Essiesmom sails Seashore Dec. 7-17. A Live From from Below the Salt

[Essiesmom]

A pretty good night after some initial bumpiness. Up to buffet for breakfast. Considered mdr but having developed a cold I didn’t want to expose a shared table. Had a biscuit and gravy. They haven’t mastered biscuits. They are about the size of a ping pong ball. Slather a lot of gravy. I think if you dropped one it would bounce. The seas from my window look a bit disgruntled. We are currently passing Carnival Sunshine on our port side. She is heading for Charleston. I read Meraviglia is doing New England instead of Bahamas. Different wardrobe…At least they will have had cold weather clothes to board…shops might run out of sweatshirts.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Essiesmom

[jinpasco]

I wrote this question on the wrong place..are they still calling for a 3 pm arrival ?

[Essiesmom]

So far as I know. 
 

[Homosassa]

16 hours ago, abreuer said:

I also was wondering this... Seashore has spent most of the past 24 hours between 11 and 16 knots while the other ships heading to PC opted to speed up ~24 knots to blast through the worst of the storm and avoid delays.  Hopefully those of you who are onboard can pass along future updates for those of us embarking tomorrow.

Please go back through this thread where there are posts about the weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico over the past week and predictions about the system passage to the east across Florida and into the Atlantic.

 

Gale warning have been up for both bodies of water for several days.

 

So not only has the Seashore been contending with the marine conditions in the Gulf, it has had to contend with the weather system moving east and north as the ship needed to safely navigate the Florida Strait and up the east coast of Florida in gale conditions.

 

The other ships named in this post are coming from the east of the system and had different marine conditions to contend with.

 

Please read another thread on this forum started by a another "new poster" named Ghrider (appears to be the same-oh-same- oh statements that cycled through this forum within the last month made by another somewhat new poster). 

 

 

A retired professional sailor provides an excellent analysis on why the other ships could make the decision to try and make Port Canaveral.  

[abreuer]

26 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Please go back through this thread where there are posts about the weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico over the past week and predictions about the system passage to the east across Florida and into the Atlantic.

 

Gale warning have been up for both bodies of water for several days.

 

So not only has the Seashore been contending with the marine conditions in the Gulf, it has had to contend with the weather system moving east and north as the ship needed to safely navigate the Florida Strait and up the east coast of Florida in gale conditions.

 

The other ships named in this post are coming from the east of the system and had different marine conditions to contend with.

 

Please read another thread on this forum started by a another "new poster" named Ghrider (appears to be the same-oh-same- oh statements that cycled through this forum within the last month made by another somewhat new poster). 

 

 

A retired professional sailor provides an excellent analysis on why the other ships could make the decision to try and make Port Canaveral.  

Thanks for the info "experienced poster" lol.  I believe some of us were just wondering at that point because other similar sized ships on the same heading in the same area had been going faster at that particular time.  I will go look for the other threads you referenced for more information on the topic though.

[Homosassa]

42 minutes ago, abreuer said:

Thanks for the info "experienced poster" lol. 

Not based on being an "experienced" poster.  

 

It is based on a life time of living on coastal land where the surrounding water affected the climate and conditions and paying attention to weather to safely swim, cruise or pilot a small single engine air craft.

 

This whole mess started because of the extreme temperature different  of one hundred fifty degrees F in Siberia and southern Asia which affected the three jet steam branches' wind speeds, and lead to the in phase conjoining of the Siberia, Pacific and Subtropical branches over the Gulf of Mexico (high winds moving east) with surface fronts (including a low pressure in the Gulf) that has finally lead to the nor'easter currently moving north up the Atlantic coast line.

 

It has been an interesting week meteorologically for anyone interested in watching the developments.

 

It easy to see that there would be impacts on marine, land and air travel as the system developed and not some conspiracy involving the MSC corporation (or any other corporation) to cheat customers of planned itineraries.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Homosassa

[loge23]

3 hours ago, jinpasco said:

I wrote this question on the wrong place..are they still calling for a 3 pm arrival ?

I realize that the late arrival will probably negatively impact many passengers' travel plans home; but just once would I love to arrive back in port after a good night's sleep, breakfast, and chill time! Not being an early riser, I really dread the dark-thirty back to port days!

[Essiesmom]

It was better that turnaround day on a B2B.  No noisy people in the corridors. Buffet was not crowded at 0800.  I think the cabin stewards were allowed to sleep in.

[Essiesmom]

We are docked, just waiting for clearance.  I’m in the Sports Bar which is jammed.  But people are starting to clear out anticipating express walkoff.  I’m in the third group to be called, after excursion and Aurea.  

[DaKahuna]

@Essiesmom Thank you so much for taking us along on your journey.  I thoroughly enjoyed your live review, both pictures and comments. 
 

[Essiesmom]

Debark was totally different from Seaside in Oct.  actually, nothing stands out about it except having to go to the far end of the luggage area to collect low numbers, then having to go back around to go thru immigration.  
  Let’s start with the beginning. They blocked the elevators to deck 6 and rearranged the furniture in Times Square into a rabbit warren. Like the security lines at airports. When your number is called you go to what I think was the forward elevator down to 6. Then you walked all the way to the aft and circled around and then did the maze, etc. Finally made it to ding out. Then down the gangway but then turn left and walk to the exit ramps into the luggage. The three earliest numbers were on that end. I was 26 and we had to walk to the other end for our bags. There was a man verifying our number and we went left. On the right the wall was lined with people with some luggage, but I think they were people who thought they could go any time but he wouldn’t let them through. 
  Once I had my bags a nice officer opened the barrier and pointed me to the facial thing. Bongo, I’m through. Then it was bucking the lines of arriving guests to get to the garage. There was no one by or on the elevator so I went straight to level 5

  Loadef my vehicle, settled Essie, and got a Pic of Seashore in the late afternoon sun. 
  With the construction the exit pattern has changed. You have to go back through the garage. If you remember from the beginning, I was doing the 10 day. But they only could charge me parking for the three day. They said there would be a place on the way out to pay for the 7 day portion. Well, there wasn’t. Got the 7 day free. Actually 6 days free because when you do a B2B you pay for the turnaround day twice. As the last day of the first part and first day of the second. 
  Was out of the port by 5:30 and made it to my hotel in Jax a little after 8  Supper will be junk food. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Thanks for the very in depth reporting. Look forward to any after thoughts you might have.

[Bilge Rat 2]

Did Essie make it Home Safe???  Good Job.            Bilge Rat

Edited December 19, 2023 by Bilge Rat 2

[Essiesmom]

Yes she did.  Her only regret is she didn’t get to meet with the future cruise people.  EM