San Juan Cruises

[Tinked]

Thanks Aquadame--It's interesting that I saw more on the BBC site you listed then I have on all the American TV stations I keep searching. My daughter and her family live in western PR and finding information about anything but San Juan is tough. This communication blackout is driving me crazy. Haven't heard from her since Tuesday. That being said I am on the Magic repositioning cruise from NYC to SJ. Irma took out Tortola and I can't see that small island recovering by the end of November and now Maria devastates PR. So there goes my trip to see my grandchildren. I think the port will open by November because SJ seems to be the number one priority as long as the airport is in shape. And both the port and airport are needed for supplies and help to come into the island. We will just have to wait to see what happens. Prayers for PR and all the beautiful Caribbean islands I've visited thanks to DCL.
I hope they manage to get the towers back up soon because a lot of us here in the states are worried about their children and families

 

[JoieNsk]

Thanks Aquadame--It's interesting that I saw more on the BBC site you listed then I have on all the American TV stations I keep searching. My daughter and her family live in western PR and finding information about anything but San Juan is tough. This communication blackout is driving me crazy...
Prayers for PR and all the beautiful Caribbean islands...
I hope they manage to get the towers back up soon because a lot of us here in the states are worried about their children and families

I am so sorry, I can only imagine how worried you are!

Hope your daughter and her family are safe and you will be able to communicate with them soon!

We think sometimes we are so powerful and smart being Mankind. But unfortunately Mother Nature proves us wrong...

 

[Travel60]

I'm booked on the last January cruise out of SJ and b2b on the repo cruise to Port Canaveral. I'm hoping things get back together in SJ by then but will not be upset if they have to change itinerary. We really just took this cruise to use up DVC points that we would otherwise lose. That said, we are pretty tired of Eastern & Western itinerarys so hope it is still southern.

Wondering about day in SJ between cruises....maybe Disney could find some way people could help for those few hours...food kitchen, habitat for humanity type thing, etc. Would anyone else be up for that?

 

[hamm1207]

Only if the foreign port is a "distant" foreign port. Any port NOT in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao)." 19 CFR § 4.80a(a)(2).

Not a lot of those along the line of travel from NY to PR.

Gotcha. Thanks for explaining!

 

[Mom4myBunch]

HI Hamm1207
I would appreciate being able to join to the Fish Extender group for the Disney Magic sailing from Puerto Rico to Miami Sailing Dec 1 to Dec 6.
This is my fourth disney cruise, only second on participating in an FE group.
I hope i am not too late.
Mom4myBunch.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

HI Hamm1207
I would appreciate being able to join to the Fish Extender group for the Disney Magic sailing from Puerto Rico to Miami Sailing Dec 1 to Dec 6.
This is my fourth disney cruise, only second on participating in an FE group.
I hope i am not too late.
Mom4myBunch.

You need to post this on your Cruise Meet thread. That's where Fish Extenders are handled here on DISboards.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...n-repo-cruise-from-san-juan-to-miami.3558666/

 

[littleaussie]

My travel agent just shared this link and I have found it quite helpful for an updated FYI of San Juan:

http://puertoriconow.seepuertorico.com/

 

[Cliffside]

Reading all the news reports today are so sad. I just don't see how Puerto Rico will be ready to welcome tourists for quite awhile. Altough I don't see having an answer from Disney anytime soon. The island needs to really focus on relief and recovery, not providing a vacation destination. I am still shocked at Royal waiting till today to cancel the 9/30 cruise and then saying the 10/7 cruise is sailing and that if you arrive the day before you can stay on the ship that night if your hotel was destroyed or closed. How can they have the supplies necessary and think it is safe for their customers.

 

[Dug720]

Reading all the news reports today are so sad. I just don't see how Puerto Rico will be ready to welcome tourists for quite awhile. Altough I don't see having an answer from Disney anytime soon. The island needs to really focus on relief and recovery, not providing a vacation destination. I am still shocked at Royal waiting till today to cancel the 9/30 cruise and then saying the 10/7 cruise is sailing and that if you arrive the day before you can stay on the ship that night if your hotel was destroyed or closed. How can they have the supplies necessary and think it is safe for their customers.

You're talking about the cruise line that was convinced there was going to be some magical window when the Liberty could get into a CLOSED port during Harvey to disembark and embark passengers. RCCL is not thinking of anything this hurricane season - other than profits. (And I've actually liked them and have a cruise next summer on them.)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The island needs to really focus on relief and recovery, not providing a vacation destination.

Of course a major part of the economy there would be the tourism, right? If the port/island feels that it's "recovered" enough to host tourists, why shouldn't the cruise lines go there?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Of course a major part of the economy there would be the tourism, right? If the port/island feels that it's "recovered" enough to host tourists, why shouldn't the cruise lines go there?

Based on what I have seen, I do not think the port feels that way.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Based on what I have seen, I do not think the port feels that way.

Well, couldn't they then just say "the port is closed"? That way the ships couldn't come.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Based on what I have seen, I do not think the port feels that way.

Agree. I read earlier today somewhere a statement that said do not plan to come as a tourist until at least oct 30.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Well, couldn't they then just say "the port is closed"? That way the ships couldn't come.

Well, it may be like being blackmailed by your rich aunt. The port is basically open because it has to be to get in supplies, and there is a possibility they can't deny the ship dockage. Not sure of all the niceties and rules. Cruise line may be "bringing supplies" as well, or has strings on a cash donation, perhaps.

I do know that while the fed relaxed the Jones Act for Texas and Florida, they have explicitly refused to do so for PR. Fun times.

Carnival has canceled the 10/1 and 10/8 cruises.

The airport had, I think, a total of 10 flights today. Another issue.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Well, it may be like being blackmailed by your rich aunt. The port is basically open because it has to be to get in supplies, and there is a possibility they can't deny the ship dockage. Not sure of all the niceties and rules. Cruise line may be "bringing supplies" as well, or has strings on a cash donation, perhaps.

...

Probably true. I don't know all the ins and outs of running a port. But, if they didn't want the ships there, and are not allowed to deny porting, they could price the ship's out by raising the port fees.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Probably true. I don't know all the ins and outs of running a port. But, if they didn't want the ships there, and are not allowed to deny porting, they could price the ship's out by raising the port fees.

Not 100% sure they can do that. PR has wacky incentives for the cruise industry (http://businessinpuertorico.com/en/incentives/incentives-by-industry/tourism). I've found reference to past disputes with RCCL. Add in austerity and federal colonial regulation, and it could be any mix of things.

It may be the rock and hard place of supplies and hard currency vs. actual ability to be a tourist destination. If anything, I question RCCL's customer experience insisting on routing through PR right now.

 

[Starwind]

Well, it may be like being blackmailed by your rich aunt. The port is basically open because it has to be to get in supplies, and there is a possibility they can't deny the ship dockage. Not sure of all the niceties and rules. Cruise line may be "bringing supplies" as well, or has strings on a cash donation, perhaps.

I do know that while the fed relaxed the Jones Act for Texas and Florida, they have explicitly refused to do so for PR. Fun times.

Carnival has canceled the 10/1 and 10/8 cruises.

The airport had, I think, a total of 10 flights today. Another issue.

As far as I understand they can restrict the type of traffic into a port. For PR and St Thomas for example, if you look at some of the early official statements, the ports were only open for military and relief vessels. Don't know if they have expanded that or not yet. Some of the relief vessels included cruise ships -- bringing supplies and doing evacuation and mercy missions, but not carrying tourist passengers. One report specifically, for example had one of the cruise ships on aa relief/evacuation mission dock at Havensight at St Thomas. Of course the port and pier requirements for a cruise ship doing rrelief/evacuation work will likely be rather different than one full of tourists.

SW

 

[gotomu212]

Reading all the news reports today are so sad. I just don't see how Puerto Rico will be ready to welcome tourists for quite awhile. Altough I don't see having an answer from Disney anytime soon. The island needs to really focus on relief and recovery, not providing a vacation destination. I am still shocked at Royal waiting till today to cancel the 9/30 cruise and then saying the 10/7 cruise is sailing and that if you arrive the day before you can stay on the ship that night if your hotel was destroyed or closed. How can they have the supplies necessary and think it is safe for their customers.

I've traveled to some really rough places but as a general rule if the location has a special offer "in the event your hotel has been destroyed" I'm thinking it's not a great time to be there.

It really is a life and death situation in PR right now- hospitals shutting down for lack of generator diesel, nursing homes without water and food, people stranded at the airport running out of cash to buy water, no air conditioning in the tropics, and having to literally use messengers in cars to get news to the outer cities because there's no telecom. This isn't a ride it out at a Disney resort sorta storm damage.

 

[cruiser21]

Of course a major part of the economy there would be the tourism, right? If the port/island feels that it's "recovered" enough to host tourists, why shouldn't the cruise lines go there?

There's no power, drinking water, or medical care....doesn't sound like the best place to take a vacation.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

You're talking about the cruise line that was convinced there was going to be some magical window when the Liberty could get into a CLOSED port during Harvey to disembark and embark passengers. RCCL is not thinking of anything this hurricane season - other than profits. (And I've actually liked them and have a cruise next summer on them.)

Not sure which parallel universe you are in, but by my count, RCL has pulled three ships (Majesty, Empress, and Adventure) out of passenger service so they can run them as shuttles between the mainland and Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St Maartan, and St. Croix to bring relief supplies and evacuate residents of those islands to safety in the U.S. I have yet to see a Disney ship do doodly squat to assist in either the relief or evacuation efforts. Adventure cancelled cruises until October to (quoted directly from the RCL website)

"Given the impact of Hurricane Maria, we are cancelling the September 30 cruise to utilize the ship for evacuation and humanitarian efforts. The ship will arrive on Wednesday, September 27 and will operate humanitarian calls in San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Croix to aid in the evacuation and donate critical supplies to each destination. The ship will bring evacuees to Fort Lauderdale before returning to San Juan on October 6 to prepare for the October 7th cruise."

Maybe you might want to rethink your statement.