Stuck on Serenade!

[ONECRUISER]

54 minutes ago, marci22 said:

Last week of August, first week of September, something is always going on.

Use to Cruise Labor Day most every yr, was first week of what they called "Off Season" being 25-50% Cheaper then Summer Cruises. Don't think I ever had a Sailing w/o named Storms/Hurricanes. One yr was 4 that week, Seas were really churned up. Weird thing is last Labor Day week Cruise did we got home early am on 9/11/01

[toxicfairy]

8 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I saw this in your other post. Well I lost my car to hurricane Ike.. so it could have been worse.

 

I think there is a good reason sept and top of hurricane season used to be so cheap. Cheapest month. People forget how hurricanes can affect your cruise and sept fares hardly budge from full price. Hurricane fares imo should come back to reality like pre covid. There is a risk. 

 

I hear during earnings how they want to close the gap to land vacations. I think there should still be a gap. 

I work for a school so summer is only time we can really cruise. We usually do early August. 

[toxicfairy]

9 hours ago, GoochDSA said:

 

Worst vacation ever? Sounds to me like it was a once in a lifetime experience that you got a good story out of. You experienced first-hand what the first few days of a post-apocalyptic society would look like (anxiety, irritation, unknowing, the hunt for food, acceptance, survival, etc.). It may have not been ideal, but I am sure it is more memorable than some vacations that went very smoothly. Or maybe I am just too much of a cup-half-full kind of guy. 

It is a story.  But at the time we had 4 people in 1 room, no place open to get food, no restaurant at the hotel. We got lucky in that the manager of the restaurant across the parking lot got flooded out of his house and was staying at the hotel. He went over everyday and made food so every one hot meal a day.  

We had insurance so got back cruise and  ruise extras. However we were out the money for 5 day hotel stay, van rental & gas to get home. 

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, cello56 said:

You do realize that 'Hurricane Season' encompasses six months of the year? That is 50%! That includes the very expensive July and August cruises. 

But you do realize that it is now the absolute peak of the hurricane season with a high probability of Caribbean cruises being disrupted.

 

We always sail around this time and are fully prepared to sail "wherever the ship takes us" with extra meds. We only missed a cruise once when the port of Miami was closed and the ships were sheltering in Cozumel,,, well away from any potential track of the storms. 

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, cello56 said:

Personally I totally understand that weather issues are out of the control of Royal. What IS in their control is being honest and up front with passenger both on the ship and waiting to get on the ship. They need to make sure the correct information is being given out through all their social media channels. They need to make their updates more frequently - even if they just state that they are still waiting for the Coast Guard to complete their inspections of the channel. To just go radio silent and leave people hanging is just plain wrong. Carnival managed to get info to their passengers. 

It only requires a single notification on when embarkation is changed to. If I were embarking, I don't need a play-by-play,,, that would only be annoying. I just need to know when to show up at the port... and I will. 

[Another_Critic]

7 hours ago, Tromler said:

I still stand by my original comment. Dont cruise in those months of risk tolerance isnt there. All of this goes along with taking this risk of booking a Caribbean cruise during June thru Nov.

Add Dec to April if flying/connecting within the snow belt.  Maybe May is the safest bet?  🙄

[bucfan2]

6 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Add Dec to April if flying/connecting within the snow belt.  Maybe May is the safest bet?  🙄

Ya, looks like May is the month least likely to have weather drama....some people will refuse to go in May for that reason only. 😉

[toxicfairy]

14 hours ago, Tromler said:

thanks for educating me on when hurricane season, i was completely unaware of the timeline (sarcasm).  I still stand by my original comment. Dont cruise in those months of risk tolerance isnt there. All of this goes along with taking this risk of booking a Caribbean cruise during June thru Nov.

Some of us due to work schedules really don't have much  choice. I would LOVE to cruise in a month that is cheaper but I work for a school. Maybe after I retire. For now it's summer cruises and a lot of prayers!

[retired dude]

14 hours ago, Tromler said:

thanks for educating me on when hurricane season, i was completely unaware of the timeline (sarcasm).  I still stand by my original comment. Dont cruise in those months of risk tolerance isnt there. All of this goes along with taking this risk of booking a Caribbean cruise during June thru Nov.

when i was attending travel school the director strongly advised us to advice caribbean cruise  clients to only cruise in aug, sept, and oct if they had no other options..I guess she was spot on and my neighbors here in florida for the most part have learned that lesson...just sayin,' wish everyone well.

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

Ya, looks like May is the month least likely to have weather drama....some people will refuse to go in May for that reason only. 😉

Yup, I don't like to be on a Cruise w/o feeling the Ship rocking some. Like the Motion of the Ocean

[jwlane]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 high probability of Caribbean cruises being disrupted

Run those numbers by us that equate to a "high" probability.

[logan25]

15 hours ago, toxicfairy said:

It is a story.  But at the time we had 4 people in 1 room, no place open to get food, no restaurant at the hotel. We got lucky in that the manager of the restaurant across the parking lot got flooded out of his house and was staying at the hotel. He went over everyday and made food so every one hot meal a day.  

We had insurance so got back cruise and  ruise extras. However we were out the money for 5 day hotel stay, van rental & gas to get home. 

Curious what insurance you bought.  The cruise and cruise extras would have been refunded by the cruise company.  I would think travel insurance with a delay or interruption clause would cover hotel, food and incidentals.

[Another_Critic]

5 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

Ya, looks like May is the month least likely to have weather drama....some people will refuse to go in May for that reason only. 😉

Scratch May ... it's a high pollen month.  🤧

[RedIguana]

             I was on a 7 night Infinity cruise when Ian came through last year. Itinerary was altered, as we were due in Belize and Cozumel at the time the storm was coming up between Cuba and the Yucatan. On the plus side, we had power, food, drinks, etc on the ship vs no power for 3 days at our house in the Daytona area. I considered it a pretty big win 🤪.

            Ian left a trail of misery in Florida

[bouhunter]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

But you do realize that it is now the absolute peak of the hurricane season with a high probability of Caribbean cruises being disrupted.

 

 

It's a possibility, not a "high probability".

[ONECRUISER]

55 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Scratch May ... it's a high pollen month.  🤧

My problem last 15yrs I'd experience it in one State, get threw it, then go to other State just in time to live with Allergies all over again during their peak months

[ONECRUISER]

13 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Add Dec to April if flying/connecting within the snow belt.  Maybe May is the safest bet?  🙄

Once just made it to Airport, 8+ inch of snow fell in the nite, a normal half hr to Airport took 2hrs and this in 4 wheel drive. Got on the Plane, last one leaving until storm passed just to have us slide off the Taxiway. We were stuck for hrs. Was first time I ever planned to Fly in day before Cruise so it worked out and didnt miss our Cruise next day. Now I do 2 nites each time and relax

[nimbex1970]

Thank you OP for the update.  Food for thought after 13 years as a Florida resident, folks outside the zone, don't understand hurricanes.  Folks flying/driving in think the storm has passed and it's all good.  Not the case at all, the next 2 days to see where flooding, erosion and channel shifting is the key.  There is no way to keep everyone updated hourly, then they are changing their travel plans and THEN blaming the cruise line for frequent update challenges.  A hurricane is a wait and see it through event, even 72 hours out. 

 

Who here really thinks RCCL is trying to piss off a hundred thousand folks in their florida ports?  Realistic expectations in "the season" are needed by all, and if you can't do it, this isn't the time for one to book a cruise.  No other options, well, weigh your choices of land/sea, and thats what you have.  Not an RCL cheerleader, but one who cruises regularly through "the season", and remains flexible and understands what hurricanes are to cruise plans. We are ALL gambling with a cruise this time of year.  Happy sailings all!  

[nimbex1970]

45 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Once just made it to Airport, 8+ inch of snow fell in the nite, a normal half hr to Airport took 2hrs and this in 4 wheel drive. Got on the Plane, last one leaving until storm passed just to have us slide off the Taxiway. We were stuck for hrs. Was first time I ever planned to Fly in day before Cruise so it worked out and didnt miss our Cruise next day. Now I do 2 nites each time and relax

We have 4 legs of flights to get from the bush in Alaska to Orlando.  the first one is 50/50 from october through may.  So we need 4 days each way for a 7 night cruise, lol!  Knock on wood, haven't missed one yet  Just have to prepare, because lack of planning on MY part is not an emergency for RCCL.

[ONECRUISER]

36 minutes ago, nimbex1970 said:

We have 4 legs of flights to get from the bush in Alaska to Orlando.  the first one is 50/50 from october through may.  So we need 4 days each way for a 7 night cruise, lol!  Knock on wood, haven't missed one yet  Just have to prepare, because lack of planning on MY part is not an emergency for RCCL.

Wow, feel for you. Have connecting on Saturday for Monday B4B Serenade Cruise but dont even have get off to change planes. Return Flights next couple Cruises are Direct. 20-30yrs ago most time would Drive 1200-1400 Miles each way for Cruises/Disney, Single Parent with 3 Kids was expensive Flying. Gas was so cheap only $100-120 rt driving even with a Ford Expedition in 90's-2000's

[orville99]

During my career, I always scheduled a business trip to Florida in January because there was a high probability that western NY would get snowed in and I could get a few more rounds of golf in. Now that we live in Florida, we always schedule a cruise at the peak of hurricane season because there is a good possibility that the cruise will be extended or rerouted to ports we hadn’t visited in a while.😇

[nferr]

I'm cruising out of Cape Liberty to the Bahamas next month. Got a great price because of "hurricane season".  Do it often and have never had a cruise cancelled or make a huge change. I think once we missed a port to avoid a tropical storm. You're on a ship out in the ocean, you can hit bad weather at any time. Things can happen on any kind of vacation, you learn to roll with the punches.

[coaster]

Those booked on Carnival Paradise from Tampa which also got reduced to 3 nights really got a deal. Refund for one day like Serenade, but 50 percent FCC and $200 OBC per cabin.

[RFerrington]

Sorry if I missed a post somewhere.  Is the Port of Tampa open now ?  We are supposed to board Grandeur tomorrow.  I'm sure we would have heard something if there was a delay...just wondering.

[coaster]

30 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Sorry if I missed a post somewhere.  Is the Port of Tampa open now ?  We are supposed to board Grandeur tomorrow.  I'm sure we would have heard something if there was a delay...just wondering.

Open. Enjoy Grandeur. Did b2b on her from Miami for 14 nights in November and loved it! Sail the older and smaller ships while they are still around is my motivation!