Hurricane Maria

[dagunny]

I think that is great! Now RCI, listen to us!!![/quote

 

I think no matter what they have to go back to mainland USA. They will need to load up on their supplies for passengers and SJ is in no condition to provide supplies for AOS guests. I'm assuming AOS usually loads up all their stuff in SJ, they can't do that this time around.

 

All I can say is, wherever she goes

[theEvilQueen2]

We're leaving on the Harmony Saturday. POC had already changed from St Thomas to St Kitts due to Irma. Puerto Rico is devastated. The entire island is 100% without power, massive flooding and damage. No word about damage to the port. I have no idea what RCL will decide, but I can see them doing a humanitarian drop in SJ (if possible), but it's no place for tourists to be right now... or for months. As for cruising in hurricane season, I've been doing it for 25 years and this is the first time there has been any real problems. I may avoid September in the future.

[Coopdog08]

While I can understand that it might be frustrating that you don't have answers if you're sailing this weekend, but quite honestly, it's a little unreasonable to expect that they're going to have answers yet. Heck, San Juan isn't even out of the heavy rain bands from Maria, there hasn't been enough time for them to assess what the situation really is there. Wishing otherwise can't really make it happen faster. Personally? I'd say the odds of them sailing from PR this weekend are probably somewhere between slim and none. Which means they need to figure out what they can make work as an alternative, but that's something that they have to figure out how they can get enough assets in place to make it work. I woudn't be real surprised if they bring the ship into another port to disembark the passengers that the next cruise simply will get cancelled. Expecting the next group of people to be able to make changes in that short of a period of time probably isn't realistic. Because it's likely going to be sometime tomorrow before they have anything figured out on what to do. Yeah, it sucks. Probably not as much as actually living on one of these islands sucks now.

100% guarantee they will not be sailing from San Juan this weekend. The ship may drop off supplies but if there are any cruisers on the ship they will not be getting off unless they are from PR.

[caribill]

And in all reality we may be all surprised at how resilient Puerto Rico is. You never know.

 

You are right that no one knows at this time what the conditions will be. San Juan may get electricity back quickly even if the rest of the island does not. And the port might be open as well as the airport, so the cruise might actually be able to take place.

 

What many do not realize is that if the airport is open and the cruise takes place, trip insurance in most cases will not pay if you do not take the cruise (unless you have cancel for any reason coverage).

 

Several years ago after an earthquake in Peru or chile (I forget which) the main airport reopened and a cruise from the port that was a number of miles away took place. However, roads from the airport to the port city were closed and airlines cancelled their flights to the airport. A number of people with insurance could not collect because the airport was open and the cruise did take place. (In that instance, passengers did not disembark as there was no way to get to the airport with no flights. They stayed on the ship until it reached Buenos Aires where there was a working international airport.

[caribill]

It was nice to do a different cruise out of FL and with the eastern Caribbean a mess they can't all go west. Really the cruise line have real challenge starting in early November when the Ships in Alaska and Europe return. I think a creative cruise line would offer a 8 day Southern hitting the abc islands followed by a 6 day western.

 

As nice as that might be, that would affect many, many passengers who are already booked on the existing 7-day itineraries.

 

Although having other ports substituted for damaged ones might be very acceptable on a 7-day cruise, it would be very difficult for all those who would be switched to an 8 day cruise to get an extra vacation day and to easily change non-refundable airline tickets to a different day. Even if Royal covered change fees, they usually do not cover increased pricing for the changed flight and there is also the problem having sufficient seats available for several thousand passengers who need to fly home a day later than currently booked.

[Flamencacha]

Hi all, I have posted a few times and will not post anymore on this thread. I Have seen many videos in the last 12 hours of Puerto Rico, mostly from friends or friends of friends.

 

One that has left an impression on me, is the hallway leading to the ATC tower in the terminal building at SAN JUAN airport. Water and debri all over the place. An airport can function,be it at reduced capacity, with out a Tower.

 

They will rebuild, but before to be fully operational it is my humble assessment it will be awhile.

 

May God be with them in this trying time.

 

 

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[Hearsay1]

I too am anxiously waiting to hear about my upcoming cruise. I read somewhere that Royal may not be letting passengers know until about four weeks prior to the sailing.

 

I agree that it would make it easier for many to know earlier in order to be able to change flights, ships, etc. but the logistics of doing this with all the ships that Royal has out of Florida (not even counting Bayonne or Baltimore) as well as all the other cruise lines (Disney, Carnival, MSC, etc.) and their ships, I would not want to be on that team to attempt to redirect all of these ships.

 

They still do not know if any of the hit ports will be up in the near future. They say weeks, maybe months on some, but they also need to stay in touch with the governments of those islands to know if they are going to be open sooner and then check to make sure the ports will be safe to let passengers off. The other major concern is that all the cruise lines need to coordinate in a way as to not overload the available ports on any given day. One comment I read recently is that they do not want to have 13 ships in a port on one day.

 

This is very difficult task at best. I am willing to let them take the time needed to work it all out.

I can understand that you may be willing to give them time to work it out if your cruise is one or two weeks or longer away. But what about those of us who are two days out and have heard nothing? Clearly we are not leaving from Puerto Rico on Saturday. If they can change ports that's great, I'm willing to go. But will I be able to get a flight on such short notice? and what will it cost? My heart goes out to those people who have lost everything, I can't imagine what they are going through. A cruise is a luxury, not a necessity, I get it, but zero communication is just wrong. The latest itinierary changes still list the cruise as going to St Kitts and from what I understand St Kitts had significant damage. My travel agent said yesterday that Adventure is still listed as sailing on Saturday. If we choose to rebook now, we would lose the future credit so that is not an option. I've found an alternative option but there are very few cabins left at the level I'm booking and they could go quickly. RC says they will let us know by early this afternoon but in my humble opinion less than 48 hours notice is unacceptable. They dropped the ball on this one. They should just bite the bullet, cancel the cruise leaving this weekend and let us make our plans

[hollon]

We're leaving on the Harmony Saturday. POC had already changed from St Thomas to St Kitts due to Irma. Puerto Rico is devastated. The entire island is 100% without power, massive flooding and damage. No word about damage to the port. I have no idea what RCL will decide, but I can see them doing a humanitarian drop in SJ (if possible), but it's no place for tourists to be right now... or for months. As for cruising in hurricane season, I've been doing it for 25 years and this is the first time there has been any real problems. I may avoid September in the future.

 

I've sailed in hurricane season as well before and nothing like this has happened. I called rccl yesterday and ask them about s.juan and she said they don't know anything yet. I too leave saturday on Harmony, maybe we'll know something soon.

[Flamencacha]

https://es.flightaware.com/live/airport/TJSJ

 

 

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[L454S]

We thought it would be a bit different to try a westbound T/A sailing on the Indy for next month(Oct.,booked last year). The sailing was to cross the Atlantic and end with a Caribbean medley going to San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts., etc.

 

Different ports?.....Shortened cruise?(16 night now).......Seems a lot of things up in the air, and will be for a while. Good luck to all affected.

 

Another thought came to mind, I would not want to be a phone rep for RCI, or any cruise line right now. Can you imagine the volume of phone traffic. Even if you call a travel agent, they call RCI.

[denhumpcruiser]

Hi,

We are due to embark on Adventure of the Seas on 23rd, flying from UK via Madrid tomorrow, awaiting update from RCI tonight, does anyone have any information yet as to whether it will dock at Miami?

[Clarea]

Hi,

We are due to embark on Adventure of the Seas on 23rd, flying from UK via Madrid tomorrow, awaiting update from RCI tonight, does anyone have any information yet as to whether it will dock at Miami?

No announcement from the cruise line yet. Supposedly sometime today.

[dagunny]

To those currently on the Adventure - Has your scheduled time to depart Bonaire changed or are you sticking to the scheduled departure time?

[bouhunter]

100% guarantee they will not be sailing from San Juan this weekend. The ship may drop off supplies but if there are any cruisers on the ship they will not be getting off unless they are from PR.

 

That sounds like the most likely scenario. What a mess. Hard to believe the people getting off this Saturday would have their scheduled flights home from SJU waiting for them.

[Dan-P]

To those currently on the Adventure - Has your scheduled time to depart Bonaire changed or are you sticking to the scheduled departure time?

Still leaving at 5pm. All aboard at 4:30pm. Captain said he hopes to have more news by noon.

 

Dan.

[uksaint]

Hi,

We are due to embark on Adventure of the Seas on 23rd, flying from UK via Madrid tomorrow, awaiting update from RCI tonight, does anyone have any information yet as to whether it will dock at Miami?

 

According to the link a few posts above, SJU is closed at least until Friday night, so I guess your flight from Madrid won't be happening. Hopefully, RCCL make a decision real soon.

[Dan-P]

One positive for Puerto Rico/San Juan area:

 

The beach front restaraunt we ate at pre-cruise last Friday, in the Isla Verde area, posted on their Facebook page a little bit ago that they were OK and hoped to be back up and running by this Saturday.

 

Dan.

[Flamencacha]

One positive for Puerto Rico/San Juan area:

 

The beach front restaraunt we ate at pre-cruise last Friday, in the Isla Verde area, posted on their Facebook page a little bit ago that they were OK and hoped to be back up and running by this Saturday.

 

Dan.

 

 

 

Name of restaurant please

 

 

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[Dan-P]

Name of restaurant please

 

 

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El Alambique Beach Front Bar & Grill.

 

Dan.

[Flamencacha]

Why did I know that. Good!

 

 

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[Bigbluegal]

El Alambique Beach Front Bar & Grill.

 

Dan.

 

Great news! I wish the news outlets would look for positives to report rather than all negative stuff. Tourism is the $ there and the implication of no electricity for up to a year makes people think that is for everyone. Understandably, there will be parts of the island that this is true but surely the entire island is not out of play for 6 months to a year.

[Clarea]

One positive for Puerto Rico/San Juan area:

 

The beach front restaraunt we ate at pre-cruise last Friday, in the Isla Verde area, posted on their Facebook page a little bit ago that they were OK and hoped to be back up and running by this Saturday.

 

Dan.

That's near the airport, isn't it? That's good news.

[taram999]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/09/21/your-caribbean-cruise-destination-still-open-port-by-port-look-after-irma-maria/685467001/

[taram999]

http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/breaking-news/airport-reopened-flights-expected-services-operating/

[OCruisers]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/09/21/your-caribbean-cruise-destination-still-open-port-by-port-look-after-irma-maria/685467001/

 

Thanks for site -- very good current update!