Hurricane damage?

Appreciate all of these details and updates from Aviator of the Seas, etc. From the New York Times Travel Section in the past couple of days, they have this headline: “After Irma: Caribbean Tourism, Island by Island” with these highlights for this area: “ 'Most of our tourist attractions are operational and good to go,' said José Izquierdo, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the government agency in charge of tourism. 'We were very much prepared and we were able to weather the storm.' San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is open, and so is the Port of San Juan. Puerto Rico experienced widespread power outages and minor damage, but at most hotels (many of which have their own power plants), 'it’s pretty much business as usual,' Mr. Izquierdo said. The United States territory has been in a recession for more than a decade. In May, with more than $120 billion in debt and pension obligations, it sought a form of bankruptcy relief. Tourism, however, has been something of a bright spot. In the last year, the island has seen record numbers of cruise ship visitors, as well as record hotel occupancy rates. Mr. Izquierdo said in an interview that he expects tourism to continue to play a key role in Puerto Rico’s economic resurgence, but that at the moment the island was focused on helping its less fortunate neighbors.”

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/travel/after-irma-caribbean-tourism-island-by-island.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2F travel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&regio n=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPl acement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 52,936 views for these postings.

This thread was started for damage reports from Irma but now with Maria there is still relevance for this thread. Lets keep it going with updates for damage caused by Maria. Lets pray for Puerto Rico.

This thread was started for damage reports from Irma but now with Maria there is still relevance for this thread. Lets keep it going with updates for damage caused by Maria. Lets pray for Puerto Rico.

Agreed!

Hooah!

AoS: Hopefully you are safe! We had the great pleasure of meeting you and your grandson on the Thenford Grey tour bus this past May. We are praying for you, your family, friends and neighbors, as well as everyone affected everywhere by this tragic hurricane (and now earthquake) season.

I'm local but live in the states now. It's bad. I have been able to communicate with my family in San Juan and they are flooded, trees downed, poles downed, houses destroyed, power is 100% out, the newspapers did not print today other than social media posts, radio towers downed, ... you get the picture. Some Claro and AT&T costumers around San Juan have had cellphone service restored today but even then service is spotty. Wifi around some areas of San Juan is working too and most communication with those who can has been through social media.

Now, I know nothing about my family on the west side. Roads are blocked and all communication services are downed. I am praying hard that they are ok. There is very little known at this point about about most other areas west and south of the metro. The northeast coast is destroyed.

I'm local but live in the states now. It's bad. I have been able to communicate with my family in San Juan and they are flooded, trees downed, poles downed, houses destroyed, power is 100% out, the newspapers did not print today other than social media posts, radio towers downed, ... you get the picture. Some Claro and AT&T costumers around San Juan have had cellphone service restored today but even then service is spotty. Wifi around some areas of San Juan is working too and most communication with those who can has been through social media.

 

Now, I know nothing about my family on the west side. Roads are blocked and all communication services are downed. I am praying hard that they are ok. There is very little known at this point about about most other areas west and south of the metro. The northeast coast is destroyed.

Thank you for posting during this difficult time for you. Praying you get good news about your family soon.

We are scheduled to board Celebrity Summit in San Juan on December 12. How long do we need to wait before canceling hotel rooms and changing airports if our cruise needs to leave from Miami or Ft Lauderdale ? When will Celebrity let us know?

I'm local but live in the states now. It's bad. I have been able to communicate with my family in San Juan and they are flooded, trees downed, poles downed, houses destroyed, power is 100% out, the newspapers did not print today other than social media posts, radio towers downed, ... you get the picture. Some Claro and AT&T costumers around San Juan have had cellphone service restored today but even then service is spotty. Wifi around some areas of San Juan is working too and most communication with those who can has been through social media.

 

Now, I know nothing about my family on the west side. Roads are blocked and all communication services are downed. I am praying hard that they are ok. There is very little known at this point about about most other areas west and south of the metro. The northeast coast is destroyed.

Thank you for this post. I am praying for the entire island but I do hope you can get ahold of your family on the west side soon.

Any news on damage at Hotel El Convento? Booked pre cruise 1st of November.

Any news on damage at Hotel El Convento? Booked pre cruise 1st of November.

I'm curious as well as I'm booked there pre-cruise on Nov 8th and didn't see their status reported on Forbes. I know based on past reviews, the place is built like a fortress and can power 110% of resources from generators. I'm willing to bet besides some downed trees, they are likely okay.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

Any news on damage at Hotel El Convento? Booked pre cruise 1st of November.

I'm curious as well as I'm booked there pre-cruise on Nov 8th and didn't see their status reported on Forbes. I know based on past reviews, the place is built like a fortress and can power 110% of resources from generators. I'm willing to bet besides some downed trees, they are likely okay.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

Best bet, send them an email. If they have power, they might be able to receive it. If they have a US based call center, perhaps give them a call.

Thank you so much skid and timelord. I still have not been able to find my parents but I know the airport opened today for FEMA, rescue workers, and some limited commercial flights so I'm hoping I will soon be able to get some news as help starts to arrive. The airport received a big hit and it's badly damaged but runways have been cleared as best as possible right now. AA and JetBlue resumed limited flights today.

The last time I talked to my mom was Wednesday around 9 am and I'm going a bit crazy. I think they are ok but I won't be at peace until I hear their voice. Sadly, there have been some casualties reported but by far the biggest losses appear to be in infrastructure. The highways are at a standstill with people who have been able to get out and are trying to get cell reception. It's a major mess.

I came here yesterday trying to find some news. The information so far has been so limited as communication with most of the island is broken.

The news said that the port did not receive much damage. That's good news both for emergency assistance and tourism. We will rebuild but the Puerto Rico of Tuesday is no longer :(. I just pray that once all is over it will be much better. Hope is all we have left.

Thank you so much skid and timelord. I still have not been able to find my parents but I know the airport opened today for FEMA, rescue workers, and some limited commercial flights so I'm hoping I will soon be able to get some news as help starts to arrive. The airport received a big hit and it's badly damaged but runways have been cleared as best as possible right now. AA and JetBlue resumed limited flights today.

 

The last time I talked to my mom was Wednesday around 9 am and I'm going a bit crazy. I think they are ok but I won't be at peace until I hear their voice. Sadly, there have been some casualties reported but by far the biggest losses appear to be in infrastructure. The highways are at a standstill with people who have been able to get out and are trying to get cell reception. It's a major mess.

 

I came here yesterday trying to find some news. The information so far has been so limited as communication with most of the island is broken.

 

The news said that the port did not receive much damage. That's good news both for emergency assistance and tourism. We will rebuild but the Puerto Rico of Tuesday is no longer :(. I just pray that once all is over it will be much better. Hope is all we have left.

I do hope you hear from your mom soon to ease your mind. I have 2 former co-workers working here in town; they still have not heard from family & friends in the Fajardo area.

From USA Today reporter Rick Jervis - Courtyard Marriott Isla Verde

THis is awful I pray for you all trying to get in contact with your families and I hope the island can get everything fixed sooner than later. I am praying for everything as I absolute LOVE this island. I also hope my cruise and everyone elses skips this port until old town san juan can get there situations fixed. I do hope they can get the money coming in soon though from tourism but I hope it is in a respectful time.

Any news on damage at Hotel El Convento? Booked pre cruise 1st of November.

I just saw a post on a certain social media (I don't think I can name it here). This is what they said:

We would like to thank all of our friends for showing their support and concern over the past few days. Hurricane Maria has now passed through Puerto Rico and our hearts and thoughts are with all who have been affected. We are still in the process of assessing the full situation of the hotel. We are grateful for all of our team members who have ensured the safety of guests and colleagues.

We will look forward to welcoming you back to the Hote El Convento in the near future. We will rise!

Appreciate being able to read these added details for the severe impacts in Puerto Rico. We are now learning much more as to how sad and tragic have been the conditions and impacts for this entire area. There is a challenging question as to whether to cancel an upcoming cruise for these areas . . . VERSUS. . . not scrubbing as a way to help their local economies. SE Asia is our next major destination in early 2018. So, we do not have any travels to these scenic eastern Caribbean areas planned for the next year or two.

From the New York Times this morning, they have this headline: “Storms Moved On. Caribbean Islands Fear Tourists Might, Too” with these highlights: “Two ferocious hurricanes in less than two weeks caused widespread devastation, leaving dozens dead, millions without power or drinking water and countless homes destroyed. The storms also ripped through the tourism industry in a region unusually dependent on well-heeled visitors. In the wake, cruise ports and airports throughout the Caribbean are closed, beachside bars are flooded and, on many islands, tourists are absent. And the risk of a far longer term ripple effect looms, threatening the region’s ability to rebuild: Without a steady influx of cash from tourists, businesses suffer, employers cut back and local residents lose jobs; workers on especially hurricane-stricken islands could move elsewhere for opportunity, denting the local economy further.”

Their chart/graphic, shown below, gives background on the paths from these two hurricanes, plus the important shares of the local economies affected by these storm. There are many aspects from these impacts that we do not always consider. This includes: "In the Caribbean region, travel and tourism account for a higher share of the gross domestic product than they do in any other region of the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, and officials say it is far too soon to know when the industry will fully recover. At stake are some of the more than 2.3 million travel and tourism-related jobs in the region." This is a fairly comprehensive look at these impacts, who is hurt most and which locations can recover more quickly. As shown below, Dominica depends on tourism for 35% of their total GDP, while that economic number for Puerto Rico is more manageable at only 8%. But this NY Times story details some of the other challenges facing PR!!

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/us/tourism-hurricane-economy-caribbean-islands.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 53,403 views for these postings.

Here are the NY Times charts on the hurricane impacts in these key Caribbean areas.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger!)

Ok then time for Governments to get going on the rebuilding efforts (hello USA, UK, France, Netherlands). I will visit and spend money.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Ok then time for Governments to get going on the rebuilding efforts (hello USA, UK, France, Netherlands). I will visit and spend money.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I wholeheartedly agree

I found my family! Everybody is fine, some structural damages to houses (my in-laws) and others (my mom) with very little damage. My heart is so full. Puerto Rico is united, everybody is doing whatever they can to help others and the human spirit is category 10. María most certainly did not destroy the humanity of my people.

I just saw a video from someone in Bayamón who already has power. The governor and the major of San Juan have been nothing but true class through all this. They look exhausted but they haven't stopped working. Help is massive from the US government and the diaspora in the states.

I am hopeful! The picture is not rosy, there are still areas without communication and the destruction is real. It will be a long way to recovery but if people/governments keep doing what they are we may be surprised at how much sooner that is. Don't give up on my beautiful island!

That is so good to hear that you foudn your family and that the spirit of Puerto Rico is alive and well. I truley hope this island recovers quickly. Have you heard about how many or how much the historical buildings in old san juan have been damaged? Was it only a few or was the entire downtown old city demolished? I enjoyed walking the streets of the old buildings on both sides of me i would hate to see that gone for good.

That is so good to hear that you foudn your family and that the spirit of Puerto Rico is alive and well. I truley hope this island recovers quickly. Have you heard about how many or how much the historical buildings in old san juan have been damaged? Was it only a few or was the entire downtown old city demolished? I enjoyed walking the streets of the old buildings on both sides of me i would hate to see that gone for good.

Thank you! Many buildings are damaged but they are still there. It's hard to say from pictures since there are a lot of downed trees and debris but I saw a beautiful picture of Old San Juan today that I can't find now; Old San Juan is not gone. Here's a video of the area right after the storm. Cleaning is underway to allow for traffic flow and some parts are already looking better.

http://www.univision.com/noticias/huracan-maria/asi-se-ve-san-juan-tras-el-paso-del-huracan-maria-en-puerto-rico-video

I found my family! Everybody is fine, some structural damages to houses (my in-laws) and others (my mom) with very little damage. My heart is so full. Puerto Rico is united, everybody is doing whatever they can to help others and the human spirit is category 10. María most certainly did not destroy the humanity of my people.

 

I just saw a video from someone in Bayamón who already has power. The governor and the major of San Juan have been nothing but true class through all this. They look exhausted but they haven't stopped working. Help is massive from the US government and the diaspora in the states.

 

I am hopeful! The picture is not rosy, there are still areas without communication and the destruction is real. It will be a long way to recovery but if people/governments keep doing what they are we may be surprised at how much sooner that is. Don't give up on my beautiful island!

Mrs HC---We could not be happier for you. We hope that there are many more to hear some good news like you did!

I'm curious as well as I'm booked there pre-cruise on Nov 8th and didn't see their status reported on Forbes. I know based on past reviews, the place is built like a fortress and can power 110% of resources from generators. I'm willing to bet besides some downed trees, they are likely okay.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

I saw yesterday on their Facebook page that they are all ok but they did not mention the condition of the hotel or when it would be opening. We are scheduled to arrive there on Oct. 26th for two nights prior to boarding a cruise, so I am wondering , too, if they will be open. If not, I may have to change my flights to arrive the day of the cruise.

Thank you Skid, I hope so too! :D

For those of you who are worried about upcoming cruises, I cannot imagine that they will open up the port for cruising without having hotels ready to accommodate tourists. Right now some commercial flights are operating but they are outbound flights for those who had made travel plans before Maria. The corresponding incoming flights for these planes are coming back with supplies but not people. I think we will be getting more progress updates this week as things start to slowly normalize. Good luck!

I found my family! Everybody is fine, some structural damages to houses (my in-laws) and others (my mom) with very little damage. My heart is so full. Puerto Rico is united, everybody is doing whatever they can to help others and the human spirit is category 10. María most certainly did not destroy the humanity of my people.

 

I just saw a video from someone in Bayamón who already has power. The governor and the major of San Juan have been nothing but true class through all this. They look exhausted but they haven't stopped working. Help is massive from the US government and the diaspora in the states.

 

I am hopeful! The picture is not rosy, there are still areas without communication and the destruction is real. It will be a long way to recovery but if people/governments keep doing what they are we may be surprised at how much sooner that is. Don't give up on my beautiful island!

Such a relief for you. I am so happy to hear your Mom is safe.

I have been to Puerto Rico 3 times and my 4th in December.

Such a beautiful place with friendly people.

Is there anything we cruisers can bring, besides our money, to help in any way.

We did a fundraiser at work and raised over 200.00. I work long term care. Our

residents wanted to help in some way. Amazing.

Our hearts are with you and your family.