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Conquest & Voyager Fogged-In in Galveston!

bobstack

By bobstack,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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bobstack

bobstack

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Fellow CC'rs:

 

We just heard a thunder clap in the fog a moment ago. The fog is even more dense. One moment we can see Voyager just 400 feet away. And then the next month, it's a cloud. Nothing is visible.

 

My wife just said we have some light rain coming down. That might help break the fog. The Voyager just made an announcement, but we could not clearly hear it through the fog.

 

UPDATES: Chris Jefferson, our CD, said at the 10:30 am Port Talk that we now do not know which ports we will make (or won't make). There are 2 tests to meet before the Port clears us to leave. The first, we must have enough visibility right at the port, at the pier. Second, we also must have enough visbility at the Pilot Boat Station, next the entrance to the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel, where it meets the Gulf. Next, image we are not the only ship stopped due to weather. So it will look (like we say in Dallas) LBJ Freeway on a Friday night at 5 pm, when the fog lifts. Everyone's here, and there's too much congestion to move quickly!

 

PORTS OF CALL AND EXCURSIONS: The Captain will give us his 12 noon update in a few minutes. Chris told us to keep our shore excursion tickets, pending notification of any required changes. We might make a port on the scheduled day, or have an arrival on another day. If we go to a port other than on our scheduled day, then there will be the regularly scheduled ships at the piers of that port. We will make do and adjust to whatever accommodations are available.

 

THE SOUNDS: I am listening to big old "fat" rain hitting on our balcony. And the train whistle comes and goes, for the train line running through the port. I'm not used to hearing these wonderful sounds while we are on our usual Caribbean cruises. The experiences keep changing.

 

PHOTOS: I have attached two photos from 10 am this morning (2 hours ago). One photo looks to the aft of Voyager, and the second, to the south at the Galveston Train Station and island. The visibility then was poor, maybe 1/8 mile. Now, with the rain continuing for 10 minutes, we can clearly see the aft of Voyager. Some good things are probably going to happen for our weather.

 

Fellow Cruisers, thank you for posting your cruise and weather delay experiences. There is a different vibe on the ship I feel, since we are in a cloud, and not just due to weather. Not knowing what to expect makes it tough on some of our fellow cruisers, but we'll enjoy the excitement of change even more when it occurs (like leaving port!).

 

Before I go, let me tell you that CD Chris and the crew have tried to keep us informed with PA announcements, and presentations in the Toulouse Lautrec Lounge. They care, and are making sure we know what a ship offers, even tied to the pier (that's good).

 

There's another thunder clap in the distance with the fog . I think that's also the sound of our dinner bell for Lunch. Fellow Cruisers, it's time again for me to be a good spouse! Off to the Monet dining room. More later.

 

Bob and Donna from Dallas/Ft. Worth

Carnival Conquest, the Pier at Galveston, TX

IMG_1743.jpg.dd4d31e79532d510cd5999423eff92d6.jpg

IMG_1744.jpg.f2aca15dd06dc8f6dec313d7e177b667.jpg

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billsrobb

billsrobb

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Posted
Fellow CC'rs:

 

We just heard a thunder clap in the fog a moment ago. The fog is even more dense. One moment we can see Voyager just 400 feet away. And then the next month, it's a cloud. Nothing is visible.

 

My wife just said we have some light rain coming down. That might help break the fog. The Voyager just made an announcement, but we could not clearly hear it through the fog.

 

UPDATES: Chris Jefferson, our CD, said at the 10:30 am Port Talk that we now do not know which ports we will make (or won't make). There are 2 tests to meet before the Port clears us to leave. The first, we must have enough visibility right at the port, at the pier. Second, we also must have enough visbility at the Pilot Boat Station, next the entrance to the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel, where it meets the Gulf. Next, image we are not the only ship stopped due to weather. So it will look (like we say in Dallas) LBJ Freeway on a Friday night at 5 pm, when the fog lifts. Everyone's here, and there's too much congestion to move quickly!

 

PORTS OF CALL AND EXCURSIONS: The Captain will give us his 12 noon update in a few minutes. Chris told us to keep our shore excursion tickets, pending notification of any required changes. We might make a port on the scheduled day, or have an arrival on another day. If we go to a port other than on our scheduled day, then there will be the regularly scheduled ships at the piers of that port. We will make do and adjust to whatever accommodations are available.

 

THE SOUNDS: I am listening to big old "fat" rain hitting on our balcony. And the train whistle comes and goes, for the train line running through the port. I'm not used to hearing these wonderful sounds while we are on our usual Caribbean cruises. The experiences keep changing.

 

PHOTOS: I have attached two photos from 10 am this morning (2 hours ago). One photo looks to the aft of Voyager, and the second, to the south at the Galveston Train Station and island. The visibility then was poor, maybe 1/8 mile. Now, with the rain continuing for 10 minutes, we can clearly see the aft of Voyager. Some good things are probably going to happen for our weather.

 

Fellow Cruisers, thank you for posting your cruise and weather delay experiences. There is a different vibe on the ship I feel, since we are in a cloud, and not just due to weather. Not knowing what to expect makes it tough on some of our fellow cruisers, but we'll enjoy the excitement of change even more when it occurs (like leaving port!).

 

Before I go, let me tell you that CD Chris and the crew have tried to keep us informed with PA announcements, and presentations in the Toulouse Lautrec Lounge. They care, and are making sure we know what a ship offers, even tied to the pier (that's good).

 

There's another thunder clap in the distance with the fog . I think that's also the sound of our dinner bell for Lunch. Fellow Cruisers, it's time again for me to be a good spouse! Off to the Monet dining room. More later.

 

Bob and Donna from Dallas/Ft. Worth

Carnival Conquest, the Pier at Galveston, TX

 

Bob and Donna

I just wanted to say thanks to you for the updated reports. Your posts are a very refreshings to read and I wish there were more cruiser like you. I am sure that you are not happy about this and I appreciate your extremly positive attitude. I hope you get out of Dodge soon. I have gthe web cam on now and it looks like the fog is going away. Bon Voyage

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rimurphy

rimurphy

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Host Mach and Our Cruising Family Members:

 

Thank you for all of your well wishes. Here's the status: we are still tied to the pier here in Galveston. I wish I could tell you about our big sister, Voyager OTS, but, even though it's 400 feet away, I cannot see it! The fog is just so dense, I cannot make out anything from our aft balcony. OK, I just walked out to the balcony again, now 2 minutes later, and now I can vaguely see Voyager. So as of our first day, we are all land crusing. But that's OK. None of us our at work, and there's 1100 crew members who are working to give us a good time.

 

Some of the different things about being fogged in are: I have never seen more technicians in the casino. The sit down game tables were disassembled, and the parts set about on many chairs. You could also see some of the slots had their covers off, with techs working on them.

 

One of our CC members reported that the shops were closed. That is true for the duty free shops. You could still go to an open shop for toothpaste, or candy, or small items. My wife and I enjoy the full cruise atmosphere experience. So it was a little eerie to walk past the windows, and see no one in the shops, except the crew preparing the goods inside for proper exposure and sale.

 

We are used to seeing the aft pool cover open during the day, at least, on comfortable days. Yesterday, the sliding roof was closed. And last night

 

The captain is now speaking over the loud speaker at 8:17 am. There is a good shot for the fog to clear before 12 noon, and he'll get us the word when it is time to leave. And now Chris, the CD, is speaking. He has also confirmed that the Port of Galveston has kept the port closed. No in or out traffic in the Port. We will receive a written report delivered to our staterooms confirming our updated plans probably this morning or so.

 

Chris says it's official: we will drop one port. We will not be cruising to our second port of call, Freeport. However, Chris said that all of the changes will be confirmed as soon as the fog clears enough for us to traverse through the Ship Channel. He will try to give us more details at his 10:30 talk in the main auditorium here.

 

Now we have some confidence that we will have a chance to be underway in 3 hours or so. That will give everyone a lift, including the crew.

 

Being fogged in is surely giving us a different cruise experience! We have enjoyed many cruises, all in the Caribbean, and they have all been fun and renewing for us. Having a new cruise experience like this will surely separate this cruise from all of the others. I like to remember what President Abraham Lincoln used to say: People are as happy as they make up their mind to be!

 

Son of a Cruiser, I remember you both. I hope we see you soon on the blue waters again. Thank you for posting.

 

Other cruisers and CC members, thank you for your kind words. We feel very safe, and in a tropical environment on the ship. You cruisers on the Ecstasy and other ships that left late, or arrived late, you all had uniquie cruising experiences. Those cruises separated themselves from the others. When I sang a song last night at Karaoke (2 Pina Coladas!) I told our fellow cruisers that we go with the ship, and it doesn't matter to us really where. We just want to enjoy our vacations with them!

 

I will also point out that the food in the Monet dining room last night was awesome! We each enjoyed the steak, cooked as ordered to perfection. The appetizers (all four of them) were perfectly prepared, and the cocktail sauce for the shrimp had just the right amount of horseradish sauce. Yummy! Our servers, both from Thailand, told us that they wanted to give us a memorable dining experience. It's their job to do so, and they will deliver, they said. I admire the crew and CCL for creating the right training, because I don't often hear that stated sense of responsibility elsewhere in the world.

 

Ante, the maitre'd in the Monet dining room, changed our table for us as we requested, right after we boarded, so we could have a table for 2. He did the same thing for us this same week last December. I told him he helped us then, and again, today.

 

For those of you who are planning Galveston cruises on any of our 3 ships homeporting this winter in Galveston, I say don't worry. Can you imagine how much experience CCL and RCI have with bad weather and alternative plans for you? My wife and I talked last night before turning in. What is it that makes a great cruise for us? Our answer: having many new and repeat experiences with the crew, meeting fellow passengers, playing in the fun and some goofy activities, enjoying ports of call, and feeling a sense of safety and personal growth. Being tied to the pier here in Galveston this morning surely meets some of those qualities. However, knowing that our crew and the people of Carnival are working hard to give us a good vacation, also gives us a calm and hopeful feeling.

 

Let the fog and wind come and go. We'll have a different cruise experience to tell you all about!

 

More from Conquest soon. Good luck in all of your cruising plans. Your CC reporters,

 

Bob and Donna from Dallas/Ft. Worth

From the Carnival Conquest, Galveston, Texas

 

Sir,

 

I sincerely appreciate and admire your Zen like patience with the situation. I would only hope I could be that understanding. Good luck getting outta town soon.

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oldmedic

oldmedic

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Sorry, guess I jumped the gun... thought it looked like the ropes were gone but now I see them again....

 

looks like the ramps on deck 1 are still connected to the dock....(but you have to really look close to see them....if you magnify to 400% you can see the tender ropes are still attached also....

 

I can see people now, down on the dock... maybe they are going to release the tender ropes?

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jsmith2531

jsmith2531

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Well I can't wait to finally see a ship leave the Galveston port. I can never remember to watch sail-away's for the life of me. Now I have been watching the cruise cam like a hawk.

 

ROTFL....me too. I finally remember to watch a sail away, but yet it has been 22 hours and no sail away. Yet, I am hanging in there, watching like a hawk, patiently waiting.

 

I feel awful for those aboard both ships. I know I would hate to wake up in the morning, open up my drapes, expecting to see the open blue, but then I just see the POG. :rolleyes:

 

OK, Mother Nature, get ALL off your chest now, we do not want to see a repeat on 01/24/2010!

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WestTxCruiser

WestTxCruiser

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Oh heck I have to get some housework done...this is making me crazy!

lol!!! I totally relate.....it will be one of those rush around real fast and make it look like I did something today.....besides sit here.......waiting for a ship to leave....hubby knows me well though....he knows EXACTLY what I'm doing.:p:eek:

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LaShea

LaShea

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We just got back on Dec. 7th on the Ecstasy. We could not get back to the port until 1:00pm due to fog. It is so foggy in Corpus Christi today and I can only imagine what Galveston is like. Our fog hasn't lifted yet and it is after 2:00pm. I hope y'all get to leave soon and have a wonderful cruise. :D I will definitely rethink taking cruises in December from Galveston. I just booked one on the Conquest for Nov. 7th, 2010, so, hopefully we will be okay in the beginning of November.

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MrsTiz

MrsTiz

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lol!!! I totally relate.....it will be one of those rush around real fast and make it look like I did something today.....besides sit here.......waiting for a ship to leave....hubby knows me well though....he knows EXACTLY what I'm doing.:p:eek:

That's exactly what I'm gonna do!! :D I did at least run to the store then run right back to my computer to see if she sailed yet!! BOb & Donna...love your attitude!! I'm sure there are some that are not quite so pleasant...like the weather is Carnival's fault!:rolleyes:

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