Our wild ride on the Disney Fantasy with Hurricane Sandy (with Video)

[Malaguti Ball Clan]

Glad you are okay! Very interesting to see that DCL didn't secure the upper outer decks to passengers as well as outer doors leading into the ship. It has to be a given that if the ship is rolling that severely that the pools will be awash and that water has to go somewhere!

 

[Embraer]

I was of the understanding that guests were advised to stay in their staterooms, why then were people out and about?

As an airline captain I expect my passengers to follow my advice and instruction and when I say keep your seatbelt fastened as a suggestion due to the possibility of turbulence I expect people to have the sense to believe I'm thinking of their SAFETY and comply. Those that don't and end up injured have only themselves to blame for the jeopardy they've placed themselves in and the injury they may sustain.

I just don't understand some people

Sorry if this goes against the tone of the thread but I have great trouble with people second guessing the company's and the captain's decisions during these unique events

 

[Tolson70]

I was of the understanding that guests were advised to stay in their staterooms, why then were people out and about?

As an airline captain I expect my passengers to follow my advice and instruction and when I say keep your seatbelt fastened as a suggestion due to the possibility of turbulence I expect people to have the sense to believe I'm thinking of their SAFETY and comply. Those that don't and end up injured have only themselves to blame for the jeopardy they've placed themselves in and the injury they may sustain.

I just don't understand some people

Sorry if this goes against the tone of the thread but I have great trouble with people second guessing the company's and the captain's decisions during these unique events

Depending on the timing, from the other threads, the captain didn't ask guests to remain in the rooms until midnight or a little after midnight, so this video may have happened prior to the captain making the announcement.

 

[Wadekind]

WOW! Thanks for sharing

 

[Disney Magic Girl]

I was of the understanding that guests were advised to stay in their staterooms, why then were people out and about?

As an airline captain I expect my passengers to follow my advice and instruction and when I say keep your seatbelt fastened as a suggestion due to the possibility of turbulence I expect people to have the sense to believe I'm thinking of their SAFETY and comply. Those that don't and end up injured have only themselves to blame for the jeopardy they've placed themselves in and the injury they may sustain.

I just don't understand some people

Sorry if this goes against the tone of the thread but I have great trouble with people second guessing the company's and the captain's decisions during these unique events

As an airline captain you should know that you should get the facts before you use your authority reprimand someone. This video was at about 12am. There was no announcement from the bridge until after 1am.

Yes, I just don't understand some people too!!

 

[Belle2007]

Wow! That was great footage of the tilting and the pools!

 

[dizzneebabe]

Great video!

As an experienced cruiser, I can tell you I would not have been sitting on the pool deck in those conditions!!!


Glad you're all ok!

 

[DisneyNurse19]

I would have thought everyone could have used their own common sense to keep inside without having to be told by someone in authority

 

[OMD13]

WOW!!! How scary that must have been. Glad you made it back safely.

 

[Embraer]

As an airline captain you should know that you should get the facts before you use your authority reprimand someone. This video was at about 12am. There was no announcement from the bridge until after 1am.

Yes, I just don't understand some people too!!

If you read my post I never reprimanded anyone. If it's a case that Captain only advised after midnight for people to remain in their staterooms fair enough, but a bit of personal responsibility should have been used. It's raining, blowing greater than 50kts and the boat is rolling, why would anybody be outside?

 

[jillgunter]

OMG! This is the first video I have seen that REALLY shows how bad it was. So glad you are all okay.

 

[Disney Magic Girl]

As I said in my original post, the ship had not listed from side to side until this happened. We had been in heavy seas all day. I have photos of the bridge report from the stateroom tv that show 75+ mph winds at 5:30 pm Friday night. Most people on the ship still went to dinner and carried on normal activities. The only decks that were closed were deck 4,12 and 13. This happened on deck 11.

 

[Orsino]

Wow. Thanks for sharing the video. This video shows the severity much more than the CNN video.

If you read my post I never reprimanded anyone. If it's a case that Captain only advised after midnight for people to remain in their staterooms fair enough, but a bit of personal responsibility should have been used. It's raining, blowing greater than 50kts and the boat is rolling, why would anybody be outside?

This is silly.
(1) The Cove Cafe IS inside. The area just outside of the Cove Cafe isn't exactly outdoors either. It is mostly covered and the exterior walls are made of plexiglass.
(2) It seems to me that the event in this video is what prompted the captain to issue a warning. That is, things were rough, but fine before that.
(3) When the boat is rolling like that, it wouldn't matter if they were inside proper. Things are going to slide and fall whether inside or outside or semi-outside like the adult pool area. I don't see how the adult pool was less safe than being on stairs or the lobby or any other indoor place. It was wetter, but the pool water flowing out of the pool wasn't in and of itself dangerous.

 

[Patrickprincess]

Wow. Thanks for sharing the video. This video shows the severity much more than the CNN video.




This is silly.
(1) The Cove Cafe IS inside. The area just outside of the Cove Cafe isn't exactly outdoors either. It is mostly covered and the exterior walls are made of plexiglass.
(2) It seems to me that the event in this video is what prompted the captain to issue a warning. That is, things were rough, but fine before that.
(3) When the boat is rolling like that, it wouldn't matter if they were inside proper. Things are going to slide and fall whether inside or outside or semi-outside like the adult pool area. I don't see how the adult pool was less safe than being on stairs or the lobby or any other indoor place. It was wetter, but the pool water flowing out of the pool wasn't in and of itself dangerous.

First im glad that there wern't any serious injuies. Seound what about personal responabiy??????? If i saw water overflowing on to the deck i would leave and get somewere safter. From my understanding sandy corvered a wide arena and yes maybe DCL shold have cancelled but then you would have people pissed. This was a no win siturance and most of these storms can be bypassed.sometimes things happen that cannot be planed for.

 

[MrsScooby]

I was of the understanding that guests were advised to stay in their staterooms, why then were people out and about?

As an airline captain I expect my passengers to follow my advice and instruction and when I say keep your seatbelt fastened as a suggestion due to the possibility of turbulence I expect people to have the sense to believe I'm thinking of their SAFETY and comply. Those that don't and end up injured have only themselves to blame for the jeopardy they've placed themselves in and the injury they may sustain.

I just don't understand some people

Sorry if this goes against the tone of the thread but I have great trouble with people second guessing the company's and the captain's decisions during these unique events

Great video!

As an experienced cruiser, I can tell you I would not have been sitting on the pool deck in those conditions!!!


Glad you're all ok!

If you read my post I never reprimanded anyone. If it's a case that Captain only advised after midnight for people to remain in their staterooms fair enough, but a bit of personal responsibility should have been used. It's raining, blowing greater than 50kts and the boat is rolling, why would anybody be outside?

Yes, I was wondering the same thing
The few times I was on DCL during a storm I never considered going outside. And after watching this video I will make sure no one in my family does either

First im glad that there wern't any serious injuies. Seound what about personal responabiy??????? If i saw water overflowing on to the deck i would leave and get somewere safter. From my understanding sandy corvered a wide arena and yes maybe DCL shold have cancelled but then you would have people pissed. This was a no win siturance and most of these storms can be bypassed.sometimes things happen that cannot be planed for.

Looks like the people were all caught off guard.
Lesson to be learned is to avoid outside areas of a cruise ship during any storm.
Thanks to the OP for posting this

 

[schoen]

To be fair to the OP the ship was operating business as usual for the most part. I had dinner in Remy. Guests couldn't walk across the room, and the servers had to hang on to tables. There was intermittent yelling and bangs from the back of the house, and at one point a HUGE amount of glass shattered. Despite all of this, the dinner was generally seamless and the crew was calm, and did not indicate that it was unsafe to be there.

I was shocked that the elevators were working, but they were. We took the stairs to get back to our stateroom.

I went to guest services around 11:30 pm or so to get some seasick meds and walked past a really busy kids club full of smiling kids.

I was terrified during this ordeal, but plenty of folks seemed to be out and about enjoying the ship.

 

[Scott Sundstrom]

If you read my post I never reprimanded anyone. If it's a case that Captain only advised after midnight for people to remain in their staterooms fair enough, but a bit of personal responsibility should have been used. It's raining, blowing greater than 50kts and the boat is rolling, why would anybody be outside?

I was on the Fantasy that night. It was extremely scary for me and my family.

The reason someone might be out on the deck is that for many people being out in fresh air is a SIGNIFICANT help with the severe motion sickness that developed after hours of being in the storm. The deck where the video was taken has plexiglass walls that go from floor to ceiling, so there is no risk of being swept overboard, but it also provides fresh air and a good view of the sea -- both of which help with seasickness.

People were scared, sick, and could not sleep because of the violent movements and crashing of the ship into the swells. It was not at all strange for passengers to wander around the ship or seek fresh air in those circumstances. I was in bed, but only because I felt so nauseous I couldn't move.

I am furious that the captain or DCL management decided to sail the ship into those conditions. Even if there was no actual danger (and I don't concede that), the fact remains that people paid a lot of money to go on a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. DCL chose to sail the ship into the storm -- at best a deeply uncomfortable situation and and worst a very dangerous one. Other cruise lines chose to keep their ships in calmer water. I fully understand that sailing entails some risk of rough seas, changed itineraries, and so forth. I don't understand, however, why a cruise line would sail a ship directly TOWARD a gigantic hurricane.

As for the captain's comments to passengers -- he did not ask passengers to stay in their state rooms until about 1:00 a.m., which was AFTER some of the most severe movement of the ship had already occurred. Before that time, the announcements had only advised passengers to be careful moving around the ship -- the clear implication being that it was OK to move around the ship.

 

[k9muttlover]

Great video Disney Magic Girl!

I was on board this night - though I was in my Deck 9 Aft stateroom rolling around. I might have peed myself if I was washed into that plexiglass! Glad you are ok!

 

[Bear3412]

I was onboard the Fantasy. I kept trying to record the seas with the video camera during the night. After reviewing the film none came out unfortunately. It was too dark. I hope a video of these seas surfaces. Most who were not onboard might be surprised what we sailed through. Most not onboard think many reports are exaggerating. I can understand that.
I couldn't believe it was happening either.

We were head straight into the waves, and I'm confident she could have handled twice that if still headed straight into those seas. It was still more sea than I expected from any cruise line.

One thing I did record, which I forgot about, was on Saturday am the captain thanking us for being "great sailors."

 

[katiebear]

Wow! Thanks for sharing!