Just off Freedom caught in storm October 9th

[mommabean]

Here's a very brief, just recently posted article about the ship.

 

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20111011/BREAKINGNEWS/111011004/Weekend-storm-rocks-Royal-Caribbean-ship-after-Port-Canaveral-departure

 

There are quite a few similar articles scattered around out there with an easy search. Maybe links have already been posted. If so, sorry for the repeat.

[orville99]

Yes, there are several private Meteorology companies taking the NHC to task on this. TWC, Accuweather and Weatherbell all have and insist they have the facts to back it up. The observations from the Freedom itself would be interesting, they have observations from the Buoy 20 miles off the coast from Port C. The Buoy had gusts as high as 68 mph however there are many reports along the coast of gust higher. As Paul said, I have not seen any observation or report other than here of a wind gust over 100 mph so if true and not the relative wind speed which is miss-leading that would be good information along with Barometric Pressure readings.

 

 

In the report i cited, the highest surface reading was 81mph at Playalinda beach. The anemometer on FOS is 200+ feet above sea level, so a 10-20% increase in measured wind speed at that height is not out of the question

[reallyitsmema]

We just came off Freedom on Sun 9th.The weather was a bit rough on Sat night but didn't spoil our night.We finished up the night outside the Bull & Bear around 11:30 then off to bed.Slept soundly all night.The reports of water coming into the balcony cabins on the following night can only be from patio doors sliding open and the driving rain coming in.If the ship rolled so much that the sea reached the balconies then it would be time to muster.I wonder how many people had not locked their patio doors correctly in the first place ?

Locking the balcony door does not keep the water out if you have very heavy rain driving against the sliding doors. We had a pretty bad storm on our last day on the Jewel last year and all the aft balconies got water. We could see the water build up in the channel of the sliding door and then the ship would rock and pour the water out onto the carpet. Enough water came in to soak the carpet from the balcony door to just under the side of the bed. We were told by the cabin steward that many of the other cabins effected were much worse and the cleanup crew was working their way from the worst to the least effected.

[mark290]

Yes, the dock is cement, but the lines attaching the 154,000 GT cruise ship to the dock are not cement. Ever seen what happens when ship mooring lines snap? I have. It is not a pretty sight. The structural damage a cruise ship would suffer inside that harbor would be much greater, not to mention, it could result in the harbor getting shut down.

 

You are correct, the lines are not cement. I think cement lines would probably be a bad idea.

 

This is like asking if you have ever seen what happens when the anchor drops while cruising in heavy seas or what happens when the windows from the Viking lounge blow out or when the radar equipment flys off the mountings or the ships bridge blows off and lands on the pool deck. Yes these would all be bad but they are all also secured in such a way that is considered safe.

 

Ships lines, non cement ones, are very capable of securing a ship quite safely to a cement dock in a protected harbor. The possibility of those lines failing in those conditions is much less than liquor bottles, glass doors and many other non secured items becoming a hazard while cruising in very heavy seas with very high winds.

 

Ask a ships captain if based on strictly safety if it would be better to be secured with non cement lines to the dock at Port Canaveral or at sea in very severe weather. The Disney and Carnival captains might be a good place to start.

 

The whole safer at sea thing is based on being secured to a dock in unprotected water where the ship is being hammered by the same 30ft waves as in the open ocean. Think of the term safe harbor.

[uksimonusa]

You are correct, the lines are not cement. I think cement lines would probably be a bad idea.

 

This is like asking if you have ever seen what happens when the anchor drops while cruising in heavy seas or what happens when the windows from the Viking lounge blow out or when the radar equipment flys off the mountings or the ships bridge blows off and lands on the pool deck. Yes these would all be bad but they are all also secured in such a way that is considered safe.

 

Ships lines, non cement ones, are very capable of securing a ship quite safely to a cement dock in a protected harbor. The possibility of those lines failing in those conditions is much less than liquor bottles, glass doors and many other non secured items becoming a hazard while cruising in very heavy seas with very high winds.

 

Ask a ships captain if based on strictly safety if it would be better to be secured with non cement lines to the dock at Port Canaveral or at sea in very severe weather. The Disney and Carnival captains might be a good place to start.

 

The whole safer at sea thing is based on being secured to a dock in unprotected water where the ship is being hammered by the same 30ft waves as in the open ocean. Think of the term safe harbor.

 

At PC the Disney and Carnival ships are in "Safe Harbor" the RCI ship docks alongside the main channel with no protection

[EVALUATOR]

You are correct, the lines are not cement. I think cement lines would probably be a bad idea.

 

This is like asking if you have ever seen what happens when the anchor drops while cruising in heavy seas or what happens when the windows from the Viking lounge blow out or when the radar equipment flys off the mountings or the ships bridge blows off and lands on the pool deck. Yes these would all be bad but they are all also secured in such a way that is considered safe.

 

Ships lines, non cement ones, are very capable of securing a ship quite safely to a cement dock in a protected harbor. The possibility of those lines failing in those conditions is much less than liquor bottles, glass doors and many other non secured items becoming a hazard while cruising in very heavy seas with very high winds.

 

Ask a ships captain if based on strictly safety if it would be better to be secured with non cement lines to the dock at Port Canaveral or at sea in very severe weather. The Disney and Carnival captains might be a good place to start.

 

The whole safer at sea thing is based on being secured to a dock in unprotected water where the ship is being hammered by the same 30ft waves as in the open ocean. Think of the term safe harbor.

https://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/MyCG/Editorial/20110802/2011%20NE%20and%20EC%20FL%20Port%20Hvy%20Wx%20Plan.pdf?id=7f5c9824b744cb96f92abf8c5b51ccea8b5d221b

 

 

"Port Canaveral is located on the east coast of Brevard County, Florida, approximately 145 miles south of

Jacksonville. Port Canaveral is not a suitable refuge for either hurricanes or tropical storms. In

addition, Port Canaveral is a port of significant national interest, and every effort must be taken to minimize

the damage caused by severe weather. In most cases this means that vessels or barges greater than 500 GT

will not be permitted to remain anywhere within Port Canaveral."

[reallyitsmema]

At PC the Disney and Carnival ships are in "Safe Harbor" the RCI ship docks alongside the main channel with no protection

Yet things like this can happen. Tough call for any Captain.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=886359

 

[mark290]

At PC the Disney and Carnival ships are in "Safe Harbor" the RCI ship docks alongside the main channel with no protection

 

The main channel is part of the protected harbor. It is not in the open sea.

[Clarea]

At PC the Disney and Carnival ships are in "Safe Harbor" the RCI ship docks alongside the main channel with no protection

Correct, and from 5 to 8pm the wind was almost directly out of the north, which means it would have been hitting Freedom broadside.

[mark290]

https://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/MyCG/Editorial/20110802/2011%20NE%20and%20EC%20FL%20Port%20Hvy%20Wx%20Plan.pdf?id=7f5c9824b744cb96f92abf8c5b51ccea8b5d221b

 

 

"Port Canaveral is located on the east coast of Brevard County, Florida, approximately 145 miles south of

Jacksonville. Port Canaveral is not a suitable refuge for either hurricanes or tropical storms. In

addition, Port Canaveral is a port of significant national interest, and every effort must be taken to minimize

the damage caused by severe weather. In most cases this means that vessels or barges greater than 500 GT

will not be permitted to remain anywhere within Port Canaveral."

 

Obviously the weather conditions did not fit this definition because Disney and Carnival were allowed to remain. Anyway that statement sounds like an effort to limit liability.

[unfdoug]

Someone asked if Allure had any problems getting out to sea. I'm on Allure right now in Labadee and we could barely feel anything. The worst night of weather seemed to be in FLL on Saturday night. We had some serious gusts at the hotel.

[mark290]

Correct, and from 5 to 8pm the wind was almost directly out of the north, which means it would have been hitting Freedom broadside.

 

If I have my directions correct and understand "broadside" then the wind would have been helping the ship stay secure. No harbor really protects you from the wind, it is the waves you are being protected from.

[EVALUATOR]

 

MSC Fantasia

 

Carnival Pride (in Canaveral... No Video)

[SamFritz]

You are correct, the lines are not cement. I think cement lines would probably be a bad idea.

 

This is like asking if you have ever seen what happens when the anchor drops while cruising in heavy seas or what happens when the windows from the Viking lounge blow out or when the radar equipment flys off the mountings or the ships bridge blows off and lands on the pool deck. Yes these would all be bad but they are all also secured in such a way that is considered safe.

 

Ships lines, non cement ones, are very capable of securing a ship quite safely to a cement dock in a protected harbor. The possibility of those lines failing in those conditions is much less than liquor bottles, glass doors and many other non secured items becoming a hazard while cruising in very heavy seas with very high winds.

 

Ask a ships captain if based on strictly safety if it would be better to be secured with non cement lines to the dock at Port Canaveral or at sea in very severe weather. The Disney and Carnival captains might be a good place to start.

 

The whole safer at sea thing is based on being secured to a dock in unprotected water where the ship is being hammered by the same 30ft waves as in the open ocean. Think of the term safe harbor.

 

Sorry Mark, But I've got to go with Aquahound on this one. He's Coast Guard in Key West, and knows his stuff.

[bajathree]

I think that if conditions at Port Canaveral were so bad that the port itself was concerned about the safety of a ship tied up in port....neither Carnival or Disney would have been allowed to stay. The port would have ordered all ships to leave if they thought it a safety concern.

[PH8]

Sorry Mark, But I've got to go with Aquahound on this one. He's Coast Guard in Key West, and knows his stuff.

I was just gonna say the same thing........Im pretty sure Paul knows all about ships/boats/weather conditions and the seas!:)

[MJDMV]

I've been on eight (or nine) cruises and never had any bad weather. In fact I often find myself wishing I could feel a little more of the motion of the ocean. So my question to anyone is: If, like me, you've longed to feel a little more movement, and now find yourself in this more severe weather, are you frightened or excited? Is it fun or scary?

 

Make no mistake: it's not fun and it is scary!!!!! :eek: You need to have faith in the ship and the Captain.

[mark290]

I was just gonna say the same thing........Im pretty sure Paul knows all about ships/boats/weather conditions and the seas!:)

 

I did not know of Paul's experience. I do know at least two captains felt it was safer to trust their lines and remain in Port Canaveral.

[PH8]

I did not know of Paul's experience. I do know at least two captains felt it was safer to trust their lines and remain in Port Canaveral.

I didnt say you did.........I was just saying I trust what he has to say..

[bajathree]

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/10/freedom-of-the-seas-storm-damage-injuries/552543/1

 

Two other cruise ships, Carnival's Sensation and Disney's Dream, were also scheduled to leave Port Canaveral Sunday night, but decided to stay in port overnight until the storm passed. Another Carnival ship, Fascination, was late arriving into its Jacksonville, Fla., port Monday morning because of storms.

 

The National Weather Service in nearby Melbourne, Fla., had forecast the storm. On Sunday at 5:51 p.m., it issued an "urgent" marine weather message citing gale-force winds in the Atlantic. The warning, which lasted until 8 p.m. , said there would be frequent gusts into the evening and waves as high as 19 feet. The affected area reached up to 60 nautical miles offshore. A gale warning means that winds between 34 and 47 knots are imminent or occurring.

 

Freedom of the Seas departed on schedule, and soon encountered wind speeds more than three times faster than what was forecast, the line said. "The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship."

[Basman]

It’s our first sea day and finally got hooked up to the internet on the Freedom of the Seas. I did a quick search of the board and didn’t see it posted yet but shortly after we left hit gale force winds. We left Port Canaveral promptly at 4:30 leaving the Carnival Sensation and Disney Dream in port. We were sailing towards an intense weather pattern off the coast of Florida. Around 5:30 the captain announced the weather was going to be a little rough until around 2:00 am and that the other two ships had elected not to venture out but rather overnight it in Port Canaveral.

We went to dinner at 6:00 pm for the early seating and around 7:00 was when the really bad weather started. For the next 30 minutes we heard stacks of plates falling on the floor as well as silverware too. There were also crashes of large trays on the floor too. We estimated the ship was leaning about 15° degrees to the right. Initially I wanted to return to our room, to let the waiters tend to the mess, but was advised it was better to stay in the dining room. About 15 minutes later, the captain announced for all passengers to return to their rooms and wait it out.

For this cruise I had booked a balcony cabin and was about to get my monies worth. As we were walking down the hallway we could see water coming from under the doorways of almost every balcony cabin on the windward side of the ship. The conditions were so intense that it was driving the rain under the balcony door and into the room. Eventually it flowed across the rooms and into the halls. There were probably some interior cabins that got damp entrances to their rooms.

I have a picture of the tv showing an 86 MPH wind hitting the ship. Another couple told us that they saw wind speeds in excess of 100MPH on the TV (Sorry, no picture of that). Eventually around 11:00 things began to calm down and the captain told us we could come out of our rooms and the cruise director got some venues opened up. The crew did a great job getting pizzas and sandwiches out in the restaurant because the late seating hadn’t eaten at all.

The main dining room was a complete mess, but the crew did what they needed to get areas cleaned for passengers to sit down and eat. Walking around the liquor store and perfume stores were destroyed with many broken bottles. The other stores, stuff was all over the place. But by the next day everything was cleaned up and you would never know what we had been through.

During the ordeal the captain did a great job keeping us informed to the current situation and telling us not to worry. The ship was never in any danger and was not being operated outside its operating envelope, even though the weather was extreme. The next day we received letters apologizing for the events and it explained the winds were 3 times what was forecast. Bottom line, the captain did an excellent job using he seamanship in such a freak storm. However, major thanks needs to be given to the crew for taking care of their stuff and seeing to the passengers needs and comfort at the same time. Many worked through the night to get things going by Monday morning.

I have some pictures and videos and will post when I can. Most exciting cruise so far to date.

 

 

I did see where some else posted from a friend. Needless to say we are all fine now as if nothing had happened.

[uksimonusa]

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/10/freedom-of-the-seas-storm-damage-injuries/552543/1

 

Two other cruise ships, Carnival's Sensation and Disney's Dream, were also scheduled to leave Port Canaveral Sunday night, but decided to stay in port overnight until the storm passed. Another Carnival ship, Fascination, was late arriving into its Jacksonville, Fla., port Monday morning because of storms.

 

The National Weather Service in nearby Melbourne, Fla., had forecast the storm. On Sunday at 5:51 p.m., it issued an "urgent" marine weather message citing gale-force winds in the Atlantic. The warning, which lasted until 8 p.m. , said there would be frequent gusts into the evening and waves as high as 19 feet. The affected area reached up to 60 nautical miles offshore. A gale warning means that winds between 34 and 47 knots are imminent or occurring.

 

Freedom of the Seas departed on schedule, and soon encountered wind speeds more than three times faster than what was forecast, the line said. "The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship."

 

So the National Weather Service issued an urgent marine weather warning over an hour after Freedom had sailed. I think this storm, weather system, whatever they finally end up calling it, caught everone by suprise in its intensity. None of our local TV stations were forecasting it to be as violent as it was, just ask these guys

 

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=A9&Dato=20111010&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=110100802&Ref=PH

[SECdawg]

Glad to hear you are ok. We have encountered tropical storms before on cruises, but nothing like what you experienced. We live near the port and the winds were definitely higher than what was predicted for our area. We look forward to more details. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[QTBabyNurse]

Glad you are safe! Hope you have an UNeventful time for the rest of your voyage! Thanks for posting! :D

[reallyitsmema]

Here is a link to a new thread that was justed started by someone on the Freedom.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1499140