Where is Liberty and How are Things On board?

[Milwaukee Eight]

And this is what that says:

 

"Based on the uncertainty of the port re-opening, the August 26th sailings of Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom, and the August 27th departure of Carnival Breeze, have been cancelled.

 

Additionally, it has now become necessary to cancel the August 31st sailing of Carnival Valor, which was scheduled to depart this Thursday."

 

Nothing about the weekend. I know folk want to show how much better Carnival are handling this than RCI, but surely not at the expense of making things up!

 

 

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Of course they do, it's called #FAKENEWS.

 

 

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[Cotswold Eagle]

You can check the Carnival website if this link doesn't work. Other sources are being quoted but thought I'd check out what Carnival had to say.

 

 

 

https://www.carnival.com/travel-alerts.aspx

 

 

That's exactly what I reported - nothing about the weekend [emoji846]

 

 

 

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[Biker19]

The only option they are giving the passengers "stranded" in Miami is a free shuttle to the airport.

The only ones "stranded" in Miami are the folks who chose to disembark - they could stay on and get back to Galveston.

[dplusd]

Royal Caribbean is not giving any compensation for change fees for changing their flights from Miami. This is a bad situation that they have dealt with poorly with the passengers that were scheduled for the Next cruise and the passengers who were onboard. Lesson learned - ALWAYS get travel insurance!

 

Agree that RCCL handled the next cruise passengers very poorly with their delayed announcement of the cancellation. I would not expect Royal to compensate passengers departing in Miami for change fees and transportation back home. This was an act of nature and not caused by anything RCCL did wrong. As you mentioned, that is what travel insurance is for...

[happicruzer]

That's if you live in the Houston area and are on the current Liberty cruise. What about those who just want to disembark in Galveston but homes are not affected by current conditions?

 

Not even sure what you want an answer to. If I wanted to get off in Galveston, I'd stay onboard as that appears to be an option open to current cruisers.

 

If I wanted to fly home to Chicago, had no car at the Galveston port and want to get off the ship, I'd do so.

 

I chose to stay home through Matthew. It was an informed choice on my part as we live on a barrier island. Having been through several hurricanes, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

 

I watched the news reports on this storm and was surprised not to hear announcements for those in low lying areas to consider heading to what might, or might not, have been higher grounds further inland. It was too late to call an evacuation by the time the storm arrived.

 

As some have posted, those hotel room charges add up, pets aren't usually welcomed - reasons to stay home if you feel safe.

 

This storm is a washout, most of the damage isn't storm winds. The problem is water. Any home with water damage means removal of all furniture, bedding, walls and insulation, carpeting, tile - anything that allows mold to grow. Many homes will become a hazardous environment if not gutted, within three months, due to mold. I've lived through it.

 

Hurrying home if you can do so safely is a no brainer, if you can't get home and have somewhere safe to stay, leave the emergency shelters for those who need them now.

 

At some point in time, you have to be responsible for yourself and what works for you.

Judy

[Milwaukee Eight]

Not even sure what you want an answer to. If I wanted to get off in Galveston, I'd stay onboard as that appears to be an option open to current cruisers.

 

 

 

If I wanted to fly home to Chicago, had no car at the Galveston port and want to get off the ship, I'd do so.

 

 

 

I chose to stay home through Matthew. It was an informed choice on my part as we live on a barrier island. Having been through several hurricanes, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

 

 

 

I watched the news reports on this storm and was surprised not to hear announcements for those in low lying areas to consider heading to what might, or might not, have been higher grounds further inland. It was too late to call an evacuation by the time the storm arrived.

 

 

 

As some have posted, those hotel room charges add up, pets aren't usually welcomed - reasons to stay home if you feel safe.

 

 

 

This storm is a washout, most of the damage isn't storm winds. The problem is water. Any home with water damage means removal of all furniture, bedding, walls and insulation, carpeting, tile - anything that allows mold to grow. Many homes will become a hazardous environment if not gutted, within three months, due to mold. I've lived through it.

 

 

 

Hurrying home if you can do so safely is a no brainer, if you can't get home and have somewhere safe to stay, leave the emergency shelters for those who need them now.

 

 

 

At some point in time, you have to be responsible for yourself and what works for you.

 

Judy

 

 

 

Yes, except for a small area, water is the problem.

 

 

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[Rasvar]

I would assume that, unless RCL had made the original flight arrangements, it would be up to passengers to make their own. I wouldn't expect RCL to cover the fees. There are many things in their response to complain about, but this isn't one of them to me.

[mrh1282]

Please let us know what's in the gift bags you guys get.

 

 

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[caribill]

Ummm, yeah, exactly what I was referring to. Thus the reason it was quoted ;)

My point being are they doing this in anticipation of the roads still being unpassable Friday in Galveston?

 

No. Immigration and customs are always done at the first port upon return to the USA.

 

 

Since the next port (supposedly Galveston) will still be in the USA, there is no need to do it again.

 

Just as when you fly to Miami from overseas. You go through immigration and customs in Miami. If you then fly domestically to Houston, no immigration and customs involved when you land there.

[caribill]

Could you imagine, if you had driven your car to Galveston and parked it in a lot that might be flooded. Trying to deal with that mess after a cruise could cause a lot of heartburn.

 

 

That is what happened during Hurricane Ike 12 years ago and all parked cars had been destroyed. So when passengers disembarked in another state, there was no reason to rush to Galveston.

 

What is different this time is then Ike was a hurricane that hit Galveston complete with storm surge that flooded the city while Harvey is affecting Galveston as a tropical storm with no storm surge, just very much rain.

[xpcdoojk]

I lived in Eastern NC and the house, on pilings, got water around it.

 

If I had a house, currently underwater, and the two alternatives are staying onboard with food, water and a nice bed vs a cot in a Red Cross facility, I'd stay onboard and leave the cot for someone needing a cot.

Sounds like wisdom

 

JC

[Milwaukee Eight]

Sounds like wisdom

 

 

 

JC

 

 

 

Make that Agreed. I watched the video from the news of that Traveler on Liberty having a meltdown and definitely a SF.

 

 

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[Deptacon]

The only ones "stranded" in Miami are the folks who chose to disembark - they could stay on and get back to Galveston.

 

BS... if you originally had flights from Houston to back home, you could easily talk to the airline and change the return flight to home from MIA or FLL. The airline needs to give you a flight anyway since the original one, out of IAH, was cancelled. The airlines would LOVE for you to not try to use Hobby when it actually does reopen and get you on a seat in MIA or FLL now and be done with it. If you flew to Liberty, its stupid to stay on the ship at this point.

[cruiser915]

BS... if you originally had flights from Houston to back home, you could easily talk to the airline and change the return flight to home from MIA or FLL. The airline needs to give you a flight anyway since the original one, out of IAH, was cancelled. The airlines would LOVE for you to not try to use Hobby when it actually does reopen and get you on a seat in MIA or FLL now and be done with it. If you flew to Liberty, its stupid to stay on the ship at this point.

 

 

Who are you to say its stupid for anyone to stay on the ship - maybe they don't have to be anywhere and they are enjoying the extra time. Let's not be so judgmental...

[OCruisers]

For various reasons it could actually be a SMART decision to stay on the ship.

[xpcdoojk]

Who are you to say its stupid for anyone to stay on the ship - maybe they don't have to be anywhere and they are enjoying the extra time. Let's not be so judgmental...

 

True, they may get an extra week or two sailing around nowhere.

 

Will they get C&A points for the extra sea days? That might mitigate those suite upgrades? :evilsmile:

 

JC

[caribill]

A local Houston TV station said they cannot bring a report from Galveston because they cannot get to Galveston due to flooded roads on the way there.

 

By the way, even Houston freeways once the water drains off are often not usable because of debris (such as big logs) left on the road from the flooding.

[catsmit]

For those onboard who care or need to know......

TWC's, Mike Bettis is broadcasting live (as I type) standing in thigh deep water in the street on the Strand in front of the Galveston Bookstore.

[Deptacon]

Who are you to say its stupid for anyone to stay on the ship - maybe they don't have to be anywhere and they are enjoying the extra time. Let's not be so judgmental...

 

Minus those folks, which won't be many.

 

It also puts a burden to stay if you can get off and fly home with your original ticket return airfare covered due to the original flight cancelled. What if they sail to Galveston on Friday, and then the roads don't clear for days. Those people will try to travel up to roads towards Houston (which is the only way to really go) putting a burden on the region trying to recover. Not to mention if they DO have to fly, then the burden on a backlogged airport trying to get a flight back.

 

If you flew to Houston or to the Liberty to Houston, you have NO IDEA when you will A: Get back to Galveston via ship B: no idea when you can get of the ship and safely to IAH and C: when you can actually fly from IAH to back home. Hence its stupid to pass up a safe return travel option via South FL now.....

 

The only people with a reason to stay on the ship until Galveston are those who drove there or really have nothing else to do for the next week, or longer, and can just roll with it. That 2nd group is not a lot of people.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Check out Jason Hayes on Facebook. He runs EZ Cruise and continues to make live updates of some of the rising water in Galveston and the status of cars in the parking lots. Most indoor garages seem to be good.

 

 

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[Deptacon]

Check out Jason Hayes on Facebook. He runs EZ Cruise and continues to make live updates of some of the rising water in Galveston and the status of cars in the parking lots. Most indoor garages seem to be good.

 

 

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Much respect for him. He is looking out for his customers. He has been staying at the car park with everyone's cars.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Much respect for him. He is looking out for his customers. He has been staying at the car park with everyone's cars.

 

 

 

Yes he has.

 

 

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[sjalex20]

 

Here is the gift bag. It also had a water bottle and apple I had to throw away at airport security.

 

We took our own shuttle to the Fort Lauderdale airport so I can't comment on the free shuttles.

 

Disembarkation was a disaster. They gave us stickers and we were supposed to be the 3rd group to get off and they held us in the theater. After a couple hours and they started the process. 45 minutes later our number had not been called so we went back up to deck 4 and they were just letting anyone and everyone off. Very poor communication and organization but we made our flight so I am happy!

 

CBP was super fast- the line kept moving and only took about 10 minutes from walking off the ship to walking out of the terminal.

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

 

Here is the gift bag. It also had a water bottle and apple I had to throw away at airport security.

 

We took our own shuttle to the Fort Lauderdale airport so I can't comment on the free shuttles.

 

Disembarkation was a disaster. They gave us stickers and we were supposed to be the 3rd group to get off and they held us in the theater. After a couple hours and they started the process. 45 minutes later our number had not been called so we went back up to deck 4 and they were just letting anyone and everyone off. Very poor communication and organization but we made our flight so I am happy!

 

CBP was super fast- the line kept moving and only took about 10 minutes from walking off the ship to walking out of the terminal.

 

 

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Good luck to you and yours.

 

 

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[cruiser915]

Minus those folks, which won't be many.

 

It also puts a burden to stay if you can get off and fly home with your original ticket return airfare covered due to the original flight cancelled. What if they sail to Galveston on Friday, and then the roads don't clear for days. Those people will try to travel up to roads towards Houston (which is the only way to really go) putting a burden on the region trying to recover. Not to mention if they DO have to fly, then the burden on a backlogged airport trying to get a flight back.

 

If you flew to Houston or to the Liberty to Houston, you have NO IDEA when you will A: Get back to Galveston via ship B: no idea when you can get of the ship and safely to IAH and C: when you can actually fly from IAH to back home. Hence its stupid to pass up a safe return travel option via South FL now.....

 

The only people with a reason to stay on the ship until Galveston are those who drove there or really have nothing else to do for the next week, or longer, and can just roll with it. That 2nd group is not a lot of people.

 

Earlier someone said 2000 were getting off in Miami - I have no idea if that is true. Personally, I'd stay on.