Rotterdam stuck outside TPA today

[rafinmd]

Carnival Paradise is now docking.  I hope Rotterdam can squeeze past her.

 

Roy

[RedneckBob]

54 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Not as a rule.  But I do know that Tampa gets some fog -- just can't predict if this will be one of those years when they may have more fog compared to other years.

 

Mobile and Galveston also get a lot of fog.

 

And we had a cruise delayed in San Diego because of fog.

 

You are correct. Fog happens.

 

Living in Tampa Bay Area fog occurs when air temp's are warm which has been happening since last Friday. Normal temps are 50 to 72 degrees. Currently 69 to 81 degrees. It is suppose to cool down on Thursday so fog should not be an issue next Sunday.

 

Reporting live from Tampa. Weather person, Redneck Bob

 

 

[Homosassa]

Anyone who lives by a large body of water knows that fog will result when warm moist air moves over the surface of cooler water. 

 

So while the sea fog may only be a problem during the warmer summer months in some parts of the country, it will occur anytime where the the air is warmer than the water temperature and humidity is high.

 

The expected fog map from last night showed the heavy fog on both the east and west coasts of Florida that moved inland so that most of Florida had a fog layer last night.

 

 

[dobiemom]

When is the Rotterdam scheduled to leave Tampa?

[Boytjie]

The Rotterdam is leaving now.

[Boytjie]

Rotterdam skipping Key West and going to Trujillo, Honduras.

[Homosassa]

4 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Not as a rule.  But I do know that Tampa gets some fog -- just can't predict if this will be one of those years when they may have more fog compared to other years.

 

Mobile and Galveston also get a lot of fog.

 

And we had a cruise delayed in San Diego because of fog.

This is a La Nina year which means the ports around around the Gulf of Mexico will have colder, wetter and windier weather than other years . The closure of Tampa port just before Christmas week end because of wind is an example of the effects of a La Nina cold weather frontal passage (also the very heavy rains the west coast of Florida had for several days  for two weeks).

 

If the air temperature and humidity bounces back up after the cold air has cooled the water temperature down, then yes, we will have fog. Not just Tampa, but Miami, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Galveston, New Orleans, and Mobile will also have problems.

 

As far as ports of call, any port in the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the western Caribbean will also be affected. There will be high seas, rainy weather, and windy conditions affecting ports of call such as Key West, Cuba, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel.

[St Pete Cruiser]

21 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

The Rotterdam is leaving now.

Finally!  I felt bad for all those affected yesterday.  Then as an added nuisance, cruise critic stopped functioning.  Wonder if it was all the extra traffic trying to find out what was happening?

Today is 78 and sunny with a breeze from the southeast here in St Petersburg, so Rotterdam at least has a nice sailaway.

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for posting the picture of the Rotterdam leaving Tampa.

Hope everyone aboard has a good cruise.

[Djptcp]

DH worked 17 hours at the Port yesterday and got home at 3:30am this morning. Pretty stressful day and they were working short because of the holidays. He said most people were pretty good about the delays, but others blamed employees for Mother Nature. He wasn't working at the Rotterdam terminal, but at one of the other ships and food and soft drinks were brought out from the ship for the waiting passengers. 

[Sailor Taylor]

We were on the Christmas sailing of Rotterdam and yesterday the ship was finally able to dock at around 6pm and we disembarked around 7:30pm.  Saw the two RCCL ships on our way in.   Very close to us and lots of happy waving.

 

The disembarkation was slightly messy because some people who originally picked late slots needed to disembark first but other than that it was orderly.  The immigration was fast and smooth.  

 

An officer told us while we were on board the ship wouldn't be able to leave until the next morning and they would skip a port.  

 

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by Sailor Taylor

[gphb]

45 minutes ago, Sailor Taylor said:

An officer told us while we were on board the ship wouldn't be able to leave until the next morning and they would skip a port.  

 

Confirmed.  Rotterdam was the only ship in port that wasn't "able" to leave port last night -- the Carnival Miracle and Norwegian Pearl both made it out around 12.30am.   The captain of the Rotterdam said they would take all night to load luggage, supplies and fuel, and so the ship left at 11am and skipped Key West with no substitution.  This will save some fuel and required average speed to second stop is only 17 knots so more saved there I guess.

 

Each passenger was offered $50 in OBC in compensation to help compensate for the dinner on shore they had to get, and a one hour sail away party on Ocean View poolside with free drinks (for the 1000+ passengers who lined up for this treat).  

 

The fog and the closure of Tampa Bay port was not in HAL's control, although they did have a duty of care after 4pm scheduled sailing, so the the $50 OBC seems very reasonable.     The inability to depart when the other ships did and the subsequent loss of a port did seem entirely in their control, but its a sunny day on deck and good sailing so far.

[Krazy Kruizers]

3 hours ago, Boytjie said:

The Rotterdam is leaving now.

 

 

Thanks Peter for the picture -- I wanted to be here but didn't make it to see her leave.

[Himself]

I wonder how the events of yesterday affected the people who disembarked.  I hope they all got to their destinations.