Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico

[island lady]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

BTW, on our last cruise, they gave us KC Sauv as one of our amenities.😇

 

Nice!  I am programmed in for Peter Yealands...which used to be a good Kiwi SB...but Serenade had a batch that was oxidized.  Yuck.  Most likely left it on the pallets on the pier too long.  

 

Soooo...traded those bottles in for KC...and by the next mini segment...indeed they gave me KC.  Wish I could set that up as my amenity choice, but not offered.  Drats.  😞 

[orville99]

7 minutes ago, island lady said:

I am programmed in for Peter Yealands

That's what is in our selection list as well, but on occasion they give us KC instead. 😇

[KATHYMAC68]

13 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We’re getting ready to go on a 7-day cruise on the Wonder OTS tomorrow out of Port Canaveral and will be heading towards the western Caribbean and the potential storm after visiting the Bahamas on Monday, which I will also be posting our experiences to in a Live From thread.

 

I like to use Windy to see the weather forecasted for the next 10 days in any area of the world we cruise to.
 

https://www.windy.com
 

Just launch windy.com, move the map to the area you are interested in, then tap the arrow in the bottom lefthand corner and it will provide a graphic display of what is currently forecasted over the next 10 days. By default it selects wind speed. But you can change it to reflect forecasted rain, waves, or any other option listed on the righthand side of the page. 
 

As for the potential storm in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico later this week, its forecast keeps adjusting every 6 hours or so. But I’m sure the forecast will eventually start to stabilize over the next few days.
 

I know this doesn’t answer your what do I do question. But it’s a pretty reliable source to monitor the forecasted weather over a 10-day period.

 

Thank you! I will check this site out. 

[KATHYMAC68]

7 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I too have done over 100 cruises and have had many impacts, mostly out of Galveston. 

 

Hurricane Ike of course being the worse. We left sunday, it was forecast to maybe even miss texas and hit mexico, friday doglegged and hit Galveston. My car was parked at ezcruise. 6 months old, brand new from the show room. Never saw it again. Water up to the sun visor. At the port 17 feet of water threw cars around. We stayed a extra night in cozumel and then docked in new orleans. I was up all nignt hardly slept with 2 hc pax I was responsible for, my sister and her friend. I will never take another hc pax with me. I was on carnival conquest. 7 outside lines on conquest so trying to call from your cabin just busy signals, I stood in line for hours at guest services, finally found a midsize rental car, couldnt rent a small car because friend had one of those walkers that didnt hardly fold up. 

 

We had to go thru customs in new Orleans, Galveston of course closed. Take a taxi to rental car, pay for rental car out of my own pocket. Drive thru Louisiana scary as many gas stations out of gas, finally filled up, so sleepy, neither sister or her friend could drive. Found out car flood insurance completely different than accident, higher deductible and a team from allstate took forever to get down to evaluate my car. All my car contents gone, I had some valuable hawaiian music CDs I'd collected in the car.

 

All the rumors by people not on the ship claiming we were offered a bus ride home are false. Where would this bus have taken us. Carnival cheerleaders later made up all sorts of stuff saying we were taken care of. It is true you were allowed to reboard the ship after you went through customs in new orleans. Later the ship was given permission to go to the then new houston port, but that was after most left new orleans. Not known when we debarked. And what then had I gotten back on the ship, and done the ship bsck to the then not opened houston port, no infrastructure set up yet, no rental cars close. I'd still have had to figure a way back to north of dallas. I've heard a lot of untrue stuff how things werent as bad as they were. We were allowed 2 phone call from guest services and then bsck in line for a 2nd call to a 2nd rental car place all night is what happened and neither of my guests could help and sat in their rooms. I vowed never to do carnival again. 

 

I dont know what royal did, I was on carnival. I've been on ships to no where, to those who say it cant happen, out of Galveston there arent as many alternate ports. Once missed 2 of 3 ports. Hahahaha. We had a ship uprising. I kid you not. Some lawyer newbie cruiser knew his rights. They marched around the ship until we got a free happy hour. Security removed him from marching near guest services. They called radio and tv stations expecting this huge news how we were due 2/3 refund big news the tv stations would meet them at the dock. 

 

So anyone saying nothing will happen ... I've had lots of experiences were onboard things werent as calm as people here post.  ..bottom of line never cancelled...the ship will sail. 

 

Oh I remember some huge snow storm type thing affected royal I think too. Couldnt drive to the port. The ship waited until that night. Baltimore maybe? People who lived there their streets didnt get ploughed so they couldnt drive to the port,,..so close but couldnt drive. Too far to walk. If you didnt get a hotel right there near the port or on a main street the ploughs got down couldnt get to the ship. Too bad too sad, should have planned ahead they said. Gotten a hotel at the port.

Wow what a nightmare! You’ve seen it all. But it will never stop you from booking another one I’m sure. I was up to 4 a year for a while. I cut back to 2.

[KATHYMAC68]

55 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

At this point there are no indications the impending storm will have any impact on next weekend's Galveston cruises.

 

It does look to impact western Caribbean port stops early/mid week then possibly be a nuisance to Tampa-based cruises depending on track.

Thank you for the update! That makes me feel a lot better right now.

[cruiselvr04]

We haven’t cruised from Galveston in August, September for this very reason.  We do have one in early November. If I cruised from there during those months I’d be tempted to park my car in a high rise garage in Houston, maybe at Hobby and Uber down to Galveston.  Even a bad storm can flood the streets in Galveston. Just something we think about. 
 

I don’t worry as much when flying in anywhere. I’d try to change my flights to get there pre storm if possible unless it’s forecast to be a big one or a direct hit. The ship will stay safe.  It’s just unknown during hurricane season ( which is 6 months out of the year) if your cruise will be affected. 

[orville99]

32 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said:

Thank you! I will check this site out. 

According to the captain at a recent captains corner, Windy is what the bridge officers use as well.

[smokeybandit]

54 minutes ago, orville99 said:

According to the captain at a recent captains corner, Windy is what the bridge officers use as well.

How did that comment come about? Did someone ask directly about it or did he just list off various met tools they use?

[orville99]

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

How did that comment come about? Did someone ask directly about it or did he just list off various met tools they use?

Someone asked how they made their weather forecasts while they were at sea. At first, when the captain said they used windy, everyone laughed. Then he explained what windy was and what it enabled them to do in real time based on where the ship was and where it was going.

 

We downloaded it as soon as we got back to our stateroom.

Edited September 22 by orville99

[crewsweeper]

What's forming now in the Western Caribbean is called a CAG, Central American Gyre. It's a broad area of wind circulation that occurs in the rainy season.   if the water is warm enoughIn the past there have been instances where a low pressure system has broken away from the CAG and if the water is warm enough a tropical cyclone can form.  Some ;longer range forecasts have hinted at a possible development next week, but mostly speculation at this point.

[SilkySal]

Hope it stays away this weekend. Tom and I are supposed to fly out of Tampa early Friday morning to Salt Lake and on to Vancouver for our Radiance cruise, and we don't want to miss the ship! However, we've cruised enough to know that it is what it is, so rolling the dice! Cheers and happy cruising! If a storm hits Tampa upon our return to Tampa in October, we won't care cause we'll be on a ship!

[crewsweeper]

Meant to add: Since nothing else is going on the in the tropics or Atlantic, the CAG is the only thing the folks who follow hurricanes can chatter about. Don't let it influence your plans.

[LuCruise]

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

...

 

Oh I remember some huge snow storm type thing affected royal I think too. Couldnt drive to the port. The ship waited until that night. Baltimore maybe? People who lived there their streets didnt get ploughed so they couldnt drive to the port,,..so close but couldnt drive. Too far to walk. If you didnt get a hotel right there near the port or on a main street the ploughs got down couldnt get to the ship. Too bad too sad, should have planned ahead they said. Gotten a hotel at the port.

What time of year was the snow storm?  Is that a normal occurrence?  We have a future Dec cruise out of Galveston.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

That's what is in our selection list as well, but on occasion they give us KC instead. 😇

 

I hope that occasion occurs more for both of us more often.  😉 

[island lady]

46 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

Hope it stays away this weekend. Tom and I are supposed to fly out of Tampa early Friday morning to Salt Lake and on to Vancouver for our Radiance cruise, and we don't want to miss the ship! However, we've cruised enough to know that it is what it is, so rolling the dice! Cheers and happy cruising! If a storm hits Tampa upon our return to Tampa in October, we won't care cause we'll be on a ship!

 

Safe travels to both of you my friends.  🙂   We are doing our Radiance B2B next year. 

Replacing the Covid cancelled one...with a tag on of a VRBO rental near Homer for three weeks, post cruise.    

 

Discovered Homer when we rented there to replace that last cancelled cruise.  Nice area, and happy we had the chance to experience it.  

[time4u2go]

At this point, it looks like tropical storm force winds could impact Tampa from Wednesday morning to Friday morning.  It doesn't look like it will impact Galveston.

 

Edited Monday at 05:59 PM by time4u2go

[crewsweeper]

On 9/22/2024 at 12:52 PM, crewsweeper said:

Meant to add: Since nothing else is going on the in the tropics or Atlantic, the CAG is the only thing the folks who follow hurricanes can chatter about. Don't let it influence your plans.

Well, I was wrong on this one! But good news is it isn't heading toward Galveston and should be well inland into Georgia by Friday, so Tampa will be okay!

[cruiselvr04]

On 9/22/2024 at 11:58 AM, LuCruise said:

What time of year was the snow storm?  Is that a normal occurrence?  We have a future Dec cruise out of Galveston.

I’ve not seen Galveston get snow.  Dallas gets some once or twice a year. If you can get into Houston you’ll be fine. 
 

We were to fly from Dallas to FLL a couple of years ago.  They shut down Dallas airports even though it wasn’t bad.  So we changed flights completely and drove to Houston and flew back and forth from there.  It’s was 32 degrees and raining the whole way on the 5 hour drive down. Fortunately the roads were still warm enough not to hit black ice. This was February. 

[chfenton]

Currently on Wonder at Coco Cay and just received message that Executive team and captain are studying and will make an announcement as soon as something is decided.  I'm betting we are not docking in Cozumel on Wednesday as scheduled but we will see soon.

[firefly333]

39 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

I’ve not seen Galveston get snow.  Dallas gets some once or twice a year. If you can get into Houston you’ll be fine. 
 

We were to fly from Dallas to FLL a couple of years ago.  They shut down Dallas airports even though it wasn’t bad.  So we changed flights completely and drove to Houston and flew back and forth from there.  It’s was 32 degrees and raining the whole way on the 5 hour drive down. Fortunately the roads were still warm enough not to hit black ice. This was February. 

I think I said Baltimore for that big storm with deep snow so people wcoukdnt drive.

 

But Galveston actually did have snow a few years ago. That time the windmills froze and I know in dallas we went without power and water off and on seemed like a week. Mid feb 2021 there was snow on the beaches in Galveston. 

[chfenton]

Wonder just announced switch to Eastern itinerary. After leaving Coco Cay today we will be in St Thomas by noon on Wed and St Martin on Thursday and then sea days Friday and Saturday on way back to Port Canaveral. 

[ScubaCat3]

Captain Rob (Wonder) said the seas would be 8 meters (over 26 feet) as we approached Cozumel. I’m very happy to be heading east instead of west. 

[smokeybandit]

24 minutes ago, ScubaCat3 said:

Captain Rob (Wonder) said the seas would be 8 meters (over 26 feet) as we approached Cozumel. I’m very happy to be heading east instead of west. 

That would be a bit bumpy. The ship could handle that with no issue, but I'm guessing they'd quickly run out of barf bags.

[YeaRick]

I know that the Serenade OTS is presently headed to an eastern Caribbean route, including Freeport and Nassau.     It will be interesting to see if she can return to Tampa Friday morning.  It will also be interesting to see if we can fly from Houston to Tampa this coming Thursday afternoon.    It is a waiting game.

[smokeybandit]

16 minutes ago, YeaRick said:

 It will be interesting to see if she can return to Tampa Friday morning.  It will also be interesting to see if we can fly from Houston to Tampa this coming Thursday afternoon. 

Both seem pretty iffy at this point.