Hurricane Earl Advisory From HAL

[RuthC]

Bob?

That's the one. The TV folks mentioned it, and said it was 1991. I thought we had some since then, but they must have been just the remnants.

Or, I've lost track of time---it's all getting so vague in my memory

now!

[GeriatricNurse]

I feel so sorry for the passengers on the Maasdam, missing 3 ports and not having them replaced with any others. I know it isn't HAL's fault, but I hope they receive some compensation or future cruise credit.

 

 

I believe that HAL is only obligated to reimburse the costs of the port fees!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Don't forget that the cruises at this time of year (esp. in the Carribean) are heavily discounted. Don't feel too bad...most people take the risk and only get a cheaper vacation! Full insurance at this time of year is a must for me though.

 

We weren't really talking about the Caribbean; we're mostly talking about the Canada/NE route which isn't discounted at all this time of year. There's no reason in the world anyone would hesitate to book that itinerary this time of year. Can there be a hurricane? Sure. But the likelihood is remote. For anyone to suggest that the passengers on Maasdam took an unnecessary risk isn't really accurate and it sure isn't very sympathetic.

 

And truthfully, even though I don't book in the peak months, booking in the Caribbean isn't nutty either because unless the hurricane actually hits the port of embarkation, there's a lot of ports in the Caribbean and the cruise lines are quite adept at changing gears and going somewhere other than planned.

 

But if we book during hurricane season we shouldn't be too locked into the ports because it's definitely a time that being a little flexible is a very good thing.:D My feeling always is I'm on a ship, I'm at sea, I'm being waited on hand and foot, I'm not cooking and cleaning.....who cares where we go?:)

[innlady1]

This is hurricane season, after all, all along the Eastern coast, and it's the luck of the draw as to what happens and where. We've been slammed here in New England...conversely, the storms have often petered out, gone out to sea, turned into just "tropical storms," etc.

 

It's prudent that HAL has taken precautions. his is one of the reasons we cancelled our fall Bermuda cruise on the Veendam.

 

We're in the anticipated path of Earl, being on Nantucket Island. And, our home in Hingham is also on the hurricane path. DH and our staff put all the patio furniture under cover, took down the flag, window boxes, pots of flowers in preparation.

 

We're anticipating cancellations for the weekend.

 

Anyone hear how the Caribbean islands have fared?

[innlady1]

That's the one. The TV folks mentioned it, and said it was 1991. I thought we had some since then, but they must have been just the remnants.

Or, I've lost track of time---it's all getting so vague in my memory

now!

 

You're right, Ruth.

 

After Bob, we had Eduardo; I believe that was in '96... over Labor Day weekend. The ferries stopped running, we lost power, the whole deal. We have a gas stove so were able to make coffee in the morning, and a pot of spaghetti and meatballs for our guests as all the restaurants were closed.

 

Eduardo was bad enough, but Bob was much worse. I spent the week after Bob on the Cape with my dad, cleaning up the remnants of the storm...my mother had just passed away earlier that year. The Cape Codders were without power for at least a week. It was a mess.

[Oceanwench]

Here is some interesting info on hurricanes that have hit New England:

 

http://www.nesec.org/hazards/hurricanes.cfm

[Oceanwench]

You're right, Ruth.

 

After Bob, we had Eduardo; I believe that was in '96... over Labor Day weekend. The ferries stopped running, we lost power, the whole deal. We have a gas stove so were able to make coffee in the morning, and a pot of spaghetti and meatballs for our guests as all the restaurants were closed.

 

Eduardo was bad enough, but Bob was much worse. I spent the week after Bob on the Cape with my dad, cleaning up the remnants of the storm...my mother had just passed away earlier that year. The Cape Codders were without power for at least a week. It was a mess.

 

Good memory!

Hurricane history is so interesting.

 

Hurricane Eduardo passed about 75 nautical miles from Nantucket on Sept. 2, 1996 ... I read that it was the closest it came to the any point in the U.S.

[TracieABD]

I was living in New Haven during Gloria (Sept. 85). We got hammered! Who would have thunk!:confused:

[RuthC]

I remember Gloria. We lost power from Friday noon to Sunday morning---it returned just after I came home with coffee.

It was during Hurricane Bob that I was driving through it to South Carolina (that was nerve-wracking), so I missed most of the mess at home. Except for the mess in my refrigerator. :eek:

Earl doesn't look to be anything nearly as bad.

[innlady1]

I have New England Cable News on now. It's going to hit at 11 PM on Friday (at least that's the current report) and the Cape and Islands (that's us! :eek: ) will be most heavily hit. This weather guy claims it will be a Category 2 or 3 storm by then and there will be "severe damage", power outages, power lines down, etc.

 

Here we go again!

[geocruiser]

Just watching Weather Channel and Earl is back at a CAT 4!

 

 

Maria

[innlady1]

...and now, they're doing a special report with Memories of Hurricane Bob! Ah, the drama...

[IRL_Joanie]

I have New England Cable News on now. It's going to hit at 11 PM on Friday (at least that's the current report) and the Cape and Islands (that's us! :eek: ) will be most heavily hit. This weather guy claims it will be a Category 2 or 3 storm by then and there will be "severe damage", power outages, power lines down, etc.

 

Here we go again!

 

Keeping my fingers crossed that you do not get hit as hard as you think, or the weather forecasters predict you will/may (trying to be politically correct today) but in any case I hope you stay safe!!!!

 

I will also be praying gor everyone in the path of Earl!

 

Joanie

[HeatherInFlorida]

I lived in New England and New York for most of my life and mostly I remember '54 because of the massive flooding in our part of CT.

 

The frequency doesn't matter as much as knowing it only takes one!!! Especially when one is barreling along as we speak!!! From the reports we're getting here the center will not pass over land, but just a tweak to the west and it could be a very different story. Fortunately the coast will be on the west side of the hurricane which is the calm side so a few miles will make a big difference.

 

For the sake of my own family and my friends on CC in his path, I hope it follows the predicted track and you only suffer tropical storm winds ... you get those with your Nor'eastersl so you're used to that!!!!

 

I'll be watching and thinking of everyone. Could be us next week!

[Oceanwench]

...and now, they're doing a special report with Memories of Hurricane Bob! Ah, the drama...

 

Are they talking evacuations yet? I can only imagine the traffic getting off the Cape!

 

Our local weather guys - they are the best - say that Earl has followed the projected path pretty closely. Let's hope it moves east so you don't get a direct hit.

 

It has been kind of alarming to see that massive hurricane about 500 miles off our coast -- but we were not under as much as a tropical storm warning, as the computer models indicated it would not be coming this way.

 

Heather - the hurricane in 1954 [Carol?] was terrible! My grandmother's cottage (Buzzard's Bay) was two streets back from the ocean and did OK, minor damage, but many other cottages were washed out to sea.

 

Fingers crossed for family and friends up there.

[gaelan]

Last September we took a September cruise and the Carribean was like a pond....this year we are taking a cruise on Sept 12th....I think it may be alittle different.....ya pays your money and ya take your chances on a cheaper cruise.....just make sure you have insurance!!!

[innlady1]

Here is some interesting info on hurricanes that have hit New England:

 

www.nesec.org/hazards/hurricanes.cfm

 

Thank you Oceanwench! I remember Carol, Donna, Gloria and Bob...DH claims he remembers the September '38 hurricane...his mother told him he was conceived during that one (he was born the next June 14 :eek: )

[flowerbuyer]

While I would never book a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, I certainly thought the New England/Canada cruise would be safe from such things. (We in the Pacific Northwest have earthquakes, but no hurricanes or tornadoes....we don't even have interesting thunderstorms here!) Guess Mama Nature thinks differently. It will be interesting, as we are scheduled to depart on the Eurodam on Monday, Sept. 6th.

[maxout]

While I would never book a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, I certainly thought the New England/Canada cruise would be safe from such things. (We in the Pacific Northwest have earthquakes, but no hurricanes or tornadoes....we don't even have interesting thunderstorms here!) Guess Mama Nature thinks differently. It will be interesting, as we are scheduled to depart on the Eurodam on Monday, Sept. 6th.

 

Not to mention the occasional Volcano or Tsunami !

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sheila, I remember Donna, too, and I can't remember why!!! I was in college at the time and pretty oblivious. Carol was the '55 that brought such terrible floods that entire homes were swept away. I was very young at the time and I couldn't imagine how it could even happen.

 

Gloria and Bob we were in NJ so must not have gotten much of those at all.

 

Down here, though, it's names like Jeanne, Wilma, Frances and Charley that make my hair stand on end. And they were all in just 2 years! Every summer I just pray we won't have to go through anything like that again ... the greatest fear I've ever experienced. Some here will remember ... a lot of my posts were before and after those storms.

[TracieABD]

Not to mention the occasional Volcano or Tsunami !

Or a catastrophic flood or forest fires....

[Two@Sea]

High on my list of "Things I Wouldn't Wish on Anyone!" are the feelings and emotions that accompany waiting for a hurricane which is expected to affect your area.

 

We were damaged by Jeanne and Frances, and affected by Wilma and Charley. (If anyone ever wondered, it was waiting and wondering and worrying about those storms that made me crazy... :o )

 

I am praying for those in the path this time. My heart goes out to you.

[happyglobetrotter]

While I would never book a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, I certainly thought the New England/Canada cruise would be safe from such things. (We in the Pacific Northwest have earthquakes, but no hurricanes or tornadoes....we don't even have interesting thunderstorms here!) Guess Mama Nature thinks differently. It will be interesting, as we are scheduled to depart on the Eurodam on Monday, Sept. 6th.

 

It will be even more interesting for us. We are scheduled to depart on QM2 on Sept 3rd from New York....Not even sure our flight will be able to get to NYC.

[RuthC]

I am praying for those in the path this time. My heart goes out to you.

What a thoughtful gesture, Marsha.

I expect there will be some damage on the Cape and Islands, and possibly some in the Maritimes. However, it's people staying safe that matters.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Thank you Oceanwench! I remember Carol, Donna, Gloria and Bob...DH claims he remembers the September '38 hurricane...his mother told him he was conceived during that one (he was born the next June 14 :eek: )

 

Well now....storns can be very romantic and if you're scared what's better than snuggling up with your beloved and finding comfort in their arms. ;)