Aim1

I doubt you will be able to disembark on Saturday evening. Earlier this year we arrived back about 8:30 Saturday evening because the captain increased his speed to get back before some forecast bad weather and we were told that we had to disembark next day as scheduled because not unreasonably, customer officers and support staff can’t be mobilised for an extra Saturday evening shift.

Genuinely hadn't even thought of that! Your post makes perfect sense to me and explains why they won't be able to disembark. Thank you :)

Yes, that's the latest from my parents too. I wonder if they will have the option to leave on Saturday evening if they want to? They only live in Bournemouth, which is about a 30 minute drive from Southampton. I understand it makes sense for those who have much longer journeys home, to stay for another night so they have a full day of travel on the Sunday, but it could be good for people who live locally to be able to disembark.

I know that won't help with embarking people from the next cruise though :(

Received an email from my parents this morning who are currently on the cruise. They should have left early yesterday afternoon but are still there because they have a broken boiler. The captain has just told them it's now repaired and they should be sailing around lunchtime today, a day late.

No idea if they will be able to make up the time sailing back to Southampton. If I hear anything more from them, I will put it here.

Needless to say, they are loving their cruise. This must be about the 30th cruise they have been on, all with P&Q, so no complaints from them! :D

I know the extra chunk of steel on the stern is there, I'm guessing, to provide extra stability because of the weight of the new balconies etc, but I wish they would paint it! Every picture I've seen has been bare steel and it doesn't make it look pretty! :')

Elation is still in dry dock, Conquest is currently in wet-dock and the Celestial Crystal has squeezed in wherever they can fit her!

Everything got kinds shifted with the Irma evacuation. The Conquest will be doing a few days of wetdock before moving to dry.

Yup, I already said that on another thread :)

Here she is:

And yes, she's staying there for now as the Celestial Crystal is still stealing her parking spot! :')

The other thing to look out for if you want to be sure about the ship you are seeing in the dry dock - look out for the Celestial Crystal next to the Elation. That's been chartered as an 'accommodation' ship for contractors working on the Elation. They are doing so much to the cabins, there are not enough to house all the contractors at the moment, hence them sleeping 'next door'.

 

. I have no idea who took the photos whether they are accurate or not, as far as I can tell I can't even see the name of the ship, those photos very well COULD BE (not saying they are because I just don't know for sure) of another ship getting them such as the Fascination.

My husband is on the Elation right now, he's been working on it since the 3rd September. Trust me, she's getting balconies. :)

I have pictures from him but I won't post them on an open forum anymore.

As for you being unsure about balconies being added, there are numerous pictures of the balcony work in progress freely available. It's DEFINITELY getting them!

So they tell you exactly what they are doing and then have to change plans for some reason or lesson some of the upgrades due to err, let's see, having to get the ship back into the water to avoid a hurricane.

If you booked on being told something specific is coming, which then doesn't get added to the ship, you'll be complaining because it's NOT there. The are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

If it's that much of an issue, book a ship which isn't going through dry dock, then you'll know exactly what facilities it has!

And no, I'm not a Carnival cheerleader, I've never stepped foot on ANY Carnival ship, but I DO know how flipping hard those contractors are working to try and get the ship ready for people to enjoy again.

They could always start the Conquest dry dock as a wet dock until the Elation has been finished and moved out of the dry dock. They can still get a load of stuff done in wet dock, but obviously not the 'stuff' that happens below the waterline, ie, painting the hull etc.

Dammit! You lot are too good! :)

:)

Oh blimey, there's an awful lot of water coming out my eyes right now! :loudcry:

Such a lovely video :)

I take back my earlier comment, Elation is already back in Freeport and the Crystal will also be back there soon :)

By the time they get back to Freeport, they would have lost around 8 days. Obviously SOME contractors are onboard and were able to work, but there's a big chunk who sailed with the Celestial Crystal and have been able to make zero progress since they left Freeport. :(

The other ship is the Celestial Crystal which has been chartered to provide accommodation as there is so much work going on in the Elation. Husband was told he was essential and would be moving to sail with the Elation but he's back on the Crystal which left the shipyard earlier. There's not enough complete cabins to have ALL the contractors on board at the moment. Both ships will bob around somewhere safer until they can return to port and the work starts again.

The above is correct, my husband is on the Elation at the moment and told me the same thing - they will be sorting the holes and getting ready to set sail if they need to.

A lot of the contractors are staying on another ship docked next to them, but they will be moved to the Elation if she needs to set sail, so they can continue working whilst she's bobbing around in the storm.

My husband was working on the dry dock for this one, happy to say after over five weeks away (on this and other dry docks) he's home for a couple of weeks before going off again to make the next one look beautiful! :D

Also, got anymore pics?

 

 

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Those were my pics I posted last night, from this thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2468850

Trust me, I want her to get back as much as you. He was a day later home from the Ecstasy due to the late arrival into port, and I don't want that to happen to the Dream as he will only be home for 3 days before he leaves for the next one! :)

Well, she's on her way now, I won't have any more contact with Dave until he gets to New Orleans. As they were leaving, they had started to work on the big TV wall, so hopefully that will be fixed for you all :)

Yes, husbands flights leave from New Orleans so he will still be working when they set sail from the Bahamas. :)

Well, the pool looks more like a pool today.....

And here's just a couple from off the ship...

:)