Port closed due to fog?? Embarkation day

[niciediva007]

Just got a text update from carnival saying the JAX port is closed due to fog. Is this a usual practice? What can i expect? I don’t know much about boating software tech but planes take off in fog. I would expect sonar to kick in.

 

is there a danger that we have a delay? The weather here is actually pretty awesome today.

[grillinchillin]

It has happened before... <link>

 

“Generally, if there are ships held up due to fog it’s because the ship pilots refuse to board the vessel because of safety concerns,” Lehmann said. “This is one of those rare times where the Coast Guard extended its authority to restrict port activity.’’

Edited November 19, 2018 by grillinchillin
added quote

[bury me at sea]

It will at worst be a delay.  Getting the ship safely into and out of port is the issue.

 

Carnival will keep you informed with updates to the schedule if needed.

 

Just a small bump in the road.

[BoDidly]

Jaxport is known for this kind of delays.  Grab some brunch it may be a long morning.

[niciediva007]

Ugh okay. No doubt safety trumps convenience so I get it. I just don’t like it. 😤

 

We have FTTF so we were hoping to get to port around 10:30 am.  The message says they’ll update at 9am so here’s to hoping the fog dissipates before boarding. If not, I’ll reign in my impatience with a mimosa. 🥂 

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

Typical delay or cancellation can be fog as in this situation, or wind in other ports. They will cancel some ports of call if conditions warrant and there is no sign of improvement anticipated. Don't forget, they will divert ships from stormy areas.

 

In your case, I would imagine the returning cruise is having a delay docking. Until those people get back to port and off the ship, there is no point in you being in the port area. It would just add to the congestion. Follow the cruise line instructions and you might only be delayed leaving port by an hour or two. You won't even notice it.

 

have a great cruise

[Nic6318]

7 minutes ago, niciediva007 said:

Ugh okay. No doubt safety trumps convenience so I get it. I just don’t like it. 😤

 

We have FTTF so we were hoping to get to port around 10:30 am.  The message says they’ll update at 9am so here’s to hoping the fog dissipates before boarding. If not, I’ll reign in my impatience with a mimosa. 🥂 

 

Hi

 

Don't forget even if you arrived at port at 10:30 you very often won't start boarding till 11:30. So you would have been sitting around for an hour.

 

As mentioned the fog needs to dissipate for the returning vessel to dock, not for you to board.  You have to wait till the returning passengers are off the ship till you can board.

[mredandchis]

yeah been there, done that, but the fog lifts and they will sail.  Just a hold up a bit.  

 

[PhillyFan33579]

Hopefully the fog will dissipate soon. A cruise we took on Paradise out of Tampa a few years ago was delayed 24 hours due to fog.  The cruise was supposed to go to Cozumel, but that port was cancelled due to the delay.  We were given a 50% discount on that cruise and a 50% discount on a future cruise, which I thought was more than fair compensation for a delay beyond Carnival’s control. 

[bury me at sea]

55 minutes ago, niciediva007 said:

Ugh okay. No doubt safety trumps convenience so I get it. I just don’t like it. 😤

 

We have FTTF so we were hoping to get to port around 10:30 am.  The message says they’ll update at 9am so here’s to hoping the fog dissipates before boarding. If not, I’ll reign in my impatience with a mimosa. 🥂 

 

Give us a wave goodbye when you're on board.

 

Happy sailing.

[mredandchis]

17 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Hopefully the fog will dissipate soon. A cruise we took on Paradise out of Tampa a few years ago was delayed 24 hours due to fog.  The cruise was supposed to go to Cozumel, but that port was cancelled due to the delay.  We were given a 50% discount on that cruise and a 50% discount on a future cruise, which I thought was more than fair compensation for a delay beyond Carnival’s control. 

I would love that deal. Sign me up!!!!

 

[niciediva007]

1 hour ago, Nic6318 said:

 

Hi

 

Don't forget even if you arrived at port at 10:30 you very often won't start boarding till 11:30. So you would have been sitting around for an hour.

 

As mentioned the fog needs to dissipate for the returning vessel to dock, not for you to board.  You have to wait till the returning passengers are off the ship till you can board.

I’ve read that some people are often on Lido deck by 11am so I was thinking we could early board with FTTF.

 

I’m okay with a few hours delay, but I really hope we get to sail today.

[niciediva007]

27 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Hopefully the fog will dissipate soon. A cruise we took on Paradise out of Tampa a few years ago was delayed 24 hours due to fog.  The cruise was supposed to go to Cozumel, but that port was cancelled due to the delay.  We were given a 50% discount on that cruise and a 50% discount on a future cruise, which I thought was more than fair compensation for a delay beyond Carnival’s control. 

This is amazing! I wasn’t many to sail on time, but hey, I could use a few extra thousand dollars in my pocket!

[niciediva007]

23 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

Give us a wave goodbye when you're on board.

 

Happy sailing.

I certainly will! 

 

Our delay is now until 11am which cuts close our original boarding time (11:30). I think we will load the car up and be at the ready in the event that they clear us. Our hotel is 13 mins away. We have late checkout so there’s that.

[obx_fintoo]

We've been delayed twice out of JAX for fog.  Because the ship has to sail under the Dame's Point bridge, with a very tight window of clearance, this is not unusual.  Your plan to pack up and be ready is a good one.  Pack your patience, too, as it will likely be a little frustrating getting through the lines.  

 

Hopefully you will be onboard and having fun by lunchtime!  Enjoy your cruise!!

[Chervil]

Not unusual at all for this time of year.

We sailed on Princess out of Galveston a few years ago around this time of year and had a fog delay.
Updates every hour or so until about 4pm when they informed us we wouldn't be able to board until the next day.

Was checking out the ship location with a website and could see a whole cluster anchored out in the Gulf, waiting for the fog to clear.

 

Not only did we miss an entire day and have to get a hotel room for the night, but they took Grand Cayman off the itinerary and replaced it with Belize.
They did give us a small onboard credit each, but insurance never reimbursed us for the hotel room due to the nature of the delay (wrong type of insurance I guess).

Fortunately we were travelling with some pretty easy-going companions, so we just took it all in stride and made the best of it!

It was my wife's first cruise, so she just rolled with it until the last evening as we were packing up.

Then she started to get upset because she realized she missed an entire extra day of onboard pampering!

 

I did get the chance to talk with a few people who were onboard the ship when it was delayed and they said it was horrible.

Since the rooms were being prepared for the new guests, they wouldn't let them back into their rooms until after the decision was made around 4pm to stay anchored.

The food service was minimal because they were getting everything set up for the next sailing and were expecting to be able to dock "any time now".
One guy said they spent most of the day sitting in one of the lounges with their luggage and nothing really to do.
Lots of frustrated and angry people.

Hopefully I don't ever have to experience that but I feel for those that have!

[jwjax]

35 minutes ago, obx_fintoo said:

We've been delayed twice out of JAX for fog.  Because the ship has to sail under the Dame's Point bridge, with a very tight window of clearance, this is not unusual.  Your plan to pack up and be ready is a good one.  Pack your patience, too, as it will likely be a little frustrating getting through the lines.  

 

Hopefully you will be onboard and having fun by lunchtime!  Enjoy your cruise!!

 

This is correct.  OBXF1&2 and us have been on delayed cruises out of JAXPORT.    This time of year in JAX, the fog can be very dense.  We sailed one time, and the fog set in on the way  to the ocean.  Before we reached Mayport it was socked in, but we were already underway.... so we made it to the ocean and sailed in fog until dark.  

 

It will lift eventually, just go with the flow.....enjoy your breakfast/brunch at the hotel or a local restaurant.    

Edited November 19, 2018 by jwjax

[grillinchillin]

Arrrrg! There she be!

[ProgRockCruiser]

2 hours ago, niciediva007 said:

Just got a text update from carnival saying the JAX port is closed due to fog. Is this a usual practice? What can i expect? I don’t know much about boating software tech but planes take off in fog. I would expect sonar to kick in.

 

is there a danger that we have a delay? The weather here is actually pretty awesome today.

Just a couple of tech-oriented clarifications:

 

Planes do not generally take off in fog.  Yes, they can take off and land if the aircraft and airport equipment are "just right" (especially the landing bit - need a Cat IIIb ILS system for visibility down to 150 ft), but in general, conditions should be somewhere between 1/2 and 1 mile visibility.  Yes, exceptions happen, especially in areas prone to bad conditions, but it isn't the general rule, AFAIK.

 

Also, ships use radar to help in "seeing" through fog.  Sonar is used for underwater detection, usually by subs.  Also used by bats.  Not generally used by cruise ships.

 

While radar helps out in the open seas, it is not a good way to steer a ship in the close quarters of a port.

 

Unfortunately, with the nature of ports being near oceans, it means at certain times of the year, fog is going to happen.  Hopefully it clears soon.

Edited November 19, 2018 by ProgRockCruiser
grammar

[niciediva007]

25 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Just a couple of tech-oriented clarifications:

 

Planes do not generally take off in fog.  Yes, they can take off and land if the aircraft and airport equipment are "just right" (especially the landing bit - need a Cat IIIb ILS system for visibility down to 150 ft), but in general, conditions should be somewhere between 1/2 and 1 mile visibility.  Yes, exceptions happen, especially in areas prone to bad conditions, but it isn't the general rule, AFAIK.

 

Also, ships use radar to help in "seeing" through fog.  Sonar is used for underwater detection, usually by subs.  Also used by bats.  Not generally used by cruise ships.

 

While radar helps out in the open seas, it is not a good way to steer a ship in the close quarters of a port.

 

Unfortunately, with the nature of ports being near oceans, it means at certain times of the year, fog is going to happen.  Hopefully it clears soon.

Oh I just love science nerds! Thank you for this information! Very helpful!

[niciediva007]

49 minutes ago, obx_fintoo said:

We've been delayed twice out of JAX for fog.  Because the ship has to sail under the Dame's Point bridge, with a very tight window of clearance, this is not unusual.  Your plan to pack up and be ready is a good one.  Pack your patience, too, as it will likely be a little frustrating getting through the lines.  

 

Hopefully you will be onboard and having fun by lunchtime!  Enjoy your cruise!!

Okay this is helpful. We have FTTF so I am thinking that more than ever this purchase will be useful. Though I’m sure all the FTTF and Plat/Diamond members will be converging at the same time. 

[niciediva007]

36 minutes ago, Chervil said:

Not unusual at all for this time of year.

We sailed on Princess out of Galveston a few years ago around this time of year and had a fog delay.
Updates every hour or so until about 4pm when they informed us we wouldn't be able to board until the next day.

Was checking out the ship location with a website and could see a whole cluster anchored out in the Gulf, waiting for the fog to clear.

 

Not only did we miss an entire day and have to get a hotel room for the night, but they took Grand Cayman off the itinerary and replaced it with Belize.
They did give us a small onboard credit each, but insurance never reimbursed us for the hotel room due to the nature of the delay (wrong type of insurance I guess).

Fortunately we were travelling with some pretty easy-going companions, so we just took it all in stride and made the best of it!

It was my wife's first cruise, so she just rolled with it until the last evening as we were packing up.

Then she started to get upset because she realized she missed an entire extra day of onboard pampering!

 

I did get the chance to talk with a few people who were onboard the ship when it was delayed and they said it was horrible.

Since the rooms were being prepared for the new guests, they wouldn't let them back into their rooms until after the decision was made around 4pm to stay anchored.

The food service was minimal because they were getting everything set up for the next sailing and were expecting to be able to dock "any time now".
One guy said they spent most of the day sitting in one of the lounges with their luggage and nothing really to do.
Lots of frustrated and angry people.

Hopefully I don't ever have to experience that but I feel for those that have!

Gosh I didn’t realize until his post what you guys were saying about disembarking! So there’s a whole ship full of people waiting to get off the boat for us to get on? I was thinking they wouldn’t dare turnover a ship in just a few hours but I guess so! Time is money. Goodness. I sure hope they get to debark soon! Lol. For MY sake!

[niciediva007]

32 minutes ago, grillinchillin said:

Arrrrg! There she be!

Never used this site before! thanks! Come on fog! Blow away!!! 🌬🌬🌬

[wms99]

Once upon a time (Dec 2016), we were returning to Mobile aboard the Fantasy. The fog was as thick as soup. The ship docked and then the real fog sat down. It was so thick they couldn't safely hook up the walkway to the ship. So there we sat in the halls and public spaces and waited until it cleared. It took a few hours. Maybe until 10:00ish for the fog to clear. Some folks were getting angry about it all.

It didn't bother me that much. Weather happens. The parking deck was a mess with incoming and outgoing cruisers all converging.

 

[iltutcruiser]

1 hour ago, mredandchis said:

I would love that deal. Sign me up!!!!

 

I was on that cruise, we were socked in for sure. People were scrambling trying to reschedule flights etc. I actually enjoyed the extra day of food and drinks ! Of course the people waiting at the terminal were LIVID !