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Fort Lauderdale - Best of Times, Worst of Times

NJ Fred

By NJ Fred,
in Princess Cruises

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NJ Fred

NJ Fred

Posted
Posted

I know we all offer our prayers and sympathies to the victims of yesterday's insanity at Fort Lauderdale Airport. A fellow cruiser, ticketed to sail on HA's Nieuw Amsterdam was among those whose lives were stolen from them.

 

Such is the worst of times. You leave home, board a commercial flight for a routine trip and, without warning, your world is upside down.

 

Godspeed.

 

Them there is the antithesis. The unstoppable human spirit. From the gallantry of our Police and other emergency personnel to the airport staff; all of whom heard the call of duty and did humanity proud by responding thinking only of those they were charged with protecting.

 

May Almighty God bless them all.

 

Most of us who read and contribute to this forum do so in a free and open exchnage of perspectives. A salute to the crew. A brickbat to the company for one reason or another.

 

May we always enjoy the freedom to do that.

 

Yesterday, the cruise industry endured a logistical challenge. They met it head-on and overcame.

 

We had just dropped our son and his lady at Port Everglades when all hell broke loose at FLL. Our drive out of the terminal was serenaded with the unstopping wail of sirens. The sky in the technicolor of red and blue strobe lights. Highways turned into virtual speedways as emergency vehicles floored their motors to get to where they were needed.

 

In the background, two vessels were moored. Caribbean Princess and Nieuw Amsterdam. Both with a remaining three hours till anchors aweigh.

 

As we drove onto I-595, I remarked to my wife that many passengers would probably miss their sailings. She concurred.

 

Our son kept us posted. First, CP's shove-off was pushed back to 6pm. 6 became 7. 7 became 9. True cast-off was roughly 9:20pm.

 

CP's Captain kept everyone on the ship timely advised. By this juncture, the FLL incident was known to all on the ship. Prayers and silent reflection were everywhere.

 

The Captain said, at about 4:25, that more than 100 passengers had yet to board. Planes were being rerouted to Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa and outside of Florida. I can only imagine what was going on at Air Traffic Control.

 

And this is where the excellence of the cruise lines and the port authorities kicked in. Strategies were mapped out, buses were hired. Cruise line personnel hit the ground running. Travel agents burned after-hours oil answering questions from stranded travelers and their worried families.

 

Somehow, they made it work. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel arranged police escorts for buses carrying intendeing passengers whose flights had been diverted. The Florida Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies and airline people giving priority to incoming cruise passengers.

 

It is what we do when adversity hits. It is the spirit that resides deep in all of us that does what has to be done - there is no instruction manual. Somehow, some way - - we just do it and move ahead. We shed our tears as we walk. We gather to deal with our frustration and grief.

 

And we give a loud and well-deserved BRAVO to those many anonymous faces who worked their bottoms off to help the sun break through the clouds.

 

For the role the cruise industry played in giving its paying customers comfort, please join with me in saying:

 

Well Done!

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baronessk

baronessk

Posted
Posted

NJ Fred...your words brought a tear to my eye, choked me up, and a smile to my face all at the same time. What talented words to encapsulate a daily vacation happenstance, wrapped in a tragedy. We sailed on the Caribbean the two weeks prior as a b2b and met many people who would have disembarked yesterday, after their b2b. Many told of excursions they had planned in order to pass the time prior to their afternoon flights. My thoughts were with them as I watched the events of yesterday unfold and the ensuing chaos. But more than thoughts, my prayers were with those whose lives were taken and their families who are now permanently affected. As you so eloquently said, your day starts out normal as you head off for a dream cruise (because they are all dream getaways), and you never make it. Live each day to the fullest my fellow cruisers!

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NJ Fred

NJ Fred

Posted
  • Author
Posted
NJ Fred, May I share this on a travel agent Facebook page? There are several agents who were involved with the tragic incident yesterday and I would love for them to read your tribute.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

By all means.

 

Thank you.

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BadgerFBfan

BadgerFBfan

Posted
Posted

Amazing, well crafted piece. We board Harmony today, and our thoughts are with everyone affected, be they families of those taken too soon, the first responders, or those in any way involved with the airlines or cruise lines. A heartfelt thank you to all involved.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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gardenbunny

gardenbunny

Posted
Posted

Such a well worded message. I think you captured what all Americans feel. What has happened to our country? May God bless the USA and heal our land.

 

I hope you and all passengers have a peaceful and soul-soothing cruise. It must be hard to feel it is OK to have fun in the wake of what preceded your voyage.

 

Prayers to all.

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MisterMet

MisterMet

Posted
Posted
I know we all offer our prayers and sympathies to the victims of yesterday's insanity at Fort Lauderdale Airport. A fellow cruiser, ticketed to sail on HA's Nieuw Amsterdam was among those whose lives were stolen from them.

 

 

 

Such is the worst of times. You leave home, board a commercial flight for a routine trip and, without warning, your world is upside down.

 

 

 

Godspeed.

 

 

 

Them there is the antithesis. The unstoppable human spirit. From the gallantry of our Police and other emergency personnel to the airport staff; all of whom heard the call of duty and did humanity proud by responding thinking only of those they were charged with protecting.

 

 

 

May Almighty God bless them all.

 

 

 

Most of us who read and contribute to this forum do so in a free and open exchnage of perspectives. A salute to the crew. A brickbat to the company for one reason or another.

 

 

 

May we always enjoy the freedom to do that.

 

 

 

Yesterday, the cruise industry endured a logistical challenge. They met it head-on and overcame.

 

 

 

We had just dropped our son and his lady at Port Everglades when all hell broke loose at FLL. Our drive out of the terminal was serenaded with the unstopping wail of sirens. The sky in the technicolor of red and blue strobe lights. Highways turned into virtual speedways as emergency vehicles floored their motors to get to where they were needed.

 

 

 

In the background, two vessels were moored. Caribbean Princess and Nieuw Amsterdam. Both with a remaining three hours till anchors aweigh.

 

 

 

As we drove onto I-595, I remarked to my wife that many passengers would probably miss their sailings. She concurred.

 

 

 

Our son kept us posted. First, CP's shove-off was pushed back to 6pm. 6 became 7. 7 became 9. True cast-off was roughly 9:20pm.

 

 

 

CP's Captain kept everyone on the ship timely advised. By this juncture, the FLL incident was known to all on the ship. Prayers and silent reflection were everywhere.

 

 

 

The Captain said, at about 4:25, that more than 100 passengers had yet to board. Planes were being rerouted to Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa and outside of Florida. I can only imagine what was going on at Air Traffic Control.

 

 

 

And this is where the excellence of the cruise lines and the port authorities kicked in. Strategies were mapped out, buses were hired. Cruise line personnel hit the ground running. Travel agents burned after-hours oil answering questions from stranded travelers and their worried families.

 

 

 

Somehow, they made it work. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel arranged police escorts for buses carrying intendeing passengers whose flights had been diverted. The Florida Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies and airline people giving priority to incoming cruise passengers.

 

 

 

It is what we do when adversity hits. It is the spirit that resides deep in all of us that does what has to be done - there is no instruction manual. Somehow, some way - - we just do it and move ahead. We shed our tears as we walk. We gather to deal with our frustration and grief.

 

 

 

And we give a loud and well-deserved BRAVO to those many anonymous faces who worked their bottoms off to help the sun break through the clouds.

 

 

 

For the role the cruise industry played in giving its paying customers comfort, please join with me in saying:

 

 

 

Well Done!

 

 

Perfectly stated[emoji120]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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loriva "Live from...." Rare

loriva

Posted
Posted

Thank you, NJ Fred, for posting this information and also all the condolences to the victims and testament to the goodness of the much-greater majority of people who responded to this tragedy.

 

We debarked CB yesterday morning and spent four hours in American's terminal until our flight. We started boarding at 1250 hours, just before the shooting incident. We were still boarding when passengers started receiving the news on their phones. The lead flight attendant was also aware of the incident as was the captain, but no general announcement was made on the aircraft. We finished boarding and took off about 1330 hours. The flight attendant later told a passenger near us that ours was the last flight allowed to depart before they closed FLL. I would have thought there would have been some sort of official acknowledgement by the captain, but perhaps that is against American's policy--or they assume everyone on board already knows given the aircraft all have WiFi.

 

I'm so sorry to hear about the five lives lost and the others injured in this incident. I'm heartened, however, like NJ Fred to hear about the competence and thoughtfulness of the Broward County authorities, FLL, and all those associated with the cruise industry in Port Everglades. We will never be able to prevent all of the bad, but as long as most are committed to the good the human spirit will prevail.

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ian441672

ian441672

Posted
Posted

Such sad times. We are currently in the Hilton, FLL, arriving the day prior to the event. Had I booked this stay through Princess we would have arrived yesterday as it unfolded, but since Princess could only give us 2 days availability in the hotel and we wanted three, I decided to book it myself and arrive a day earlier, and very selfishly, thank God I did. Those poor people.

 

As it happened we took a stroll outside our hotel and happened to see the CP in dock, so we walked all the way there (we are due to go on the Regal tomorrow) to see if it was a walkable distance for us with our cases (and it is) and we got chatting away to the boarding agent about our upcoming cruise.

 

Upon returning to our hotel around 2 the mood had changed and everyone was crowding around the TV and then I realised the magnitude of what had happened. People were in tears here, daughters were working at the airport, friends were due to arrive, people due to leave etc. The couple at the bar next to us just left the baggage claim area 5 minutes before and we're really shaken. It's not until you are right in it, you realise how it impacts everyone, and it was very much a community spirit that afternoon.

 

We saw the CP still in dock at 9.30 on the way home from dinner, as a fleet of police outriders escorted nigh on 20 coaches through the traffic and we were delayed in our taxi. And as it brought it back to us of the days events I suddenly thought I would be so happy to pay the extra five bucks for this small delay a million times over for these poor people to be able to continue their lives as we were doing that night.

 

Cruise tomorrow so looking forward to that on the lovely Regal, but of course part of me will be thinking how lucky we were. I just wanted to vent my thoughts and feelings.

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baronessk

baronessk

Posted
Posted

Now comes the sad reality of those who fled for their lives, leaving behind their passports, id's, cc's, money, etc., and now have no way of boarding a cruise or a flight or accessing an ATM machine. It seems the ramifications of this selfish, sick act continue to intrude on our rights to live peaceful lives as citizenry. The ripple effect continues.......

I wished I lived closer and could offer to help, but I can only pray. I watched some interviews of passengers complaining that they waited hours, and admittedly not being in their shoes, all I could think was how those who died would gladly trade places and be happy to wait.

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satxdiver

satxdiver

Posted
Posted

Yesterday was a very sad day for Fort Lauderdale indeed. Thank you for the excellent letter by the OP. It really summed up the tragic events of yesterday.

 

It is the policy of most airlines not to formally announce airline/airport tragedies particularly since no one on the aircraft was in any danger. When there are 150+ people sitting side by side in a very confined space it is not a good policy to do anything to get them excited. They don't show airplane disasters on airplane flights for a reason. I am not surprised that the American pilot did not make any announcements.

 

A big thanks goes out to the CB and HAL ships for doing what was needed in this situation to help the pax who were impacted by this tragedy. The local authorities and federal authorities were there doing what they do with professional assistance.

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