What if Bermuda Cruise goes to Canada?

Like it did last year on the Voyager. Many angry people, all over channel 7 news. I remember some guy even had a T-Shirt walking around Halifax!

What was offered? Cruise credit? Free food? Anything else? Anyone still here that was on that sailing have an aftermath story to share?

I'm normally one who sails for the ship, but a Bermuda or a Hawaii or even Alaska sailing is something I would consider a specialty cruise.

All these hurricane warnings! Hope they're just hype!

Like it did last year on the Voyager. Many angry people, all over channel 7 news. I remember some guy even had a T-Shirt walking around Halifax!

 

What was offered? Cruise credit? Free food? Anything else? Anyone still here that was on that sailing have an aftermath story to share?

 

I'm normally one who sails for the ship, but a Bermuda or a Hawaii or even Alaska sailing is something I would consider a specialty cruise.

 

All these hurricane warnings! Hope they're just hype!

I hope that doesnt happen on June 25th!!

Pete I seem to remember nothing was given for the change in itinerary. Yes the tempers ran high here on Cruise Critic. Many on that cruise felt that RCI should have ignored the warnings of the hurricane and go to Bermuda anyway. I also remember that most felt no sympathy for the cruisers as we all know what can happen when a storm is approaching. Just hope that no storms are brewing out there when you cruise.:)

Pack a sweatshirt, Pete. :) You never know when you might need it.

I've already warned my family that this could happen and to bring a few warm clothes :eek:

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ps they always have free food....we did this in 2004. We received about $60.00 back in prort charges and NCF..we had a great time. It wasn't the cruiselines fault Bermuda closed the Harbor.

If you read my signature... this happened to us in 2003. we dealt with it. People were upset and fighting in NYC harbor! Some guy got arrested to going over the counter to get at the agent when told the news. The only thing I felt RCCL did was not inform the passenger earlier so they can get clothes for this cruise.. I lept calling RCCL and found out like 18 hours before we set sail that the itinary changed (i booked through a TA and never never called me, but even people that booked with RCCL did not find out). Some people showed up (not knowing about this hurrican that bore down RIGHT on Bermuda just hours before) with NO IDEA! :eek: I will never forget this one elderly couple with theman in Bermuda shorts. They were handing out fliers in the terminal and that is how he found out. He almost fainted. Than there was this entire wedding party that had booked a Bermuda restaurant for the reception. theywere decked out in full matrimonial clothes, bride, groom, brides maids, mother of the bride etc....

my sister was on the voyeger 2005 cruise when this hurricane came near Bermuda, they only had only a few hours in Bermuda. She said the winds were so strong... and the first few days were rough at sea. I don't know if that is teh cruise you are talking about?:confused:

I've already warned my family that this could happen and to bring a few warm clothes :eek:

 

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oh please.... it's no colder than late June New York in the summer.

oh please.... it's no colder than late June New York in the summer.

That's kind of irrelevant since PhoenixCruiser is going in October.

And since I've lived in Phoenix for over 13 years, I need a sweatshirt if it's in the low 80s :eek: My parents who live in WI know to have several blankets for me whenever we visit, no matter what time of the year it is! I'm a wimp :p

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I've already warned my family that this could happen and to bring a few warm clothes :eek:

 

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It's really no big deal. My family and I lived in Iceland for 4 years and used to go out in the dead of winter there in shorts to go to the base gym. Canada's mean temperature in the summer is shorts and t-shirt weather anyway. A port change for me would be a unique opportunity....we'd discuss it amongst us, come to conclusions, make the best of a bad situation (maybe) and I'd be filming the action from the sensless idiotic fights that erupted in NYC. Now THAT would probably be one of the highlights of the cruise itself!!!

when we went to Halifax instead of Bermuda in early September I was COLD and we did not use the pool. The last day was warmer in Canada and I remember I wore shorts during the day, but needed something warmer at night. I live in Jersey and still am cold all the time....so it was not fun for me. It gets cold out there!

Does the Empress have a published itinerary that they use should Bermuda become Canada?

Bermuda / Canada, aren't they both under British rule? Can't we get afternoon tea in both places?

Since we're cruising in hurricane season, I would like to prepare myself with some knowledge of the other ports we would possibly visit.

Does the Empress have a published itinerary that they use should Bermuda become Canada?

 

Bermuda / Canada, aren't they both under British rule? Can't we get afternoon tea in both places?

 

Since we're cruising in hurricane season, I would like to prepare myself with some knowledge of the other ports we would possibly visit.

Ok in 1867 the British North America Act establish the Dominion of Canada. In 1982 the Canadian Charter of Rights was signed by then Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II, this essencially made Canada an independant country seperate from British rule. We have a history with the British as the Americans have but we are not controlled or governed by them. We even appoint our own Governer General.

Besides Halifax is a great place to go...now I haven't been to Bermuda but I can say the people in Halifax are friendly, the board walk is great, and there are a ton of things to do. If you do get diverted to Halifax, go down the board walk and there is the best rum cake you have ever had, and there are an assortment of pubs to sample to local ales. So don't be sad about visiting Halifax...just enjoy it!

This happened to my brother-in-law a few years ago. He booked the trip for his 20th wedding anniversary. Because of hurricane activity, the ship was diverted to Boston, Portland and Nova Scotia! They were not informed prior to their arrival at the terminal. My sister-in-law had only one sweater with her, the rest of the clothes were for warm weather. They had a miserable time, hated the ports and RCI did absolutely nothing for them because they have the right to change the itinerary at any time.

They really would have been unhappy with RCI if the ship had decided to sail into a hurricane and go to Bermuda instead of diverting to Canada. The weather and temperatures are not so different between the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada and it can get downright chilly even in Bermuda by October, so there are no guarantees that you will encounter warm and sunny weather whatever the itinerary ends up as. People have an unfortunate stereotype concerning the weather and temperatures in Canada, but seem to have no concept of how uncomfortable,and potentially unsafe it can be to be at sea in the proximity of a major storm.

They really would have been unhappy with RCI if the ship had decided to sail into a hurricane and go to Bermuda instead of diverting to Canada. The weather and temperatures are not so different between the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada and it can get downright chilly even in Bermuda by October, so there are no guarantees that you will encounter warm and sunny weather whatever the itinerary ends up as. People have an unfortunate stereotype concerning the weather and temperatures in Canada, but seem to have no concept of how uncomfortable,and potentially unsafe it can be to be at sea in the proximity of a major storm.

People were unhappy because it never was a hurricane. Plus numerous other smaller ships made the journey to Bermuda while the Voyager headed North. Royal badly mishandled the situation.

One of the reasons I'm driving to the port is due to the unpreditable weather at the begining of Sept. I've seen a few bermuda cruises get diverted. If there are cancellations, delays in return etc.. I won't have to mess with the airfare. If they decide to make it a east-coast route - sure I'll be disappointed but I'll find something else to see and do. I imagine during Indian Summer it's still warm during the day in Canada. If I was going to Bermuda at the end of October, I would think it would be a cool time of the year as it's not much different than the temps in SC. The good thing is - the risk of hurricanes are less in October than the summer months. If you end up heading north, the fall foilage would be peaking I would imagine and would be an incredible view to see from the sea.:D

People were unhappy because it never was a hurricane. Plus numerous other smaller ships made the journey to Bermuda while the Voyager headed North. Royal badly mishandled the situation.

The other ship was a NCL ship that left a different day. RCI was going by NOAA and their warnings as they should do.

The other ship was a NCL ship that left a different day. RCI was going by NOAA and their warnings as they should do.

If I'm not mistaken Zenith left on Saturday.

If I'm not mistaken Zenith left on Saturday.

I remember a NCL ship being mentioned. Celebrity may have but I don't remember them.

On our Grandeur cruise last September we missed three ports out of five due to Hurricane Rita. There were a few complainers on board but the overwhelming majority of the passengers had no complaints with the way the Captain handled the situation. Myself included.

I remember a NCL ship being mentioned. Celebrity may have but I don't remember them.

The problem was that the other ships had 7 day itineraries, Voyager's was only 5 which left them no time to maneuver around to avoid the storm unlike the 7 day itineraries. When they left NOAA was predicting a category 3 storm would hit Bermuda on the very day Voyager was supposed to arrive in Bermuda and Bermuda officials were telling RCCL they would not let them dock - wouldn't have been a great thing.

Unfortunately, when that cruise got to Canada it was cold and foggy there so yes, those people did have a truly miserable cruise.

I'm booked for October on the Grandeur to Bermuda, and have already done an October Canada/New England on Princess. I LOVED the Canada/New England Cruise, and even though I'm looking forward to Bermuda, I'll pack the sweatshirt (public areas get cold anyways, and the outside decks will be cool at night, so I'll use it anyway), and make the best of either cruise!

The best thing to do is as your cruise comes closer, WATCH THE WEATHER!! Five years ago my brother and his wife got on the Grand Princess heading to the Western Caribbean (he LOVES western and stays away from Eastern....go figure!) with a hurricane heading straight for Florida as they left, and he got on that ship still e-mailing me that they WERE heading west. Boy was HE surprised when he woke up heading to San Juan! That's when everyone found out they would be going to St. Thomas, and Princess cays.

At least HE was prepared clothing wise for either situation.....unlike the Bermuda/Canada/New England switches!

Take Care,

Jaime