Sunshine and weather

[Sabalon]

Are 17ft waves/swells that bad?  Last cruise we were on, I thought they said something about 5meter swells, but perhaps it was 5ft since 5m would be closer to 15ft.  

I'm sure it's not fun (my wussy stomach was ill at the 5ft ones), but I've seen 50ft long sailboats go through 12ft waves - yeah, not fun for them but am thinking a 900ft ship would handle it.  
But I've got nothing to base it on and would prefer to keep it that way!

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

5 minutes ago, Sabalon said:

Are 17ft waves/swells that bad?  Last cruise we were on, I thought they said something about 5meter swells, but perhaps it was 5ft since 5m would be closer to 15ft.  

I'm sure it's not fun (my wussy stomach was ill at the 5ft ones), but I've seen 50ft long sailboats go through 12ft waves - yeah, not fun for them but am thinking a 900ft ship would handle it.  
But I've got nothing to base it on and would prefer to keep it that way!

We had 20ft waves on the Fantasy. It really wasn't too bad. Couldn't walk in a straight line, and had to hold on to handrails while walking up and down stairs.  The ship rocked up to 45 degrees in each direction at times. Show went on that night in the lounge. Ironically, they had a juggler scheduled. He did a good job despite the rocking.

 

During dinner it was a challenge to keep the glasses from sliding off the table.  It was like a real life Tapper arcade game.

 

Went to bed being rocked to sleep. I don't think I ever slept so soundly!

[Sabalon]

Just now, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

real life Tapper arcade game

 

Wow...dating yourself there...but I guess I shouldn't talk - I get the reference 🙂

 

[Itried4498]

48 minutes ago, Sabalon said:

Are 17ft waves/swells that bad?  Last cruise we were on, I thought they said something about 5meter swells, but perhaps it was 5ft since 5m would be closer to 15ft.  

I'm sure it's not fun (my wussy stomach was ill at the 5ft ones), but I've seen 50ft long sailboats go through 12ft waves - yeah, not fun for them but am thinking a 900ft ship would handle it.  
But I've got nothing to base it on and would prefer to keep it that way!

 

17 ft. is about the low end of concern, although it depends on the frequency, etc.  Per actual weather reports, things were no where as bad - let alone extreme - as some passengers were making them out to be.  The ship most definitely did not enter the eye of the storm.  Anybody who has cruised frequently has probably encountered a similar storm.

 

Per confirmed reports, before the ship entered the storm Carnival made standard preparations, including restricting access to outside decks.  I'd also bet this included draining of the pools.  Yet I just read a new report on how a couple were sitting in the pool relaxing with a drink when the storm unexpectedly hit.

 

I've never seen a cruise incident so sensationalized in my life.  Thank God these people weren't on the poop cruise, or else think of the stories we'd be reading.

 

 

 

[loveandpeas]

7 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

 

I truly am sorry for what you experience, but from your very own account, you had no idea that it was "that bad."  Only after seeing media coverage did you then decide it was a bad situation. 

 

There were no announcements because there was nothing to announce.  You were notified of bad weather.  A threat of actual danger would have been communicated.

What? She didn't know it was "that bad" AT FIRST. And then spent a night having to cling to her bed so she didn't get flung for it - I'm pretty sure she had a sense of how bad this was!

[ohhbother]

I’ve crossed the Drake Passage on a small Hurtigruten expedition vessel and experienced the worst of the “Drake Shake.” Rough seas are a part of cruising. Like turbulence on an airplane, it can be scary and no fun. But it’s part of what you sign up for when you sail into open waters. 

[StephPS79]

24 minutes ago, loveandpeas said:

What? She didn't know it was "that bad" AT FIRST. And then spent a night having to cling to her bed so she didn't get flung for it - I'm pretty sure she had a sense of how bad this was!

 

I don't want to speak about her like she isn't here, but that is not at all what was said.  

 

That aside, getting tossed out of bed on a cruise is not newsworthy.  It's part of cruising.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by StephPS79

[StephPS79]

41 minutes ago, Itried4498 said:

I've never seen a cruise incident so sensationalized in my life.  Thank God these people weren't on the poop cruise, or else think of the stories we'd be reading.

 

 

It's almost laughable at this point lol.  Some of the passengers I've seen telling their stories, my god.

 

I'm still calling BS on the "Crew Center" footage.  I'd assume that is deck zero, yet there is sunlight coming from a exit door.  Hmmm, interesting...

 

[dolphinsfan246]

58 minutes ago, StephPS79 said:

 

It's almost laughable at this point lol.  Some of the passengers I've seen telling their stories, my god.

 

I'm still calling BS on the "Crew Center" footage.  I'd assume that is deck zero, yet there is sunlight coming from a exit door.  Hmmm, interesting...

 

The crew center footage looks real to me. I did the behind the fun tour on Sunshine years ago and that is exactly how I remember it. As for the sunlight, the lounge was up in the forward part of the ship and connected to the bow of the ship. The crew has an outdoor lounge area on the bow right there connected to the lounge. 

[toad455]

9 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Sunshine is at Nassau today.  No visible signs that she was "destroyed" or "badly damaged". Looks pretty good, actually.

 

Considering the number of staterooms that had water damage, I'm surprised the next cruise left almost on time. Or perhaps the ship wasn't sailing full and they simply moved whoever they had to?

[shipgeeks]

16 minutes ago, dolphinsfan246 said:

The crew center footage looks real to me. I did the behind the fun tour on Sunshine years ago and that is exactly how I remember it. As for the sunlight, the lounge was up in the forward part of the ship and connected to the bow of the ship. The crew has an outdoor lounge area on the bow right there connected to the lounge. 

The point is, was this footage from this cruise, or pulled up from some previous incident somewhere ("stock footage")?

[Itried4498]

12 minutes ago, toad455 said:

 

Considering the number of staterooms that had water damage, I'm surprised the next cruise left almost on time. Or perhaps the ship wasn't sailing full and they simply moved whoever they had to?

 

Carnival denies there's water or any other damage to staterooms or public areas.  The next cruise was (is) sold out.  It spent 9 hours in port which is less than it normally would.  There might have been some damp flooring at best.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Itried4498 said:

 

Carnival denies there's water or any other damage to staterooms or public areas.  The next cruise was (is) sold out.  It spent 9 hours in port which is less than it normally would.  There might have been some damp flooring at best.

Which has been my point, that the cruise had a shorter than normal turn-around day and moved on with their next cruise.  This is not consistent (or even possible) on a ship with "significant" damage.  But, like many things, we should not let facts get in the way of conjecture, hysteria, and feelings.

 

If any are expecting some kind of inquiry and/or investigation..as they say in NYC...."forget about it.!  No injuries, no delay on the next cruise equals no major issue.  Those that were awake through the stormy night, now have a story to tell (which will be exaggerated by some).  Ask any long time cruiser (we certainly fall into that category) and they all have multiple stores about storms, rough seas, issues onboard, etc.  It is all part of the cruising world.  If you run into those who were on the Seabourn Spirit in 2005, they can tell you the tale about being attacked by pirates and having an RPG go through a cabin window (it wailed to detonate).  That is a real story :).  What happened on the Sunshine sounds more like a bad, stormy night, with some issues.

 

Hank

[Tippyton]

2008 we were supposed to board Carnival Conquest? the day Hurricane Ike hit Galveston.  We were rebooked over Halloween later in the fall.  En route to Jamaica we had 20 foot seas and 55 knot winds. Non-tropical super strong trade winds.  Lots of rocking.  

[shof515]

The Shiplife did a video of this incident and included videos of the damage and flooded carpets:

 

[Thenagers]

3 hours ago, toad455 said:

 

Considering the number of staterooms that had water damage, I'm surprised the next cruise left almost on time. Or perhaps the ship wasn't sailing full and they simply moved whoever they had to?

The next sailing didn’t leave until after 1am. All guests were supposed to be on board by 11 but the earliest anyone got aboard was 9:30 so hard to get everyone onboard by 11! I did hear it was well after midnight before that got into their cabins. I would have canceled if I had a choice. Some people whose cabins needed repairs were offered a refund and FCC. Not sure how many cabins were not available. I know some trued ti cancel but didn’t have insurance or the offer to change. Makes me glad I get insurance. 

[PWP-001]

On 5/29/2023 at 9:47 PM, bunzini said:

I never said anything about compensation.  I am simply stating that sometimes I believe the cruise lines need to think through these decisions.  Was it worth it for them to get all this negative press?  I followed your cruise with the rough weather for five days because there was someone I knew on the ship.  No matter what, those types of conditions are not fun.  And yes, I am an experienced cruiser.  When RCL had a situation like this once (I believe it was worse), they hired a meteorologist (which he very recently left the company).  I thought that was a good move to give people at least a sense of security?  Just saying this reporting whether sensationalized is just what makes some say they never want to cruise or in this case, maybe never want to cruise again.

 

 

I'm sure they did think it through:  they ran the numbers and potential lost revenue for canceling the next cruise, then remembered their debt.  Not much more thinking was needed.  And I agree with the decision.

 

I'm sure if Carnival could get away with building ships only strong enough to sail in fair weather, they might consider it.  

 

But to be sea-worthy I'm certain the vessel was built to withstand storms such as these.

 

Note that it took TWO bad storms incidents in less than a year for RCI to decide on a meteorologist.  His departure has sparked an active discussion on the RCI forum with many speculating as to whether his services were needed.  

 

"We were flying blind with our lives in someone else's hands"  is how that woman who survived what she makes sound like the second most disastrous event on a ship since The Titanic.  Well, ummm, yes:  That's how it works.  You trust the crew to sail the ship safely.  And sometimes it's just not "smooth sailing."  Good news:  you made it home without injury.

 

As for the absolute HORROR of shards of glass everywhere, as reported in an earlier post:  the takeaway lesson here is that when The Captain specifically announces that there will be bad weather, as it has been reported, "batten down the hatches!"  In laymen's terms, secure your personal items in your cabin.  All the glassware should have been emptied and put in a drawer.  Any toiletries or cosmetics left out should have been put away.  Look around your cabin and put away all your personal stuff:  it's YOUR responsibility.  Then you can take a look around your cabin at all the items the cruise line put in your room:  pictures?  Bolted to the wall.  Tabletop lamp?  Fastened to the table.  Vase or artwork on a counter?  Firmly attached to the surface.  Now you understand why.

 

I've sailed as a passenger (different line, slightly smaller ship) through a bad storm that lasted through most of the night.  It was so bad that the captain had crew stationed at every door to the outside, to prevent anyone from going outside on any deck.  It was my first cruise as an adult.  I never felt fearful or worried about whether the ship would make it through the storm;  I trusted the captain and crew.  At the time I didn't understand the modular construction of ship cabins, so I thought it odd that this huge metal structure would make all the squeaking noised it did as it took on the storm.  (On a smaller scale, think take-off and landing of a plane and the overhead bins as they rattle and shake.)  How high were the waves and how strong was the wind?  Couldn't tell you.  I just remembered it was a very bad storm, but it was over in the morning.  And forgotten.

 

It didn't deter me from sailing again.  And while some first timers may give cruising a pause, they'll probably be back.  In the meantime, there sure seems to be a line waiting to fill their spot.  And those in line for the next cruise on Sunshine are probably happy that it was only hours rather than days late-- or even canceled.  Ask them, and they're happy with the captain's decision.

 

 

 

[tidecat]

4 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

 

It's almost laughable at this point lol.  Some of the passengers I've seen telling their stories, my god.

 

I'm still calling BS on the "Crew Center" footage.  I'd assume that is deck zero, yet there is sunlight coming from a exit door.  Hmmm, interesting...

 

Crew Bar is on Deck 3 forward if I remember correctly. From there you can access the bow.

[tidecat]

5 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

 

It's almost laughable at this point lol.  Some of the passengers I've seen telling their stories, my god.

 

I'm still calling BS on the "Crew Center" footage.  I'd assume that is deck zero, yet there is sunlight coming from a exit door.  Hmmm, interesting...

 

The waterline is actually around Deck A - Deck 0 has to be above the waterline to support tendering operations.

[Jenna1983]

Man, some of the people in this thread act as if Carnival can do no wrong and are going to be personally affected if people can a partial refund. 
 

I’m shocked they didn’t tell them to stay in their wet rooms and offer them a $30 credit for the inconvenience. 

[sparks1093]

6 hours ago, Jenna1983 said:

Man, some of the people in this thread act as if Carnival can do no wrong and are going to be personally affected if people can a partial refund. 
 

I’m shocked they didn’t tell them to stay in their wet rooms and offer them a $30 credit for the inconvenience. 

It's not that Carnival can do no wrong, it's that we can't see that they did anything wrong. The captain didn't make any announcements? Well, he did, he just didn't make "enough" for some. What is "enough"? What does he say that hasn't been said? I've flown on planes where the captain said there's going to be turbulence and nothing more for the flight. Yep, there was turbulence. I've also been on flights where the captain made more frequent announcements, but it didn't change anything at all. People still oohed and aahed when we hit turbulence. 

 

20 foot waves? That used to be a normal day at the office for me and they are on the small side compared to what mother nature can blow up. These ships are designed to weather waves much, much larger then that. Could there be damage? Yep, superficial damage. I've seen waves bend metal from their force. But no matter how strong the waves are they can't puncture the hull and as long as the hull itself remains intact everything is okay. Are things going to be tossed around inside? Sure. In the Navy anything that wasn't tied down was called a "missile hazard" for a reason. When an announcement is made that things are going to be rough then it's a good idea to put everything away and clear your shelves in your cabin (lesson learned). 

 

I've seen the headlines and they certainly do seem sensationalized given the fact that the ship was able to get underway so soon after returning to port. They did offer oncoming passengers the opportunity to cancel and rebook. What should they offer the passengers onboard? For just being in rough seas, nothing. If they weren't able to use their cabin because of something wrong with it (and not just because they were afraid to be in it) then some sort of credit. 

 

The line in the song that says, "does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" exists for a reason and anyone that goes to sea should be prepared to meet those waves, because sometimes the storms are just too big to get around which sounds like what happened here.

[PWP-001]

7 hours ago, Jenna1983 said:

Man, some of the people in this thread act as if Carnival can do no wrong and are going to be personally affected if people can a partial refund. 
 

I’m shocked they didn’t tell them to stay in their wet rooms and offer them a $30 credit for the inconvenience. 

 

Why would Carnival offer a refund for anything?  

 

When was the last time your flight attendant handed out vouchers as you deplaned simply because there was turbulence on the flight?

 

Nowhere does the line promise good weather.  They sailed a vessel capable of withstanding such a storm on a route intended to get it to port.  Most likely, sailing around the storm was not practical.  Remember the cruise speed is about 22.5 knots which is about 25 mph 

 

Review Carnival's Ticket Contract and you'll find that they've delivered as promised.  They owe passengers nothing.

 

Oh, and The Captain not keeping passengers informed?  About what?  He warned of the storm, and from all reports, passengers found out he was right:  there was a storm.  Perhaps what some passengers wanted to hear was their mommy:  "It's alright my little snowflake, everything is going to be fine."  MAYBE The Captain decided it was more practical to focus on navigating the ship through the storm.

 

But HIGHLY LIKELY, you didn't hear from The Captain because ... wait for it... he was resting:  getting necessary sleep, as he left the ship in the charge of his capable staff.  Just imagine the shrieking from terrified passengers who already were now planning lifetime therapy to help cope, if they heard someone other than The Captain.

 

Imagine if Carnival took a different tact... Their ticket contract permitted them to dock the ship in Miami, and have all guests disembark, instead sending people on a 20 hour bus ride home, using all those buses to bring passengers for the next cruise to Miami to get on the ship.  

 

GOODWILL/CUSTOMER SATISFACTION:  Yes, Pre-COVID, many lines would have given a full refund, a free future cruise-- and may even bought you a car.  But given heavy debt loads and the struggle to service that debt, a sincere apology won't come with financial compensation.

 

 

 

[Itried4498]

13 hours ago, Thenagers said:

The next sailing didn’t leave until after 1am. All guests were supposed to be on board by 11 but the earliest anyone got aboard was 9:30 so hard to get everyone onboard by 11! I did hear it was well after midnight before that got into their cabins. I would have canceled if I had a choice. Some people whose cabins needed repairs were offered a refund and FCC. Not sure how many cabins were not available. I know some trued ti cancel but didn’t have insurance or the offer to change. Makes me glad I get insurance. 

 

The ship didn't arrive into port until almost 5PM -- that's almost 12 hours later compared to the three previous cruises.  The next cruise began boarding closer to 9PM.  Given the late arrival time, there's nothing unusual or suspicious about the release of cabins around midnight.  

 

And you think travel insurance would've covered this? 🙃

 

 

 

 

 

[Itried4498]

13 hours ago, Jenna1983 said:

Man, some of the people in this thread act as if Carnival can do no wrong and are going to be personally affected if people can a partial refund. 
 

I’m shocked they didn’t tell them to stay in their wet rooms and offer them a $30 credit for the inconvenience. 

 

Exactly!!  How DARE Carnival schedule a storm on the ship's return to Charleston!!!  These people deserve not only full refunds, but tons of FCC for the agony they had to endure in waiting on the storm!!  And the pour souls who had no choice but to open their balcony doors, creating the wetness in the cabins and hallways, deserve extra compensation for their braveness!!!

[csm5986142]

9 hours ago, PWP-001 said:

Why would Carnival offer a refund for anything?  

 

When was the last time your flight attendant handed out vouchers as you deplaned simply because there was turbulence on the flight?

 

Agreed - we spent a week dodging Hurricane Kay on Panorama.  For the last 2 or 3 days of the cruise the pools were drained, the weather was terrible, most outside decks were closed, we had to skip a port, and of course we had rough seas.  Nobody (that I'm aware of) expected compensation - it's the chance you take when you cruise, but I did hear more than a few people say that was their first and last cruise.