Who Has Returned From A Cruise Last Week?

[doone]

Just wondering who has returned from a cruise to the caribbean last week with Charley in the Florida area. What were your experiences? What was the weather like? How were the seas, besides choppy? How was your experience after disembarking your ship?

[TylerRose]

We were on the Zuiderdam 8/7-8/14/04. We never quite made it to the Carribian, the captain kept us just ahead of Hurricane Charley the whole time. Ports were altered, eliminated, and swapped about to maintain our location in calm seas. I know it sounds awful to be on a cruise during a Hurricane... BUT IT WAS FINE.

 

The Zuiderdam is a VERY stable ship. TOO STABLE. It lacks the rocking motion I love that reminds me I am actually at sea. At no time was our vacation ruined, unless you had your heart set on a specific location and excursion. We just went with the flow and the storm, so to speak. All tours were refunded, and the crew worked tirelessly to juggle schedules, and new port excursions, etc.

[shipcafe]

TylerRose : Refreshing to hear that you've made the best out of a sticky situation. I've been aboard during hurricane season and I couldn't believe how it was so much of the "cruise line's fault" that the weather took a bad turn and that the master was routing the ship for the GUESTS' SAFETY.

[doone]

Tylerrose, I am glad your cruise wasn't totally ruined and you made the best out of the situation. Anyone else.........

[elmorejj]

Tylerrose, glad you had a safe trip. I wouldn`t care if they had to re route me as long as we were all safe. Which ports did they take you to?.....jean :cool:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Tylerrose, love to hear more about your cruise! As for me, as long as the Captain keeps me out of hurricane waters he can take me anywhere he likes:D Just to be out on the sea is enough for me:) .

[Honeybear]

Just wondering who has returned from a cruise to the caribbean last week with Charley in the Florida area. What were your experiences? What was the weather like? How were the seas, besides choppy? How was your experience after disembarking your ship?

 

My Daughter and I arrived on the Sensation, in Tampa, on Thursday morning, Charley's big day. We didn't know anything was going on until my husband called me on my cell phone about 8:30 that morning. The weather was beautiful and we noticed no, or very little, wind.

 

We had a flight scheduled to fly out, the next day, on Friday evening. We immediately called the airport and learned of an earlier flight. We was told by one of the SENSATION crew members, there was no way we could get to the airport by 11:30 to catch the next flight. But, we did get to the airport, by 10:30, and was put on the stand-by list. There was only three people that got on that plane by going stand-by, we were the first two.

As it turned out, that was the last flight that left Tampa airport flying this way!

I have to add ... we know who got us on that plane and we are truly thankful to Him!

[doone]

Glad you got back safely.

[CINCY40]

We'd be interesting in knowing what ports you actually made and when. Did you get to Half Moon Cay?

 

Nancy

[hpatten]

They skipped Grand Cayman and went to Nassau instead. The ship did make it to Half Moon Cay. One of the bar staff that we got to know said that the water conditions at Half Moon Cay were the roughest they had seen. the tenders bobed in the heavy seas and the waves were crashing onto the windshields in the Tenders for half of the ride in.. despite that it was very nice on Half Moon Cay.

[Paticakes]

I was on the 8/7 Zuiderdam trip and it was terrific. We didn't go to the Caymans but went to Nassau on Thursday. Weather was so perfect you wouldn't have guessed there was a hurricane around us. The tender ride to Half Moon Cay was rough but short and the island was perfect.

 

The Zuiderdam Crew and Staff did so well with the change in itinerary. Everything was A+ in my book!

[hammybee]

Hi Doone:

We just returned from Carnival's Elation out of Galveston ( see related post for a different twist on Carnival). ANyway, our captain reported that the hurricane was about 250 miles out and he intended to keep it that way. Seas were calm and we arrived ahead of schedule in every port.

[NJsharon]

They skipped Grand Cayman and went to Nassau instead. The ship did make it to Half Moon Cay. One of the bar staff that we got to know said that the water conditions at Half Moon Cay were the roughest they had seen. the tenders bobed in the heavy seas and the waves were crashing onto the windshields in the Tenders for half of the ride in.. despite that it was very nice on Half Moon Cay.

One time we went to HMC (last August on Zuiderdam) there was a rainstorm that swept in quick. Boy did those tenders bounce around on the water going back to the ship! We did sit in the tender in HMC for about 10 minutes waiting for the waves to die down first. Then when we started to venture back I thought we were going to go down & have to call a lifeboat for our lifeboat. I am not kidding you, sometimes we went up & came crashing down at such an angle that I thought we were going to nosedive into the water. Waaay too bad for me but DH was screaming "woooohooooo" at the top of his lungs & "I wanna go again!" :rolleyes: