Can Anyone Give A Report Of Half Moon Cay Condition

[ESLO]

Dear All,

As a avid fan and dedicated cruiser of HAL, can anyone give a update on how Half Moon Cay weathered the Hurricane.

I know as many of you what Half Moon Cay looks like and how it is built!

If anyone can post their update
-if onboard and heard an update.
-visited it after the storm passed and landed by launch.

Would be interested again how Paradise made it through the storm.

I am looking at my pictures of the past trips and feel for the island everyone loves and looks forward to using.

Regards,
Ed S.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Doubt if anyone - caretaker, etc., - can get out there for a couple of days to report on the damage done.

[sail7seas]

The storm has just moved off. I think it will be days before it will be safe for the locals on Eleuthra who work HMC to take their small boats out to go check out the damage at HMC. They well may have to tend to their own homes/families/needs first.

Seeing as only Zuiderdam is in the Caribbean at the moment, I do not think we will have info for a bit of time.

I am so keeping my fingers crossed that beautiful Paradise weather the storm well.

[jhannah]

From the current satellite photo, it is still probably very windy in the area. Not safe for small craft. I hope they will be able to restore it soon to its pristine beauty.

[Randyk47]

I'm sure all of us HMC fans want to know how it made it through the storm but I have a feeling reporting back on HMC is way down the "need to do" list for the HAL employees right now. With the way this hurricane just sat there and spun I'd have to think these folks have got a whole lot of problems right now.

[Randyk47]

Obviously still nothing about HMC but I just saw some pictures of Nassau on the Internet. Not good and Nassau was only hit was a "glancing blow" so to speak. :(

[Dutchman]

I know there are other retired folks on this board who would volunteer our time to go to HMC and do the needed repairs! All we would need is for Hal to get us there and supply us with the things we would need to do the job. I for one would pack my tools and go! How 'bout you? No pay needed but a "Thank you" cruise would be nice....!

[habenicd]

Dutchman.... I bet my semi-retired father would go for deal like that.

[Orcrone]

I know there are other retired folks on this board who would volunteer our time to go to HMC and do the needed repairs! All we would need is for Hal to get us there and supply us with the things we would need to do the job. I for one would pack my tools and go! How 'bout you? No pay needed but a "Thank you" cruise would be nice....!Based on how the cruise lines pay, you'd have to raise the money for the thank you cruise through a service charge...oops, I mean tips.:D

[jhannah]

What a fantastic idea! HAL Mariners volunteering to restore the beautiful Half Moon Cay to it's intended condition. Where do we sign up?

[Dutchman]

Hey Jim,
Let's call HAL and see if they would bite on the idea? I bet we could fill a boat with Mariners with tool belts! Maybe we could get the cast and crew of This Old House to go with us?

[DFD1]

This may not be much of an indicatior, but a HAL cruise consultant just told me that his current information shows that HMC is still a port of call on the September 9 sailing of the Zuiderdam. This may simply mean they don't have enough information about its condition to say one way or the other whether or not it will be available. There's also Ivan to consider, but hopefully it will track further south.

[jhannah]

Plus, we could get Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor to go along and blow something up for us! :D Seriously, it seems like it would make a great episode for one of those home makeover shows on cable.

[the2ofus]

Two more retirees reporting for duty!! What a great idea!!....I think.....until I start remembering that just lying still in the shade on HMC can be very warm. What would it be like to be hammering & sawing & painting & etc? In a word, brutal for those not used to the heat.

Gives you some real appreciation for the hard work ahead and for those who will do it in order that we lucky cruisers will be able to enjoy that island paradise again.

[Ziggy7]

We're there too, 0f course we would like to select the turquoise cabana please :) its our fav!

[lka1012]

Count me in too. I not retired, but I have tools, a cordless drill and I'll bring my own tent.

[KS Cush]

I received this response from HAL after inquiring about the status of HMC

"Dear Mariner,
Thank you for inquiring about Half Moon Cay. As there is still another hurricane looming off shore, we will not have information availble at this time.

Regards,
Mariner Society"

Lori

[sail7seas]

I hope you all will correct me and tell me where my thinking 'makes no sense'.


HMC represents a large investment to HAL and is hugely popular with pax. Many pax look at the itineraries to see that HMC is included in their Caribbean cruise before they choose to pick that cruise.

In this technology/ information age..... Does it seem likely they will depend upon locals from Eleuthra who are for the most part lifeguards, sports shack attendants, restroom matrons etc to determine how much damage and what needs to be done? That does not seem probable to me.

Isn't it more likely they will send/have sent reps to go investigage the situation. The seas that were very rough in that region may be calming now. If I am correct, HMC is about 100 miles from Nassau? Why would they not be sending someone through there (or Grand Bahama --which got badly slammed) to travel to HMC? They were able to get crews there to do all the building that was done in the original development, so they certainly can bring boats back in.

[Orcrone]

Sail, I don't know where the reps are going to come from to evaluate the island, but I do agree that there is no reason why they could not be evaluating it already. However, I'm sure that they're not going to release any info until reps have been there and filed a report. By that time Ivan will probably be right on it's doorstep, so that may also delay any announcements.

[bookworm0911]

Of course HAL will send their own construction people, including structural engineers if needed, to HMC in order to assess the damage and plan for repair and/or new construction. That's a given. Is this a matter of controversy here? :confused:

It's HAL's investment and corporate asset, not ours or the Bahamian locals who work there. When HAL management is satisfied HMC is fit and safe for pax they will let the ships back in. Until they know all the facts themselves they certainly are not going to release any information and the statement KS Cush received is exactly what I would expect HAL to say.

[BCEagle78]

:) I am finally back on line. For the second time in 3 weeks, I had no power and minor damage to my home in Orlando.

I too am very interested in the condition of HMC.

I am in Orlando and we endured our second hurricane in 3 weeks. At my home we had taken a direct hit from Charley (the eye went right over my house) and even though the eye of Frances missed my house by 40 miles, the impact was higher. This storm was enormous. We got reports that there is so much sand damage in Port Canaveral that it will have to be dredged (sp?) before any cruise ship can come to port again. It could be a long time before the Zaandam comes back to Port Canaveral.

When Frances went over the Bahamas, it was still a category 4. When it came to Florida it was Category 2. I can't image that that HMC escaped with the total size of this storm. I would expect to find major damage to be found. I am crusing in November and would love to be able to visit HMC again but I am not expecting it.

With regards to Ivan, it is not expected to approach the Bahamas this time. HMC will be spared at least one more hurricane. The bad news is that the local weather folks here in Orlando are saying that there is a reasonable chance that Ivan could pass over Cuba and then head towards the western part of Florida. We really don't need another major hurricane.

Check out http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0904W5+GIF/081513W5.gif for the latest projected path for Ivan.

[Arjen]

Please rest assured. HALW just issued a press release in which it announced that Half Moon Cay suffered only minor damage, limited beach erosion and minor wind damage to the typical landscaping. This was the result of a timely evacuation of the people on the island and a thorough securing of the equipment. In order to provide sufficient time to get everything back and also implement the improvements under the Signature of Excellence Program by November 1, the Zuiderdam will only cancel the call to the island during its September 11 sailing.

[sail7seas]

Welcome to the Board. I notice this is your first post. Hope to see you again soon. :)

Thanks for posting this. Good to hear our beautiful HMC was not badly damaged.

[obobber]

Just got off the 9/4 (oops, 9/6) Zuiderdam sailing. Was thoroughly disappointed (and that's putting it mildly) with HAL's handling of the whole thing. Captain told us HMC had taken a pretty heavy hit. Word was all the cabanas were destroyed. We were really looking forward the one we had reserved. This was only my second HAL cruise. I was giving them another chance after a disasterous Maasdam experience. With the exception of using the paltry credit offered as compensation for reduction from a 7 day to a cruise of just over 4 days, I am hard pressed to think of any reason to try HAL again. Can anyone (other than sail7seas who appears to work for HAL) give me a good reason to put myself at their mercy again?

[sail7seas]

Sorry you did not enjoy your cruise. Hopefully your next cruise will be more to your liking. My suggestion is you never put yourself at "their mercy", as you put it, at any future time. Try a different cruiseline.....or don't. The choice, very obviously, is yours.



I DO NOT WORK FOR HOLLAND AMERICA LINE, I NEVER HAVE AND IT IS MOST LIKELY THERE IS NOT EVEN A SLIM CHANCE I EVER WILL. Period. Is this perfectly clear? Any confusion? I do not work anywhere outside of my home.

I simply happen to really, really like that cruiseline and we have had wonderful cruises on Maasdam, Zuiderdam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Noordam, Ryndam, Statendam, Veendam.....well, I guess that gets the point across.

[localady]

OBobber-

Naw, I say you blame HAL for the Hurricane instead, and go sail NCL!!!:eek: :cool:

[bookworm0911]

This was only my second HAL cruise. I was giving them another chance after a disasterous Maasdam experience. With the exception of using the paltry credit offered as compensation for reduction from a 7 day to a cruise of just over 4 days, I am hard pressed to think of any reason to try HAL again. Can anyone (other than sail7seas who appears to work for HAL) give me a good reason to put myself at their mercy again?obobber, I don't think it's fair to blame HAL for the entire situation last week, weather is beyond anyone's control, but from what I read about the credit offered I also thought HAL could have given more/additional compensation. But for those who weren't affected it is hard to say how we would feel in your spot.

I am wondering what your "disasterous Maasdam experience" was? When there are 2 unhappy situations I can understand why you might get upset, but maybe somebody here can help put it all in perspective. :)

[dakrewser]

Just got off the 9/4 (oops, 9/6) Zuiderdam sailing. Was thoroughly disappointed (and that's putting it mildly) with HAL's handling of the whole thing. Captain told us HMC had taken a pretty heavy hit. Word was all the cabanas were destroyed. We were really looking forward the one we had reserved. This was only my second HAL cruise. I was giving them another chance after a disasterous Maasdam experience. With the exception of using the paltry credit offered as compensation for reduction from a 7 day to a cruise of just over 4 days, I am hard pressed to think of any reason to try HAL again. Can anyone (other than sail7seas who appears to work for HAL) give me a good reason to put myself at their mercy again?
You knew about the itinerary change, the credit offered and the length before you got on the ship, didn't you? You had the opportunity to cancel for a full refund, right? What else were you expecting the cruise line to do?

=dave

[HeatherInFlorida]

:rolleyes: Oh dear, oh dear, Obobber, you didn't get to stay in the cabana that got destroyed by the hurricane. How could HAL let that happen? I'm sure the other cruiselines would have done ever so much better.

They are SHACKS for heaven's sake!!! It's unfortunate, and I mean that sincerely, that the timing of your cruise coincided with a horrendous hurricane, but I have to confess I am bewildered by your anger at HAL over it.

Still, I honestly think that when one is disappointed this much by a cruiseline there is no coming back from it. There's no way they'll ever make you happy so the chances are you would be happier with another cruiseline. Luckily there are so many to choose from. If you're going to spend your hard earned money on a cruise, you should come home from it happy.:)

[iluvcruzin]

I am hard pressed to think of any reason to try HAL again. Can anyone give me a good reason to put myself at their mercy again?
I am so sorry to hear about your poor cruise experience. I think your voice of disappointment is echo'd by many who sailed the same week with ALL of the cruiselines. There were lots of changes in the iteneraries. Although I haven't sailed HAL yet and can't say "PLEASE RECONSIDER". I can say that I don't think as a result of what happened (the shorten cruise) you should shut the door on future opportunites for sailing HAL again.

Could you please share what was offered to you besides a shipboard credit? Did your TA give you the option to back out before the cruise for a refund including air? This would be interesting to know. (I am not saying or accusing you that you knew this before - I'm just interested).

[Krazy Kruizers]

obobber

Hurricanes are not HAL's fault.

You are lamenting about not getting to HMC and not beeing able to use the cabana that you rented.

Just think of all the other people on future HAL cruises that have rented cabanas and can't use them - especially since the reports indicate that they have all been destroyed and will have to be rebuilt.

There are going to be a lot of other disappointed passengers but I bet you won't hear a lot of complaints from them.

HAL cannot rule Mother Nature.

[the2ofus]

obobber,
Whenever HMC is listed on an itinerary there is an asterisk next to the listing with the notation below that states "weather conditions permitting". Obviously because the weather has caused some damage to the accommodations for pax on the island which there had been no time to repair, the stop was cancelled.

Last November the island was in beautiful condition, but because of a fast moving storm coming in behind us, the captain chose to cancel our stop at HMC for safety reasons. It would have been hazardous to tender. It was not HAL's fault that we could not stop there. I was grateful that the captain had our safety and well being as his first concern.

We were bitterly disappointed because I love HMC and had been extolling it's beauty to our first-time cruiser friends. However, I accepted that it was not to happen and got over it.

I also can't quite understand what you think HAL should have done differently on the 9/6 shortened cruise. You did have the opportunity to cancel and re-book at no cost to you.

I am also curious as to what horrendous experience you had on Maasdam?