On the Freedom now - Doing circles in the Gulf

First, Carnival has been great through this extended cruise. I feel bad for the people who were set to board the 26th. Freedom is scheduled to be in Nola Tuesday and overnight in to Wednesday and leaving Wednesday afternoon to make our way to Galveston. They are letting people terminate their cruise in Nola if they want. It sounds like we'll be in Galveston Friday or Saturday. Our neighborhood on southwest side of Houston is in a mandatory evacuation notice so no rush to get home. I'm with my wife, 5 year old and 7 year old, along with my parents. My parents live in Galveston and their area is doing great.

For now, we're doing circles!! Check out the map.

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Glad to hear they're taking good care of you guys. I hope things aren't too much of a mess for you when you get home.

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I've been in the same situation during the last hurricane that hit the Caribbean, only we cruised up and down the coast of Cuba for two days before making it back to Ft. Lauderdale. I learned then that there's nothing you can do but enjoy the extended vacation.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your families once you get back home to Texas.

Karen

We were once on a cruise that was delayed getting back to Fort Lauderdale due to a hurricane. It was actually on a holiday weekend. We were supposed to get back on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, but did not get to port until Labor Day.

Many of us were in the internet café letting loved ones know what was going on. (My Mother-in-law was relieved that we were not going to dropped off in Fort Lauderdale in the middle of a hurricane.) I still remember one fellow cruiser talking to himself as he waited his turn on the computers wondering who he was going to get to board up his house!

Good luck and I hope all is as well as can be expected when you do finally get home.

For those on your cruise who need to fly home afterwards, I can tell you from our experience with a previous hurricane that the airport experience will not be fun at all. Disembarkation was also very unpleasant as everyone who needed the airport needed the first time off to get on airline waiting lists, and there was a long delay in clearing customs as several days worth of ships came in the same day which overwhelmed immigration.

We did immigration our first trip to NOLA. It was a mess, but everyone got through it. From hearing people talk around the ship, it sounds like a lot are terminating their cruise in NOLA this next visit. We've had offers from friends and family to pick us up in NOLA, but with my truck in Galveston and our neighborhood under mandatory evacuation, there's no reason for us to try to rush home so we're staying on until we're back in Galveston. The kids are having fun in the kid's club and the wife and I are relaxing and whatnot. The hardest part is getting such limited news from back home. The internet is very very slow and hit and miss. We're getting Facebook messages just fine, but with the ship's local news being from Miami, it's tough to see what's going on. We're watching CNN some but they're putting either a very dramatic or very political spin on everything. I'm looking forward to the talk and data service in NOLA through Verizon to get caught up on what's happening back home.

We returned to a slightly disheveled Port Canaveral after avoiding Matthew. When he was southwest of Cuba, The Captain hauled south quickly to get passed the point where the Storm would cross our path and take aim at Florida. The Serenity deck was closed at times due to the combination of ship speed and outbound tropical storm winds. The Seas were so choppy as far south as Grand Turk, that we could not dock. During this weather apparantly only one ship can dock. (Meh.so Jimmy Buffett lost money that day.)

We crawled up the Florida coast with the lights of other ships to the east of us. By the way, additional kudos to the audio/video division which kept tv and internet running the entire cruise.

We live in Florida, so we gladly made way for the poor souls who, after dealing with a Tropical Storm, adjustments in excursions, and a delayed debarkation, had to suck it up and venture into the bowels of hades that is the Airline Industry.

Tip for those headed to the parking garage : immediately give your car a good once over. My Mustangs tires lost 6 pounds of air each because of the intense barometric low pressure. Also, the violent winds set off many car alarms which drained some...mine included...car batteries. No problem, I'll just call my Insurance Companies Road Service. And they might have gotten there...had there been cell phone service.

AAA was there with a truckload of at least 60 batteries. Mine just needed a jump and $20 later we were out the door running over palm fronts, styrofoam and kindling out to the Beach Line.

All in all,incredibly minor compared to what we are seeing in Texas.

OP, I hope you find all well when you finally make it home. It can't be an easy thing not knowing. Our thoughts are with you, as you make the best of your extended days at sea.

We did immigration our first trip to NOLA. It was a mess, but everyone got through it.

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That's a piece of good news. It should make disembarking in Galveston quick and painless.

I hope you find everything is ok when you get home.

We will have to do customs when we get in to Galveston. So far our house is good. We are very fortunate so far. Hopefully the brazos river won't spoil it for us! Many of my friends back home haven't been so lucky.

I've been trying to load the photo of the map showing our circles but it won't load. I wish the captain would spell his name with our track!

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Where do you live? We live close to the Brazos & have been evacuated. We are at our daughters house in Richmond & are going to try & check on our house tomorrow.

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First, Carnival has been great through this extended cruise. I feel bad for the people who were set to board the 26th. Freedom is scheduled to be in Nola Tuesday and overnight in to Wednesday and leaving Wednesday afternoon to make our way to Galveston. They are letting people terminate their cruise in Nola if they want. It sounds like we'll be in Galveston Friday or Saturday. Our neighborhood on southwest side of Houston is in a mandatory evacuation notice so no rush to get home. I'm with my wife, 5 year old and 7 year old, along with my parents. My parents live in Galveston and their area is doing great.

 

For now, we're doing circles!! Check out the map.

 

(I hope the photo loads with the slow connection)

 

Photo failed to load after several attempts. I'll try again shortly.

 

 

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I am happy you and your family (including the extended family) are safe. Glad that Carnival is doing what it needs to do to help people on board and ones trying to get off. It sucks for the next group that was either canceled or modified. It's hard to blame Carnival for the weather. But I am sure some will try ;)

Where do you live? We live close to the Brazos & have been evacuated. We are at our daughters house in Richmond & are going to try & check on our house tomorrow.

 

 

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We're in sienna plantation. Last we saw, we were high and dry.

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Sienna Plantation is under mandatory evacuation.

Sienna Plantation is under mandatory evacuation.

Yes, the thread starter says they are aware: "Our neighborhood on southwest side of Houston is in a mandatory evacuation notice so no rush to get home."

We're in sienna plantation. Last we saw, we were high and dry.

I'd like to share good news with you but I can't. Sienna has some problems from the Brazos River and predictions of flood levels never seen. So far the local news sources haven't shown much, but the movement of the storm doesn't look good for your area. I'm sure others are texting or communicating with you, as you knew the problems when you started the thread.

I hope for the best, we've been amazed to have it over our sidewalk five times and then drop since this mess started.

Take care. Sorry.

We are getting some updates from home but few and far between. Having cell service Tuesday and Wednesday in Nola will be very nice.

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love, Love, LOVE, LOVE your attitude!

love, Love, LOVE, LOVE your attitude!

Heck, in getting a 13-14 day cruise for the price of a 7 day!

It's funny, Carnival called a few days before about upgrading to an ocean suite. It was more than we wanted to pay but reluctantly did it since we have the kids with us and felt the larger room and bathroom area would pay off. It certainly will on the extended cruise.

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I don't know if knowing or not knowing is better.

I've always been of the mindset...if I'm on the ship, I will deal with unpleasantness that happens when I am gone when I get home. The ship is a haven of bliss. Galveston (as of Monday) seems to be doing well. The weather channel coverage has been the best...but...maybe you should be prepared...things are not exactly being over dramatized. It is really bad in Houston and the SW area.

My opinion...if anyone had flights scheduled: get off in New Orleans while you can. (Harvey expected to dump some precip there around Thrs/Fri.)

If you have a vehicle at the port...not sure what will be best. If your gas tank is full enough to get you home, I'd try it (depending on whether Harvey goes back out to Gulf and restrengthens for another swipe). If I was going to gas up on the way home? I'd get off in NOLA and wait a week, pay the parking fees.

We are getting some updates from home but few and far between. Having cell service Tuesday and Wednesday in Nola will be very nice.

As a comparator here's my friends and my "girlfriend" as our wives call her isn't doing so well.

This is Taylor Lake. We didn't get home in time to load out.

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Thoughts and prayers to you on your way home! My son is in Dickinson Texas and it is devastated Katy got hit real bad too. Gonna be a long rod forward.

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Heck, in getting a 13-14 day cruise for the price of a 7 day!

 

It's funny, Carnival called a few days before about upgrading to an ocean suite. It was more than we wanted to pay but reluctantly did it since we have the kids with us and felt the larger room and bathroom area would pay off. It certainly will on the extended cruise.

 

 

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VERY good decision to go with that upsell! That might rank in the top 3 of the best upsells ever!! ;p:D

Yeah, it's terrible what's going on. I know I'm very lucky to this point. I'm hoping our house remains dry. If it doesn't, we'll deal with it when we can but I'll be hopeful until I hear or see the bad news. I don't want to insulate myself from it at all. I want to stay as up to date on it as possible, but you better believe I haven't checked the 157 work emails that are showing on my phone!

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Aggie182 love your positive attitude. I hope everything goes well for you and your family when you return. Prayers are coming in from all over for the people of Texas.!!!!!!!!