A Reflection of a Poor Start to a Caribbean Cruise

[Clarea]

Sorry to hear about the poor start. We've had some bad luck at Terminal 29 too.

[RedneckBob]

Sorry to hear about the poor start. We've had some bad luck at Terminal 29 too.

 

What is amazing is that this was the 2nd time in 2 years that the Fire Alarm went off in the cruise terminal in Port Everglades and both times it originated in the Restroom. I knew the drill, everyone exit the terminal, wait for clearance, then the +1,000 people proceed through one entrance door back through security in the terminal.

[puppycanducruise]

Looking forward to reading your complete review of the cruise.

[Fishkillbill]

On April 1st, we left on the Silhouette from terminal 29. The Uber driver dropped us off at 10:00am. We were in the buffet, on board, at 10:30am.

 

When we got back on April 8th, we went to the Marriott Residence Inn, near the airport. The lobby was packed with people that were leaving on cruises that day. They were saying that there was a bomb scare and no one was allowed near any of the terminals.

 

The soda package is another problem. We like to drink caffeine free diet Coke. Celebrity doesn't seem to want to stock enough of it.

[nbsjcruiser]

I'll see your embarkation story and raise. We were boarding Connie one Febraury morning for a Caribbean cruise out of Port Everglades. At about 7AM, while still in our hotel there descended from the heavens a horrible thunderstorm complete with tornado. Power went out, alert sirens blared all over the city. We could see Connie from our room (definitely shouldn't have been standing near the window)! Well, things settled down a few hours later, sun came out and all seemed right with the world until we arrived at the port at about 11:00. There was no power in the terminal, no working lighting, no computers, no Xray security screening equipment or conveyer belts and several thousand hot cranky would be passengers. Microphones of course weren't working either for announcements. The previous passengers were late departing, since they had all been ordered into interior ship spaces for their safety by the captain. The loungers from the pool deck had been blown onto the roof of the terminal. All luggage had to be screened and transported by hand, all documents examined, and verified by hand and boarding done manually. It was, needless to say a total and completely disorganized, chaotic, mess. Somehow, everyone got aboard, the ship got cleaned and we departed about 3 hours late (still could see some lounge chairs on the terminal roof when we departed) for what turned out to be one of our favorite cruises. Just remember....it could always be worse! The Captain could have been named Murphy.

 

We experienced something similar in November 2015. We were doing a b2b on the Navigator of the Seas that was docked at the same terminal used by the Oasis. For starters, it was coming in from Galveston after being re-positioned and it didn't arrive until around noon as I recall. We were there at 10:30 of course (as usual) and had completed the check in process and were waiting upstairs. Power went out in the terminal and in large swaths of the immediate area in FLL. Of course the security and check in process stopped and there were only a handful of us upstairs waiting to board - well a couple hundred of us I suppose. Anyway, we were allowed to board once the ship was cleared and we boarded and headed up to chow down in the Windjammer. As the day went on we noticed that we practically had the run of the place to ourselves, not realising that while power had been restored, the computer systems were down and so they couldn't check anyone in, take pictures etc. We did supper that night in Chops while we were still in port. I dont think we left until somewhere close to 8PM. Apparently, most of the 3000+ passengers had spent the afternoon in the cruise terminal - quite an unhappy lot they were when they finally boarded somewhere around 6PM only to be told to line up for muster shortly afterwards. There were more than just a few grumps and who could blame them.

 

It didn't end there either. Apparently due to the mixup at boarding, something happened with their credit cards and just about everyone had to be stopped and have their cc's re-scanned at disembarkation. We were waiting in a lounge because we were doing the b2b and again, we were oblivious to the turmoil going on. We weren't escorted off the ship and back on until close to noon that day.

[jagoffee]

 

The soda package is another problem. We like to drink caffeine free diet Coke. Celebrity doesn't seem to want to stock enough of it.

 

Yes, Celebrity runs out of CFDC almost every cruise. Sometimes it takes a day it two for it to show up at the bars. (Stocking). After a while it becomes a game of “see if you can find where the CFDC”. We usually get a few can s and store in in our frig. for the last few days.

 

I always take longer cruises, so I am not sure if it is the same on 7 day cruises. I would think the “soda inventory planners” would know that they run out regularly and adjust. I really do not recall any Celebrity cruise where this did not happen.

 

At least Celebrity has CFDC. I know Princess does not.

[G&G]

Yes, Celebrity runs out of CFDC almost every cruise. Sometimes it takes a day it two for it to show up at the bars. (Stocking). After a while it becomes a game of “see if you can find where the CFDC”. We usually get a few can s and store in in our frig. for the last few days.

 

I always take longer cruises, so I am not sure if it is the same on 7 day cruises. I would think the “soda inventory planners” would know that they run out regularly and adjust. I really do not recall any Celebrity cruise where this did not happen.

 

At least Celebrity has CFDC. I know Princess does not.

 

We were also on this cruise. It was our 6th cruise on Celebrity in pass four years and on prior cruises never ran out of anything including Diet Cokes. In fact besides this cruise I can only remember one other cruise in 42 years when the ship ran out of things; but that was on a 42 day cruise.

Edited April 18, 2018 by G&G
Change words

[jagoffee]

We were also on this cruise. It was our 6th cruise on Celebrity in pass four years and on prior cruises never ran out of anything including Diet Cokes. In fact besides this cruise I can only remember one other cruise in 42 years when the ship ran out of things; but that was on a 42 day cruise.

 

Do you realize that we are discussing Caffeine Free Diet Coke and not just Diet Coke? I have never seen Celebrity to run out of just regular Diet Coke.

Do you drink the Caffeine Free Diet Coke (CFDC)?

[RedneckBob]

Do you realize that we are discussing Caffeine Free Diet Coke and not just Diet Coke? I have never seen Celebrity to run out of just regular Diet Coke.

Do you drink the Caffeine Free Diet Coke (CFDC)?

 

So sorry. I thought your CFDC was "Canadians For Diet Cokes" :D

As previously discussed, Celebrity ran out of Diet Coke on Day 7 of 11 of our Caribbean cruise, brought some in Curacao and ran out 2 days prior to arrival in Ft Lauderdale.

I do not drink CFDC unless DC not available

[helen haywood]

Ditto. On this cruise, Reflection's April 2, 2018 sailing the ship most definitely ran out of Diet Coke. I thought it was just the one bar I asked so I made the rounds of several. They were all out and said they would be getting some later in the day. I thought that meant bringing it up from a storeroom; didn't realize they had to purchase ashore.

[PRH]

They have also run out of diet tonic fairly quickly.

 

 

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[wendyam76]

They also took onboard more supplies in Bonaire - I saw them going through the port gates!

[G&G]

Even though there were several missteps on this cruise, it was a great cruise.

[ZSandy25]

Enjoy reading your reviews Redneck, you sure tell it like it is. Will be sailing with you next March look forward to meeting you.

 

 

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[RedneckBob]

Enjoy reading your reviews Redneck, you sure tell it like it is. Will be sailing with you next March look forward to meeting you.

 

 

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Well, hello ZSandy25. I try to keep a low profile on these cruises but you may find me at the Lido Market getting hot water to mix with my instant grits; though I prefer the 25 minute ones. :D

[ZSandy25]

Well, hello ZSandy25. I try to keep a low profile on these cruises but you may find me at the Lido Market getting hot water to mix with my instant grits; though I prefer the 25 minute ones. :D

 

 

 

I’ll be on the lookout, [emoji41][emoji41]

 

 

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[RedneckBob]

I’ll be on the lookout, [emoji41][emoji41]

 

 

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Just look for the deer in the headlights :rolleyes: !

[G&G]

Just look for the deer in the headlights :rolleyes: !

 

Haha :)