Costa Maya and Hurricane Dean discussion (merged)

[jimjamxx]

Red Cross!

Is the Red Cross you all are referring to the American(United States) Red Cross? Does Mexico have a Red Cross or someting similar?

 

Has the American Red Cross said anything about helping in Mexico? I may have missed it if they have>

 

But, I must tell you all, after Katrina the Red Cross here on the Northshore of New Orleans( Slidell. La) was a BIG help to all of us affected by Katrina. When we where gutting the house and trying to clean up, etc., after ONLY four feet of water in the house, trees down, roof torn up, they really came thru with much needed help and support. The would deliver hot meals usually a Lunch, cold water, snacks just what ever they had. I sure changed my mind about them.

 

Keep in mind the Red Cross was overwhelmed by Katrina as well as everyone else.. Just something to keep in mind.

 

We were also in Costa Maya in April this year and have already booked another cruise from New Orleans in Feb, 2008 particulary to return there.

[cruzegirl]

I think generally, the rule that Karen posted is pretty strict. I think they just don't want any strangers or outsiders coming in here asking for donations, etc. We definitely want to run it by the CC team first!! I have emailed Cliff, first to see if he is okay (I fear for that sweet dog too, especially since he said they were staying in his truck :() and second to see what he knows about organizations and getting them some much needed help. I know others know people in the area... let's find something official, and a way we can reach out. I'm not sure CC wants us plastering anything all over the place, but if we can at least find something, for those that do want to help... I know we are not alone in this helpless feeling. If in doubt, email CC before posting for sure.

 

Lucy,

I agree. I think they need to be strict so not just anyone comes in here asking for stuff. As well as if people donate, no one has control after it leaves us. Certainly, I wouldn't donate $$ without going through the Red Cross. Money makes folks wierd.

Can you post the link again for Cliff? I had it yesterday but didn't save it and I would like to check on him too. I hope he's ok.....

Leadft,

Yes, you could that fire experience made me stronger. Made my smelling senses alot stronger too. lol.... And then in Calif. with all the wild fires, scares me sometimes......

Lucy/Leadft,

My email is below...... be careful about putting it in your post. It's there forever....... In your signature you can change or delete it.

[Leadft]

I have emailed Cliff, first to see if he is okay (I fear for that sweet dog too, especially since he said they were staying in his truck :() and second to see what he knows about organizations and getting them some much needed help.

 

Lucy -

We should email the guy who writes that USAToday.com Cruise blog (the one who had the headline "World to Costa Maya: are you out there?" yesterday) and send him the link to Cliff's blog. It is such a touching chronicle of the days leading up to Hurricane Dean, and a good mystery too. He should write about Cliff in his USA Today blog and see if anyone in the world knows if he is okay.

[cruzegirl]

The Red Cross I referring to for my situation, is the U.S. Red Cross. They did not do right by my family. The only time I have contributed to them is Sept. 11. I made a contribution in my friend Jody's work's name. They lost alot of folks on that day.

I don't know if Mexico has a Red Cross or not...... I'll have to check with my dad........

[GoinCruisin]

Red Cross!

Is the Red Cross you all are referring to the American(United States) Red Cross? Does Mexico have a Red Cross or someting similar?

 

Has the American Red Cross said anything about helping in Mexico? I may have missed it if they have>

 

But, I must tell you all, after Katrina the Red Cross here on the Northshore of New Orleans( Slidell. La) was a BIG help to all of us affected by Katrina. When we where gutting the house and trying to clean up, etc., after ONLY four feet of water in the house, trees down, roof torn up, they really came thru with much needed help and support. The would deliver hot meals usually a Lunch, cold water, snacks just what ever they had. I sure changed my mind about them.

 

Keep in mind the Red Cross was overwhelmed by Katrina as well as everyone else.. Just something to keep in mind.

 

We were also in Costa Maya in April this year and have already booked another cruise from New Orleans in Feb, 2008 particulary to return there.

 

I think what was meant, was similar organizations that are large, international organizations that have big payrolls :p

[canadagal]

I just read on SeaTrade that they estimate the port to be closed for 6-8 months but they say they will re-build. They think 50% of the pier was destroyed. No casualties were reported in the area as of yesterday and the villages of Majahual and Bacalar were heavily damaged also. The port spokesman also said that they are contacting the cruiselines in Florida to discuss the future.

Sorry, but I can't copy the entire article because of copyrights but that's the meat of the story.

[dck12ga]

I keep thinking of Cat's Meow and the wonderful people there. I hope they are all doing OK!!! Anyone hear anything yet??:confused:

[snorkelman]

Here are some excerpts that I translated from a Spanish newspaper:

 

Hurricane "Dean" with its winds of more than 250 kilometers per hour destroyed the tourist infrastructure of Mahahual. (Costa Maya) The tourist infrastructure and the cruise pier/terminal collapsed from the attack of "Dean." The hotels that were still standing will have to be demolished because the foundations were damaged severely, but the greatest event was the total destruction of the cruise terminal/pier.

 

The hurricane force winds of "Dean" in category five, literally "disappeared" this developing tourist center, because the waves and swells that hit at dawn of this Tuesday, destroyed the rising tourist infrastructure almost totally and the cruise terminal/pier was left in pieces.

 

And with its team of reporters, BY THIS! of Quintana Roo, stated that the impact of the hurricane "Dean", "devoured" all type of buildings, destroyed part of the hard road, "took" the beach and in return left it in thousands of stones, it ruined the cruise pier and it devastated 80 percent of the restaurant industry, nautical services and the hotel profession. Until today it was not possible to quantify the damages, since this region is "guarded" by elements of the Navy of Mexico. It is necessary to mention that although almost the totality of the buildings of concrete remained still standing, their foundations were pounded by the waves and therefore it requires their total demolition.

 

--------------------------------

 

 

I guess it is safe to say that this port will not be a stop for any cruise for a long time.

 

Since my cruise was supposed to stop their in 5 weeks, there is no question in my mind that this is impossible. I hope that Carnival replaces this in my itinerary, and if this port is ever rebuilt, I will look forward to returning, but I won't hold my breath for anytime in the next year.

[Bunkie103]

Wow! That last pic sure says it all!:(

[GoinCruisin]

Lucy -

We should email the guy who writes that USAToday.com Cruise blog (the one who had the headline "World to Costa Maya: are you out there?" yesterday) and send him the link to Cliff's blog. It is such a touching chronicle of the days leading up to Hurricane Dean, and a good mystery too. He should write about Cliff in his USA Today blog and see if anyone in the world knows if he is okay.

 

 

Good idea!!!

 

Debbie, the website is: http://www.portillas.com/

 

I also have emailed his son, to see if he has heard anything... funny, I think next time many of us are in the area, this guy is getting some drinks bought for him! I've never been so worried about a man and dog I have never met!!!!! The chronicle leading up to Dean is definitely worth a read... it certainly makes you feel a sense of what he was feeling...

[cruzinstew]

ugh...i feel so bad for those folks.:(

 

Hopefully they can get some revenue back in there soon.

 

Don't know if I'm the first to post this link, but it ain't pretty... :(

 

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?ei=UTF-8&p=majahual&c=&fr=&c=images

[rpmljm]

After returning from Mahahual and touring ruins with David and Ivan last year, I was interested in donating items for the local school children there. I contacted our female tour guide who was very nice and told me things they would really need and she would see to it that they got to the children. (shoes, clothing, school supplies, etc.) I began collecting things to send and then found out from my local postmaster that things sent down to Mexico very rarely get to the people you think are getting them. He said the postal workers in Mexico see things from the USA and steal them for themselves. It's sad, but something to take into consideration before we all decide how we would like to help. I too would like to help them, but I don't know how to know where to to whom to send it.

 

Any suggestions from other members on how we can figure that out would be helpful, I would think.

[UpstateCruizer]

There are also a lot of pics on the Costa Maya board...

 

The most telling was this one... this is the pier. 6 sections remain.

 

Holy cow! Unless they plan on offering a zip line exercusion to get from one section to the other that pier will be out of comission for how long?? any idea how long it takes to reapir/rebuild these types of piers? As if the devestation to their homes and businesses isn't enough they lose the bulk of their economy as well :(

[eLav8]

I'm a little surprised that a Pensacola resident and others would take the position that things could be up and running "in no time". With all the money and other resources of the US, New Orleans isn't really back in gear - a year later.

 

The pier might be fixed in a matter of months - with concerted effort - but effort = $$ and that is an unknown. Its not as easy as one thinks. The pier was a pretty direct dredge slot from deep water. The mass of concrete that was the pier is now likely in the channel (washed around - yes hurricanes do wash stuff that size around - until it found the deepest spot). Simply getting that junk moved will take heavy lifting. You don't find that sort of equipment at the local marina (oh, that's right, they didn't have a marina).

 

I didn't say it could be fixed in no time. I said...

 

Costa Maya on the other hand only has that 1 pier and the entire region depends on that pier for income. If they focus their attention on that pier, they could have it done within months, and considering there will be a lot of outside commercial funding coming in to rebuild, I don't see the port area taking very long at all to rebuild. Then again, I have yet to see photos of damage at the port so I do not know how much is destroyed.

 

I do not thing that is unrealistic....You yourself agreed the pier could be fixed in a "matter of months."

 

Being a Pensacola resident, I do know how long repairs take, but considering the size of Pensacola compared to the size of the PORT at Costa Maya, I was only speaking from the most optimistic point of view. Sure, it could take years, but if they want, a few months wouldn't be too far fetched to have the PIER rebuilt.

[cherylandtk]

The tourism officials are saying 6-8 months at a minimum....

[GoinCruisin]

Holy cow! Unless they plan on offering a zip line exercusion to get from one section to the other that pier will be out of comission for how long?? any idea how long it takes to reapir/rebuild these types of piers? As if the devestation to their homes and businesses isn't enough they lose the bulk of their economy as well :(

 

The initial announcement was 6-8 months... but they really have to wait until a full assesment is done. It's going to be a while, regardless, before the area is rebuilt.... the buildings that are left standing have to be demolished due to foundation damage... and from the sounds of it, the homes are gone too :(

[98Charlie]

After returning from Mahahual and touring ruins with David and Ivan last year, I was interested in donating items for the local school children there. I contacted our female tour guide who was very nice and told me things they would really need and she would see to it that they got to the children. (shoes, clothing, school supplies, etc.) I began collecting things to send and then found out from my local postmaster that things sent down to Mexico very rarely get to the people you think are getting them. He said the postal workers in Mexico see things from the USA and steal them for themselves. It's sad, but something to take into consideration before we all decide how we would like to help. I too would like to help them, but I don't know how to know where to to whom to send it.

 

Any suggestions from other members on how we can figure that out would be helpful, I would think.

 

 

You deliver them in person, just like some of us cruisers do in Roatan, Guatemala and some other cruise ports. Sad but true, if you want them to get where you want them to go, take them in person or send them to someone you know who will be visiting the area.

 

Dianne

[OHCruisin]

Holy cow! Unless they plan on offering a zip line exercusion to get from one section to the other that pier will be out of comission for how long?? any idea how long it takes to reapir/rebuild these types of piers? As if the devestation to their homes and businesses isn't enough they lose the bulk of their economy as well :(

 

Cozumel is STILL repairing their piers two years later.

[dck12ga]

Has anyone heard from the Cat's Meow? I talked for a long time with Barbara in Feb. and she said that all the shops by her resturant only make money when the ships are in town. They close up shop and go home on the weekends. She did tell me that the people of Majauhal (sp?) are resourceful and don't feel sorry for them, they do alright with what they have. They may not have $ but the do a lot of traiding with each other. So that is what I am going to try and remember. They are still in my thoughts and prayers!

[GoinCruisin]

Cozumel is STILL repairing their piers two years later.

 

 

True, but I also think that if they only had one pier, rather than 3, they would be working much faster. With Costa Maya having just the one, and not being able to tender unlike Cozumel, I think they will work much faster... the area is dependent on cruise ships coming in. 6-8 months might be pushing it, but hopefully it can be done

[*Mach*]

God bless those poor folks.

 

I was amazed that anything was left standing. Some of those buildings faired pretty well, all things considered.

 

As important as Coast Maya was becoming to the cruise industry and Mexico I'm betting she'll be back better than ever.

 

I guess there's still no solid indication of injuries or fatalities...

[crusinpsychRN]

I can't believe the damage the wind and water can do to what was a sturdy pier! My favorite port!

[Leadft]

Good idea!!!

 

Debbie, the website is: http://www.portillas.com/

 

I also have emailed his son, to see if he has heard anything... funny, I think next time many of us are in the area, this guy is getting some drinks bought for him! I've never been so worried about a man and dog I have never met!!!!! The chronicle leading up to Dean is definitely worth a read... it certainly makes you feel a sense of what he was feeling...

 

Okay, I emailed Gene Sloan at USA Today, so hopefully we will see the story show up there! Here is that blog: http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/2007/08/hurricane-knock.html

 

I agree -- I have never been so worried about a stranger and a dog either!

[Britany]

Yes, I would like to know too! Hope everything's okay!

[bluejeans]

Wow, how sad. :( This was also my fav port.