Florida Cold Front / Canceled port on Prima

[unliketherest988]

Captain just came on intercom stating we are canceling Great Stirrup and taking shelter in old Bahama straight because the cold front is bringing Gail force winds and 15 foot seas on Saturday. 
 

Prepare accordingly for anyone going into FL for cruises this weekend as this storm is a monster. 

[HBCcruiser]

It is too bad NCL does not build a large dock on GSC like RCI has on Coco Cay. Tender parts often get cancelled due to big swells and weather. 

[wolft927]

Swells like this docking wouldn’t even happen, we have missed costa maya several time due to high winds and swells 

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, HBCcruiser said:

It is too bad NCL does not build a large dock on GSC like RCI has on Coco Cay. Tender parts often get cancelled due to big swells and weather. 

Docking at CocoCay are also cancelled in gale force winds and high seas. 

[HBCcruiser]

15 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Docking at CocoCay are also cancelled in gale force winds and high seas. 

Yeh you are right, but it would still be nice! 😁

[uneamie]

Maybe a nice port dock like Bermuda has would work. I never hear of them canceling Bermuda due to high winds.....maybe a hurricane but not wind

 

[AwesomO]

13 minutes ago, uneamie said:

Maybe a nice port dock like Bermuda has would work. I never hear of them canceling Bermuda due to high winds.....maybe a hurricane but not wind

 

pretty sure they did just this week? there was a 5 day itinerary with an overnight in Bermuda out of NYC and they changed it to just a fairly short day because if impending (non hurricane) bad weather. Without checking the forecast, I'd guess it's the same system. 

[zqvol]

27 minutes ago, uneamie said:

Maybe a nice port dock like Bermuda has would work. I never hear of them canceling Bermuda due to high winds.....maybe a hurricane but not wind

 

They modified it this week due to the storm, they made it 7 hours instead of overnight.

[Mlake09]

1 hour ago, uneamie said:

Maybe a nice port dock like Bermuda has would work. I never hear of them canceling Bermuda due to high winds.....maybe a hurricane but not wind

 

Howdy from the 5 day NYC to Bermuda cruise on the Gem! We were supposed to be overnighting in Bermuda tomorrow, and leaving on Saturday around 4pm, but our port of call was changed due to weather and the overnight was cancelled. 

[hallux]

2 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

It is too bad NCL does not build a large dock on GSC like RCI has on Coco Cay. Tender parts often get cancelled due to big swells and weather. 

RCI had other reasons to build that pier.  Their Oasis-class ships have no tender capabilities (imagine trying to tender 6,000 people!) so if they wanted their newest and biggest ships to visit their private island they had to build the pier.

[BirdTravels]

37 minutes ago, hallux said:

RCI had other reasons to build that pier.  Their Oasis-class ships have no tender capabilities (imagine trying to tender 6,000 people!) so if they wanted their newest and biggest ships to visit their private island they had to build the pier.

We were on the first Oasis class ship to dock at CocoCay. And most recently called there on the newest Wonder of the Sea.  

[kaprin02]

Escape also cancelled her call at GSC today. Captain stated they would have been able to get everyone to the island, but that they wouldn’t have been able to get everyone back to the ship, due to the wind picking up around noon today. 

[mking8288]

Over at Carnival, one of the ships embarking an hour earlier (today) than scheduled, probably due to revised/updated weather forecast. 

[Turtles06]

18 hours ago, uneamie said:

Maybe a nice port dock like Bermuda has would work. I never hear of them canceling Bermuda due to high winds.....maybe a hurricane but not wind

 

 

Well, maybe you never heard of it, but it absolutely happens.  The ships have to navigate into the Dockyard by sailing next to a shallow coral reef.  High winds can make it impossible for a ship to do that without damaging the reef (especially a mega ship, which is essentially a big sail).

 

In Oct. 2021, we missed two of our three days in Bermuda on the Breakaway because high winds prevented the ship from docking.  The weather was otherwise sunny and beautiful.  The Captain tried to get close to the Dockyard, but the winds prevented this.

[Oceansaway17]

unfortunately, this happens about I would say 15% of the time at GSC and Coco Cay.

Just too bad they did not find private lsland further south.  Some private island fair better than these two for weather issues.

[uneamie]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Well, maybe you never heard of it, but it absolutely happens.  The ships have to navigate into the Dockyard by sailing next to a shallow coral reef.  High winds can make it impossible for a ship to do that without damaging the reef (especially a mega ship, which is essentially a big sail).

 

In Oct. 2021, we missed two of our three days in Bermuda on the Breakaway because high winds prevented the ship from docking.  The weather was otherwise sunny and beautiful.  The Captain tried to get close to the Dockyard, but the winds prevented this.

Wow....I was not aware of that. So like us, if one books a cruise to Bermuda which usually includes 3 days there and you encounter these high winds you are out of luck with your intinerary choice....especially if you booked excursions via outside vendors. 

[cruiseny4life]

41 minutes ago, uneamie said:

Wow....I was not aware of that. So like us, if one books a cruise to Bermuda which usually includes 3 days there and you encounter these high winds you are out of luck with your intinerary choice....especially if you booked excursions via outside vendors. 

In September and my last cruise (like, last week), we were scheduled to go to Bermuda. Guess where we didn't go? Bermuda! Yay for Nassau and Miami...said no one ever. Actually, I don't mind Nassau, but Miami in September was a flippin' bust. That was after spending an overnight at Port Canaveral. 

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, uneamie said:

Wow....I was not aware of that. So like us, if one books a cruise to Bermuda which usually includes 3 days there and you encounter these high winds you are out of luck with your intinerary choice....especially if you booked excursions via outside vendors. 

 

Weather can cause a port to be cancelled anywhere, anytime.

 

Many private tour operators will refund your money if a ship can't dock.  Best to know the policy before you book. 

[GeezerCouple]

59 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Weather can cause a port to be cancelled anywhere, anytime.

 

Many private tour operators will refund your money if a ship can't dock.  Best to know the policy before you book. 

 

 

It's always important to double check with any private vendor about whether they will refund if the ship can't make it.  That is quite different than if you are a no show when the ship did arrive.

 

As Turtles06 mentioned, most will refund, but unless they say so (and best in writing!), it's not a given.

 

And always also ask for written confirmation about how far in advance you could cancel and not be charged or only be charged a small fee or whatever the policy is.  That's probably especially important in Times of Tripledemics, alas.

 

GC

 

[david_sobe]

Its supposed to be 43 Saturday night here in Miami. 😬

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

unfortunately, this happens about I would say 15% of the time at GSC and Coco Cay.

Just too bad they did not find private lsland further south.  Some private island fair better than these two for weather issues.

Royal Caribbean uses Labadee further south. We were there earlier this year. It's fine as long as the guards with automatic weapons keep the gates closed.