LIVE from Explorer with a bad propellor 2/1/09

[megr1125]

sea-cruise...thanks for the botany lesson............and, mental note to self-stay away from THAT tree!;)

[alwalaska]

 

Thanks for the pictures. My tour book spoke of the tree, but I didn't know what it looked like. That would not be a fun way to spend a vacation.

[sea-cruise]

You're very welcome. :) Everytime I've posted the warning, the mods moved my post to the Ports board. Can't believe that, because many don't even read the main port board, they just go straight to a specific island port.

If just one person can keep from getting blisters, it's worth posting it. One lady on our cruise thought she had sun poisoning, and the beach (at Tortola) had been loaded with those trees.

We were all caught in a brief rainshower, and I've often wondered if she stood under them. :confused:

[lynn247]

Hi Carol! :)

Just a heads up...

Every six months or so I post this so people can beware of this poisonous tree that is found on many Caribbean beaches. Most are marked with an X danger sign, but I've seen many that were not marked, and better safe than sorry.

Your photo reminded me to post it again...The leaves are broad but more pointy than those in your photo, and the fruit looks like a round apple. I'll try to find a photo.

 

Description and Habitat

The manchineel is a tree reaching up to 15 metres high with a greyish bark, shiny green leaves and spikes of small greenish flowers. Its fruits are green or greenish-yellow when ripe.

The manchineel tree can be found near to (and on) coastal beaches throughout the Caribbean and in Central America. It provides excellent natural windbreaks and its roots stabilise the sand, thus helping to prevent beach erosion.

How poisonous is it?

 

 

Contact with the manchineel tree can cause severe medical problems. The milky sap causes blistering, burns, and inflammation when in contact with the skin, mucous membranes1, and eyes.

• The leaves, bark, sap and fruit of the tree are all poisonous. Contact with any of these causes contact dermatitis symptomised by painful blisters.
  
• Eating the fruit, which has a very sweet smell and a pleasant taste, can be deadly. Swallowing even a tiny amount of the fruit will cause blisters and swelling in the mouth and throat.
  
• Standing under the tree is hazardous if it is raining. The water passing through the leaves and fruit will cause burns and blisters if it comes in contact with your skin.
  
• Cutting this tree will cause the sap to squirt. Contact with this will cause blisters.
  
• Burning this tree results in the sap being carried in the smoke and this will affect the eyes and skin of people in the vicinity. If sap (or smoke from the burning tree) enters the eyes it can lead to blindness.
  
• Carib Indians2 used the sap of this tree to poison their darts and were known to poison the water supply of their enemies with the leaves. As a form of torture they would tie victims to this tree and leave them exposed to the elements (especially rain).
  
• The only animal that is known to be able to eat the fruit of this tree without risk is a species of land crab.
  

Warning!

In many places the tree carries a warning sign alerting people to the dangers. In other places, a red 'X' painted on the trunk serves as a warning. Despite this, many people are treated every year after some sort of contact with this tree. Children, especially, need to be warned. After all, they can easily be fooled by the sweet-smelling, plum-sized fruit.

So if you are on holiday in the Caribbean and you see a manchineel tree - do not touch it, do not put your beach chair under it and do not shelter under it when it rains. Most importantly, do not let your children near it.

 

Only AFTER reading this did I remember that I HAD read it before. I'm glad you posted it again. We always look for a tree to sit under while at the beach. I hope I remember to look out for it. Thanks from those of us with short memories.:o

[lynn247]

A beach somewhere in Antigua, this was one of the stops we also went to hear about herbs, saw some pottery, went to a pineapple plantation... Of course they take you there to buy something but we learned a lot and buying something was ok.

 

I do not know the name of the beach but it was beautiful.

 

This was part of your whale watching tour?

[CruisinMommas]

Lynn I just found out that is Valley Church Beach on Antigua , it is btw Coco Bay and Jolly Beach. Someone from the Antigua board identified it. I then looked it up on the yahoo search.

The whale watch was Dominica and Antigua was a road trip with 4-5 stops. My dh always fusses at me that I do not explain things clearly. Sorry for the confusion

[mo&fran]

We did the cooking in Dominica. We were high up in the mts and very curvey, scary roads. We made a dish that they would eat there. It had tuna in it, I do not like tuna, but the dish was good. AS with everything some liked it some did not. I am going to the fall this time and going to look in the churches.

Alrighty then,no cooking tour for me.My husband and I are going in May.I guess we will get a taxi and go to areas closer to the ship or maybe we will just walk around.Don't get me wrong I am not a total wimp;). I have been doing a medical mission to Bolivia for the past 11 years. Actually I think thats why I don't care for stuff like that anymore.Its bad enough I get stressed but I don't want to scare anyone around me with my sighs and shaking:D:eek:.

Thanks,Maureen

[hac82]

You're very welcome. :) Everytime I've posted the warning, the mods moved my post to the Ports board. Can't believe that, because many don't even read the main port board, they just go straight to a specific island port.

If just one person can keep from getting blisters, it's worth posting it. One lady on our cruise thought she had sun poisoning, and the beach (at Tortola) had been loaded with those trees.

We were all caught in a brief rainshower, and I've often wondered if she stood under them. :confused:

 

 

I am trying to remember if I saw trees like this at Barefoot Beach in Labadee. We usually head for there and sit under the trees at the back of the beach near the tram route. Do you know if those trees are there?

[lynn247]

Lynn I just found out that is Valley Church Beach on Antigua , it is btw Coco Bay and Jolly Beach. Someone from the Antigua board identified it. I then looked it up on the yahoo search.

The whale watch was Dominica and Antigua was a road trip with 4-5 stops. My dh always fusses at me that I do not explain things clearly. Sorry for the confusion

 

Lately it doesn't take much to confuse me. :confused:

 

Was Valley Church Beach part of a tour? Looks Beautiful:)

[8Cruisers]

Don't take this in a bad way, but can we stay on topic, please? This is supposed to be about the EOS propeller status and I've just read through several pages that had nothing to do with the original topic. Thanks. :)

[Jimbo]

Don't take this in a bad way, but can we stay on topic, please? This is supposed to be about the EOS propeller status and I've just read through several pages that had nothing to do with the original topic. Thanks. :)

 

 

I see you are on the same fence that we are on. Cancel or look for another sailing......Do we still have time to switch cruises without penatly?

 

Jimbo:)

[megr1125]

I see you are on the same fence that we are on. Cancel or look for another sailing......Do we still have time to switch cruises without penatly?

 

Jimbo:)

 

Jimbo...you are JUST past final payment date right??? if you REALLY pushed it, you could PROBABLY get someone to let you change sailings...but you'd have to do it tomorrow! and you would probably have to call at least 3 different people in Miami!!!!:rolleyes:

 

good luck!

[8Cruisers]

I see you are on the same fence that we are on. Cancel or look for another sailing......Do we still have time to switch cruises without penatly?

 

Jimbo:)

 

I think we are exactly at 70 days out right now, so you would have to cancel today, I believe, to receive full refund. I'm going to hang in there. I wish I knew more.

[Jimbo]

I think if the cruise we were changing to was more $$$$$ Cha Ching:):), they wouldn't have a problem with us switching. With the way they are having a tough time filling ships I don't think it would be a problem at all.

 

I did call earlier this week and asked about Explorer, the person I talked to talked to the Resolution Department and that person instant messaged or emailed the ship as I was on hold and asked about the current itinerary.

 

Well after the resolution department person got back to the person I was talking to, she told me the ship said that they were staying in San Juan longer and that the next port they go to would have a shorten stop.

 

Think I read on here somewhere that their first stop in San Juan was supposed to be from 6am to 10am

 

 

So who the heck knows what is going on?

 

Jimbo:)

[demodawn]

We did a tour with Fredos and we loved it. It was about 6 hours and we saw so much of the island, I think it was $45 pp. We had a private tour with 8 of us all ccers!

 

Antigua we did a tour with Lawerance it was ok and it was also $45. Second time we did a tour with native tours and it was wonderful! All day again and lunch was included, also rum punch! We went snorkling at 3 differant spots and were on the speed boat all day.

 

Ask me any questions now were done with the cruise ship. We emailed them directly.

[esbie11]

I think if the cruise we were changing to was more $$$$$ Cha Ching:):), they wouldn't have a problem with us switching. With the way they are having a tough time filling ships I don't think it would be a problem at all.

 

I did call earlier this week and asked about Explorer, the person I talked to talked to the Resolution Department and that person instant messaged or emailed the ship as I was on hold and asked about the current itinerary.

 

Well after the resolution department person got back to the person I was talking to, she told me the ship said that they were staying in San Juan longer and that the next port they go to would have a shorten stop.

 

Think I read on here somewhere that their first stop in San Juan was supposed to be from 6am to 10am

 

 

So who the heck knows what is going on?

 

Jimbo:)

 

Can you tell me what number you called for the resolution dept? I am becoming more and more infuriated everyday. So which is it? Altered in San Juan or St. Thomas? How can RCCL possibly not be able to give reliable info about this? Is the next stop after San Juan St. Thomas? If they are going to alter St. Thomas I ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW ASAP!!! I cannot wait to get on the ship to find this out and be told a million different stories in the mean time. :mad::mad::mad:

[DC2OC]

We are going to enjoy our cruise no matter what.a cruise is something to look forward to.This is a great ship and I plan on having a fantastic time

[Jimbo]

Just call the Crown & Anchor Society phone number (800) 526-9723. Speak to the agent. Once you talk to that person and you really don't get any answers to your questions you are asking, tell them you want to speak to the resoulution department, insist they transfer you over to that department. You should get better information from them. They might have a better idea what is going on now with the ship, I called on Friday Night and the Februaury 13th cruise had just started.

 

Anyone heard anything from anyone currently on the Explorer? I find it kind of strange no one has posted since it left? makes you wonder if the internet is down on the ship? Computer glitch ? Royal hiccup ?

 

Good Luck

Jimbo:)

[sea-cruise]

I am trying to remember if I saw trees like this at Barefoot Beach in Labadee. We usually head for there and sit under the trees at the back of the beach near the tram route. Do you know if those trees are there?

Howard, I'll answer you on the other thread, and let this thread stay on topic as per 8cruisers' request.

[alwalaska]

I think if the cruise we were changing to was more $$$$$ Cha Ching:):), they wouldn't have a problem with us switching. With the way they are having a tough time filling ships I don't think it would be a problem at all.

 

I did call earlier this week and asked about Explorer, the person I talked to talked to the Resolution Department and that person instant messaged or emailed the ship as I was on hold and asked about the current itinerary.

 

Well after the resolution department person got back to the person I was talking to, she told me the ship said that they were staying in San Juan longer and that the next port they go to would have a shorten stop.

 

Think I read on here somewhere that their first stop in San Juan was supposed to be from 6am to 10am

 

 

So who the heck knows what is going on?

 

Jimbo:)

 

Boy am I confused now. Too bad you can't still see the original itinerary for ships that have already sailed.

 

I thought that on the current cruise which is a 9 day - their first stop was Labadee and their last stop was San Juan similar to the March 27th cruise.

[cruz4evr]

I also would like to thank you sea-cruise for this valuable and informative information. :)

[esbie11]

Boy am I confused now. Too bad you can't still see the original itinerary for ships that have already sailed.

 

I thought that on the current cruise which is a 9 day - their first stop was Labadee and their last stop was San Juan similar to the March 27th cruise.

 

Yeah I know...I tried to look to see the itinerary too but it is gone from the website. Perhaps you are right and they do start with Labadee and end with San Juan. I guess that would make sense if it is true that they changed the San Juan times, being that they would then leave San Juan earlier in order to get back to NJ on time? But not sure why they would need to change the time for the second stop (which I suppose is either Samana or St. Thomas, depending on which itinerary they are sailing.) I too was hoping to hear from someone currently on board the ship. I thought someone did post from the ship saying that they changed the San Juan times...so I thought that was "official" but of course now we are hearing otherwise. Ugh.:confused:

[petesweet]

Not sure if any CCers did that, but the consensus among the pax was that the Shore Ex manager needs to take that tour anonymously!

 

I have ALWAYS felt that. Some of the descriptions are so far off base!

[petesweet]

Hi Carol! :)

Just a heads up...

Every six months or so I post this so people can beware of this poisonous tree that is found on many Caribbean beaches. Most are marked with an X danger sign, but I've seen many that were not marked, and better safe than sorry.

Your photo reminded me to post it again...The leaves are broad but more pointy than those in your photo, and the fruit looks like a round apple. I'll try to find a photo.

 

Description and Habitat

The manchineel is a tree reaching up to 15 metres high with a greyish bark, shiny green leaves and spikes of small greenish flowers. Its fruits are green or greenish-yellow when ripe.

The manchineel tree can be found near to (and on) coastal beaches throughout the Caribbean and in Central America. It provides excellent natural windbreaks and its roots stabilise the sand, thus helping to prevent beach erosion.

How poisonous is it?

 

Contact with the manchineel tree can cause severe medical problems. The milky sap causes blistering, burns, and inflammation when in contact with the skin, mucous membranes1, and eyes.

• The leaves, bark, sap and fruit of the tree are all poisonous. Contact with any of these causes contact dermatitis symptomised by painful blisters.
  
• Eating the fruit, which has a very sweet smell and a pleasant taste, can be deadly. Swallowing even a tiny amount of the fruit will cause blisters and swelling in the mouth and throat.
  
• Standing under the tree is hazardous if it is raining. The water passing through the leaves and fruit will cause burns and blisters if it comes in contact with your skin.
  
• Cutting this tree will cause the sap to squirt. Contact with this will cause blisters.
  
• Burning this tree results in the sap being carried in the smoke and this will affect the eyes and skin of people in the vicinity. If sap (or smoke from the burning tree) enters the eyes it can lead to blindness.
  
• Carib Indians2 used the sap of this tree to poison their darts and were known to poison the water supply of their enemies with the leaves. As a form of torture they would tie victims to this tree and leave them exposed to the elements (especially rain).
  
• The only animal that is known to be able to eat the fruit of this tree without risk is a species of land crab.
  

Warning!

In many places the tree carries a warning sign alerting people to the dangers. In other places, a red 'X' painted on the trunk serves as a warning. Despite this, many people are treated every year after some sort of contact with this tree. Children, especially, need to be warned. After all, they can easily be fooled by the sweet-smelling, plum-sized fruit.

So if you are on holiday in the Caribbean and you see a manchineel tree - do not touch it, do not put your beach chair under it and do not shelter under it when it rains. Most importantly, do not let your children near it.

 

Good warning. Thank you. We were on a beach where there was such a tree, and the guide warned us appropriately. (Surprisingly, it was just outside a very exclusive resort hotel. Wonder why they don't cut it down?) There was a lady sitting in its shade reading a book, and there was fruit in the sand at the base of the tree.

[nancronin]

According to Google Earth, Explorer is now at Labadee so San Juan must be last island.