Castaway Cay CM hurricane plan? [now the Castaway Cat thread]

[over50visits]

I don't think I've seen this topic here....does anyone know what the CMs who live on CC will do (or are now doing) because of the hurricane? Will they evacuate the island...and if so, where (and how) would they go. I hear now on TV that all of the Bahamas will be struck, so there doesn't seem to be anywhere safer to go. I don't know what structure they have there on CC, though.

Whatever, I'm sure they will do what is the safest. Here's wishing them and every soul in that part of the world a safe weekend.

 

[KaitlinsMom]

I know there are some people from the Bahamas that work on CC, but do not sleep there - They arrive by boat - So probably the CM's will just take that boat to a safer area -

 

[inkkognito]

CMs do indeed live/sleep on Castaway Cay! When Floyd hit, they had been removed by Wonder, which made a special trip to pick them up.
Barb

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

I just posted this on another thread:

My SIL emailed me and said her BF (who works on the Wonder) said everybody had to be off the island by 9pm last night. They have to picked up everything they can off the beach and board up the buildings. (their phone connection was not that great so she wasn't sure if he meant last night or tonight). He also said that the ocean is already rough.

So if it was last night it would seem that the Wonder picked up the CC CM's and left around 9pm.

 

[WDWLVR]

Barb - wasn't Floyd before the Wonder. I thought it was Floyd that trashed CC before our Magic 3-day cruise in October of '99. We made a stop at CC to drop off supplies and it was so sad to see how brown everything was (from all the sea water).

Maybe I'm mixing up my hurricanes.

 

[Surfergirl]

It was Floyd beacause our Oct. Wonder cruise was the first one back to CC that fall and we watched them unloading supplies for the island.

 

[Ginny]

Our first cruise was the Wonder Cruise which rescued the Castaway Cay residents and brought them aboard before the Hurricane hit and did all its famous damage. We sailed 16 - 19 September of 99 and I believe that Barb is right and that was Floyd. We never got to Castaway Cay (or any other expected port) but it was very exciting to see the island and see the cast members being brought to the ship by the smaller boats.

 

[TheGottis]

How long did it take Disney to get CC ready for visitors after the hit?? We are on the 26th Wonder cruise...

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

We were on a 3 day Magic that began on Oct 1, 1999. Floyd was mid-Sept. Wonder had its inaugural sailing on Oct 1, which is why we were unable to book it. The press was covering the inaugural, so as far as I know, they were the only ones on the ship, no "regular people."

We Magic cruisers also did not get to board the Magic at the Disney Port at Canaveral. We were herded out to a different port because the Wonder was at the port. It was total chaos and took quite a long time to check in. I remember being bummed that we didn't get to see the model of the ship. I was even more bummed when we could not stop at Castaway, but I had been watching the reports and realized just before we left, that Castaway Cay was probably not going to happen.

And it was true. We were not able to stop at Castaway Cay. We did bring supplies to the island. The island was so sad and brown. The palm trees were lying flat. I think everyone on the ship was standing on deck 10 looking out to the island. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was so sad. There were already construction vehicles on the island trying to make it beautiful again. Now I have to wonder if this will happen again with Frances.

Does anyone remember how soon after Floyd that Castaway was fixed up enough for cruisers to visit it again?

Tink

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Hey Barb - I knew that CM's live there, but aren't there also some workers that come from the Bahamas (Hairbraiders, parasailing, etc)? That's what I was refering to - I just thought, if in a bind, the CM's could leave the island that way (like if DCL couldn't dock)

 

[inkkognito]

Tony just hollered to me that is was indeed the Magic, five years ago this weekend. How time flies! I always think of the Wonder as my "home ship," but once upon a time the Magic was home.

KaitlinsMom, yep, you're right about the "day workers." We like to watch them from the balcony of 5650 as they head off in their boats after a day on the island. A tour guide told Tony that most of them come from Great Abacos. My guess is that the first course of action is to get the CMs with one of the ships, since Abacos would be in the path of danger too (although safer than CC), but if that was not possible, then they would probably go there in smaller watercraft.

Barb

 

[NAT&MAGSMOM]

I was told by one of the CM's that live on CC...that during Floyd(I thought it was Floyd) that they evacuated to Abaco.

Of course right now, a Weather Channel person is on Abaco...when the Weather Channel shows up....that's usually a bad sign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess we'll know more when the Wonder docks tomorrow.

Phyllis

 

[inkkognito]

I think that was probably a different storm...I remember reading about complaints from guests because they had to sail through high seas to get to CC and then couldn't get off the ship...it was strictly a "rescue mission."
Since we are scheduled to sail Sept. 9, I wonder if this will be our first time missing Castaway Cay in 39 trips if it sustains any damage.
I wonder where the poor "Castaway Cat" will go?!
Barb

 

[NAT&MAGSMOM]

OH GOSH BARB....I forgot about him.

Hopefully, somebody took him when they left......

Phyllis

 

[Kalypso]

Anybody have any idea how long the Wonder will be doing "cruises to nowhere" if the Bahamas are hit that badly??

Do they offer you the option of sailing another time? My DBF and I did not get cruise insurance as I'm an employee of the Disney Co and we waited until the last minute to book - like 4 weeks ago - so we never did the math on something like this happening...silly, since we're traveling during hurricane season....

 

[Kalypso]

OH NOOOOOOOOO!! There's a KITTY??? Poor baby
Hope they can get him off the island

 

[over50visits]

Castaway Cat????

In January we were eating lunch on CC in that little separate area to the right of the main area as you leave the buffet, and there was this beautiful, hungry-looking cat...we even took a picture of it, I'd be happy to post here if it hasn't been done before! Beautiful gold markings, white chest,

Anyway, is there just one cat? Is this a well-known feline to CC insiders?

 

[inkkognito]

I have heard there are two cats, but I've only seen one. Sounds like the one you are describing. I've seen him on two or three visits, and although he looks skinny, he is very fussy! I was feeling him piece of burger, which he turned up his nose at. Someone offer lobster burger, and he was all over it!
Barb

 

[over50visits]

Latest update from Weather Channel -

They expect the high waves to be along the eastern side of the large Bahamian islands, such as Abacos. Those islands will act as a buffer to reduce the wave action of islands west of them, such as CC. A small bit of hope here, they said the waves would "only" be about 10 feet west of the large islands if Frances continues as expected.

I'm not a sailor, but it could be that the Magic and Wonder sneak down well to the west of the Bahamas to take advantage of the relatively calmer seas.

 

[jrabbit]

Our first sailing on the Magic was towards the end of August '99. We arrived back in port and the next day the Wonder was in port getting supplies loaded (we stopped by the port on the way to the airport since we saw her there. We got out and walked around the port area looking at her - pre 9/11).

I've always assumed that the Wonders first sailing was there at the end of August or the beginning of September.

I'm pretty sure that the Magic did the resuce mission to CC.