Just off Freedom caught in storm October 9th

[Scotty G]

It is truly amazing that after a couple of folks posted professional input there are those who still want to voice their uneducated opinions. :confused::eek::rolleyes:

[north29]

It is truly amazing that after a couple of folks posted professional input there are those who still want to voice their uneducated opinions. :confused::eek::rolleyes:

 

I agree, as a long time boater, I have seen conditions change so fast, that nothing could be done to avoid the storm. Many people(cruisers)think that cruising is always safe and fun, well a large percentage of the time it is, but but some times it is hold on time.

Someone above said that hurricane season is over December first, and for the other cruiser not to worry, maybe that makes the January cruiser fell better, but hurricane force winds can happen any time of the year.

[gr8.guy]

I have heard some captains mention that they prefer to get out of port before a storm if at all possible. Their reasoning for this is that the superstructure of the cruise ship is so large, it acts just like a massive sail. If they are in port, there is more potential for damage if something comes undone. For me personally, I had rather get on with it and get out to sea. If I expected there to be no movement from the waves, I would have booked a hotel instead of a cruise.

[TonyFred]

PH8

Can you tell me which side of the ship got the rain so bad the carpets were soaked.

Was it starboard or port? Or both? I have a vested interest as we're sailing Sunday on the starboard side. I've asked the question several times in various places, but no answer yet.

Lived with moldy carpets after a Disney sailing like the one you just had, and it was horrible for my asthma.

Thanks

 

I am curious about this too as we sail next weekend.

[Tonka's Skipper]

It amazes me how quickly people jump to the "blame game" whenever anything happens that isn't perfect. I can't believe for 1 second that the captain or the pilot or anyone in RCL would choose to take a ship somewhere unsafe. But, these are ships, and weather happens.

 

I say "Good job Captain, you were met with quite extraordinary weather and you brought your ship, crew and passengers through it with minimal damage. Thanks!" It makes me glad I will have a Captain like that when I board the Freedom in a few weeks.

 

 

 

I totally agree..........!!!:D

 

It is my understanding that the storm blew up unexpectly and that does happen!. If I got this right a Northeaster came though and blew wind againist the Gulfstream current which is not a good thing in the Florida straits. By the time the FOS cleared the channel the seas and winds were strong enough to prevent the pilots from getting off the vessel and it was at that point the Pilots and USCG closed the port!.

 

Guess what folks, we all take the chances of bad weather and vessel problems when we choose to cruise..if your not ready to except that fact.....you best stay on dry land!

[Aquahound]

It is truly amazing that after a couple of folks posted professional input there are those who still want to voice their uneducated opinions. :confused::eek::rolleyes:

 

Unbelievable, isn't it? Wouldn't it be great if Captain Hindsight was in charge of all the ships? :rolleyes:

[Tonka's Skipper]

Answer: Money.

 

 

With all due respect Monica that answer shows a uneducated opinion!

 

 

Where I am sure the cruise lines will push to make money....in this case the cruise money had been payed and all passingers loaded and whether the FOS sailed that day or waited like the DCL or CC vessels did.....it doesn't matter,......they still got payed!.no refunds on any of the vessels.

 

AKK

[Aquahound]

If I got this right a Northeaster came though and blew wind againist the Gulfstream current which is not a good thing in the Florida straits.

 

This was a low pressure storm system that moved North' date=' right up the Florida coast. It was tropical in nature, but didn't develop in to a named storm. However, you are correct that it intensified as the ship got underway. The center of circulation developed and organized just off shore and at the same time as the FOS sailing. It was just bad luck timing. It happens.

 

It amazes me how quickly people jump to the "blame game" whenever anything happens that isn't perfect. I can't believe for 1 second that the captain or the pilot or anyone in RCL would choose to take a ship somewhere unsafe. But, these are ships, and weather happens.

 

I say "Good job Captain, you were met with quite extraordinary weather and you brought your ship, crew and passengers through it with minimal damage. Thanks!" It makes me glad I will have a Captain like that when I board the Freedom in a few weeks.

 

I agree 100%.

[Pushka]

Storms happen. If this had occurred as little as 12 hours later there wouldnt have been any blame stuff happening.

[Tonka's Skipper]

This was a low pressure storm system that moved North, right up the Florida coast. It was tropical in nature, but didn't develop in to a named storm. However, you are correct that it intensified as the ship got underway. The center of circulation developed and organized just off shore and at the same time as the FOS sailing. It was just bad luck timing. It happens.

 

 

Haaa ok.the report I read said Northeast. but in any case it was nasty!

 

AKK

[garnetpalmetto]

With all due respect Monica that answer shows a uneducated opinion!

 

 

Where I am sure the cruise lines will push to make money....in this case the cruise money had been payed and all passingers loaded and whether the FOS sailed that day or waited like the DCL or CC vessels did.....it doesn't matter' date='......they still got payed!.no refunds on any of the vessels.

 

AKK[/quote']

 

I'd also have to think that at the end of the day, if it was all about money, the line would have more to risk by taking a ship out. While it didn't happen , had the ship capsized and all hands lost, RCI would be out a Freedom-class cruise ship (which doesn't come cheap) not to mention the lives that would have been lost and the pursuant lawsuits as well as the hit to their reputation they would have taken. I definitely don't think money was the factor here.

 

My take from what I've read is that RCI knew the storm was coming, their forecasts indicated it wouldn't be as bad as it actually was, and that the track had the worst of it going over land rather than over water. As I stated earlier, I've no doubt that Captain Hempstead was well prepared and well suited to handle the ship in bad weather given his experience on the Bering Sea. There was a minimum of people injured and the ship came out of it with minimal damage. We can play armchair captain all we want, but I think the facts indicate Captain Rob and RCI took a reasonable course of action given the facts present at the time.

[Ander026]

While watching the posts and the armchair quarterbacks on the decision. I personally think that the Freedom saw a window and a forecast that was better than it actually was and decided to sail. I applaud the captain for getting the Freedom through the ordeal with minimal damage. Also applaud the company for the compansation they gave the passengers as they did not have to due to weather related events.

 

I was at work driving a bus at WDW. It was a horrible weekend from Saturday morning all the way to Sunday. Disney stayed open during the whole event. Even Blizzard Beach water park stayed open all day on Saturday. I could feel the wind against the buses that I was driving.

[additivecruiser]

It is what it is !!!!! Mother nature is unpredicable espescially in florida.....and u definately cant predict how bad it would of changed ,intensified espescially 3 hours later......heck in florida things change hourly.......

Bottom line is when you book in hurricane season, your actually rolling the dice..........This was a small incoveniance for a large savings........

[Cruzaholic41]

While the intensity of the storm may have been worse than originally forecast...I wouldn't argue that....Odd how it didn't seem to totally take Carnival and Disney so much by surprise....they had to both make a decision also....and their decision is that it was obviously safer to stay in port than depart.....3 different lines and only one departs into a storm the other 2 obviously didn't feel comfortable to do....you have to wonder.

 

No, not 3 different lines. More like 3 different ships. Read this account from a passenger on another CCL ship during that storm. Sounds awfully similar to FOS:

 

Don't ever cruise with Carnival Fascination from Jacksonville. Here is my experience.....

1. Boat left port 4 hours late

2. Boat sailed to Nassau first and not Freeport due to weather

3. Boat never went to Freeport

4. on sail back to Jax, the captain chose to sail through 70 mph winds

5. Sailed through 20 foot seas

6. Top deck of boat was closed

7. Windows were broken

8. Doors were torn off hinges

9. Rooms were flooded

10. Captain spoke to the boat over the PA - 1 time in 4 days

11. The disembark process was worst I have ever experienced

12. Boat was lost on radar for 3 hours

13. Boat experienced structure damage

14. my son cut finger on the way off boat and Carnival Personnel would not allow us to go to the bath room to wash hands off

15. Boat was 8 hours late arriving

16. Sat at freight port for 6 hours with nothing to do

[negc]

It is always easy to second guess someone's decisions or actions after the fact. However, the basic premise that I firmly believe, is that no captain would willingly place his ship, his passengers and crew in harm's way but his decisions are based on the facts available to him at the time and most reports indicate that conditions changed very rapidly and what at first may have appeared to be a minor situation, quickly became a much more serious one. Unless you know exactly what information was available to the captains of each of the ships and when that information became available and what it was based on,it is entirely possible that all of those involved made the best decision that they could having taken into consideration the myriad factors that were involved. Stuff sometimes happens that no one can foresee and this may well have been such an instance. Instead of criticizing the Captain of the Freedom without knowing all the facts, perhaps we should just be grateful that there was a minimum of serious injuries and damage.:)

[BecciBoo]

Seems like it does come down to that old indian addage:

You can't criticize unless you've walked a mile in his moccasins.....

[uksimonusa]

I totally agree..........!!!:D

 

It is my understanding that the storm blew up unexpectly and that does happen!. If I got this right a Northeaster came though and blew wind againist the Gulfstream current which is not a good thing in the Florida straits. By the time the FOS cleared the channel the seas and winds were strong enough to prevent the pilots from getting off the vessel and it was at that point the Pilots and USCG closed the port!.

 

Guess what folks' date=' we all take the chances of bad weather and vessel problems when we choose to cruise..if your not ready to except that fact.....you best stay on dry land![/quote']

 

I haven't read where the pilot could not get off the ship, although I have seen a video of the pilot ship sailing next to Freedom, and Stan Payne of Port Canaveral stated that the port did not close, so where are you seeing this information?

[Tonka's Skipper]

I haven't read where the pilot could not get off the ship, although I have seen a video of the pilot ship sailing next to Freedom, and Stan Payne of Port Canaveral stated that the port did not close, so where are you seeing this information?

 

 

 

It was reported in the news articales I saw posted online. I am paraphasing here.* the pilots could not get off the FOS due to the weather and high seas, and then closed the port. This means that the Pilot Association closed the PC to vessel traffic reqiuring pilots. When this happens the USCG considers the port closed to that traffic.

 

It is possible that PC/USCG did not close the port to small traffic, IE pleasure or fishing boats etc.

 

I had a pilot ride with us to Boston from NY due to high seas at Ambrose Pilot station. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

 

AKK

[LeeBe]

Seems like it does come down to that old indian addage:

 

You can't criticize unless you've walked a mile in his moccasins.....

 

And then you have some new (to you) moccasins:D:D!

[DavidJrandRichard]

Just off FOS

What an adventure that was last Sunday night! The crew and staff often commented on it through the week. It seems the majority of the passengers were supporting Captain Rob.

 

I want to do a meteorological forensics study. I will be posting all the info on a web site that I will create. I will post the link here

 

However, I need your help. If you have any pics/videos/screenshots or ANY info involving the incident, please PM me.

 

I was told that the harbor master did not let the other two ships go out, so they didn't have a choice. I plan to

Contact the harbor and find out

 

I will be posting the forecast that the captain and harbor master were looking at along with radar images and computer model data. Also. Does anyone know where I can find historical data on the ships's position for that day?

 

 

I think the crew did an awesome job of dealing the mess. Overall, it turned out to be a wonderful cruise. However, I didn't not have any water in my promenade stateroom.

 

The crew has been replacing carpet all week. The ship overall smells better, but there seems to be a few areas that they need to work on. My guess is that will happen today

 

 

Those sailing today, enjoy her, she is a beautiful ship with a great crew!

 

 

Richard

__________________

[silentbob007]

The info on this board through week suggested that the other ships were free to go but chose not to as they had more complex maneuvers needed to leave the channel.

[irun5k]

Our family left on a Carnival ship out of Jacksonville last week and also remarked about the significant weather. They had to delay departure to wait on low tide to make it under the bridge, presumably to lessen the increased risk introduced by rough inland waters. For a day or two even some of the crew was seasick.

 

We had rainy weather here on the west coast of FL (Tampa) but it wasn't totally awful. Was there just a massive weather disruption out in the Atlantic last weekend???

[BND]

We're boarding Freedom today. We expect everything to be good. We were in Orlando all last weekend and WDW during the week. Fri afternoon til Sun mid day was very rainy, windy and it looked like a tropical storm and felt like it. Basically, just because the NHC didn't call it a tropical depression or storm doesn't mean that it didn't meet the criteria. It intensified pretty quickly and had bands of rain/wind just as you'd expect with a strong low. We'll have to wait to see what comes out of any investigation.

[PH8]

Maybe if we keep this towards the top,some of the cruisers coming off the FR this morning can give some input of their experience!

[DavidJrandRichard]

Just off FOS

What an adventure that was last Sunday night! The crew and staff often commented on it through the week. It seems the majority of the passengers were supporting Captain Rob.

 

I want to do a meteorological forensics study. I will be posting all the info on a web site that I will create. I will post the link here

 

However, I need your help. If you have any pics/videos/screenshots or ANY info involving the incident, please PM me.

 

I was told that the harbor master did not let the other two ships go out, so they didn't have a choice. I plan to

Contact the harbor and find out

 

I will be posting the forecast that the captain and harbor master were looking at along with radar images and computer model data. Also. Does anyone know where I can find historical data on the ships's position for that day?

 

 

I think the crew did an awesome job of dealing the mess. Overall, it turned out to be a wonderful cruise. However, I didn't not have any water in my promenade stateroom.

 

The crew has been replacing carpet all week. The ship overall smells better, but there seems to be a few areas that they need to work on. My guess is that will happen today

 

 

Those sailing today, enjoy her, she is a beautiful ship with a great crew!

 

 

Richard