Just In, CruiseShip inroute to house people in Galveston area

[nolaAlive]

Let me just throw this out there FWIW. The port of Galveston is in disarray as is the entire area. Carnival is notoriously slow and deliberate in making major moves. They were in coming back to NOLA after Katrina. They really like to test the waters before they commit. I think it will be the same way with the Texas market. All that being said, here goes. Conquest will remain in NOLA indefinitely. Holiday goes to Texas to be a hotel. Ecstasy remains in NOLA indefinitely. Fantasy comes out of drydock and takes over for Holiday getting an early jump on cruising from Mobile. When Holiday gets done with the hotel duty it goes in for it's 60-90 refurb and goes to Spain early. When Galveston gets back up to speed probably in a year, Ecstasy returns but Conquest does not. Triumph still goes to NOLA in 2009 but only doing 4/5 day cruises.

 

Works for me. Holiday was supposed to go to Spain in the spring, anywho.

 

And, of course, Carnival Magic replaces Conquest in 2011. :)

 

I do wonder if this will get Carnival to re-think Galveston as a port and use the new facilities in Houston? Getting the port facilities in Houston open is a much higher priority, me thinks.

[bonniemari]

I don't know Futaba with that scenario that's a lot of rebooking/cancellations and a lot of pi**ed off Carnival customers. If I was Carnival I would rather have to rebook 2 cruiseships (Conquest & Ecstacy) instead of also having to rearrange bookings on the Holiday and Fantasy.

[reneep]

I so hope you are right (in my own selfish way)... I am booked on the Ecstasy on the 20th. I'm already chewing my nails waiting for info...to make matters worse I just got a call from the hotel I had booked in Galveston saying that the hotel was severly damaged and would be closed for quite some time... I guess I knew that in the back of my mind, but I was hoping it wasn't really as bad as it seemed.... :(

[futaba951]

I don't know Futaba with that scenario that's a lot of rebooking/cancellations and a lot of pi**ed off Carnival customers. If I was Carnival I would rather have to rebook 2 cruiseships (Conquest & Ecstacy) instead of also having to rearrange bookings on the Holiday and Fantasy.

 

Holiday bookings would transfer to Fantasy. Fantasy bookings would transfer to Ecstasy. Conquest would remain the same just out of a different port and only Ecstasy would be cancelled.

[Mommy2landonmason]

I so hope you are right (in my own selfish way)... I am booked on the Ecstasy on the 20th. I'm already chewing my nails waiting for info...to make matters worse I just got a call from the hotel I had booked in Galveston saying that the hotel was severly damaged and would be closed for quite some time... I guess I knew that in the back of my mind, but I was hoping it wasn't really as bad as it seemed.... :(

If i may ask, which hotel were you booked at? I was booked at Commodore on the beach but for the 27th.:confused:

[jetskier]

Holiday bookings would transfer to Fantasy. Fantasy bookings would transfer to Ecstasy. Conquest would remain the same just out of a different port and only Ecstasy would be cancelled.

 

Except you left off the bookings that are currently on the Holiday before the Fantasy comes out of drydock. I leave Monday on the Holiday.

Dave

[futaba951]

Except you left off the bookings that are currently on the Holiday before the Fantasy comes out of drydock. I leave Monday on the Holiday.

Dave

 

 

Not to worry. You remember it was actually a couple months before they were able to move Holiday to Pascagoula after Katrina because they said the water was too nasty to be able purify it onboard the ship. They had to clean up the harbor and put up security fencing before they let Holiday dock over there. It won't be tommorrow or the next day when a ship comes steaming into Galveston.

[dawyv]

Let me just throw this out there FWIW. [...] Conquest will remain in NOLA indefinitely. Holiday goes to Texas to be a hotel. Ecstasy remains in NOLA indefinitely. Fantasy comes out of drydock and takes over for Holiday getting an early jump on cruising from Mobile. When Holiday gets done with the hotel duty it goes in for it's 60-90 refurb and goes to Spain early. When Galveston gets back up to speed probably in a year, Ecstasy returns but Conquest does not. Triumph still goes to NOLA in 2009 but only doing 4/5 day cruises.

 

I fear you're right, but I hope you're wrong. The only reason my family cruises is because we can (could?) drive to Galveston. Flying anywhere, especially when returning with souvenirs and other breakables, is a huge pain and one we're not going to undertake. Therefore, we cruise from a port to which we can drive, which meant Galveston. Driving from our area to NOLA is over eight hours in a straight shot; Galveston is four. Plus (and I mean absolutely no offense at all), we just don't like NOLA. It's a personal thing, but we're not willing to spend $ or stay there. So, if Carnival ships out (har de har har) of Galveston and relocates solely to NOLA, I'm afraid we're done unless/until they or someone else returns. :(

 

Relocating to the Bayport Cruise Terminal would be ideal, and I hope Carnival is able to do that if Galveston is unavailable for a long time. Personally, I'd rather sail out of Galveston, but Bayport beats NOLA in drive time any day.

[jetskier]

Not to worry. You remember it was actually a couple months before they were able to move Holiday to Pascagoula after Katrina because they said the water was too nasty to be able purify it onboard the ship. They had to clean up the harbor and put up security fencing before they let Holiday dock over there. It won't be tommorrow or the next day when a ship comes steaming into Galveston.

 

I was on the last sailing on the Holiday right before it got turned over to FEMA. It was turned over two weeks after Katrina.

Dave

[Mysticks1]

I don't know Futaba with that scenario that's a lot of rebooking/cancellations and a lot of pi**ed off Carnival customers. If I was Carnival I would rather have to rebook 2 cruiseships (Conquest & Ecstacy) instead of also having to rearrange bookings on the Holiday and Fantasy.

 

And the Mobile Cruise Terminal has not yet been modified with a new gangway to fit the larger Fantasy class.

[Mysticks1]

Except you left off the bookings that are currently on the Holiday before the Fantasy comes out of drydock. I leave Monday on the Holiday.

Dave

 

 

Wow, are you cruising every month now?? LOL I wish I could pull that off.

[nolaAlive]

I was on the last sailing on the Holiday right before it got turned over to FEMA. It was turned over two weeks after Katrina.

Dave

 

That doesn't bode well for those booked on the cruise after you.

[Illinoisgal]

Agreed! Back in the late '90s when there were all the fires in Florida, firefighters came from all over the US to help. I remember driving through Palm Coast, with rows and rows of blackened, ruined houses. One was standing, and written on the front in ash was "This house was saved by ladder crew 23 from Wyoming." It brought tears to my eyes and I will never, ever forget that sight.

 

oh that story gave me goosebumps!

[Deaf Dude]

I would say not the Holiday as she is not big enough plus it is over a year before she has to depart. This way Carnival can still sail full out of Mobile using the Holiday. It will also be able to sail 4/5 day cruises on the Fantasy out of New Orleans. It can also resume 7 day sailings on the Conquest out of New Orleans.

 

This would make the Ecstasy the only ship out of place.

Dave

 

 

Makes sense and I hope you are right ! we have a B2B cruise planned on the Holiday in 2 months !!! EEEEEK :eek: :eek:

[Crusin6]

Actually they did house the refugees on the Holiday first in Mobile and then when they moved the ship to Pascagoula.

 

The Sensation and Ecstasy was sent to Galveston BUT the folks in Houston refused to get on the ships. So they were then sent to New Orleans to house the police, EMTs and firefighters.

 

Dave

Do you recall why they wouldn't get on the ships?

[Hugh0906]

Let me just throw this out there FWIW. The port of Galveston is in disarray as is the entire area. Carnival is notoriously slow and deliberate in making major moves. They were in coming back to NOLA after Katrina. They really like to test the waters before they commit. I think it will be the same way with the Texas market. All that being said, here goes. Conquest will remain in NOLA indefinitely. Holiday goes to Texas to be a hotel. Ecstasy remains in NOLA indefinitely. Fantasy comes out of drydock and takes over for Holiday getting an early jump on cruising from Mobile. When Holiday gets done with the hotel duty it goes in for it's 60-90 refurb and goes to Spain early. When Galveston gets back up to speed probably in a year, Ecstasy returns but Conquest does not. Triumph still goes to NOLA in 2009 but only doing 4/5 day cruises.

 

While Carnival may move quite a bit of deliberation.

 

They will not leave the 4th largest city in the country without a large ship for a day longer then they have to.

 

The Conquest seems to me to bring in about top dollar of any of their ships, with the exception of the newest ones as they come out.

 

I still have not sailed her because of price. In the meantime, I have done the Sensation, Fantasy, Miracles twice, and just last week the Ecstasy to no where.

 

We use air miles to fly to port. At no time when we took any of those cruises other then the 99 dollar special could we have cruised the Ecstacy or the Conquest for less then we spent on the others.

 

That doesn't take into account Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. all pretty big cities within driving distance.

 

NOLA had a lot more problems that couldn't be fixed as easily or quickly as Galvestons.

 

Yesterday is a good example. There was a dispute about distribution of food, water and ice. The Feds said we can't do that. The state said we are moving all our folks to the Western counties that are destroyed.

 

Harris County and the City of Houston the county seat said fine. They were late from their stated goals. But by only 3 hours. They weren't pointing fingers. They were solving problems.

 

Another quicky. A congressman spoke up at 2pm that he had 300 first responders without food or water. If someone could help they would appreciate it. Within two hours they had to call off the drive, they had too much.

 

Galveston apparently gets a good bump from the taxes charged on the departure tickets, We didn't go anywhere and they were still substantial.

They will fix that terminal very quickly.

 

But whatever happens, it will be interesting to watch.

 

Hugh in Dallas

[patrice1]

Hi -this is my first time to post here and i agree totally-

 

Let the people there working to help rebuild stay on the ship- but the citizens who refused to leave should not be allowed. :rolleyes:

Before you judge, and I have no idea where you're from, but being from a place that endured 7 hurricanes in 2 years, do you have any idea how expensive it is to evacuate? And, these communities are tourist communities where many ppl depend on tourism to survive. Add to that the slow time of year (in Galveston, NOLA & the Keys), mandatory tourist evacuations, closed hotels & businesses for 4-5 days minimum during a hurricane, etc. I can tell you, most folks can't afford it. Add to that the old, infirm, car-less and shelters that won't take pets and it's amazing to me how many do leave! :eek: I say it's difficult all around and if CCL can help folks, whether they're workers or the displaced, good on them. :) Oh, and sorry to anyone who's vacation is impacted.:(

[Hugh0906]

Before you judge, and I have no idea where you're from, but being from a place that endured 7 hurricanes in 2 years, do you have any idea how expensive it is to evacuate? And, these communities are tourist communities where many ppl depend on tourism to survive. Add to that the slow time of year (in Galveston, NOLA & the Keys), mandatory tourist evacuations, closed hotels & businesses for 4-5 days minimum during a hurricane, etc. I can tell you, most folks can't afford it. Add to that the old, infirm, car-less and shelters that won't take pets and it's amazing to me how many do leave! :eek: I say it's difficult all around and if CCL can help folks, whether they're workers or the displaced, good on them. :) Oh, and sorry to anyone who's vacation is impacted.:(

 

They have already said that anyone that was in the mandatory evacuation zone will not be reimbursed for any expenses if they don't have house damages. That it doesn't matter if there is no electricity and utilities.

 

I figured a family of 4 was gonna be out Two grand minimum. Now for those out for 14 days, it'll be substantial more.

[lindareneepreston]

If i may ask, which hotel were you booked at? I was booked at Commodore on the beach but for the 27th.:confused:

 

 

I was booked at the Econo Lodge on Avenue U in Galveston for Friday night. The call just seemed to make it all more real... Though I'm still holding out hope that we'll get to cruise... I don't care if I have to go New Orleans or where....

[Deaf Dude]

They have already said that anyone that was in the mandatory evacuation zone will not be reimbursed for any expenses if they don't have house damages. That it doesn't matter if there is no electricity and utilities.

 

I figured a family of 4 was gonna be out Two grand minimum. Now for those out for 14 days, it'll be substantial more.

 

That is the same way they handled Gustav. Gustav actually did damage our home (our huge oak tree split in half and damaged 3 houses and 3 vehicles) and FEMA paid our hotel bill until we could get the tree removed and finally get back home. we returned home yesterday.

 

Paul

[BamaCruiser20]

Holiday bookings would transfer to Fantasy. Fantasy bookings would transfer to Ecstasy. Conquest would remain the same just out of a different port and only Ecstasy would be cancelled.

 

For this scenerio, wouldn't it be easier to just let the Fantasy stay with it's current plan (return to NO after drydock)? Just replace the Holiday with the Ecstasy. Then they could just transfer the booking from the Holiday to the Ecstasy plus add more since it is a bigger ship. BUT, when is the Ecstasy scheduled for the Revolutions retrofit? If it is around the end of the year, sending the Ecstasy back to Galveston and not disrupting any of the other ships would make the most sense. However, depending on how many people they are wanting to house, the Conquest makes sense too since she is scheduled for drydock in December or January.

 

Basically, I reckon we'll all just have to sit back and watch the cards fall where they may........

 

I love a mystery!

[DqALEX]

Agreed! Back in the late '90s when there were all the fires in Florida, firefighters came from all over the US to help. I remember driving through Palm Coast, with rows and rows of blackened, ruined houses. One was standing, and written on the front in ash was "This house was saved by ladder crew 23 from Wyoming." It brought tears to my eyes and I will never, ever forget that sight.

That is something to remember. Its nice to know here in the United States its not only about money, there are people who want to help and do it for all the right reasons

[Texas_Diver]

Actually they did house the refugees on the Holiday first in Mobile and then when they moved the ship to Pascagoula

 

Dave

 

Refugees..........or evacuees??????????

[LHP]

I would love to be a fly on the wall in the "war room"!!!

 

I can't imagine how many things have to be taken into consideration just to move ONE ship on a regular schedule...much less TWO in an emergency.

[DqALEX]

It would be nice to know what ship is going