So about this Hurricane - 10/7 Dream cancelled, 10/7 Magic Canadian, 10/8 now 10/9 Fantasy 6-night

[PrincessTrisha]

They purposely sailed into the storm on the Anthem. And there were multiple forecasts that DID predict it becoming as rough as it did which did come out in the investigation.

In Sandy, the path chosen would, based on the models available, have at worst taken them to the western (and weaker) side of it, but it turned and caught MORE THAN JUST THE FANTASY in its new and not predicted path.

Nope, sorry - both the Carnival ship and the Royal ship sailing into/out of Port Canaveral while Sandy was active DID NOT dock. They both stayed out to sea for an extra day and made the subsequent cruise a 6 day instead of a 7 day. Their Captains recognized that Sandy was too rough to allow them to sail back to port on time.

DCL was the only one of the 3 in Port Canaveral who decided to bring the ship back to port - through the storm.

 

[Noparking]

Updates:

• Just called DCL customer service and they were unable to help with upgrades because I booked using my DVC points, sigh, so now I have to call DVC member services at 9:00.
• At this time Canadian port adventures can only be booked on ship at their desk on deck 3. So that is where I will be running to as soon as we board.
• My husband decided that he will go with us on the cruise, which is nice since our 11th anniversary is on 10/9 and we have a dinner reservation scheduled for Palo that night.

Question:

• Has anyone taken a cruise with this Canadian itinerary in October? Just curious if the pools will be open and/or if it will be too cold for my 8 year old daughter to swim (trying to figure out if I still need to pack bathing suits - of course I can always buy them on board if needed )

Thanks!

are you looking for room upgrades? They would do that over the phone?

 

[Dug720]

Nope, sorry - both the Carnival ship and the Royal ship sailing into/out of Port Canaveral while Sandy was active DID NOT dock. They both stayed out to sea for an extra day and made the subsequent cruise a 6 day instead of a 7 day. Their Captains recognized that Sandy was too rough to allow them to sail back to port on time.

DCL was the only one of the 3 in Port Canaveral who decided to bring the ship back to port - through the storm.

Did I say only Port Canaveral? Nope.

But it's clearly a catch-22 (I'd use another term but the board would star it out) for them. People complain when they do the best they can with the knowledge they have and go for it OR when they then decide to take some time to more fully evaluate. They can't lose.

Bottom line - if it's going to bother you that much don't cruise during hurricane season. Celebrate an occasion at another time of the year - nothing says you MUST do a birthday celebration cruise OVER your birthday!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Did I say only Port Canaveral? Nope.

But it's clearly a catch-22 (I'd use another term but the board would star it out) for them. People complain when they do the best they can with the knowledge they have and go for it OR when they then decide to take some time to more fully evaluate. They can't lose.

Bottom line - if it's going to bother you that much don't cruise during hurricane season. Celebrate an occasion at another time of the year - nothing says you MUST do a birthday celebration cruise OVER your birthday!

Carnival, Royal, Princess, Crystal and Norwegian all made changes to their cruises (extending some and shortening others) during Sandy. I haven't found any reports of ships that sailed through it like the Fantasy did. Carnival cancelled 2 cruises, Royal ended up with a cruise to nowhere but there are no other reports of them sailing through the heart of the storm.

DCL dropped the ball then, and I consider they dropped the ball now. They knew that the Port was being closed, when that was announced, they should have cancelled the October 7th Dream cruise, not waited and kept potential passengers on pins and needles.

 

[GeauxTigers23]

Hey all! New to the board, hoping to get some solid advice. I'm on the 10/10 Disney Dream cruise that is supposed to go to Nassau and Castaway Cay, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, chances are pretty slim that the cruise actually stops there now right?

Also, I planned to drive in from TN starting Friday morning, should I adjust or get as close as possible to Florida and then find a good place to spend Friday evening at? The dilemma is I have Universal Orlando tickets for Saturday, I wonder if it'll be up and running or if we can rebook for Sunday?

I know this is a lot but I do hope to get some helpful suggestions. Thanks all.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

I'm on the Dream now- we are headed for Costa Maya followed by a day at sea and then into port canaveral (based on damage possible) Saturday pm. (Overheard cruise director say this is BEST case!)

The Dream is docked next to the Norwegian Getaway there right now. Those are two huge ships next to each other in that little place.

 

[hubbard53]

Hey all! New to the board, hoping to get some solid advice. I'm on the 10/10 Disney Dream cruise that is supposed to go to Nassau and Castaway Cay, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, chances are pretty slim that the cruise actually stops there now right?

Also, I planned to drive in from TN starting Friday morning, should I adjust or get as close as possible to Florida and then find a good place to spend Friday evening at? The dilemma is I have Universal Orlando tickets for Saturday, I wonder if it'll be up and running or if we can rebook for Sunday?

I know this is a lot but I do hope to get some helpful suggestions. Thanks all.

we're on the same cruise and wondering the same thing; we're driving in from Atlanta - so far the weather looks to be OK in Orlando Saturday and Sunday but of course it all depends on the storm track. Like all the others earlier in the week, I think we just need to wait and see

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

We are sailing (or least hoping to) Oct 15th, staying at WDW for a couple of days beforehand. I know our cruise is not affected at this point, but just in case I just tried to reserve a few more days at WDW in case we can't sail. There is absolutely zero availability at ALL Disney resorts
Bummer so much for that "alternate" plan.

 

[Ofinn]

Carnival, Royal, Princess, Crystal and Norwegian all made changes to their cruises (extending some and shortening others) during Sandy. I haven't found any reports of ships that sailed through it like the Fantasy did. Carnival cancelled 2 cruises, Royal ended up with a cruise to nowhere but there are no other reports of them sailing through the heart of the storm.

DCL dropped the ball then, and I consider they dropped the ball now. They knew that the Port was being closed, when that was announced, they should have cancelled the October 7th Dream cruise, not waited and kept potential passengers on pins and needles.

I'm surprised they haven't said anything about the Oct 8 cruise yet. You would think they would allow people to cancel like other cruise lines are doing instead of making people go through the hassle of filing a claim with the insurance. It just seems like good customer service to do that. They may do that eventually, but they are waiting a lot longer then other lines to do this.

edited to add. Carnival is not expecting PC to be open Saturday and already altered their cruises leaving out PC. They are also offering full refunds.

 

[The Sasquatch]

I wonder how CC is fairing today. If they evacuated then I assume nobody will know for a few days until they can get back there...

 

[BigredNole]

I'm surprised they haven't said anything about the Oct 8 cruise yet. You would think they would allow people to cancel like other cruise lines are doing instead of making people go through the hassle of filing a claim with the insurance. It just seems like good customer service to do that. They may do that eventually, but they are waiting a lot longer then other lines to do this.

If they require you to go through insurance, Disney doesn't lose anything. They will do everything they can to sail the ship to prevent any financial loss. That includes moving the ship to another port for departure. If the ship sails, then they keep the money. Yes, there will be upset passengers, but Disney will not care much about that.

 

[jenilynn]

Updates:

• Just called DCL customer service and they were unable to help with upgrades because I booked using my DVC points, sigh, so now I have to call DVC member services at 9:00.
• At this time Canadian port adventures can only be booked on ship at their desk on deck 3. So that is where I will be running to as soon as we board.
• My husband decided that he will go with us on the cruise, which is nice since our 11th anniversary is on 10/9 and we have a dinner reservation scheduled for Palo that night.

Question:

• Has anyone taken a cruise with this Canadian itinerary in October? Just curious if the pools will be open and/or if it will be too cold for my 8 year old daughter to swim (trying to figure out if I still need to pack bathing suits - of course I can always buy them on board if needed )

Thanks!

Hi there - I just want you to be aware that it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I'm not sure what days you are docking where, but most likely nothing will be open on Sunday or Monday.

 

[Churchladychurchlady]

Hi there - I just want you to be aware that it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I'm not sure what days you are docking where, but most likely nothing will be open on Sunday or Monday.

I'm guessing Disney will figure something out - I grew up on the border and we always went to Canada (Skylon Tower in NF) for my Birthday dinner on the 11th - some things were still open (not all, by any means, but there were still things to do).

 

[PlanoNana]

We are sailing (or least hoping to) Oct 15th, staying at WDW for a couple of days beforehand. I know our cruise is not affected at this point, but just in case I just tried to reserve a few more days at WDW in case we can't sail. There is absolutely zero availability at ALL Disney resorts
Bummer so much for that "alternate" plan.

I read somewhere that Disney had evacuated Fort Wilderness folks to the resorts and had closed all reservations so guests already there could stay longer if needed and rooms would be available for guests from the Dream and Fantasy that might need to stay until alternate arrangements for flights, etc could be made. I would check back after Matthew has passed and see if something opens up.

 

[Pens Fan]

I am truly sorry for anyone whose cruise was affected by this storm. I know it's disappointing to plan and anticipate one trip only to be faced with taking an entirely different one or cancelling all together. However, as we are currently on the Magic making our way back from Canada to NYC, I thought I'd offer a few tips for anyone choosing to sail on the altered 10/7 itinerary. The weather for the last three days (St. John, Halifax and today at sea) has been surprisingly sunny and warm. Just a long sleeve shirt and maybe a sweatshirt or jacket is fine -don't even need the jacket today. Last night at the pirate party and the sail away from NYC was very chilly and windy though - bring layers!!! Hopefully the storm stays far away - I haven't checked the forecast for several days so I have no clue where it's headed - and the sun will remain. If not, again, bring layers! Layers would be preferable to the big puffy winter coat, as you can add and subtract as needed.

We used Dave's Taxi Tours in St. John and Open Top Tours in Halifax. Both were excellent! I have no clue if they have availability at this late date but it never hurts to call and even if they are booked maybe they can make suggestions. The areas we visited were all absolutely beautiful:

St. John:
Bay of Fundy trail - beautiful ocean vistas
St. Martins - walked in the sea caves (check the tide schedule!!) They have nice little place for lunch at the caves - try the seafood chowder - really, really good
Reversing falls - saw the river flowing one direction in the morning and then the opposite later in the day - seriously cool!
Twin covered bridge in St. Martins are charming and worth a photo stop
Quaco Lighthouse atop the Quaco ledges had a beautiful view

Halifax:
Cemetery with graves from the Titanic victims - definitely worth a stop
Prospect Bay - charming little fishing village with incredible views (and NO tourists!)
Peggy's Cove - it's lovely but crawling with tourists - we stopped there briefly, took our photos and hurried on our way
The place just down from Peggy's Cove that our guide called "Peggy's Cove without the lighthouse and people" - If you take a left on the highway from Peggy's Cove it was just a mile or so down the road. He turned left and drove up a gravel road to this beautiful vista. The rock formations looked just like the ones at Peggy's Cove. You could see the lighthouse WAY out in the distance. We were the only ones there. Not a soul in site, save a few sea birds. There was a picnic table so this would be a great place for a take out lunch. I wish I could give better directions, but we had a guide and were just along for the ride!
Lunenberg and Mahone Bay - both charming little villages with historic homes, shops and restaurants and beautiful harbors. I wish we had more time at both of them. Either would make a great place to spend an afternoon if you had the time. If I had to choose between the two, I thought Mahone Bay was more scenic.
There are tons of little places to stop for beautiful ocean or lake (depending on the side of the road) views. We stopped as much as possible. Our guide was terrific, and knew all the little special spots. Both my husband and I are amateur photographers, so it was a perfect day for us.

On the ship:
If you are lucky enough to have Bennett and Amphie for your servers, enjoy! They are both an absolute hoot.
Jay at the Cove Cafe is terrific - great service and just and wonderful young man to talk to.
Don't miss Tangled. We usually only hit one or two shows a cruise and I'm so glad we picked this one. It's terrific!!
There is a percussion group called Buckets and Boards on board that we plan on seeing this afternoon. We didn't make it to the adult show, but our table mates did and said they were really good.
The magician on board - I think he's called Super Mike or something like that - was just so so. We saw his adult show and it was just meh. We skipped the main show. We aren't big on magicians so YMMV.
Majority Rules in Fathoms is a hoot!
Clayton is the cruise director and he has always been our favorite.
There has been an Irish duo playing in O'Gills. They are really good.
The drink of the day on the day of the Halloween party was just awful. I don't remember what it was called, but it's the one with the eyeballs in it. Get something else!
For wine lovers, we asked for the Palo wine list in the MDR on the first night and Amphie has had it waiting for us every night since. Maybe a nice bottle of wine will help soothe the pain of missing WDW!

Again, I am so sorry for all of you affected by this storm. I hope these tips can help you out even if it's just a little bit. For those choosing to sail, have a wonderful cruise and more importantly - a SAFE one! We will be sad to turn over the Magic to you tomorrow. Take care of her!

Janet

 

[dawne98]

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Carnival, Royal, Princess, Crystal and Norwegian all made changes to their cruises (extending some and shortening others) during Sandy. I haven't found any reports of ships that sailed through it like the Fantasy did. Carnival cancelled 2 cruises, Royal ended up with a cruise to nowhere but there are no other reports of them sailing through the heart of the storm.

DCL dropped the ball then, and I consider they dropped the ball now. They knew that the Port was being closed, when that was announced, they should have cancelled the October 7th Dream cruise, not waited and kept potential passengers on pins and needles.

Everything I read was that the Fantasy did not sail into the storm. Certainly not into the middle of it. They came in behind it and conditions experienced were not what was forecast or reported from beacons in the area. They used the info they had to make that decision. The info they had was wrong. Disney doesn't have their own private hurricane hunters.

 

[bonnielynn]

I'm surprised they haven't said anything about the Oct 8 cruise yet. You would think they would allow people to cancel like other cruise lines are doing instead of making people go through the hassle of filing a claim with the insurance. It just seems like good customer service to do that. They may do that eventually, but they are waiting a lot longer then other lines to do this.

edited to add. Carnival is not expecting PC to be open Saturday and already altered their cruises leaving out PC. They are also offering full refunds.

I'm on the 10/8 ship and am waiting to see what they plan to do. I think it will be a shortened cruise, but I still need to figure it out. I am suppose to leave Sat at 6:00 a.m. and would prefer to make plans before the flight is cancelled. I guess what I am saying is that it would be easier for me to rearrange my vacation week sooner than later. If they cancel flights on Sat, I may not be able to get there if the cruise does in fact go out Sat afternoon. Its just nerve wracking to wait for a decision from DCL.

While I realize this is "first world problems," and I am worried and praying for everyone in the path of this storm to be safe, I just want some control of what my week off is going to look like. I feel silly saying it because I know so many people's lives are being turned upside down and its just a weeks vacation for me and my family, but DCL really needs to say something sooner than later.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Hey all! New to the board, hoping to get some solid advice. I'm on the 10/10 Disney Dream cruise that is supposed to go to Nassau and Castaway Cay, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, chances are pretty slim that the cruise actually stops there now right?

Also, I planned to drive in from TN starting Friday morning, should I adjust or get as close as possible to Florida and then find a good place to spend Friday evening at? The dilemma is I have Universal Orlando tickets for Saturday, I wonder if it'll be up and running or if we can rebook for Sunday?

I know this is a lot but I do hope to get some helpful suggestions. Thanks all.

I don think Nassau or Castaway will be prepared to take passengers by next week. Nassau is taking a direct hit from the strongest winds in the core of the system.

I'm not sure what you should do with your plans. If it's possible maybe rebook Uni for Sunday? It remains to be seen what PC will be like come Saturday. I'd say watch closely to non-official Disney sources to find out if Port Canaveral will be open at all next week.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm surprised they haven't said anything about the Oct 8 cruise yet. You would think they would allow people to cancel like other cruise lines are doing instead of making people go through the hassle of filing a claim with the insurance. It just seems like good customer service to do that. They may do that eventually, but they are waiting a lot longer then other lines to do this.

edited to add. Carnival is not expecting PC to be open Saturday and already altered their cruises leaving out PC. They are also offering full refunds.

Yeah, I don't see Saturday being viable. It'll be interesting where/when passengers currently on the Dream & Fantasy debark. Looks like PC is gonna take a hard hit.