Coco Cay: Waves too big to deboard?

[JohnnyThinwallet]

I figured that the pier at Coco Cay would eliminate the issue of the seas being too rough for tender boats to get off the ship, but an acquaintance told me last night that on her cruise, the seas were too rough to get off the ship because the water was washing over the pier.  The ship rocked, sat there a good part of the day, but they were never able to get off to enjoy the island.  This was news to me.  Anyone experience this, or hear of this being an issue since the pier was finished?  If so, any idea if this a common occurrence?  

[deliver42]

That can happen at any port. If the waves are over the dock, it's a safety issue.

[Bobal]

After last week's aborted trip it seems Allure is destined not to have a Perfect Day once again. Currently on Allure and captain just announced we wont be calling into Coco Cay as the seas are too rough with waves breaking over the pier.

 

We're going to hang around for a few hours to see if weather improves but it's not looking good - rough seas and heavy cloud 😥

[Clarea]

17 minutes ago, JohnnyThinwallet said:

I figured that the pier at Coco Cay would eliminate the issue of the seas being too rough for tender boats to get off the ship, but an acquaintance told me last night that on her cruise, the seas were too rough to get off the ship because the water was washing over the pier.  The ship rocked, sat there a good part of the day, but they were never able to get off to enjoy the island.  This was news to me.  Anyone experience this, or hear of this being an issue since the pier was finished?  If so, any idea if this a common occurrence?  

 

Probably not a common occurence, but it can happen.  The pier is not in any kind of protected bay.

[reallyitsmema]

17 minutes ago, JohnnyThinwallet said:

I figured that the pier at Coco Cay would eliminate the issue of the seas being too rough for tender boats to get off the ship, but an acquaintance told me last night that on her cruise, the seas were too rough to get off the ship because the water was washing over the pier.  The ship rocked, sat there a good part of the day, but they were never able to get off to enjoy the island.  This was news to me.  Anyone experience this, or hear of this being an issue since the pier was finished?  If so, any idea if this a common occurrence?  

 

What you are talking about happened to the Allure.  Some people were actually able to get off the ship early when it was nice but then they had to evacuate the island.  There is a big thread with pictures.  The ship was stuck there for most of the days until the winds died down.  The pier is not going to guarantee that Coco Cay won't be cancelled.  ANy port can get cancelled due to heavy seas.

[coaster]

A ship tied up against a pier during rough seas is not a good thing as damage to the ship and/or pier can occur. Much better to be out at sea.

[Ukigirl]

Really looking forward to Coco Cay, just off Majesty and we didn’t make it there either due to high winds. Ended up in Nassau around 2:00, stayed overnight until 4:30 the next day. Heard there was a long line at Guest Services with people demanding compensation. Captain made several announcements, his last one was very stern, he sounded pissed. Hard to believe that people are so ridiculous to think they can get in line and ***** and complain at the crew when it’s about safety.

[island lady]

Same thing at Labadee.   Got called off the stop once due to high waves.  Another visit there, around mid morning, the winds came up.  Broke one of the forward ropes, closed off the pier until they could replace it, then called pax back to the ship early.  

 

Have missed docking up at Key West due to high winds also.  

[Snit13]

21 minutes ago, Ukigirl said:

Really looking forward to Coco Cay, just off Majesty and we didn’t make it there either due to high winds. Ended up in Nassau around 2:00, stayed overnight until 4:30 the next day. Heard there was a long line at Guest Services with people demanding compensation. Captain made several announcements, his last one was very stern, he sounded pissed. Hard to believe that people are so ridiculous to think they can get in line and ***** and complain at the crew when it’s about safety.

Find it interesting that people want to be compensated for an act of Mother Nature.  To the best of my knowledge, RCCL has no control over the weather and thankfully is interested in the safety of its passengers and crew.

[Ukigirl]

31 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

Find it interesting that people want to be compensated for an act of Mother Nature.  To the best of my knowledge, RCCL has no control over the weather and thankfully is interested in the safety of its passengers and crew.

Woman next to me at pool said it was a conspiracy theory because Nassau needs the passengers spending $ at port, that’s why we didn’t go to Coco Cay. I just got up and walked away.

[actuarian]

44 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

Find it interesting that people want to be compensated for an act of Mother Nature.  To the best of my knowledge, RCCL has no control over the weather and thankfully is interested in the safety of its passengers and crew.

You have a right to compensation if the cruise is shortened or if you are not accommodated in the cabin class you paid for.  However, the law and the cruise contract are clear that you do not have a right to compensation if a port stop is cancelled or, for that matter, if an entertainment event is cancelled or if you are re-accommodated in a different cabin in the same price class.  The truth is that what you are really paying for when you book a cruise is room and board.  Port stops can always be cancelled by the captain if there is any kind of safety issue.  For example, Disney has had a pier at their Castaway Cay for over 20 years (it was the first such pier) and, for that whole 20 years, the stop has often been missed during the winter months and cruisers have often complained but there is simply nothing to be done about it.

Edited November 16, 2019 by actuarian
spelling

[jsf]

Many years ago {1993 I think} our first trip to Coco Cay before the pier was built we could not go to the island because of high waves. A couple of years after that friends went to the island and a storm came up and they could not get off the island and had to spend the night finding any cover they could find. They were compensated but they have  plenty of stories to tell about sleeping on a bulldozer to finding ways to keep the children happy. So it does happen that weather can ruin plans.

[atricks]

 

[luv2sailAgain]

1 hour ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

What you are talking about happened to the Allure.  Some people were actually able to get off the ship early when it was nice but then they had to evacuate the island.  There is a big thread with pictures.  

Do you recall the thread name? I can't seem to find it.

[reallyitsmema]

2 minutes ago, luv2sailAgain said:

Do you recall the thread name? I can't seem to find it.

 

Here you go. 🙂 

 

 

 

[luv2sailAgain]

Just now, reallyitsmema said:

 

Here you go. 🙂 

 

 

 

Thank you!

[mo&fran]

I think the pier was built so Oasis class of ships could visit.

[island lady]

10 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

I think the pier was built so Oasis class of ships could visit.

 

Yup.

[island lady]

At most ports that have to be missed due to weather...it is the port authority that waves off the ship.  But of course would be different at Coco Cay and Labadee, being leased to RCI.  

 

Funny about the woman that thought it was a conspiracy...takes all kinds.  😄 

[Bobal]

1 hour ago, atricks said:

 

Captain announced 40 minutes ago that we're not going there. By then we were a long way from Coco Cay so not really trying to get in 🤔

[goldfish65]

Seems like cruisers would be fine with not docking, since in any case it is not beach weather.

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, Ukigirl said:

Really looking forward to Coco Cay, just off Majesty and we didn’t make it there either due to high winds. Ended up in Nassau around 2:00, stayed overnight until 4:30 the next day. Heard there was a long line at Guest Services with people demanding compensation. Captain made several announcements, his last one was very stern, he sounded pissed. Hard to believe that people are so ridiculous to think they can get in line and ***** and complain at the crew when it’s about safety.

Missed Coco Cay many times in last 25yrs. At most got extra Sea Day or a Day at Nassau, only Compensation once was 2hrs free drinks. Thats it...

Edited November 16, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[Tapi]

I fully know that ports are subject to change, and that nobody can control Mother Nature, but I remember driving to Port Canaveral to board the ship, and listening to the weather report concerning a tropical storm approaching the Bahamas and expected to hit the following day (when we were supposed to be at Coco Cay). I pulled up the forecast for the Berry Islands, and  the forecast was showing heavy rain with winds gusting to 50mph. 
 

So I boarded the ship fully expecting Coco Cay to be canceled, but the Cruise Director kept making announcements encouraging people to book their shore excursions for Coco Cay, and  pumping them up about the wonderful day ahead at beautiful Coco Cay. No mention of the weather and it’s potential impact. And I kept thinking “Have they looked at the weather for tomorrow?”.

 

Sure enough, we woke up at sea, in almost zero visibility due to heavy rain. And that’s when they finally announced that Coco Cay was canceled and that any booked excursion would be refunded. 🙄

 

Once again, I fully know that the cruise line can’t control the weather, but what they can control is what they say to passengers as well as the updates and accuracy of the information they provide. On that cruise, they crew came across as uninformed inepts. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Tapi

[ONECRUISER]

12 minutes ago, Tapi said:

I fully know that ports are subject to change, and that nobody can control Mother Nature, but I remember driving to Port Canaveral to board the ship, and listening to the weather report concerning a tropical storm approaching the Bahamas and expected to hit the following day (when we were supposed to be at Coco Cay). I pulled up the forecast for the Berry Islands, and  the forecast was showing heavy rain with winds gusting to 50mph. 
 

So I boarded the ship fully expecting Coco Cay to be canceled, but the Cruise Director kept making announcements encouraging people to book their shore excursions for Coco Cay, and  pumping them up about the wonderful day ahead at beautiful Coco Cay. No mention of the weather and it’s potential impact. And I kept thinking “Have they looked at the weather for tomorrow?”.

 

Sure enough, we woke up at sea, in almost zero visibility due to heavy rain. And that’s when they finally announced that Coco Cay was canceled and that any booked excursion would be refunded. 🙄

 

Once again, I fully know that the cruise line can’t control the weather, but what they can control is what they say to passengers as well as the updates and accuracy of the information they provide. On that cruise, they crew came across as uninformed inepts. 

Can be predicted, but never 100%. I set sail one day there was 4 named Storms/Hurricanes in Caribbean. Use to Cruise Labor Day week every yr. They'll keep you safe, storms can skirt and you make your Port.  Missed Dozen's Port's over the yrs myself. They try keep to schedule. But Weather Happen's, Is what is...

[Tapi]

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Can be predicted, but never 100%. I set sail one day there was 4 named Storms/Hurricanes in Caribbean. Use to Cruise Labor Day week every yr. They'll keep you safe, storms can skirt and you make your Port.  Missed Dozen's Port's over the yrs myself. They try keep to schedule. But Weather Happen's, Is what is...

I fully agree with you. Sometimes you think the storm is coming, you get ready for it, and then at the last minute it takes a turn. 
 

I get that, but my issue on our particular cruise had to do with communication. In our case there was zero mention of the “possibility“ of any adverse weather even though it was knocking at our doors, and about to hit in less than 12 hours. They treated it like it didn’t exist. I think that something along the lines of “Hey! We are hoping for a wonderful day at Coco Cay tomorrow, however there’s a possibility that our plans may be altered due to an approaching tropical storm. We will keep you updated” instead of “Hey! Book your excursions now, we are going to have a fantastic day at beautiful and sunny Coco Cay tomorrow! Nothing to worry about!” would’ve been better.

 

I think that being straightforward with people and keeping them informed minimizes disappointments and the number of people who feel blindsided, and who are then loudly demanding compensation in the middle of the atrium. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Tapi