Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico

[twangster]

Wednesday afternoon the tip of a Helene rain band reached us in Nassau.

 

 

It was just a small storm cell but it packed some heavy rain for about 10 minutes.

 

 

 

As quickly as it arrived it left and patchy blue skies returned for our departure from Nassau.

 

Here early on Thursday morning the east coast of FL is being spared the worst of it, so far.

 

 

It always amazes me how these rain bands can inundate one area while not far away there is hardly any rain.

 

They took us out into the Atlantic with a goal of "finding some sun for us" on our planned sea day for this itinerary.  Normally they would go back into the straits of Florida but the straits will likely have some strong currents today making for a dynamic ride combined with heavy rain possible so we headed East to avoid that possibility.

 

 

Smooth ride out here so far.

 

No mention (yet) of a delay getting back to Miami on Friday.

[mo&fran]

So far, southeast Florida will be quiet except for the feeder bands. I am on Freedom this Sunday, my only concern is rain.

[retired dude]

i remember our instructor in travel school strongly advising us to tell potential cruise customers to never sail in sept or oct out of florida....I guess the word did not get out......just sayin'

[mo&fran]

48 minutes ago, retired dude said:

i remember our instructor in travel school strongly advising us to tell potential cruise customers to never sail in sept or oct out of florida....I guess the word did not get out......just sayin'

Good advice. Helps keep the price down for those of us that do. 

[Sharon Wilson]

Coco cay 8:14am, slight wind and calm seas

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Sharon Wilson

[Sharon Wilson]

Also made it into Cococay

 

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Sharon Wilson said:

Coco cay 8:14am, slight wind and calm seas

Any updates on when you are expected back in Port Canaveral tomorrow? We are trying to figure out when to leave for the port.

[Sharon Wilson]

5 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Any updates on when you are expected back in Port Canaveral tomorrow? We are trying to figure out when to leave for the port.

No change as of yet, still adhering to the 12:15pm arrival 

If this changes I will post

 

Can confirm the winds are picking up here on the island CC

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Sharon Wilson

[smokeybandit]

I assume RC has assurances that the port will be re-opened and cleared for traffic if the captains are giving out arrival times.

[lovesthebeach2]

23 minutes ago, Sharon Wilson said:

Also made it into Cococay

 

I saw that on cruise mapper

[orville99]

29 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I assume RC has assurances that the port will be re-opened and cleared for traffic if the captains are giving out arrival times.

When the Port Authority went to condition Yankee yesterday to prepare for closing the port, they updated their estimated arrival times website with the time that the Captain quoted in his letter to the passengers. If past history is any metric, those times are firmly encased in Jell-O😇

Edited 8 hours ago by orville99

[ARandomTraveler]

3 hours ago, retired dude said:

i remember our instructor in travel school strongly advising us to tell potential cruise customers to never sail in sept or oct out of florida....I guess the word did not get out......just sayin'

I'd heed that advice if cruising constituted a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or was something I couldn't do often and was eating up all my vacation time or money, but otherwise, 'meh. There's a reason September cruises are cheap, and most frequent cruisers/travelers know the risk they're taking and accept it.
 

I'm taking a cruise next week and could care less if it ends up just floating in the sea and doesn't stop anywhere. I've been to all the usual islands so many times that it's not gonna hurt me in the least if I don't make any stops this time around. I was just there in July, and will be back again in December. I just hope there's enough sunshine for me to keep my summer tan. 

Edited 8 hours ago by ARandomTraveler

[island lady]

Not just a hurricane...but tornadoes.   😮 

 

Our phones here at home went on crazy alert mode an hour ago.   Tornado passing just two miles to the north of us...scattering debris that was picked up on news radar.  Fortunately was not a populated area...mostly wet lands.  

 

Tornado heading north and east now very quickly.  

 

We are just north and west of PC.  

[twangster]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I assume RC has assurances that the port will be re-opened and cleared for traffic if the captains are giving out arrival times.

 

I think they are always subject to correction.

 

A few years ago a sailboat broke it's moorings during a storm and partially sank in the channel leading into Port Miami.  It ended taking several hours to recover the vessel and open the port.  No one could have predicted that.  Several cruise ships hung around the pilot station waiting there. 

 

If a pleasure craft breaks free in Port Canaveral and sinks in the port it could have a similar impact.  All it takes is one absent boat owner who didn't secure their vessel for a storm when they last left it a few weeks ago and thousands on cruise ships are impacted.

[TheInnocentAge]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

Not just a hurricane...but tornadoes.   😮 

 

Our phones here at home went on crazy alert mode an hour ago.   Tornado passing just two miles to the north of us...scattering debris that was picked up on news radar.  Fortunately was not a populated area...mostly wet lands.  

 

Tornado heading north and east now very quickly.  

 

We are just north and west of PC.  

I'm in the Tampa / St. Pete area and we're just starting to get some of the higher winds and rain bands. Local airports (both TPA and PIE) are closed down for the day, with a tentative reopening tomorrow. Stay safe everyone.  

[island lady]

38 minutes ago, TheInnocentAge said:

I'm in the Tampa / St. Pete area and we're just starting to get some of the higher winds and rain bands. Local airports (both TPA and PIE) are closed down for the day, with a tentative reopening tomorrow. Stay safe everyone.  

 

Port Canaveral even shut down now.  Yikes...but we are fortunate to be on the east coast this time.  We have had our share of east coast storms too, however.  😮 

 

Stay safe...hope all goes well with you all over on the "left coast".   

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

Not just a hurricane...but tornadoes.   😮 

 

Our phones here at home went on crazy alert mode an hour ago.   Tornado passing just two miles to the north of us...scattering debris that was picked up on news radar.  Fortunately was not a populated area...mostly wet lands.  

 

Tornado heading north and east now very quickly.  

 

We are just north and west of PC.  

I must be close to you as I too got the tornado alert. First it said titusville then it just said brevard cty. I keep hearing a banging on the roof above me. I thought yesterday maybe someone was doing last minute work up there but it's still going on. The ac units are all that is up there. I hope its not my ac unkt banging up there. Surely no one is up there working today. 

[Mary&Jim]

I'm in New Smyrna Beach and did jot receive any tornado alerts. At least not yet. Keeping an eye on it as we are on the Adventure tomorrow. Also, granddaughter is flying to Denver from MCO tonight (maybe).

 

[TheInnocentAge]

13 minutes ago, Mary&Jim said:

I'm in New Smyrna Beach and did jot receive any tornado alerts. At least not yet. Keeping an eye on it as we are on the Adventure tomorrow.

 

Check for any updates to your boarding time, as I read a post from a current Adventure passenger that they will not arrive back in port until tomorrow afternoon...

[Sharon Wilson]

16 minutes ago, TheInnocentAge said:

Check for any updates to your boarding time, as I read a post from a current Adventure passenger that they will not arrive back in port until tomorrow afternoon...

I am on Adventure now docked in CocoCay next to Utopia  we have been told 12:15pm with Self assist to start at 12:30

this has not changed.

 

[firefly333]

And I'm 7 miles from the port and my electricity has gone off twice. I'm just now back up. Without electricity will they still have usual debark and next cruise embarkation?

 

Spectrum also sending alerts of outages, I was down. No electricity will do that. And trees could come down in the roads. Just because I got a letter I wouldn't take anything for granted. Could br sunshine and roses by tomorrow as people seem to think. 

[Sharon Wilson]

10 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

And I'm 7 miles from the port and my electricity has gone off twice. I'm just now back up. Without electricity will they still have usual debark and next cruise embarkation?

 

Spectrum also sending alerts of outages, I was down. No electricity will do that. And trees could come down in the roads. Just because I got a letter I wouldn't take anything for granted. Could br sunshine and roses by tomorrow as people seem to think. 

Not taking anything for granted, and hope all are safe 

 

Until we are updated the letter is our most recent guide, we understand it is fluid and can / may change as Mother Nature is not as predictable as Royal.

We are probably safer out on the ship, and all good on staying out as long as needed.

Hope all in its path keep safe 

We have Family in Winter Garden and Lake Mary and so far all is ok in those areas. No power outages yet

 

 Be safe all

[Sharon Wilson]

18 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

And I'm 7 miles from the port and my electricity has gone off twice. I'm just now back up. Without electricity will they still have usual debark and next cruise embarkation?

 

Spectrum also sending alerts of outages, I was down. No electricity will do that. And trees could come down in the roads. Just because I got a letter I wouldn't take anything for granted. Could br sunshine and roses by tomorrow as people seem to think. 

Our son who works at Universal just let us know, all the parks are still open - Disney keeping Central Florida open 

[Carol28]

8 hours ago, retired dude said:

to never sail in sept or oct out of florida

And, for the same reason, don't connect through Atlanta airport.  We try to avoid that airport like the plague. It's hard being Delta customers.

[twangster]

Beautiful sea day as we pass CocoCay.  

 

 

 

Pointing into the sun so not great lighting.  

 

 

Home is south of Port Canaveral.   No loss of grid power yet.  Better solar day than I expected.  It was sunny for a few hours this afternoon.  Just had a small rain band slide past but no tornadoes threats where I am, yet.