Rebuilding islands after a bad hurricane...Time to cancel cruises that are booked ?

[LHT28]

A lot of people want to cruise to St. Maarten in December through March to be on a warm island with great beaches - and the island wants and needs their business and are likely to get beach facilities up and running as quickly as possible. A lot of the infrastructure may take many months/years to repair - but a lot can be done in a couple of months- and the cruise industry can (and likely will) help by bringing people in as soon as possible.

They will need to repair the roads & buildings before they accommodate tourists maybe even the port area

 

People on the St Martin forum are posting photos of the devastation there

 

It would be nice if they can recover quickly but it will take time

 

JMO

[navybankerteacher]

I'll disagree to a point. A place still reeling from a massive hurricane (or two) should first worry about their personal infrastructure and getting the population back to normal as much as possible. Dumping several thousand tourists, expecting those beaches and beach huts with beer and other beverages and expect to be served and catered to by locals is not, IMHO, "helping". That will overtax the remaining infrastructure and stress out what facilities are available. Imagine someone having to decide between working on rebuilding a house for his family to get out of the shelter or a tent vs. driving some tourists from the port to Orient Beach. Allow them to get back structurally and emotionally before we descend on them and take over what little area is ready to take on the public.

 

Of course the first need is to rebuild - but once the outpouring of external aid starts to wane, the islanders will want (and need) to rebuild their economy --- which, like it or not, is tourism. The extent of the damage first needs to be assessed and then addressed -- but not every islander is a skilled carpenter, electrician or plumber - and for many driving taxis and running snack bars are their strengths. Certainly not an ideal or dignified economy by any means, but getting it back up and running has to be part of any rebuilding.

[slidergirl]

With power out on most of Puerto Rico and likely to be that way, officials said, for months, let's be sure those cruisers don't lose their upcoming cruises :rolleyes: People have already reported that the vegetation is gone on St. Thomas, the sturdiest building on St. Martin totally destroyed, 98% of Barbuda destroyed.

 

My heart is going out to some co-workers, who come from Puerto Rico and their families. I have a former manager who works for one of the hotels on Puerto Rico now, and a former sales coordinator I worked with working on St. John, as well as a former athlete friend who has lived his entire life on St. John. Imagine what it is like to have no communication with your family to find out how they are, how their houses are or the ability to let people know they are alive.

 

Give these poor people time to breathe, grieve and get basics done before bombarding them with thousands of tourists a day. There are issues one cannot just throw money at to make them better. Sorry, but this issue truly affects my heart.

[Steve_36]

This is going to be a very interesting and developing situation to say the least; there is virtually nothing left on many of these Eastern Caribbean islands. Every cruise line (particularly the mainstream lines like NCL, CCL, and RCCL) have to evaluate everything from itinerary changes to possible fleet redeployments, depending on how long it takes to rebuild. To be honest, I'm already wondering what's going to happen to our cruise aboard the Bliss in Jan. 2019.

 

With all that said, let's please keep these folks in our hearts and minds and help out in any way we can via donations. Many of the islanders have lost everything; homes, livelihoods, everything. Unfortunately they are virtually on their own out there and can use any help we can give them.

 

 

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[NantahalaCruiser]

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will have the economic support of the US Government.

 

However, some of the other Irma-impacted islands will not have the same level of off-shore economic support. They will need the economic support from the cruise industry sooner rather than later.

[bUU]

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will have the economic support of the US Government.

I hope you're right and that FEMA has the funding it needs.

 

However, some of the other Irma-impacted islands will not have the same level of off-shore economic support. They will need the economic support from the cruise industry sooner rather than later.

St. Barts and Sint Maarten will have the economic support of the French and Dutch governments. I would expect that Anguilla and Tortola would have the economic support of the British government, though I'm not quite as confident about their committment.

 

Barbuda will very likely need a lot of help.

[Goosebear Mum]

I hope you're right and that FEMA has the funding it needs.

 

St. Barts and Sint Maarten will have the economic support of the French and Dutch governments. I would expect that Anguilla and Tortola would have the economic support of the British government, though I'm not quite as confident about their committment.

.

 

You can be rude about the UK govt, but I can assure you that the UK population will support financially and otherwise however it can. The UK is high up on aid. This is just one link, but there are many others which list the UK as high from the latest OECD figures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39658907.

 

Here's another link https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jan/04/uk-among-six-countries-hit-un-aid-spending-target-oecd

 

I agree, it's a shame there was no Govt response yesterday, something caught them by surprise? Shouldn't have done...

 

I believe the UK, French and Dutch may now be considering a coordinated approach. That may be the best option with how close some islands are. Let's hope they speed up that aid, as fresh water and food will be urgently required.

[bUU]

You can be rude about the UK govt, but I can assure you that the UK population will support financially and otherwise however it can.

It wasn't meant to be rude; just drawing the distinction between the French and Dutch governments, who unquestionably will do whatever it takes, and the US and UK governments, who are both struggling with internal factions that, among other things, insist on knowing where the money is going to come from before they commit.

 

The UK is high up on aid. This is just one link, but there are many others which list the UK as high from the latest OECD figures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39658907.

Hmmm... Maybe I should clarify. Anyone who considers aid for Anguilla and Tortola to be "overseas aid" is perhaps in that faction I was referring to. Anguilla and Tortola are British Overseas Territories, not foreign countries. One should expect the UK government to regard Anguilla and Tortola just as the French and Dutch governments regard St. Maarten.

[Goosebear Mum]

 

Hmmm... Maybe I should clarify. Anyone who considers aid for Anguilla and Tortola to be "overseas aid" is perhaps in that faction I was referring to. Anguilla and Tortola are British Overseas Territories, not foreign countries. One should expect the UK government to regard Anguilla and Tortola just as the French and Dutch governments regard St. Maarten.

 

Yes, Anguilla and The British Virgin Islands (and others) are self governing BOT, and others used to be. I can bet your bottom dollar though that the UK will help ALL islands, not just 'their own"

 

Edit.. apparently "A naval vessel, carrying bulldozers, Royal Marines, water and a helicopter, will reach the region on Thursday"

 

And FYI, the British don't govern their overseas territories of Anguilla, etc, they are self governing. The French govern theirs. This means that politically, responses can't be as quick... politics, hey? Always gets in the way of communication...

 

And if you want to be rude, I can always help out by being rude about Americans, etc, but what would that help? No it's just childish.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Goosebear Mum

[bUU]

I can bet your bottom dollar though that the UK will help ALL islands, not just 'their own"

I wish I could be as confident about the US government's commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico and USVI. Many of the reports from Puerto Rico this morning are reiterating the warnings that years of infrastructure work deferred due to lack of funding will not only make recovery from the storm more difficult but will also undermine safety and security efforts in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

[Beachdude]

Just saw another hurricane heading for islands. We sail the Western in six weeks, and I know this a bit of my self-serving nature that wonders how the cruise will change, it also has given me more focus on the suffering on the islands. I'm a praying man and my thoughts have shifted from the suffering in Houston to the islands.

 

It's too early to know how those of us out of harms way can provide any kind of relief, but I'm confident we will be given opportunities.

 

But I must admit that I was disheartened to see other storms following this one. I know it seems crass to want my cruise to go as planned, but I know that tourist dollars are important to these islands and I don't think that I will be able to give even in that effort.

 

So I'll wait in my warm dry home thinking of the families struggling in the wake of these storms and pray for all to be given direction in providing some kind of relief.

 

Burt

[Goosebear Mum]

I wish I could be as confident about the US government's commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico and USVI. Many of the reports from Puerto Rico this morning are reiterating the warnings that years of infrastructure work deferred due to lack of funding will not only make recovery from the storm more difficult but will also undermine safety and security efforts in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

 

Exactly, their track record in Haiti and New Orleans wasnt great. And a colleague has relatives in Houston and said it was relief organisations that helps coordinate and carry out all the rescues, inc of themselves.

 

The British Govt has been way too slow at showing to the general public that they are responding. But the general population are asking for and setting up funding appeals too, etc... I am confident they'll get help, but the scale of the disaster is now immense.

 

After today the disaster is only going to get worse,

[Eeyores#1Fan]

So happy I came here to find this board. We are not canceling for many reasons:

1- we've been trying to do this cruise for years now so if we have to change ports it is what it is. They all need our income and if I'm off I'm happy.

2- I've been wanting to do a mission trip for awhile now....maybe we can find a volunteer activity to do vs an excursion on one or two ports while there.

 

Glad to find so many others thinking along the same lines as me. :) I'm just happy that minimal deaths have been reported at the moment. And still Praying for the rest of those in Irma's path.

[babs135]

It seems to me that with regard to carrying on cruising you are 'damned' if you go because you could be deemed to be seen having a good time whilst the locals continue to suffer and 'damned' if you don't go because those same locals rely on the money spent by cruisers which will help rebuild their lives.

 

No right or wrong answer in my book. In the meantime I like everyone else hope and pray for those people who have and are being affected by this dreadful storm.

[voyager70]

It seems to me that with regard to carrying on cruising you are 'damned' if you go because you could be deemed to be seen having a good time whilst the locals continue to suffer and 'damned' if you don't go because those same locals rely on the money spent by cruisers which will help rebuild their lives.

 

No right or wrong answer in my book. In the meantime I like everyone else hope and pray for those people who have and are being affected by this dreadful storm.

 

Could not have said it better.

[sail7seas]

Could not have said it better.

 

 

C ruise lines ha ve been know to be helpful to islands badly damaged by storms and hopefully, they will step forwarrd again with aid The islands need the ruise lines to bring all the tourists but the cruise lines need the islands to have places to bring allgtthose cruisers. :)

[rkacruiser]

What to do? Cancel an upcoming cruise because of Irma, and God forbid, Jose, maybe, due to the damage done to your projected ports of call?

 

#1: None of the cruise lines are going to visit a port that is not properly prepared to receive visitors.

 

#2: Do you support charitable organizations that provide assistance to those who live in the Caribbean? If so, these good people need YOUR support via your tourist dollars now more than ever.

 

So, why cancel a cruise just because it may visit a damaged island by this storm?

[zqvol]

Right now I'm doing heavy duty hurricane prep work for our home north of Tampa, FL. It appears that Irma is heading to FL and we will definitely be impacted. We aren't near the coast, but I'm still worried about the wind, etc.

 

Category 5 Irma will be hitting St. Martin and some of the other islands where our December, 2017 cruise is headed to. There will be lots of devastation at these places and I'm praying for the best for everyone there.

 

That being said, my final payment on my Celebrity cruise is due in just a few days and I'm wondering if I should cancel it and rebook another cruise.

 

I'm thinking that Celebrity will probably redo the itinerary for our 12/17 cruise so the ship will still sail, but with different ports which I may not be interested in.

 

Would appreciate your input on this.

 

If ports are critical to you, then you need to cancel and rebook.

[dandee2]

If ports are critical to you, then you need to cancel and rebook.

 

 

 

Back in 1995, hurricane Luis tore thru st-marin, st- Bart and Barbuda. Took months to recover. It was a cat. 3 hurricane. Let them rebuilt their school, their hospital and their public infrastructure. Many business will not reopen. It'not like they have hurricane insurance. Donate to the cause you like to help out.

 

 

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[GoatMouthB]

We are in the same situation. I don't want to undo my planning. The other cruise options I've looked at aren't as nice as what we already put a deposit on, so we're just going with it and hoping pot luck doesn't disappoint us.

I then thought of what the last poster said-- there's no guarantee that a huge hurricane won't hit the new destination after I change my plans, so...why bother?

[slidergirl]

We are in the same situation. I don't want to undo my planning. The other cruise options I've looked at aren't as nice as what we already put a deposit on, so we're just going with it and hoping pot luck doesn't disappoint us.

I then thought of what the last poster said-- there's no guarantee that a huge hurricane won't hit the new destination after I change my plans, so...why bother?

 

I would plan for a total "days at sea" trip. Take what you'd need to amuse yourselves. Then, if there are port stops, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[bUU]

I would plan for a total "days at sea" trip. Take what you'd need to amuse yourselves. Then, if there are port stops, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Under the circumstances that is excellent advice.

[sail7seas]

I would plan for a total "days at sea" trip. Take what you'd need to amuse yourselves. Then, if there are port stops, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

Good ad vice, IMO.

[Toofarfromthesea]

I wish I could be as confident about the US government's commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico and USVI. Many of the reports from Puerto Rico this morning are reiterating the warnings that years of infrastructure work deferred due to lack of funding will not only make recovery from the storm more difficult but will also undermine safety and security efforts in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

 

Well!!! If you are going to be rude about the US government . . .

 

:rolleyes: