Reflection may be late leaving today

[smitty99n]

Reflection may be late leaving today as a Canadian North airlines flight with a plane of cruise passengers was late leaving Halifax today. you can check on the progress here https://flightaware.com/live/flight/MPE9756 They are scheduled to arrive in Miami at 4:05pm.

[KirbySS]

Interesting. How did you find out about this? What are the conditions that caused Celebrity to decide to hold the ship? I guess the pax must have a guarantee with Celebrity that they either make the departure or Celebrity has to pay to get them to the ship and the cost to fly them to the next port is high?

[cle-guy]

I'm assuming this is one of the special "Canadian Charters' X does in the winter, where they charter an airplane and fill it with X passengers from various Canadian cities.

 

So all passengers on the plane in essence have the Make it to the Ship guarantee. SO easier to hold the ship back, than try to get a whole plane of passengers with the guarantee to a second port along the way and deal with any immigration issues that wild arise out of it too.

Edited February 21, 2015 by cle-guy

[smitty99n]

This charter is out of Halifax and yes it is the all-inclusive Celebrity package for 100-125 cruise passengers.

[juanita1767]

We are booked on this for our March 7th cruise so its nice to know that they wait for you.

[SeaHunt]

OP thanks for the info - I watched the port cam and wondered why she was still in :D

 

I kept checking in (saw the NCL Getaway and a Carnival ship turn in the basin), and still missed seeing her leave port LOL.

 

Off topic - did anyone else watching hear the call (to the Coast Guard, Port Authority, or whoever that is talking on the port channel) telling them that there was a building on fire? He said hotel, but I don't know if that was correct - he said it was on about the 13th/14th floor, it was really burning and then "wow man it's ON FIRE". They told him to call it in to 911. I looked at Miami TV and saw nothing about it. Hopefully it wasn't as bad as he made it sound.

[Texed]

We are booked on this for our March 7th cruise so its nice to know that they wait for you.

 

Sorry, we are not going to wait! :rolleyes: :D

[juanita1767]

Sorry, we are not going to wait! :rolleyes: :D

 

You better!!!! Don't make me send snow your way!!!!:D:D:D

Edited February 22, 2015 by juanita1767

[monicajay]

I'm assuming this is one of the special "Canadian Charters' X does in the winter, where they charter an airplane and fill it with X passengers from various Canadian cities.

 

So all passengers on the plane in essence have the Make it to the Ship guarantee. SO easier to hold the ship back, than try to get a whole plane of passengers with the guarantee to a second port along the way and deal with any immigration issues that wild arise out of it too.

 

Actually, each plane chartered leaves one Canadian city, this one was from Halifax, and yes, Celebrity would be responsible to get them to the first port so it is likely they wait as long as possible if they can.

[canusa1]

I think that the group were from Hamilton Ont as they were 5 hours late leaving. They would not have arrived in Miami and on the ship until after 6. They had to hold our ship the Silhouette last week for the same reason.

 

 

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[C 2 C]

Reflection cast off her lines at 6:40pm after waiting for 400 passengers. It seems airport immigration delayed arrival a bit more.

 

In ten weeks onboard, reflection has always had difficulty reaching San Juan at 3:30 pm due to strong head winds and currents. Since we left nearly three hours late, I doubt that we will arrive before 6:00 pm tomorrow.

 

There will be weeping and wailing etc.

[RickT]

Halifax and other Maritime cities have been hard hit this winter. I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often. I wonder what the cut off would be for the ship to sail away without people? Unlike smaller groups, accommodating a whole plane of people would be a logistical nightmare.

 

I've been on a few cruises where the ship has waited for arriving passengers. For those that bash the cruise air (and in this case the special all-inclusive Canadian package) it's worth keeping this in mind. I doubt they wait often but when the numbers are large enough it is financially worthwhile.

 

I bet those maritimers are glad to be away from the winter weather that has been whalloping Halifax.

[girlpookie]

yesterday was nice here in Halifax sunny! and -4 the plane must have been delayed getting here from somewhere else or it was a wind delay. I have had enough of the storms and can't wait for my trip in 3 weeks I am starting to pack and am glad the ship does wait if our charter is delayed.

[juanita1767]

Halifax and other Maritime cities have been hard hit this winter. I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often. I wonder what the cut off would be for the ship to sail away without people? Unlike smaller groups, accommodating a whole plane of people would be a logistical nightmare.

 

I've been on a few cruises where the ship has waited for arriving passengers. For those that bash the cruise air (and in this case the special all-inclusive Canadian package) it's worth keeping this in mind. I doubt they wait often but when the numbers are large enough it is financially worthwhile.

 

I bet those maritimers are glad to be away from the winter weather that has been whalloping Halifax.

 

I agree! I can't wait to leave halifax for our march sailing. Today we are getting rain and there is flooding everywhere.

[CathyCruises]

This is kind of amusing in a sense. A few weeks ago I posted about this very scenario, asking for a friend who was considering the package for a TA whose first stop was in Lisbon. I asked if the ship would wait if there were any flight delays.

 

I was assured that these pilots are the best there is at flying in inclement weather and that there hadn't been an airport closure in Toronto(?) in 40 years, yada yada yada and basically told that I was a needless worrywart. Now we find out that the plane was five hours late in leaving, but that in fact the ship DID wait. Now we know!

[juanita1767]

yesterday was nice here in Halifax sunny! and -4 the plane must have been delayed getting here from somewhere else or it was a wind delay. I have had enough of the storms and can't wait for my trip in 3 weeks I am starting to pack and am glad the ship does wait if our charter is delayed.

 

We were told by the celebrity rep at the travel show in January that the plane comes in on friday so that it is already here. I have been watching this flight every week since it has started and it has yet to leave on time. Usually it is 1.5 hrs late leaving.

[thon]

We are on one of these Celebrity charters on March 7 out of Ottawa for Reflection. The nice thing about the Ottawa airport is that we pre-clear US Customs here. Some of the larger Canadian airports have US Customs officers that clear all US-bound flights before even getting on the plane so once the plane leaves it becomes more like a US domestic flight. Unfortunately for people in places like Halifax and Hamilton I do not believe they have this so once they land in MIA or FLL they still have to clear US Customs which adds more time at the destination airport.

 

We had another snowstorm yesterday (about 10cm or so) but it didn't start until later in the day so Celebrity's morning charter from here would not have been delayed at all due to Ottawa weather. Fortunately most of our airports up here are used to snowstorms and are pretty good at clearing runways, etc. fairly expeditiously. At least most of the time!!

[juanita1767]

We are on one of these Celebrity charters on March 7 out of Ottawa for Reflection. The nice thing about the Ottawa airport is that we pre-clear US Customs here. Some of the larger Canadian airports have US Customs officers that clear all US-bound flights before even getting on the plane so once the plane leaves it becomes more like a US domestic flight. Unfortunately for people in places like Halifax and Hamilton I do not believe they have this so once they land in MIA or FLL they still have to clear US Customs which adds more time at the destination airport.

 

We had another snowstorm yesterday (about 10cm or so) but it didn't start until later in the day so Celebrity's morning charter from here would not have been delayed at all due to Ottawa weather. Fortunately most of our airports up here are used to snowstorms and are pretty good at clearing runways, etc. fairly expeditiously. At least most of the time!!

 

 

Here in halifax you pre-clear also

[cle-guy]

This is kind of amusing in a sense. A few weeks ago I posted about this very scenario, asking for a friend who was considering the package for a TA whose first stop was in Lisbon. I asked if the ship would wait if there were any flight delays.

 

I was assured that these pilots are the best there is at flying in inclement weather and that there hadn't been an airport closure in Toronto(?) in 40 years, yada yada yada and basically told that I was a needless worrywart. Now we find out that the plane was five hours late in leaving, but that in fact the ship DID wait. Now we know!

 

Of course the nuance in this case is the plane that was delayed was chartered by Celebrity, and 100% full of Celebrity cruisers, so of course they held the ship, as part of the Canadian Charters series they do in the winter. For this reason, it's as if the entire plane booked ChoiceAir and therefore has the Arrive to Ship guarantee.

 

Their (Celebrity's) alternative would have been to fly the full aircraft to the 1st island, deal with the immigration issues that would arise, and put them all up in a hotel figure 200 people/125 hotel rooms (many doubles) at $100 a night, they saved $12,500 in hotel cost and hassle. And cost of at least 4 busses to transport people, or 100 taxi's.

 

However a TA to Lisbon, I doubt is being filled with 100% chartered aircraft by Celebrity and in that case, no chance in #&!! will they hold the ship.

[keesar]

They will wait for a charter group of that size. There is power in numbers. If you were flying solo or in a very small group, the message would most likely be "See you in San Juan".

[thon]

Here in halifax you pre-clear also

 

That's great. Didn't have it when I lived in Halifax - but that was sooooo long ago. Pretty sure they do not have it in Hamilton though. But I've been known to be wrong on occasion, or so my wife keeps telling me!

[canusa1]

This is kind of amusing in a sense. A few weeks ago I posted about this very scenario, asking for a friend who was considering the package for a TA whose first stop was in Lisbon. I asked if the ship would wait if there were any flight delays.

 

 

 

I was assured that these pilots are the best there is at flying in inclement weather and that there hadn't been an airport closure in Toronto(?) in 40 years, yada yada yada and basically told that I was a needless worrywart. Now we find out that the plane was five hours late in leaving, but that in fact the ship DID wait. Now we know!

 

 

Cathy I was the one that as you said yada yada yada. The funny part Is when I sat at the airport in Hamilton in whiteout conditions wondering if we would get out and not having to fly to the next port of call you were the first person I thought of. Lol

You were not sure that Celebrity would hold the ship and several people posted that they would. They have held them for several flights so far.

I am here to tell you first hand that yes they did hold the departure time and the Captain told me that they would have held it longer. He told me that they would have just made up that time at sea. It would have cost more for fuel but that it would be done.

This had been at least in Eastern Canada a very nasty winter with record cold temps and in some place lots of snow.

It will be interesting to see if Celebrity offer this package again next year. We took the same package last year with no problems. At that time it was only offered in Hamilton and Ottawa. It was so successful that Celebrity did it again this winter but added 4 more cities to the schedule. All have proved to be successful as far as sales this year.

Only the weather has not be accommodation.

 

 

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[juanita1767]

That's great. Didn't have it when I lived in Halifax - but that was sooooo long ago. Pretty sure they do not have it in Hamilton though. But I've been known to be wrong on occasion, or so my wife keeps telling me!

 

 

They do not have it in Hamilton you are right, now don't let that go to your head lol. I think they have had pre-clear approx 10 years now here in halifax.

[canusa1]

That's great. Didn't have it when I lived in Halifax - but that was sooooo long ago. Pretty sure they do not have it in Hamilton though. But I've been known to be wrong on occasion, or so my wife keeps telling me!

 

 

No we do not have a pre clear customs here in Hamilton. That would have proved to have been helpful. We flew into Miami and it took us 1 hour 30 min to get out of there to our buses. We had to go to Fort Lauderdale to board our ship.

 

 

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[C 2 C]

Seasoned cruisers know enough to arrive the night before just to prevent weather from interrupting cruise departures.

 

Celebrity should pretend that they too know that flying from a snow zone creates problems.

 

We have been told that our stop in San Juan has been cancelled...

 

What a surprise ;)