What would you do?

[Zoey]

A few days ago I booked a Royal Clipper Grenadines solo-cabin sailing from Barbados for early December but didn't pay the deposit yet. Shortly afterward somebody asked me if I had not heard about the horrible Sargassum seaweed hitting the islands right now, particularly Barbados. Well I went online and researched, read some tripadvisor forums, and watched some YouTube videos and sure enough it IS really bad. On some beaches in Barbados it's three feet deep and has killed over 45 turtles that they know of and even a small pilot whale.

 

While I'm not unrealistic and don't mind some seaweed, I don't want to spend $4,000 (plan to spend three or four nights on the island prior to the cruise) and have to wade through three feet of seaweed to get to the water. I know this is a regularly occurring thing to a small degree but the locals I saw talking about it said they have never seen it this bad before.

 

Also, I chose this itinerary mainly for snorkeling and apparently it is affecting the water and beaches in the Grenadines, Tobago Cays and St. Vincent area, which could make the snorkeling not so pleasant.

 

I watched some Barbados news reports on youtube and an environmental expert said they could not predict when it might stop. In fact she said it could go even into November or later. She also said they can see more large areas of it coming from far away.

 

I was thinking maybe I should plan something else for this fall/early winter and save this trip for a better time.

 

Just curious if others would let this sway their decision on going. I know I can get hyperfocused on little things and not see the forest for the trees.

 

Thanks

[Mrs Miggins]

Sorry I have no idea about the seaweed but perhaps posting on the Ports of Call Caribbean section which is divided by Islands may get you some more informed replies.

On the ship itself it is wonderful. Was on it last year Rome to Rome and this year we will be on Star Clipper in France and Corsica.

Hope you get the replies you need but this board is ultra quiet !

[Tschibi]

Hi Zoey,

 

how did you decide?

 

We have booked the cruise in December and we stay 5 nights in barbados.

 

Unfortunately, I did not give up, that there's a seaweed problem.

 

:eek::eek::eek: