Just posted - Cruises Cancelled

[_auroraborealis_]

Tortola is just trashed, if you search out pictures.

Aristocats Charter shared pictures of the boat harbor: https://www.facebook.com/Aristocatc...043581544003/1954145441467145/?type=3&theater

 

[Garyjames220]

True...

But it could be worse.

I mean, in 2 weeks we've had 2 "one in 500 year" storms...

it's just horrible the way it's destroying everything

Clearly there is no telling but I just feel surely can't get it this bad again next year

 

[Garyjames220]

Tortola is just trashed, if you search out pictures.

Aristocats Charter shared pictures of the boat harbor: https://www.facebook.com/Aristocatc...043581544003/1954145441467145/?type=3&theater

Wonder if dcl will still go to these places

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Clearly there is no telling but I just feel surely can't get it this bad again next year

Science suggests it will only get worse. This year is bad because ocean temperature is higher.

 

[Garyjames220]

Science suggests it will only get worse. This year is bad because ocean temperature is higher.

God if it gets any worse there won't be any carribean left

 

[Dug720]

Science suggests it will only get worse. This year is bad because ocean temperature is higher.

Liking in this case equals agreement. Not liking the reality of climate change.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Liking in this case equals agreement. Not liking the reality of climate change.

Agreed.

The models do not really let up this season, to be honest. Last year, Matthew was, well, an M, and we go through alpha order. Otto actually was a late November storm and survived crossing over Nicaragua to the Pacific. It was the latest storm on record to reach Cat 3 status since records began (1851).

I think we're likely to see storms both earlier and later.

 

[NS8VN]

La Nina is to blame for a lot of this, it decreases the sheer winds that would normally slow the formation and strengthening of Atlantic/Gulf storms. El Nino increases these winds, which is why we had relatively light 2015 and 2016 seasons with fewer strong storms. If the La Nina persists in to next year then we absolutely could have a bad year. If we get a transition year (possible) or make a switch to an El Nino (unlikely) then the season should produce less powerful storms.

 

[Dug720]

Agreed.

The models do not really let up this season, to be honest. Last year, Matthew was, well, an M, and we go through alpha order. Otto actually was a late November storm and survived crossing over Nicaragua to the Pacific. It was the latest storm on record to reach Cat 3 status since records began (1851).

I think we're likely to see storms both earlier and later.

Yep. Unfortunately.

 

[wnissen]

I'm in the same boat! (pun intended). We are set to sail on the 15th. Plan to be at WDW the 13th and 14th. If they cancel the cruise we will spend 5 days at the Mouse House instead of 2. We have non-refundable first class air that we intend to use even if it gets us killed in hurricane! Just kidding. My hope is Irma moves on thru and Jose take a turn north and all will be well. Totally agree if we can't do CC they should cancel the cruise. I don't care about Nassau but I love CC.

We were scheduled to sail during 130 mph Hurricane Jeanne in 2005, and were not treated well by DCL. We had a similar plan, fly in for a few days at WDW, then the cruise. They didn't cancel the cruise until after we had already gotten on our flights! It was extremely frustrating because we flew into the path of a major hurricane and then DCL said "never mind". We couldn't even get anyone on the phone because all the CMs were in the Orlando area. They provided no help with lodging whatsoever.

Mercifully the folks at Animal Kingdom Lodge were incredible. We extended our stay through the length of the cruise, the parks were nearly empty for days afterward, and it was my favorite WDW vacation ever. The Lodge never even lost power, the restaurant was open, it was really a great job done by the resort folks. The cruise did leave a couple days later, from Port Everglades down in the south of Florida, with an abbreviated itinerary. We just took a refund. That said, it would be foolhardy to knowing fly into the path of a category 5 storm, even one that is likely to be significantly weakened by landfall. Disney is incredible, Jeanne had 100 mph winds when it reached Orlando and the parks were open the next day. But you never know with flooding, etc.

My tips: 1. Book in a deluxe resort, the "intermediate" resorts are really motel style, and people were confined to their rooms. That would have been a drag. 2. Don't assume you will be able to contact DCL, or get any help from them.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

After my travel agent told me yesterday that my full cruise would be refunded including insurance, today she tells me can't refund insurance.

I am losing money on insurance for 7 people. I have it in writing where she told me entire amount will be refunded but are back tracking now.

As I asked on your other thread - did the TRAVEL AGENT say the insurance premium was refundable? Or did the INSURANCE COMPANY say the premium was refundable?

Travel Agents are notorious for not knowing all the ins and outs of all things travel, and often will tell you what they think you want to hear.

I've never heard of insurance premiums being refundable.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I would think the losing the insurance premium is a small price to pay vs. losing the entire cost of the cruise.

 

[Dug720]

I would think the losing the insurance premium is a small price to pay vs. losing the entire cost of the cruise.

Exactly.

I'm curious if that poster thought he would get it refunded after the cruise if he didn't use it?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

La Nina is to blame for a lot of this, it decreases the sheer winds that would normally slow the formation and strengthening of Atlantic/Gulf storms. El Nino increases these winds, which is why we had relatively light 2015 and 2016 seasons with fewer strong storms. If the La Nina persists in to next year then we absolutely could have a bad year. If we get a transition year (possible) or make a switch to an El Nino (unlikely) then the season should produce less powerful storms.

THIS.

I could probably recite to you the scientific explanation of the effect of La Nina on the increased activity of a hurricane season because I've listened to it dozens & dozens & dozens of times sitting on eternal hold each time I call the flood insurance claims contractor to see if I've been assigned an adjuster....yet. ((I finally got one THIS AFTERNOON!!!! Drinks on ME! LOL!)) As soon as La Nina started earlier this year the predictions for a VERY active season rolled out. Hubby tried to warn me last year but as per usual I told him I'd staple his lips together because I didn't want to hear it. LOL! It's the warmth of the water for fuel and the weather fronts that roll to steer. All along this year was predicted to have 3 major storms make landfall in the US. Irma is 2.

I do not believe Jose is going to follow behind Irma. Models show it hooking out before it gets as close. I know there's a high further out there. Irma snuck in under the high and will be pushed off from the gulf by the cold front that we just got yesterday morning in coastal Texas (Seabrook). <--was shockingly nice when I walked our little dog vs. slap-you-in-the-face heat & humidity. Jose is riding a little higher. I think he's gonna catch that high & be shoved north. I'm hoping anyway.

My parents live in south Alabama about 100 miles north of Mobile. They're totally on edge over Irma. They're paranoid...rightfully so...after being in their house when a tree busted off & fell through during Ivan in 2004. I keep telling Mom I don't think it's going to come that far. I could be wrong. My advice to her was to keep watching the speed of the storm's forward movement. The big monster storms like this do NOT just hookslide on a dime. It should slow down first. So for everyone watching to see where Irma will turn, be watching her forward movement. She's been chugging along around 15 mph +/-. That movement will slow for the turn. That's what Katrina did last minute when she shifted & squared-up Bay St. Louis vs. NOLA. Watch for Jose to slow down for his turn, too.

My son & hubby watch the storm cycles. You can watch the storms grow like living beings. You can see them strengthen just from the satellite & radar loops. You'll see a defined eye that's nice & well formed. Then, it'll look like it's closing in on itself...followed by an even stronger defined eye. It's like the storm gives a little bit back (slight weakening) as it cycles down to gather up more energy. When it completes the cycle it takes that little energy it gave up to gain more strength. That's the cycle. That's when the storm is getting stronger. When they still had Harvey coming in as a tropical storm in south Texas hubby said he didn't buy that. It wasn't moving fast enough. Too much time in very warm water. He could see it cycling fast. Slow movement meant it was more likely to shift direction or meander. No weather fronts to drive it anywhere.

Hopefully when Irma does come ashore or up close to the coast it will be when she's cycling down. If the interference from land can catch her in a down-cycle she won't be able to come back stronger. That'll bring her in at a slightly lower intensity. Watch the cycle as she approaches. Watch her speed to see her turn.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

More than one friend onboard was told that DCL have an estimated loss of $15 million due to the shortening and cancellations from this hurricane.
If the ships can get in and out of PC and load and unload they won't cancel any more cruises.
Many cruises happen with one or more port missed due to many reasons. You might get a little incentive onboard if ports are missed, especially if they know beforehand, but I highly doubt they would cancel a cruise because they know they won't be stopping at a pre-planned port.

Well it is a fact that St. Thomas and Tortola are devastated and could not possibly be ready for cruisers in a month ( We sail 10/7 on the Fantasy). The Fantasy will have to stop somewhere or they will need to cancel.

 

[mom4fun]

Looks like some more Canadian cruises, soon.

 

[NancyDVC]

St.Martin, St. John US VI, British VI, Tortola all suffered major damage. It looks as though the Eastern Caribbean will not be ready for cruise ships for some time. And 'Jose' is headed for the same group of islands. San Juan, PR may have escaped as much major damage. It looks like htere will be quite a few itinerary changes over the next few months if not longer.

 

[Bsmitty]

It was just how the whole thing was handled.

Carnival had already started giving cruisers on their three ships out of Galveston the option to change their cruise (possibly even cancel for a credit - I don't totally remember) that was slated to happen during Harvey - and they even kept one overnight in Cozumel.

But RCCL has this staff meteorologist (surprised the guy still has a job honestly) who kept insisting that there was a "window" where they could get the Liberty into port. A port which had been closed and was not going to reopen for one ship in the middle of a hurricane. And so they were insisting that they WOULD sail on Sunday (later changed to Monday) and if you were not on board for your reservation, too bad so sad. No refund for you unless you could show proof of a cancelled flight or closed road - then proceeded to say that a picture of a person's car in rising waters was not proof enough (that social media person should be fired no questions asked - the FB posts were absurd). FINALLY at 3pm on Sunday they cancelled the cruise (something I believe Carnival did earlier as well).

It was kind of textbook on how NOT to react in a situation like that.

Yikes! That sounds crazy. And like a bunch of tweens were at the helm, not professionals.

 

[JeanfromBNA]

La Nina is to blame for a lot of this, it decreases the sheer winds that would normally slow the formation and strengthening of Atlantic/Gulf storms. El Nino increases these winds, which is why we had relatively light 2015 and 2016 seasons with fewer strong storms. If the La Nina persists in to next year then we absolutely could have a bad year. If we get a transition year (possible) or make a switch to an El Nino (unlikely) then the season should produce less powerful storms.

La Nina isn't to blame. We've been in ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation) neutral since last year.

 

[bbel]

Well it is a fact that St. Thomas and Tortola are devastated and could not possibly be ready for cruisers in a month ( We sail 10/7 on the Fantasy). The Fantasy will have to stop somewhere or they will need to cancel.

Like I said. If they can get in and out of Port Canaveral I highly doubt they will cancel. They may change the ports or stay at sea, but they won't need to cancel...