Dawn's Adrift!

[Red_Dawn]

 

...If you want to be a valued contributor to cruise critic, we welcome you. However if you continue to post such inflammatory posts, those of us with more knowledge than you regarding cruising will need to tell you to take a pill and relax. When one travels, "stuff" happens. One needs to take a deep breath and try to be rational about the situation without becoming hysterical.

 

You are 100% correct. This was my first and last cruise. I have travelled all over the world and wanted to try something different. I was let down and it is my fault. I had a pleasant time during the first seven days. I even got engaged shortly after leaving port. I guess being somewhat "spoiled" by my lifestyle may come off as being a little harsh. I'm sorry. I really don't have much more to contribute to this website so I will politely exit.

 

-Cheers.

[Harleycat]

once again i am not sure what the personal attack on peoples weights has anything to do with getting off the ship, my whole family is very skinny and we also wanted to get off.

 

as far as the picture, i was on the ship also, no one is disputing the fact that it was uncomfortable and very very hot, but again i will ask the same question i did before, since they diverted all power other then essential ( and a/c is not essential) if they ran the a/c the ship may have not been able to move, so if you were in charge of this one particular situation of either having air or moving the ship what would you do?

 

That's my question as well. You simply do not get all systems on backup so which would Red Dawn prefer? AC or sailing?

 

When a hospital loses power (since Red Dawn is a doctor), it goes on backup. Backup operates critical systems only, ie: life support, OR, ER. It only provides minimal power to non critical systems such as lighting and no power to some systems such as patient television.

[WeBeGone]

You are 100% correct. This was my first and last cruise. I have travelled all over the world and wanted to try something different. I was let down and it is my fault. I had a pleasant time during the first seven days. I even got engaged shortly after leaving port. I guess being somewhat "spoiled" by my lifestyle may come off as being a little harsh. I'm sorry. I really don't have much more to contribute to this website so I will politely exit.

 

-Cheers.

 

 

I'm sorry to see that this is your last cruise. If indeed you have travelled all over the world, then you should have a better handle on emergencies. To blanket the entire cruise industry and all cruises based on one bad experience is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Cruising is a wonderful way to see snippets of a variety of locales and to not give it a second chance is just silly and childish. I'd suggest that you book a Celebrity cruise that may better suit your "lifestyle".

[cherylroslyn]

I have read all of these posts and I even posted a few pages back but Jester121 post about no AC and the many people who live in hot, humid conditions and not having air conditioning reminded me of a story my late uncle used to tell about his WWII experiences in the south Pacific...

He was stationed on a destroyer with the Pacific fleet. His ship was not air conditioned, he said there were many nights when he and others of the crew would come topside to sleep because it was too hot to sleep in their bunks... And he served in the Pacific for three years.

And now, we have people complaining about just a few short hours of being temporarily inconvenienced...

Our Marines walk around in Iraq in 120 degree heat wearing 60 pounds of clothing and packs...... ready to be killed defending us. No matter how bad we think we have it...there are definately people who have it worse....but my heart goes out to all the crew and passengers of the Dawn...what a sad way to spend your vacation...I hope you all enjoy your future cruise......

[Globaliser]

Maybe people need a place to vent - why should you deny them that?

Sure, people can vent if they want to. But that doesn't make their stated views any more reasonable, justifiable or excusable. And they shouldn't be surprised if other members who find their stated views unreasonable, unjustifiable and inexcusable say so.

 

Personally, I'd prefer to read reasoned and reasonable criticism.

[smeyer418]

FYI even though the Dawn's web cam appears to be off...its location is on this website

 

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=C6FT7

 

and it seems to be on its way back to Miami...

[Planer's Edge]

FYI even though the Dawn's web cam appears to be off...its location is on this website

 

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=C6FT7

 

and it seems to be on its way back to Miami...

 

The bridge cam may not be off. It shows 3:10 this morning and it is pretty dark out on the open seas at that time.

 

She will be taking a leisurely trip back to Miami since they cannot dock until Friday without incurring extra docking charges. They will be doing some serious maintenance projects in the mean time and probably some decent partying in the evenings.

 

The first part I do know about. The partying is just a hunch (albeit somewhat educated). ;)

 

PE

[livetheatre]

I guess maybe this is just me but there is part of me that envies the experience that these cruisers had! I am always up for an adventure and it sounds like the crew really tried their best top help and that NCL is coming through big time wit the refund and credit.

 

No doubt it was uncomfortable and tempers were flaring by some (these would be the same people who you would see complaining on a perfectly good cruise as well!) but my wife would have LOVED to sleep top-deck...it would be a like a giant slumber party!

 

I know...I'm weird.

[WeBeGone]

I guess maybe this is just me but there is part of me that envies the experience that these cruisers had! I am always up for an adventure and it sounds like the crew really tried their best top help and that NCL is coming through big time wit the refund and credit.

 

No doubt it was uncomfortable and tempers were flaring by some (these would be the same people who you would see complaining on a perfectly good cruise as well!) but my wife would have LOVED to sleep top-deck...it would be a like a giant slumber party!

 

I know...I'm weird.

 

I'll cruise with you guys any day...my kind of attitude!

[billie5]

We were on the ship, and two of the many who slept Friday night on deck. Some good came out of all this -- it was the first time in her life that my wife slept under the stars. (Yes, she must have had a deprived childhood.:))

 

To address just one issue, there was NEVER ANY announcement by the captain or anyone else that everyone would be transported to Miami on Saturday. Indeed, because I was concerned about making a Monday meeting, I was an early visitor to the purser's desk, where I was told that they were "hopeful" everyone could be off by Sunday night, but that was contingent on NCL finding another charter craft. Of course, they did get two craft from Ryan and one from Omnia, at the very least, since all those planes arrived while we were in Miami airport waiting for our connecting flight.

 

Bill

[time2cruise1]

The bridge cam may not be off. It shows 3:10 this morning and it is pretty dark out on the open seas at that time.

 

She will be taking a leisurely trip back to Miami since they cannot dock until Friday without incurring extra docking charges. They will be doing some serious maintenance projects in the mean time and probably some decent partying in the evenings.

 

The first part I do know about. The partying is just a hunch (albeit somewhat educated). ;)

 

PE

 

I just got an email from Hugo. They are in fact taking the time to do maintenance and deep cleaning the entire ship. Should be pristine for those boarding on the 4th. No mention of any parties but I like you bet they will take some time to reward the crew who did not have the luxury of being able to sleep on deck.

[susique]

My husband and I were also on this cruise. We were just talking about the experience. We noticed that there were a lot of passengers that you could not please and were very nasty to the crew. How would you feel if you had to sleep in the hole and then have to deal with mean and nasty people. The Crew and Captain did all they could do to get us back. They did keep us informed and those who said they didn't must have been somewhere they could not hear. Most everyone I spoke to that was not complaining (and that was most of us) felt that the compensation is more than fair and way more than we expected. We applaud the Crew of the Dawn and will be back next year for the anniversary of the "Black Friday Cruise" (that's what the very back of the ship passengers called it).

[Richie2pies]

Did they run the BINGO games as usual? They probably wouldn't want to lose THAT revenue; afterall ithas GOT to be super-profitable.

[Planer's Edge]

Did they run the BINGO games as usual? They probably wouldn't want to lose THAT revenue; afterall ithas GOT to be super-profitable.

 

...and your point is??

 

 

PE

[janvino]

I guess maybe this is just me but there is part of me that envies the experience that these cruisers had! I am always up for an adventure and it sounds like the crew really tried their best top help and that NCL is coming through big time wit the refund and credit.

 

No doubt it was uncomfortable and tempers were flaring by some (these would be the same people who you would see complaining on a perfectly good cruise as well!) but my wife would have LOVED to sleep top-deck...it would be a like a giant slumber party!

 

I know...I'm weird.

 

I'm with you!!

[jetwet1]

Just to butt in,

 

As someone who hasn't sailed NCL in years, well actually a couple of decades, I would just like to say, compared with the way and compensation you get from HAL, Princess and Carnival when things go pear shaped NCL provided a very nice compensation package.

 

To those that were on the cruise, I am sorry your cruise had to end like that, nobody would really be having fun with it i'm sure.

[Ryancoke]

Maybe next time I'll pack that Y2K generator.

[NormanW]

There was no way I was staying aboard a floating piece of cr@p.

 

 

That's not very nice at all sir! :mad:

 

Or the opposite, going to a ski resort and a ice storm brings down all of the electric lines and your room's heater doesn't work... or your electric blanket....

 

That's what Mr. Kohler is for. ;)

 

If that fails at least there's the bed! At least in the winter one can snuggle up with their better half and hobble or whatever you call it. ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[pieshops]

we are back in NJ from our Dawn adventure, glad to be home but sad vacation is over.

 

it was quite the adventure, again we can not comend NCl more for their handling all around of the breakdown.

 

I will be on the computer tommorow trying to figure out a way to spend my refund and 50% off next cruise.

[rolloman]

You are 100% correct. This was my first and last cruise. I have travelled all over the world and wanted to try something different. I was let down and it is my fault. I had a pleasant time during the first seven days. I even got engaged shortly after leaving port. I guess being somewhat "spoiled" by my lifestyle may come off as being a little harsh. I'm sorry. I really don't have much more to contribute to this website so I will politely exit.

 

-Cheers.

 

So you are a world traveler and are used to spoiled lifestyle....why on earth did you sail on an older ship then? Surely with all your experience you would have known of the dozens new more lavish ships available, several from the same port. I mean hey, it was your engagement, which usually only comes once in a persons life, no better time to let the moths out of the wallet. Sorry some slept on top deck with no A.C. , reminds me of my days in the Navy when I slept on a steel deck below the waterline, to exhausted from a 24 hour shift to crawl to my one inch foam rack for a good nights sleep.

[2Cruise4Ever]

I just got an email from Hugo. They are in fact taking the time to do maintenance and deep cleaning the entire ship. Should be pristine for those boarding on the 4th. No mention of any parties but I like you bet they will take some time to reward the crew who did not have the luxury of being able to sleep on deck.

 

Several of us have posted about a similar email (including myself) last night and early today. The crew is indeed partying; well deserved! Kudos to them for keeping their energy up and going above and beyond.

[cricket32000]

Does this look like an enjoyable night of sleep in your cabin? I have many other pictures to document my statements.

 

 

This looks more comfortable than some of the camping trips my husband has had us go on.:eek:

[jssinc]

We just got home. Monday early evening. We were one of the folks that did not complain and thus were forgotten by the staff making arrangements for leaving San Juan. Our names finally showed up on the last flight out on Sunday. Last flight was a Ryan International Airlines 767, 50% capacity. The Ryan Air flight attendants were very professional and kind to all. We left San Juan around 10pm or so. They made us leave the ship at around 2pm, so that meant sitting in the airport for many hours. No one on the ship could tell us what was happening to us when we arrived in Miami. We had missed our late afternoon flights out of Miami (Sunday) and thus we needed to re-book. Once again NCL would not help us on that either. They also would not tell us if they were going to do anything for us when we ever did get to Miami. The point I am trying to make is that the staff on the ship we talked to several times did not know anything and other then being nice, were useless when it came to information. I think the issue was poor communication on the NCL side. Every time you talked to someone they told you something 180 degrees different then the previous person. Anyway. We finally by total accident found an NCL rep. at our boarding gate in San Juan around 8pm. He acted totally surprised that all of us on the last flight out were totally in the dark on what was to become of us. Why we were forced off the ship and made to wait at the airport for hours when NCL knew our plane was many hours out from arriving into San Juan for us. We arrived into Miami at 12:30 AM Monday morning. The put us on a bus to the Hilton downtown Miami. We were in our room at 1:30am this morning and got to rest for 3 1/2 hours and then paid for a cab to the airport for a 7am flight to Chicago and then Reno. We were told by NCL at the Miami airport that the Miami Hilton had a shuttle, but on our arrival they said we needed to take a cab. No NCL reps came to our hotel with us, so we were all on our own at the Hilton. We have not a clue what happened to those that got a good nights sleep at the Hilton as we were taking various flights zig zagging our way to the west coast all day. I hope they got on their way safely. Our baggage I guess will arrive tomorrow as it did not make it with us on our circuitous route to Reno. Flight changes I made as no one from NCL seemed to want to do anything when it came to flights at 12:30am in Miami and I needed to get home. American Airlines did what they could and the lady at the Check In counter in Miami was a wonder. She was great. We are returning to work one day later then planned. Very tired. But with some amazing stories to tell.

I find many of the comments people are making interesting and the press releases were also not based in the facts. We did not even get to Miami until Monday morning. NCL was of little or no help other then getting us a paid for flight out of San Juan and a hotel to rest our heads for 3 1/2 hours. Communication was non-existent for our flight group. I think by the time the NCL folks made the last flight list with our names on Sunday, the crew on the ship were exhausted and basically just wanted us off the ship in what ever way they could.

Why did the last flight have four people that needed wheel chairs and families with children? I could not believe that disabled people and families with small children would be on the last flight? We (our little part of two) were healthy and able to deal with hauling our luggage on and off the ship, the bus, around the airport to two different check in locations etc. There was not a single person from NCL there to help the disabled, elderly or those with children. I was very upset with that situation. NCL should have assigned someone to assist each disabled person until they were on the flight in San Juan. NCL had people to help get the disabled on the bus in Miami, but no one to help them in San Juan.

I want to give giant gold stars to the most of the crew on the Dawn. They were dealing with awful work conditions. We also were told by an un-disclosed person that the crew was going to get a cut in pay for the trip. This came out about the time we left the ship Sunday afternoon. We noticed that many crew members seemed very upset on Sunday, but why they were un happy did get disclosed to us until we were at the airport in San Juan. We truly feel sorry for some of those crew members. They were sleeping on the deck where ever there was a spot to lay along side all of us guests. They worked in 100 degree temperatures in the bowl of the ship while we lounged in what ever shade we could find up on deck. The crew were all extremely kind until almost the end.

The key issue NCL messed up was the lack of consistent factual information. It seems to have been a short coming for them all the way through the event and now in their press releases. Those that left on Saturday did not see how things degraded on Saturday night and Sunday.

I will be contacting NCL about financial dealings that still need to get worked out. On Sunday I was told the accounts were locked out and they could do nothing on my bill. Given the lines even on Sunday to talk with a front office person, I am shocked they would lock out the accounts when we are still stuck on the ship. I hope they look at this whole event as a great learning event so they can on the management end do a better job next time. Get the facts down and communicate them. That did not happen. Especially on Sunday.

To all those other hardy well mannered survivors and crew, I want to complement most of you for a job well done. We do have some great stories to tell!

I am very glad to be home and look forward to future less eventful cruises with NCL. I will return for another cruise and once again will make sure to pack my dependable little flash light!!!!! You never know when the lights will go out and you need a flash light for those inside cabins!

For all of you on that last flight out of San Juan late last night! Safe travels. It was great getting to know many of you!

[lakeuser2002]

For closure, and in case anyone cares.

 

My dad made it to Miami on group 6 about 11:00PM Sun. night with a full flight (about 250). Group 7 was after them but not in yet (and not sure how many on that flight).

 

So, at least 1500ish (probably less than 1750) of the 2050 on the cruise took the charter flights. I think the first three groups (750ish) made it home by the regular disembark time (Sun AM). Then next 4 groups didn't.

 

All in all, a pretty good effort. Not sure what happened to those (at least one I knew of) who can't fly (without likely sedation...).

 

We're still glad we chose to go commercial and not wait for our group as we would of had to change flights anyway, get a hotel (2 rooms as we had 2 cabins), and get back a day late. Hopefully some of our change costs will be shared by NCL as they would of had extra costs for our return no matter which path we took.

 

As I said before, NCL is still my first choice of cruise lines. Great dining options (we hit the specialty restaurants about half the time), and good food in any dining room. The tapas bar was very nice (and no charge!).

 

The biggest breakdown was communication. It often varied with rarely a clear answer from anyone (from Fri. PM after the reroute to San Juan announcement through the time we left at Sat. noon). The plan/direction kept changing...

[karen327]

I have found this thread interesting to read. Am so glad that everyone got home safe. One question I have for those who were on this cruise, did anyone get trapped in an elevator? How did wheelchair bound passengers get around without power?