Royal Caribbean just called me

[breal6]

i am scheduled to go on the mariner sunday the 5th and they just called me to give me an update about the cruise. as of now they said mariner has not been told they couldn't go into the port and that i should still be going on sunday. after a good laugh i told her the port was closed, but she said they will be making a final decision on saturday around noon and would call me back with that decision. so we'll see. but in reality i wouldn't mind the offer being made to the voyager people.:D 50 percent off a future cruise and 500 ship board credit on this one sounds pretty good

 

stay safe everyone.

[AdrieneAGD]

OK, this doesn't jive with the person who posted earlier about getting the e-mail from someone on the Mariner who said that the passengers currently on her have been told that they will not be back into Port Canaveral until Monday.

[Jacquelyn11]

And knowing a current Mariner passenger has been told Monday?

 

Makes me wonder just how RCI operates their customer service issues! This little info tidbit I'm tucking away for later!

 

Best of luck to all those Departing on the Mariner, whenever!

 

Jacquelyn :D

[reggierail]

All of the cruise lines are in one heck of a bind.

Due to no fault of their own they stand to lose millions of dollars

and the customer service centers are stretched to the limit.

Just chill out and give them a chance to get this mess straightened out.

 

BTW, say a prayer for the millions of people whose lives will

be directly affected by this monster storm.

 

Reggie

[flamingosun]

All of the cruise lines are in one heck of a bind.

Due to no fault of their own they stand to lose millions of dollars

and the customer service centers are stretched to the limit.

Just chill out and give them a chance to get this mess straightened out.

 

BTW, say a prayer for the millions of people whose lives will

be directly affected by this monster storm.

 

Reggie

I can't imagine the logistical nightmare they have on their hands at the moment. It was all we could do to navigate the plywood line at Home Depot, elevate our furniture, board our home, and decide what was the best direction in which to point a single Ford Crown Vic.

 

That part of our Frances task list is done. Now we wait for what may be an even more difficult part.

 

RCL has a whole heck of a lot more to sort out, and it's dependant on a whole lot more variables, and keeping a bunch of people and ships safe, and dealing with multiple ports and port authorities...

I'm sure they must be in overdrive on this one!

[cruizinpooh]

Sovereign will be in Port Canaveral on Monday and Mariner will not be in Port Canaveral until Tuesday.

[Adventure Girl]

What offer to the Voyager people? I'm scheduled to sail on the Voyager out of Bayonne NJ on Sunday.....what did you hear about an offer to the Voyager people?

[Adventure Girl]

Never mind....I figured out what you meant....the pax currently ON the Voyager will recieve the credit, etc.

Sorry

[abridalmaven]

I can not even imagine being in a postition to make decisions like that. The arrival of the storm changes from hour to hour. I wonder what all the people who are complaining would do in this situation if they had to make decsions on not just the ships going out, but the ones coming in and the safety of all involved. This is no easy task. And yes, it is an inconvenience to have it delayed or cancelled. But to me I would be more concerned about the poeple who are living thru the worst of it. I guess some people can not see past their own inconveniences.:(

[Ziggy7]

stay safe everyone.

 

cute little picture :)

[takeabreath3]

abridalmaven....very well stated. i have read all this whining and complaining and second guessing and am just amazed at how selfish and self centered some cruisers can be. i also believe that RCI is doing everything they can do to not only protect their assets but to also protect thier passengers. with the changes in the storm that is coming over the last several days it is amazing that they even know what can or can not be done from one minute to the next.

 

my wishes are that all of florida is safe and sound when this hurricane season is over.

 

hope to sea ya all soon on the seas, judy

[Coralc]

Yes it's awful in Florida but you also need to give the people that have cruises scheduled this weekend a break, too. The hurricane is huge and affects a lot of people, and your own vacation is hugely personal. It's something that people have invested in and planned for and re-arranged work and family schedules for.

 

We had a hurricane affected cruise a few years ago that we had to fly to (West Coast). And it's stressful to sit there and watch the weather channel, and try to predict how it is going to affect your travel plans. And the cruise line says, yes, cruise is fine...then no, its not fine..then yes, fly down. And by the way, now that you're here, your cruise is going up to San Francisco which is where we live. And then after we cruise back to Los Angeles, you can fly home again. Sorry about the Mexican Riviera. You can't do anything about the weather and just have to make the best of it. And that's fine. But it's also very stressful.

 

As worried as we are about the folks in Florida. I am also feeling very sorry for those folks all over the country who are sitting at home glued the Weather Channel and trying to figure out what they are going to do with the extra time and missing dollars.

[lisajoy]

That is the chance you take when scheduling a cruise during hurricane season. They wouldn't call it hurricane season for nothing. IMHO it is not the fault of the cruiselines for what happens it is not like they can make a phone call and get the storm shut down. They are trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

 

For the people whining about losing money I am sure the cruiseline will do there best to compensate your losses. Let's just remember that there are a lot of people in Florida that are losing their homes and what they have built for themselves. They are losing cherished momentos. I believe that is a lot more then a couple thousand dollars.

[breal6]

whoa back up. i was neither whinng nor complaining. and i happen to be one of those floridians right in the path of this thing. in fact there wasn't any whining involved on this post at all. everyone here had the utmost compassion for the difficult time rccl is having trying to cope with everything during this time.

 

i wish people on this site would learn to read correctly before they jump someone.

 

i mistakenly said the offer to the voyager passengers when i should have said the navigator people. i'm sorry for the mistake and any confusioon it may have caused.

 

 

ziggy thank you . i thought it was cute too and i'm hoping that wont be me by tomorrow, lol

[Ziggy7]

ziggy thank you . i thought it was cute too and i'm hoping that wont be me by tomorrow, lol

Here's to hoping its not you or anyone else either :)

[Ziggy7]

Yes it's awful in Florida but you also need to give the people that have cruises scheduled this weekend a break, too. The hurricane is huge and affects a lot of people, and your own vacation is hugely personal. It's something that people have invested in and planned for and re-arranged work and family schedules for.

 

We had a hurricane affected cruise a few years ago that we had to fly to (West Coast). And it's stressful to sit there and watch the weather channel, and try to predict how it is going to affect your travel plans. And the cruise line says, yes, cruise is fine...then no, its not fine..then yes, fly down. And by the way, now that you're here, your cruise is going up to San Francisco which is where we live. And then after we cruise back to Los Angeles, you can fly home again. Sorry about the Mexican Riviera. You can't do anything about the weather and just have to make the best of it. And that's fine. But it's also very stressful.

 

As worried as we are about the folks in Florida. I am also feeling very sorry for those folks all over the country who are sitting at home glued the Weather Channel and trying to figure out what they are going to do with the extra time and missing dollars.

Well said :)

[imsulin]

As a TA, I would say that RCI (and Carnival) have done the BEST job of keeping us informed and updated. Trust me...there is one cruise line that has sent us NO official information! (Had to get it off of their website...last night!). I'm trying to be non-biased here....just telling you of my experiences over the last few days.

[Catnip]

If you choose to cruise and take advantage of lower rates during the tropical season in the Caribbean, then you are taking a chance with Mother Nature. That's why a lot of people (me included) won't cruise or vacation in Florida or the Caribbean from July-Nov, even at discount rates.

It's called freedom of choice----but don't blame the cruise lines when Mother Nature does her thing.

[Coralc]

Huh? Other than a few posters on this thread who also don't have cruises scheduled this weekend and are posting about whining cruisers and the horrible tragedy of it all... No one is blaming the cruise line, and no one is whining about their cruise. breal6 is fine with the whole thing. I'm sure there are a lot of cruisers in other parts of the country who are cruising for the first time or are unclear on the hurricane concept and a ruined vacation. I guess my post was directed to a couple of OP's who were talking about complainers. If you're going to have empathy for people who are affected by Frances, why can't you extend at least some sympathy to the folks who have had their vacation plans thrown awry? Instead of totally disparaging their concerns.

[Nliedel]

I have said it in another thread and I will say it here. No one is saying that cruise lines are responsible for the weather and no one wishes the residents of Florida ill... I have not seen that ANYWHERE.. However, lots of people cruise in hurricane season and how many times are ports closed?? No one expected this nor could anyone plan for it..

 

To imply that people who choose to cruise in hurricane season are getting what they asked for is like implying that the residents of Florida are getting what they deserve for living somewhere prone to hurricanes.. or people who live in the Midwest deserve snow storms.. Everyone is handling this the best they can. Most people are just looking for information or ideas..

 

I am with pbhunt.. This is a terrible situation and it stinks for everyone.. Floridians, vacationers and the employees of Cruise Companies.

[jrm9999]

How many times are ports closed??

 

It is not very often that they close, even less often that multiple ports close. This storm is very slow and also very big. Just to put the size in perspective, Charley had high winds only 70-80 miles out from the eye. Frances has them over 200 miles from the eye.

 

I don't agree that this is risk of cruising in hurricance season. I think the biggest risk you do take is that your itinerary may change due to storms and you should be flexible. Each year presents a handful of storms. Most of them do not come to Florida. How often does a storm actually hit the Florida peninsula? And of those times, how many times are the ports closed for several days? How many times is the storm so large that it affects both Miami and Port Canaveral at the same time? This is not something that is normal.

[MrsPete]

I totally agree with ABridalMaven: I would HATE to be the one who has to make these decisions! No matter what they do, they are going to make people angry. Talk about a lose-lose situation.

[Guest Varites0225]

And knowing a current Mariner passenger has been told Monday?

 

Makes me wonder just how RCI operates their customer service issues! This little info tidbit I'm tucking away for later!

 

Best of luck to all those Departing on the Mariner, whenever!

 

Jacquelyn :D

 

Go to RCCL home page they have all the delays posted. Mariner is not coming in until Tuesday.

[mohavemommy]

Hurricane Frances

 

 

Miami - September 4, 2004 - 8:00 p.m. - Royal Caribbean International continues to closely monitoring the path and progress of Hurricane Frances, and its recent slower movement, to ensure our guests enjoy safe and comfortable cruises and to make certain our ships steer clear of the storm.

 

The safety and comfort of our guests are always the foremost concern of Royal Caribbean International. We are pleased to report that all of our ships in the Caribbean are sailing in calm seas and warm sunny weather.

 

We will update our Hurricane Frances information three times daily - at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Given Hurricane Frances' current and projected path, we are currently altering the itineraries of several Royal Caribbean International ships:

 

 

Navigator of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at the Port of Miami Monday morning, September 6. The ship, normally scheduled to depart the Port of Miami Saturday, on a seven-night sailing, will delay its departure until Monday at 5 p.m. local time. The ship will sail a modified itinerary that will end as originally scheduled. Guests who sail on this cruise will receive an onboard credit of $500 per stateroom and a certificate for a 50 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing of seven nights or less, which departs on or before December 15, 2005, excluding holidays. Guests booked on this sailing who cancel their cruise will receive a letter of credit for the amount paid for the cruise portion of their sailing. Travel agent commissions will be protected.

 

Enchantment of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at Port Everglades Monday morning, September 6. The ship, normally scheduled to depart Port Everglades Saturday, on a five-night sailing, will delay its departure until Monday at 5 p.m. local time. The ship will sail a modified itinerary that will end on September 9. Guests who sail on this cruise will receive an onboard credit of $500 per stateroom and a certificate for a 50 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing of seven nights or less, which departs on or before December 15, 2005, excluding holidays. Guests booked on this sailing who cancel their cruise will receive a letter of credit for the amount paid for the cruise portion of their sailing. Travel agent commissions will be protected.

 

Mariner of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at Port Canaveral late Monday evening, September 6, or early Tuesday morning, September 7. The ship, normally scheduled to depart Port Canaveral Sunday, on a seven-night sailing, will delay its departure until Tuesday at 5 p.m. local time. The ship will sail a modified itinerary that will end on September 12. Guests who sail on this cruise will receive an onboard credit of $500 per stateroom and a certificate for a 50 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing of seven nights or less, which departs on or before December 15, 2005, excluding holidays. Guests booked on this sailing who cancel their cruise will receive a letter of credit for the amount paid for the cruise portion of their sailing. Travel agent commissions will be protected. Guests who purchased their air transportation through Royal Caribbean should contact the company to have their flights rescheduled. Guests who purchased their own air transportation should contact their airline to reschedule their flights. All airlines are waiving flight changes fees for hurricane related rescheduling.

 

Explorer of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at the Port of Miami Sunday afternoon, September 5. The ship will delay its departure until 10 p.m. Sunday evening. Guests booked on this sailing who cancel their cruise will receive a letter of credit for the amount paid for the cruise portion of their sailing. Travel agent commissions will be protected.

 

Sovereign of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at Port Canaveral Monday afternoon, September 6. The ship will delay its departure until 10 p.m. Monday evening.

 

Majesty of the Seas is currently expected to arrive at the Port of Miami Sunday afternoon, September 5. The ship will sail as scheduled on Monday from the Port of Miami.

 

At this time, all other Royal Caribbean International ships are sailing their normal itineraries, and all other Royal Caribbean International are expected to maintain their regularly scheduled itineraries this weekend. We will continue to closely monitor the storm and update this information at 10 a.m. Sunday.

[DocJohnB]

If you're going to have empathy for people who are affected by Frances, why can't you extend at least some sympathy to the folks who have had their vacation plans thrown awry? Instead of totally disparaging their concerns.

 

pbhunt,

 

I can and I will, but just not for the next couple of days. Once Frances is over and out of the way, I'll have the energy to feel sorry for them.