Wiiiiillllllma!

[AFT_LOVER]

That's what Cuba's mountains are ready for............. Grand Cayman has the 2nd band of storms from the fierce side as Rith at Capt Marvins just told me via email. The Stingray City Tour is cancelled as the Ray get out of town, they are expecting 15=2-" of rain in town by Friday. But that is the lucky end, as upper peninsula of Mexico aka Cancun will be a direct hit of 175+ winds, 40' surge atop wave already high at landfall, and 30" of heavy heavy rain.............YIKES!

[Host Caroline]

Last year when we were on Mariner and Hurr. Jeanne turned around and went back to FLorida we got a 9 day cruise because Port Canaveral had no power and the channel needed dredging (again) We went into Miami in the mdidle of the night and were bussed to PC to get our cars etc. on Tuesday morning. I felt worse for the poor folks sitting in the sun at PC waiting for the bus to Miami. There is a big CC group on Mariner this week but they have not posted.. RCI is aleady offering credit if people wnat to cancel the 23rd.. Last year they did that online before they told us on the ship that we weren't going home Sunday.. IMHO only they won't be able to bring s ship in Sunday a.m. unless storm really changes course.. it will be very very rough off Florida and the airports will be closed probably.

[css]

Explorer, I'd like to hear a bit more about your compensation for the delayed cruise. Did you report to the port on the sailing date? Did RCL make your lodging arrangements? Did everbody onboard get the credits etc?

Do they ever board people on the sail date and then stay in port?

We are supposed to be sailing out of Port Canaveral on Sun. and are weighing our options. Flying into Orlando Fri. for the Sun sailing. Will Orlando most likely just be having rain or are they likely to have high winds? Any information would be helpful.

[cruzzers]

Css...I would say Sunday might be the worst day. We were scheduled to fly into Orlando tomorrow (Fri) and leave on Monday but decided not to take the risk. Our airline (SWA) is posting on their web that they will reschedule flights within the next 2 weeks at no additional $. We just think Monday will be bad too according to the recent projections. I think we are going to rebook on another cruise at a later date and avoid all the possible scenarios. Vacations are for relaxing and this one could be quite the opposite.

 

Check this site out for up to date information on Wilma and landfall projections:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/203314.shtml?5day?large

[css]

We have SWA also and saw on the website that we can change. 10 PM tonight will probably be when we make out final decision. I'm wondering if we board on Sun. as scheduled that we will be out at sea somewhere before it hits Florida.

Keeping our fingers crossed. I like adventure, but want to be safe.

[Meeko32198]

My boyfriend and I are supposed to be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on the Sovereign of the Seas from Port Canaveral on Monday. I keep checking the website for updates but they only have the Friday sailing up there. I currently live in Orlando, so I'm not only worried about the cruise being delayed, but I'm also worried about damage to my apartment. My last apartment was destroyed by Hurricane Charley, so I'm hoping for the best. Does anyone know what will happen if they push the date of our cruise back until Tuesday? I've been on several cruises, and specifically planned this one for late October when there was less of a chance of Hurricanes. What about ports being cancelled, will they refund prepaid tours?

[cruzzers]

CSS, If for some reason you decide not to go on the cruise at all, SWA will hold credit in account for you to use in the next year or will rebook in the next 2 weeks at no charge for the first leg of your flight.(not the return flight) As far as the cruise, they will most likely offer some sort of credit for you to use on a future cruise if they haven't already done so. With that said, you could go later in safer circumstances. I think that is the route we will take as it stands now. Go check the RCCL website and click on the topical update and they will give you updated infor on your cruise.

 

Meeko....We are booked on the same cruise as you. If I lived where you do, I would try to go on with the cruise but as far as flying into harms way....we really don't want to risk it. We lost our home 2 years ago here in the midwest to a an F-4 tornado (over 200 mph winds) with us in the house. Not something we ever want to repeat again. We are very storm tramatized to say the least. We will just keep watching the weather reports and the Rccl website to see if they are offering the credits for our cruise.

 

Hope all goes well for you. Please report back any weather conditions you might be hearing down there so we can make some last minute decisions.

Take care!

[beth4652]

Wilmas as we slept went from a 2 with 100 mph winds to a 5 with 175 mph winds at 5AM, her pressure is 883 a historic low in ANY hurricane. So she is one tough lady. I have watched my friend's computer, where I am typing to you from, here at NOAA in Cleveland. She has done a "dance going in a complete circle like something tickled her, and now we is head West-Northwest. Cancun sure looks like a direct hit (Mike' opinion) and West Cuba will again get the rage from her fierce side. Then she is into the Gulf to strengthen more. So we wait to see if a cool front will move her to Texas or LA or if the winds from the mainland will move her East. Miami's forcast is Lake Ochachobe (sp) area for major hit........ Miami being spared, but other ports are in line. But that is a week away and we all know how hurricane change change their mind.

 

 

 

 

Here in Atlanta we are expecting a strong cold front to move in Fri. night or Sat. morning. Depending on how far south it extends, it could meet up with the tropical mass and make even more of a mess out of things.

[momofmeg]

Orginally we were booked on Mariner Oct. 23 but changed to Oct. 2 because of the changing of the port in Jamaica for Costa Maya. Our friend could not go in November and all the weeks that did Jamaica had went up considerablly in cost ( we would have had to pay $100 plus per person more) so we booked the eastern carb. instead.

 

Now I wonder if this cruise will be a western carb. cruise after all. If not St Marten and St. Thomas were nice stops- maybe you will get them instead.

 

It looks like it was a good thing we changed weeks.

[Retired not Expired]

Here in Atlanta we are expecting a strong cold front to move in Fri. night or Sat. morning. Depending on how far south it extends, it could meet up with the tropical mass and make even more of a mess out of things.

 

That cold front went through here early this morning. It is the system that is suppose to push Wilma east after she enters the Gulf. If she will wait a few more hours before entering the Gulf and let this thing catch up with her, it will sure cure Wilma's hot flashes. It was 92 yesterday and 58 right now.

 

Really, where this cold front is when Wilma enters the Gulf determined where Wilma will hit Florida. With the Gulf being about two degrees cooler than where Wilma is now, lets hope some of this cold air gets involved and shears some of the heat out or her along with the cooler water.

[cruzzers]

Retired not expired...you are almost a neighbor of ours. We were just down your direction last week for a show. (Andy Williams and Petula Clark)

 

We got a good cool down and some much needed rain last night and this morning. Feels more like fall now! Hopefully you are right and things will settle down before Wilma makes landfall in Florida. We are still debating if we will take a chance and go or not. Will just wait till the last minute and see how fast things are moving through Florida.

[LeslieRN72]

Cruzzers,

 

We went to Lake of the Ozarks last year(dragged our itty bitty ski boat-those cruisers are huge on that lake).

 

That place has the wildest party cove I have ever been to in my life! Holy cow! What a blast!

[Retired not Expired]

Retired not expired...you are almost a neighbor of ours. We were just down your direction last week for a show. (Andy Williams and Petula Clark)

 

We got a good cool down and some much needed rain last night and this morning. Feels more like fall now! Hopefully you are right and things will settle down before Wilma makes landfall in Florida. We are still debating if we will take a chance and go or not. Will just wait till the last minute and see how fast things are moving through Florida.

 

Hi neighbor, We got the rain too and it was needed real bad. Of course that's normal. It doesn't rain when we need it and as soon as the trees start getting pretty with fall colors, it rains hard to knock a bunch of them off.

 

We get up your way once in a while. Your outlet mall pays a lot less rent than ours so prices are cheaper up there.

 

Wish you and everyone luck on Wilma. Those poor people down there don't deserve this.

[GCBCKat57]

Last year for my honeymoon cruise on Explorer of the Seas, we had to sit through Hurricane Jeanne, and our departure was changed from Sunday to Monday. RCCL was wonderful through this. They paid for the extra night that we had to stay in Miami, and then gave us onboard credit, and 50% off our next cruise with them. So although our cruise was delayed a day, I believe we came out ahead in the end!:D

 

And we were on Explorer for that extra day out at sea and away from Jeanne. Sounds like they compensated you nicely...glad to hear as I was feeling bad about those who had been expecting to board on that Sunday as planned.

I was surprised at how many people on our 9/19 were absolutely livid that we would be staying out an extra day to ride out the hurricane. I, on the other hand, was psyched to have an extra sea day and stretch out my time on board just a little bit more. Sounded like time for a cocktail in Dizzy's Lounge to me :p

[Jacquelyn11]

Wilma has slowed down and is battering Cozumel and Cancun. They forecast it will be Monday before it get to Florida, hopefully a weaker lady!

 

Jacquelyn :D

[cruzzers]

LeslieRN..Yes, we do have some monster cruisers here! Not a good lake to boat in a small boat. We live on the West side of the lake so it is not quite as busy as the Party Cove area. We have to make it there at least once a year to see all the crazy weekenders and then back here to the quiet side of the lake.

 

Retired.not expired....Looks like a much cooler day and week ahead for us here in the Ozarks.

 

GCBCKat57..An extra day at sea is definately a bonus...We would have loved it unless it was thrashing around in heavy seas.

[MichiganCruisingCouple]

I question if my trip will go to cozumel..

 

Actually I doubt it

 

This storm is a real B**ch

[Retired not Expired]

LeslieRN..Yes, we do have some monster cruisers here! Not a good lake to boat in a small boat. We live on the West side of the lake so it is not quite as busy as the Party Cove area. We have to make it there at least once a year to see all the crazy weekenders and then back here to the quiet side of the lake.

 

Retired.not expired....Looks like a much cooler day and week ahead for us here in the Ozarks.

 

GCBCKat57..An extra day at sea is definately a bonus...We would have loved it unless it was thrashing around in heavy seas.

 

Yep, 54 degrees at noon here. And a very mixed blessing on Wilma. Yucatan taking a big hit for almost two days. And that delay will let this cold air get that way. Looks now like the shear from this air plus the time it spends on the Yucatan will make Wilma much weaker by the time it gets to Florida and also not until Monday.

[momofmeg]

Wilma has slowed down and is battering Cozumel and Cancun. They forecast it will be Monday before it get to Florida, hopefully a weaker lady!

 

Jacquelyn :D

 

I read on another messageboard Mariner of the Seas would get in today as scheduled but instead of Western carb. it will do St. Thomas, St. Marten and San Juan-pretty much the cruise I had on Oct. 2 except San Juan instead of Nassau.

 

I would have liked that as Nassau was my fourth time-we have taken several 4 day cruises that went there.

 

I know I talked to a gal here at the RCCL board back last winter, that was doing 2 weeks on Mariner-for her and her hubby's 25th anniversary. They were going last week and this week (Oct. 16 and 23 sailings)-I hope she is not too disapointed.

 

Oh well it can't be helped can it? Ole wilma gets to dictate doesn't she?

[momofmeg]

Wilma has slowed down and is battering Cozumel and Cancun. They forecast it will be Monday before it get to Florida, hopefully a weaker lady!

 

Jacquelyn :D

 

I read on another messageboard Mariner of the Seas would get in today as scheduled but instead of Western carb. it will do St. Thomas, St. Marten and San Juan-pretty much the cruise I had on Oct. 2 except San Juan instead of Nassau.

 

I would have liked that as Nassau was my fourth time-we have taken several 4 day cruises that went there.

 

I know I talked to a gal here at the RCCL board back last winter, that was doing 2 weeks on Mariner-for her and her hubby's 25th anniversary. They were going last week and this week (Oct. 16 and 23 sailings)-I hope she is not too disapointed.

 

Oh well it can't be helped can it? Ole wilma gets to dictate doesn't she?

[beth4652]

FYI --- DD works at Disney World and called to say they have evacuated Fort Wilderness. They are waiting to decide whether or not to close the parks.