T2B2

I called Royal and have been watching their TA site to see if there would be a short 3 night cruise, but there is nothing. We would have driven up to be on that cruise - assuming the price was cheap.

 

 

 

Cruises can be booked the day of the cruise and the manifest doesn't have to be turned in until 60 minutes prior to sailing.

 

 

 

I guess the crew will do some cleaning and light maintenance and hopefully have some shore time.

After using the ship as a hotel tonight we were told the crew is getting some downtime before the next scheduled cruise. They need it.

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My last update. We are off the ship and back home at our new place in Tampa.

To all who were displaced on the cancelled cruise I am truly sorry.

To all who kept me company while posting and keeping the dialog going awesome to talk with you.

To RCI BotS crew thank you for taking great care of us and making us feel like welcomed guest who hadn't extended their stay.

To the Captains here thanks for the nautical knowledge.

I am flying out in the AM back to my day job as a global technology executive, so probably won't be very active at CC here, but won't be far away on my next and hopefully less unplanned excitement cruise.

Lastly to the college football fans who shared banter love it all around. Love my Buckeyes and it was a true blast raising over $2M for cancer research and celebrating our 8th National ChampionShip.

Go Bucks. O-H

T2B2 aka Dave signing off from Tampa.

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So can they use as a hotel just for one night or can they use till next schedule cruise?

 

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Just tonight. Have to get off clear customs and then back on after 9 pm. Have to be off by 10 AM.

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So are u getting back on board tonight?

 

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Nope staying at my new place in Tampa and the morning flight to Houston for work.

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Dinner is being served for all starting now and continuing till 8:00 pm.

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They just made an announcement that everyone has to get off the ship. They are going to allow those who want to use the ship as a hotel to come back on.

Everyone has to get off first. Once the ship cleared those guest who want use the ship as a hotel can after 9 pm. They will have the ability to come and go as they please. Have to be fully off the ship by 10 AM.

Guest on the 11 pm charter flight to Columbus get priority off at 7:15. Those leaving and not staying get off at 7:45 and those using the BotS as a hotel can clear customs at 8:15 and back on at 9 PM.

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OK, so not knowing if you need to get a hotel or if you are ok to stay on the ship is a decision that should have been made hours ago.

 

 

 

Royal should have that figured out????

Understand what you are saying. I think it has a lot to do with clearing the ship with customs. I expect we will hear something soon. We have about 80 mins to the dock even though we are close we are moving at 3.4 kts.

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T2B2

 

Thanks for all the updates. Glad you all are nearly there.

 

Bed time now as it's nearly 11pm in Scotland.

 

The last few days has cut the boredom of waiting for our next cruise..

 

 

 

Thanks again,

Thanks and good night. Helped pass the time here too.

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There she is! Welcome home T2B2

 

 

 

Thanks. We just hope the media doesn't want to swarm everyone as we get off.

CNN and Fox News Tampa wanted me to do phone / skype interviews today. I passed as I don't need the attention and it would have tied up precious bandwidth and phone lines.

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Listening to the Coast Guard radio, all shipping zones are closed. The Coast Guard worked some special magic to bring the ship in tonight.

 

while YOUR congressional representatives are planning to cut off their pay .... over political issues not related to the services provided . . .

[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106] So very true.

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Listening to the Coast Guard radio, all shipping zones are closed. The Coast Guard worked some special magic to bring the ship in tonight. Looking at the Port Video Cameras, you can now see the Brilliance! Great big thank you to the men and women of the Coast Guard!

Amen to that and yes thank you to all who are helping us get in. Special thanks to the USCG for safe passage support.

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My wife and I luckily just moved to Tampa this past week before the cruise from Chicago. This was kind of our reward to unwind. Luckily I have a place in Tampa but I still need to fly first thing tomorrow for work.

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Yes no announcements yet on how we will get off the ship. When we were up on deck 13 at the Diamond Club area there was talk from the cruise planners that they were told it would take about 15 mins to clear the ship. Only a few internationals on board here.

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We are now doing 13.5 kts

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We just picked up major speed. Cleared right up in the last 10 minutes.

Our escorts. Can finally see more than the flashing lights on top.

Power plant:

Helicopter:

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On behind the scenes tours I've been told a week or more...I think they actually provision a week ahead, if that makes sense. For example, probably most of the food that was used for lunch and dinner yesterday, as well as meals so far today was actually intended for the cruise on the 23rd. They would probably start to run low on fragile produce and some specialty items, but there's enough frozen and non-perishable food aboard that no one's in danger of going hungry!

 

 

 

I did one of the tours not too long after Hurricane Ike stranded the Carnival Conquest (based in Galveston) at sea. I believe it was four days after the cruise was supposed to end that the ship was able to get in to New Orleans for reprovisioning. That was when I learned how they rotate food through.

Correct we have 4-5 days of reserves on board. Fuel that I don't know the extra planned for but they were talking about diverting to Miami earlier which was 450 nm and 24 hours of travel and so sounds like plenty of extra fuel.

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Don't know how it was any better than yesterday but we are through it.

 

It isn't any better

 

but watching AIS I see that there were TWO USCG vessels out there "watching" one was sitting right under the span as B approached ... ensuring it was clear is my guess

 

and the pilot boat when back to the pier ... it is not heading out to deliver pilots to the other cargo ships waiting ....

 

my guess is some extra effort and "special circumstances" rule bending happened here to get those folks on their way home . . . normally restricted vis' at the bridge means no one goes under. Watching the web cams on the bridge, the fog actually thickened after B was past Egmont Key .... but there's no place to stop or turn around between Egmont and the bridge so the extra CG boats ensuring the path was clear . . .

Captain BJ... Going to have to agree here. They made an exception. There is zero visibility. No one could see the bridge until it was right on top of us. If I wasn't watching it on my Marine Traffic app with AIS I wouldn't even know we were approaching it.

The coast guard has been pacing is the entire way in. Only can see their flashing light bar can't make out the boat.

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We just passed under the bridge which we literally couldn't see till we were right on it. Don't know how it was any better than yesterday but we are through it.

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I am so sorry for those who trip was just cancelled. We really wanted you to get out and still have some chance of vacation. Most of us getting off will be stuck in Tampa as we will be too late for flights. Maybe we can have one big block party to commiserate together on what shouldn't have been.

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We have the pilot onboard and we are making a slow approach to the bridge. Estimating 2-3 hours to dock.

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Here was one of the panoramic photos I took of the other ships out on the horizon as we started moving. It was nice to see all those we have heard for the last 30 hours.

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Current progress:

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You all do realize WHY the ship got stuck in fog don't you? Ohio used up it's luck in the game. They should have know better than to attempt a cruise:eek::D

Well when you put the hottest team in the nation out in cool air it was bound to happen. O-H

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We are moving at 14.5 kts and we are in the channel now coming up to Edmonton Key. I have an employee of mine at the TPA (just a vendor to them) but he confirms the bridge is open for transit. We are moving to pick up the pilot.

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