Tampa Fog Demon.

[island lady]

OK...cruisers of Serenade (and Brilliance?)...here we go again.   Anyone planning on boarding a ship in Tampa tomorrow morning (12/10), you can plan on cooling your heels.  Not sure if it will be as bad as two weeks ago, and from what I can see on the weather report...probably not...but we have notice that Mother Nature's Fog Demon will be making an appearance tomorrow morning again.  

We are on B2B, but there will be some "not so happy cruisers" that are planning to board, and planning to disembark tomorrow.  Really just a heads up that there is no dealing with Mother Nature in this port when she wants to let loose her Fog Demon.  Be prepared.  

[Moonarino]

Coastal NC has that "demon" too, usually around October. Fog rolls in (or out) across a pretty big area in the early mornings and typically keeps "rolling" for hours. Having spent nine years in eastern FL (Space Coast) I don't remember ever seeing that on the Atlantic side. Only sailed from Tampa once, in April, but I keep thinking about doing that again. All that to say thanks for the tip, I'll catalog it for future reference!

[lovelife]

Oh boy, I can certainly sympathize after our ordeal two weeks ago. I pray it isn't as bad.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, lovelife said:

Oh boy, I can certainly sympathize after our ordeal two weeks ago. I pray it isn't as bad.

 

I don't think it will be as bad as two weeks ago....IMHO...but actually just happy this is a TAD for us.  😮 

[Mary&Jim]

We cruise in January on a b2b. Fingers crossed we don't have any issues.

[Jimbo]

3 hours ago, Moonarino said:

Coastal NC has that "demon" too, usually around October. Fog rolls in (or out) across a pretty big area in the early mornings and typically keeps "rolling" for hours. Having spent nine years in eastern FL (Space Coast) I don't remember ever seeing that on the Atlantic side. Only sailed from Tampa once, in April, but I keep thinking about doing that again. All that to say thanks for the tip, I'll catalog it for future reference!

Know what you mean. Fog was heavy today traveling through NC  inland also along the Pilot Mountain Parkway on Rt 52. This was around 12:30pm, it was still very heavy there.

[island lady]

No worries fellow cruisers boarding today (17th) on Serenade in Tampa.   Captain made the smart decision to come in a few hours early to beat the fog.  

 

We tied up at the pier just before 3 am and are sitting here waiting for the happy cruisers embarking today (plus happy cruisers that won't be leaving the ship late today for transport) 😉 

 

It was a smooth ride in, and the Sunshine Skyway bridge was, as usual, beautiful to sail under.  🙂 

[lovesthebeach2]

It’s very very foggy here in central Florida right now. I imagine it’s probably just as bad or worse at the port. 

[trigger]

My DW and I sailing on the Brilliance in February. Approximately what time does the ship sail under the Skyway Bridge?

[PhillyFan33579]

11 hours ago, Mary&Jim said:

We cruise in January on a b2b. Fingers crossed we don't have any issues.

Odds are good you won’t have any issues. However, I no longer cruise from Tampa November thru February because every cruise I have been on during these months has been impacted by fog. Apparently I have no luck when it comes to Tampa and fog. 

[vegascruiser1]

We disembarked the Liberty yesterday, driving across Alligator Alley we hit some fog. We live in Fort Myers and when it is foggy we cannot see across our pond. 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

It’s very very foggy here in central Florida right now. I imagine it’s probably just as bad or worse at the port. 

 

Very light fog and lifting here in Port of Tampa.  Disembarkation is marching along smoothly.  Sun is peaking out.  🙂 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, trigger said:

My DW and I sailing on the Brilliance in February. Approximately what time does the ship sail under the Skyway Bridge?

 

On return, it is usually around 2-2:30 am...but today we came in very early, so was just after midnight.  Was up and on our balcony to watch.  Always beautiful!

 

On the way out...frustratingly...it is around dinner time, but if it is not dark yet...not as impressive. 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Odds are good you won’t have any issues. However, I no longer cruise from Tampa November thru February because every cruise I have been on during these months has been impacted by fog. Apparently I have no luck when it comes to Tampa and fog. 

 

It's a 2 hour drive for us to get to Tampa, and only 20 minutes to get to PC...so of course...we prefer PC.  Plus PC has many more choices.  

 

But...that being said, was happy to hop on little Serenade for something different for two weeks.  Enjoying it.  🙂 

[RedIguana]

2 hours ago, trigger said:

My DW and I sailing on the Brilliance in February. Approximately what time does the ship sail under the Skyway Bridge?

Roughly 2 hours after leaving the dock. Probably closer to 2 hours 15 minutes. 

 

[lovesthebeach2]

41 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Very light fog and lifting here in Port of Tampa.  Disembarkation is marching along smoothly.  Sun is peaking out.  🙂 

That’s good news news, still very foggy in our ride to Ocala right now. 

[Mary&Jim]

Island Lady,

 

Sorry, this is a little off topic.

 

My dh and I are going on a b2b next month. It's been awhile since we sailed on the Serenade. Is there anything you can share that I should be aware of.

 

We need to  change cabins on TAD. Do you know if we need to pack everything,  or just our toiletries?

I was reading the CC review and it says the Windjammer is only open for breakfast and lunch. Not open for dinner, correct?

 

Thanks for anything you can share. 

 

Mary&Jim

 

[island lady]

4 hours ago, Mary&Jim said:

Island Lady,

 

Sorry, this is a little off topic.

 

My dh and I are going on a b2b next month. It's been awhile since we sailed on the Serenade. Is there anything you can share that I should be aware of.

 

We need to  change cabins on TAD. Do you know if we need to pack everything,  or just our toiletries?

I was reading the CC review and it says the Windjammer is only open for breakfast and lunch. Not open for dinner, correct?

 

Thanks for anything you can share. 

 

Mary&Jim

 

 

B2B changing cabins:  Clothing on hangers in the closet is supposed to be moved for you (one of those garment carts) but need to put everything else in suitcases.  Let your cabin attendant know you are staying on, but changing cabins.  I would put a tag on those suitcases with your new cabin number, just to be on the safe side.  Could be as simple as a hand written note on them.   

 

WJ has been open for dinner every night, and will be this week again as well.  We enjoy the open air dining for casual lunch on the aft behind the WJ.   Main dining room has been totally packed every night for dinner, and the only 3 specialty restaurants are very busy as well...especially Chops (which is tough to get a reservation for).  Makes me wonder how busy the WJ is for dinner, but I do know they are open each night. 

[Mary&Jim]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

B2B changing cabins:  Clothing on hangers in the closet is supposed to be moved for you (one of those garment carts) but need to put everything else in suitcases.  Let your cabin attendant know you are staying on, but changing cabins.  I would put a tag on those suitcases with your new cabin number, just to be on the safe side.  Could be as simple as a hand written note on them.   

 

WJ has been open for dinner every night, and will be this week again as well.  We enjoy the open air dining for casual lunch on the aft behind the WJ.   Main dining room has been totally packed every night for dinner, and the only 3 specialty restaurants are very busy as well...especially Chops (which is tough to get a reservation for).  Makes me wonder how busy the WJ is for dinner, but I do know they are open each night. 

Thanks so much.

Enjoy your second week!

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, Mary&Jim said:

Thanks so much.

Enjoy your second week!

 

You are most welcome!  Enjoy your upcoming B2B!   🙂 

[Capt_BJ]

speaking about FOG causing cruise delays: " I don't remember ever seeing that on the Atlantic side"

 

Oh, it happens ... there was pretty good fog this morning in the Canaveral area. BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE ....

 

No, not a difference in the fog! Fog does not necessarily close down a port and I've seen cruise ships moving in Canaveral in some pretty low visibility. Compared to Port of Tampa the run from sea to the terminals in Canaveral is a piece of cake. The run is pretty short with just a minor turn along the way and having navigated both by ship as navigator and 'driver' you just can't compare. Tampa is a long run with many turns and hazards along the way and b4 GPS was significantly more difficult navigationally when visibility was bad ..... and as a larger port you could have multiple vessels moving near you. Canav' it is so small that large ship two way traffic almost never happens.

 

But wait, there's more...... following three very serious incidents in Tampa waterways the state imposed very strict rules about ship movements above and beyond the federal rules and regulations. When visibility drops below certain levels in Tampa ship movements STOP .... dem's da rules.

 

the three incidents

1. USCGC Blackthorn was a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender which sank in 1980 in a collision near the Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, resulting in 23 crew member fatalities.

 

2. The southbound span (opened in 1971) of the original bridge was destroyed at 7:38 a.m. on May 9, 1980, when the 606 feet (185 m) freighter MV Summit Venture collided with a support column during a sudden squall, causing the catastrophic failure of over 1,200 feet (370 m) of the span. Six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound bus plummeted 150 feet (46 m) into Tampa Bay, resulting in thirty-five deaths.

 

3. Just after dawn under clear skies on August 10, 1993, three vessels collided at the entrance to Tampa Bay leaving more than 300,000 gallons of heavy oil and another 33,000 gallons of jet fuel in their wake. A raging fire aboard the crippled Maritrans barge Ocean 255, carting nearly eight million gallons of gasoline, jet and diesel fuel, took more than 16 hours to snuff out.

 

https://www.porttechnology.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PT34-32.pdf

 

"This CVTS was established because the maritime casualty history in Tampa Bay includes the loss of the ‘CGC Blackthorn’ in 1980, the catastrophic Summit Venture collision with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, also in 1980, resulted in the collapse of the bridge and the three vessel collision (between the ‘Balso 37,’ the ‘Seafarer’ tow and the ‘Bouchard’ tow) and resultant fire in 1993. Following these events, the state of Florida commissioned a consortium to examine mitigation efforts to reduce risk on Tampa Bay

Edited December 10, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[Homosassa]

Having lived around the sea coast all my life (Long Island, Maryland and Florida) and traveling extensively on the coast line of New England, Tampa gets a undeserved bad rap for fog.  It is no worse, or more frequent, than any other coast area.

[Capt_BJ]

as I think I say in my post ... fog is just a contributing factor to a bad history of significant accidents and the State of Florida took action ....

 

Plenty of other LARGE ports don't 'close' because of fog ..... but TAMPA does

 

the 'bad rap' is from port closures screwing up cruise schedules ..... I doubt the merchant folks like the closures either.

 

{btw .... I was stationed in St Pete in 1980 and present and 'involved' in the BLACKTHORN and bridge collapse incidents . . . it was a busy year 😮}

Edited December 10, 2022 by Capt_BJ