob 2.0 home. Merry Christmas to all on the Asian king.
Meg