Galveston: Fog delay history

[webzila]

Hi there.

I was just looking for some previous history of fog delays (or other weather delays) from Galveston. If you have a delay story can you please post it and describe what happened, how long it was delayed and how the cruise was affected.

 

We are currently looking to book a cruise out of Galveson on Jan 16 (Carnival Conquest) so I am interested to know how often the fog delayed the arrival / departure in this particular month.

 

I know earlier this year the Conquest and the Voyager were delayed out of Galveston for more than a day - dont remember if it was January or February.

 

Then we took a cruise on the Voyager this past April and there was fog. Both the Voyager and Conquest were late arriving and the departure was delayed. The Voyager sailed at about midnight and we did not miss any stops. I heard the Conquest sailed later that night - was anyone here on that ship - did you make all the stops?

 

Just interested in reading other peoples stories ;)

[forwardcabin]

We were on Carnival Ecstasy coming back at the end of December, 2009. Upon approach to the ship channel just outside of Galveston, there was so much fog that the channel and harbor were closed to all traffic until the fog lifted. We circled around in the gulf for more than 5 hours. We finally docked and departed around 5pm. The next cruise did not leave until close to 10pm that night. We got an extra meal out of it. The next cruisers got OBC of $15 pp for missing dinner that night.

 

Just recently, the Ecstasy was delayed a whole day because of rough seas created by the first hurricane of the season that went through Mexico. Those cruisers got an extra day onboard. The next cruise was reduced by one day and did not go to their port of call--a cruise to nowhere for 3 days.

 

Sometimes these things happen.

 

Here's hoping you have a great cruise. Bon Voayge!

[ssb]

We cruised out of Galveston last January with no problems at all.

 

With mother nature

generally anytime from November thru April,

there could be fog on the gulf coast from Texas to Florida.

Thats when the cold fronts come thru here, if they reach us.

Actually we have cruised 6 times during that time frame

out of Galveston with no problems. See cruises below. Voyager(2) Splendor(2) Princess(2)

 

 

With mother nature

generally anytime from July thru October

there may be Hurricanes on the gulf coast from Mexico to Florida

and on the Atlantic coast from Florida to New England.

 

Last year there were no Hurricanes in the Gulf. Figure that.

We have had snow in recent years

and some some winters with no freezes.

 

The worst weather we have experienced personally on cruises

has been in the Mediterranean not the Gulf or the Altantic.

We went thru Hurricane Lennie in Carribbean on the Virgin Islands

with 150 sustained and 185 gusts winds. We planned that trip in November around hurricane season.

Family lost house in Carla in 1961. Our home was severly damaged in IKE in 2008 and family lost 27 family members in 1900 storms.

There will always be mother nature with fires, tornados, floods, earthquakes, rouge waves, fog, hurricanes, snow and ice.......

whether it is on east coast, west Coast or third coast.

Can't control mother nature and where it happens!

As far as ship information,

every fog occurance and facts are different.

That depends on nature and extent of mother nature......

and the attitudes of crusers on board.

"Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure"

Go cruising, where ever, have fun and buy travel insurance. :D

[mnh]

I was on Voyager the first week of December 2009. The ship was delayed and I "jumped" ship on the 2nd day.

 

I have cruised out of Galveston many times, but never in December and this was the first time we had fog.

[dlbaqua]

fog delay on the Conquest 1st week of April of this year

it wouldn't have been so bad, the fog only kept us out a couple hours but it was Mexico's spring break & Easter Sunday so there was a huge delay going through customs and the delay getting off the ship was horrible

got kicked out of our cabins around 12 pm and didn't get off the ship until about 10:30 pm, we were among the last 50 or so people off, though, not having to fly out made us get a very high departure number

it was a horrible day and has really burned me out on cruising

 

that said, I've cruised nearly a dozen times, most out of Galveston, and this was the first time anything like that had happened

[ssb]

fog delay on the Conquest 1st week of April of this year

it wouldn't have been so bad, the fog only kept us out a couple hours but it was Mexico's spring break & Easter Sunday so there was a huge delay going through customs and the delay getting off the ship was horrible

got kicked out of our cabins around 12 pm and didn't get off the ship until about 10:30 pm, we were among the last 50 or so people off, though, not having to fly out made us get a very high departure number

it was a horrible day and has really burned me out on cruising

 

that said, I've cruised nearly a dozen times, most out of Galveston, and this was the first time anything like that had happened

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cruising is so much fun.

Sorry you have soured.

 

Do you fly on Thanksgiving or Christmas Holidays?

It is horrible!

Why would you fly spring break and easter sunday

and expect anything different.

 

Our worst day was getting out of Ft Lauderdale after a cruise..

Missed flight at 11:45 and luckily, we found a flight later in day into Tampa, and out back to Texas. Otherwise airlines were saying did not have flights until three days later. It was holiday weekend after News Year. I should have booked later flights. We didn't get off ship until 11:15 that morning,

even with priority disembarking.

 

There was no fog or even mother nature events.

 

Come on back for another cruise.

[dlbaqua]

I didn't fly and I don't fly on holidays if I can help it

that was part of the problem, people who had flights to catch got off earlier than we did (although most of them missed their flights anyway, due to the fog and the long, long delay caused by all the foreign nationals who had to be processed through customs)

 

 

Just to clarify: we didn't get off the ship until after 10 o'clock at night

had to work the next day, 6 hour drive home, 3 hours of sleep then off to work

I don't blame Carnival at all, it was mostly the staff at Galveston being overwhelmed and the weather...but it was still horrible and so I'm taking a break from cruising for awhile (usually go at least twice a year)

[jayhawk okie]

We were on the Conquest for the Dec. 13, 2009 sailing. We were delayed one day in departing. We were probably 2 - 3 hours late arriving back to Galveston. Both due to fog. Horrible fog.

[DALSAL]

Our February cruise was delayed due to fog, it rolled in ...rolled in might not be the correct word to use, it came barreling in two seconds flat! We were delayed almost 4 hours, just enough time that our first port was not cancelled. The ship did move to try to make up some time, but hey, we were onboard with the dod and having fun!!!:D

[ssb]

Our February cruise was delayed due to fog, it rolled in ...rolled in might not be the correct word to use, it came barreling in two seconds flat! We were delayed almost 4 hours, just enough time that our first port was not cancelled. The ship did move to try to make up some time, but hey, we were onboard with the dod and having fun!!!:D

 

Yaa'll sound fun to cruise with!!!!!!!!!

 

"Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure"

Everyone go cruising, whereever, whenever, have fun and buy travel insurance. :D

 

Mother nature is mother nature:eek:

[golfpccc]

Have had 3 cruises out of Galveston affected by fog.

 

#1 Dec 2007--Carnival Conquest--left port around 2pm on Mon--missed Jamaica--then missed Grand Cayman because of a tropical storm. Made ports in Cozumel and Progresso.

 

#2 Dec 2009--Voyager of the Seas--left port on Tues, 10 a.m. Missed Roatan, Honduras.

 

#3 April 2010--Voyager of the Seas--left port at midnight Sun. Made all ports of call.

 

We don't give up--sailing again this Dec on the Voyager!

[MicksMom]

January 2009 - Conquest delayed about 5 hours due to fog. We made the best of it, we were at the front of the line. We were given box lunches & $15 obc, they did all open seating that night for dinner since some people were still boarding.

 

January 2010 - NO FOG!!:D I was up at 5am looking out the window.

 

Now praying no hurricanes in October:eek:

[bobstack]

Hi fellow cruisers:

 

We also were on Conquest for the 12-13-09 cruise. Go to youtube.com and search for Conquest Galveston Fog, and see the video the Galveston Daily News took of Conquest leaving port 1 day late on Monday, 12-14-09, just after 2 pm. The cameraman pans back to where Voyager was tied up, and you cannot see Voyager, less than a 1/4 mile away. You can read my Conquest Member Review for this Fog Delayed Trip under CruiseCritic, Member Reviews, Conquest. One person on Voyager (which left the next morning at 9:15 am), was clearly not amused, that Conquest got out of port that Monday. He posted "Those Carnival Captains are such Mavericks!" I looked again at our video and you could barely see a little of Galveston Island. However, the youtube video tells me that there was a lot of opaque fog we were going through....

 

Yes, we were 1 day late in leaving. We dropped Freeport/Bahamas as a consequence. However, we had a good night in Galveston, and then went first to Nassau, which we made at 5 pm. After dinner, we got off the ship, and visited Atlantis. The next day we took the number 10 jitney bus to the Breezes resort for a day at the beach with beverages. Very good day! We made it back on the ship, and then sailed for Key West. As soon as we got off the ship that Friday, the heavens opened and it poured down rain! No problems, we adjusted, and took the Conch Train, complete with complimentary ponchos. The tropical drinks later at The Flying Monkey warmed us up from the inside! We then left at 3 pm from KW, and we arrived at Galveston at 10:00 am. All in all, a cruise to remember!

 

Our friends on Voyager on the neighboring pier that Monday were also given an option: anyone who wanted a full refund (in the way of a cruise credit for the fare paid) would have to leave the ship that Monday night by 11 am. Almost 1/3 of the ship did, and it took over 30 days (reportedly) for these cruisers to get their vouchers. The rest of the hardy souls, though, loved having a less full Voyager for their 5 day cruise (they only dropped Roatan).

 

Good luck with all of your plans, and be prepared to take whatever mother nature provides you. Remember, you're on vacation!

 

Bob and Donna from Dallas/Ft. Worth

[tamhere2003]

We cruised last year end of nov-first of dec. Fog delay coming into port couldnt leave untill around 5 or 6 that night, most people left the rooms early to start unboarding thinking we could get off and the cleaning crew already started cleaning their cabins so they couldnt get back into the room. We were smart and never left the cabin so we just hung out in the room untill they told us that they had clearance to unboard. It wasnt that bad they still fed us while we waited, just all the shops were closed and not alot going on while we waited the xtra 7 hours to get off. For me just meant alittle longer we could say we were on vacation.

[Kaki]

We cruised the Conquest 3-21-2010. The ship was about 2 hours late getting in due to fog. We still boarded and departed at the usual time.

I think the Voyager came in at the regular time.