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How is Dominica doing?


nbhwarrior
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anybody gor any updates on the island? and any idea when cruise ships might be returning?

 

Thanks

On the Royal Caribbean board today they issued a release that said the Jewel of the seas cruise in April 2018 will not be going to Dominica instead going to Martinique. So I'm guessing the situation isn't good if they have to cancel that far in advance.

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I posted this on another thread a few days ago.

 

There was an article in the Sunday Times (UK) about which islands were affected and this is what it said about Dominica:

 

Dominica was the island worst affected by Hurricane Maria. The storm left 26 dead, 31 missing and more than two-thirds of the 74,000 population displaced — and the government is asking tourists to join the rebuilding effort.

Captain Stephen Norris, commander of the Royal Navy support vessel RFA Mounts Bay, said the “level of devastation was unprecedented” on Dominica, where mosquito-borne diseases are a concern. The International Red Cross is appealing for £4.25m for relief work.

Of the island’s 73 hotels, 27 were severely damaged or destroyed. An estimated 35% of its reefs have been damaged and all tourist attractions are closed for the foreseeable future.

“Voluntourism is one way we can move forward,” the Dominican tourist authority said. “But we need to do this properly by attracting the people who can be the most constructive. We’re wary of selfie-snapping disaster tourists.”

The working holidays won’t be on offer until March 2018, and will be organised through established aid agencies. Tour operators will also be approached to sell trips to suitably qualified clients.

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  • 1 month later...

From the Boston Globe this weekend, they have this headline: Caribbean needs tourists. A guide to traveling there after the hurricanes with these highlights about our much loved Dominica: After a direct hit from Maria, Dominica was left in ruins. A handful of guesthouses have since reopened, but many places on the island are still without electricity. More than 30 percent of the islands’s dive sites were damaged. Most remained closed but are projecting a January opening. A website tracking the clean-up process, DominicaUpdate.com, reports that the island has launched a voluntourism program through Cobra Tours (cobrayachtagent@gmail.com) and Cool Breeze Tours (coolbreezetours9@ gmail.com) to restore two major attractions: the Indian River and the Waitukubuli national trail. The hurricane damaged 85 percent of the homes on the island, and left 25 percent completely destroyed. Dominica’s carnival is set to begin at the end of January, but the island still needs significant time to recover services, and even vegetation.

 

Very sad for this lovely island. We all hope for the best for the people there and its future.

 

Full story at:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2017/11/30/post-irma-and-maria-where-should-you-caribbean-this-winter/uLyHWXi9eaqeIli85tJFhJ/story.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 190,128 views for this posting.

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  • 1 month later...

This island truly didn't need this happening. They didn't have many resources prior to the hurricane. The had some of the best diving of any location and it's horrible to hear about the damage, even to their reefs. Very tragic and sad.

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We are scheduled to be there in November. I contacted Levi Bumpiing Tours a few days ago. He said 80-90% of the island is still without power. He is driving once a week about 20 miles away to get internet serviced to try to respond to people for his business. He anticipates to be able to evaluate the area by late February and revise his tours based on what is still accessible. It doesn't sound good at all.

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Carnival still hasn't cancelled any of the 9 Dominica cruise stops for the season starting in late April. Seems like they are holding out to see just how far the island is by that time.

 

Certainly not looking good.

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Carnival still hasn't cancelled any of the 9 Dominica cruise stops for the season starting in late April. Seems like they are holding out to see just how far the island is by that time.

 

Certainly not looking good.

 

 

I was just reading Fascination's roll call for April 29th, the same day we leave on Royal. Carnival still hasn't updated you guys?

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I was just reading Fascination's roll call for April 29th, the same day we leave on Royal. Carnival still hasn't updated you guys?

 

Nope no updates as of yet, as it stands we are still on for Dominica in May.

 

I did read an article where the Dominican officials met with cruiselines in Miami and are really hoping plans stay on for the 9 stops Carnival has planned for the season.

 

Seems hard to imagine but they have been accepting much smaller vessels so who knows in 3.5 months.

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Nope no updates as of yet, as it stands we are still on for Dominica in May.

 

I did read an article where the Dominican officials met with cruiselines in Miami and are really hoping plans stay on for the 9 stops Carnival has planned for the season.

 

Seems hard to imagine but they have been accepting much smaller vessels so who knows in 3.5 months.

 

 

Thanks for that insight. I don't know how many passengers Fascination carries, We were supposed to be there on Jewel of the Seas which I think is around 2400 passengers. If things were to improve dramatically, I doubth, with no real knowledge, that Royal would switch back I guess I'll have to cruise again.

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Thank you for all the updates. One of my favorite places in the world! And I love touring with Levi. I sent what I could and encouraged others on my FB page to do likewise. It must be devastating for the people there. They depend so heavily on tourists. Sadly ironic that they sent funds to aid in the St. Thomas relief after the first hurricane, then found themselves devastated by the subsequent storm. Horrible hurricane season this year. Just horrible.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Update- I just talked to Levi with Bumpiing Tours again today. Here is an update on the current conditions as of 4/19/2018

Hello

Thank you for getting back to us. I am so sorry for the delayed response but we still do not have electricity, internet or water in my area and on about 75% of the Island. I am hoping that things will be better by May to June. We will be able to accommodate you on the date mentioned in November. Below are three tours we would like to propose to you, with duration and cost. (Then he provided a list of the tours).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the update. It is suppose to be one of our ports on our November 10 sailing on the Celebrity Summit. They have not listed it in the shore excursions planner along with our other stops, so I am not certain if it will remain one of our ports. We really enjoyed the natural island a couple years ago. We did a tour with Levi on that trip, and he provided a wonderful day trip around the island. I hope things start to get a bit better for them in the upcoming months. The devastation of these islands is so sad. Despite not living in ideal conditions, I am happy to hear he is well.

 

Update- I just talked to Levi with Bumpiing Tours again today. Here is an update on the current conditions as of 4/19/2018

Hello

Thank you for getting back to us. I am so sorry for the delayed response but we still do not have electricity, internet or water in my area and on about 75% of the Island. I am hoping that things will be better by May to June. We will be able to accommodate you on the date mentioned in November. Below are three tours we would like to propose to you, with duration and cost. (Then he provided a list of the tours).

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  • 2 months later...

Any recent reports on conditions. We're supposed to visit in December. Although there are a few excursions listed on the X website we're curious about the current conditions on the island. Roads? Beaches, Electricity, Water? Food? Any up to date info would be appreciated.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Following this post - we are cruising to Dominica in December and would like to book a tour but there don't seem to be any recent reviews on Tripadvisor - none since Hurricane Maria last year. Any update on the current conditions at Dominica?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dominica has made a remarkable bounce back from Hurricane Maria 2017. The forest is all green again and beautiful. Some challenges with housing was still visible when I visited last week September 4 on the Carnival Fascination. I had no problem booking the River Tubing and another tour with Antours by email. Myself and my husband and daughter quite enjoyed the tubing trip and the visit to the Trafalgar Waterfalls was splendid. Its a beautiful island almost back to its original state.

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Thanks so much for your updated info jasmine2.0. I was hoping to hear an update from someone who'd visited the island since hurricane Maria last year. I'm hoping hurricanes Isaac and Joyce miss landing anywhere and that there are no more issues for Dominica.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Carnival Cruise Lines has been sailing there from July 2018. All the Cruise Lines will be returning there from end of October. The island is all green again as they seem to have recovered nicely from the hurricane. Communication may still be a problem for some Tour Operators, but I booked quite easily with Antours whose communication lines were open soon after the hurricane of last year.

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