Costa Maya and Hurricane Dean discussion (merged)

[CountryFox]

Thanks so much for posting that.....The email makes me feel very humble....My prayers are with them

God Bless

:o

[*Mach*]

Thank God they had the good sense to evacuate days in advance.

 

Buildings can be rebuilt, people are irreplaceable.

[jessemon]

I just got this email from the folks at Chac Chi and wanted to share it because I know so many of your are concerned about them and have been praying for their safety:

 

Hi,

As you know hurricane Dean entered on Mahahual the 21th of August. My self and my family would like to thank you for all your prayers and good thoughts for our family, workers and Chac-Chi. We appreciate the time you took to write us to ask about our status. When Dean arrived, Chac-Chi was empty, we all left several days in advance to a safer place and we are all fine.

Dean strike Mahahual with a huge force and the results were not good for us and for most of the inhabitants of Mahahual. Most of the touristic infrastructure was severely damaged, buildings that were not of concrete were almost completely destroyed.

Unfortunately Chac-Chi was strongly damaged, our main structure, a big palapa which holds the restaurant, had lost it's roof and several of or cabañas were also damaged. You can see a picture by Reuters of our place at the following link.

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070822/ids_photos_wl/r582010275.jpg

Another bad news was the lost of almost half the Costa Maya pier and they estimate that it will be repair in about 6 to 8 months (http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2162).

We are still evaluating the extensive damage that our place received, and we estimate a long recovery time. We hope to be open around the same time that the cruise ship pier is repaired and will be open as long as you or people as your self are willing to come to our place to have a good time. All changes are for good and life give us new opportunities to improve, we will try to make a better place were you can enjoy and relax on your vacations.

Once again I would like to thank you for all your support this years and we hope to see you again when we are up and running again.

Joaquin R.

Thank you for the post...Hope all comes back quickly. I have never been to your place but from all I've read over the past day and a half....I'll make sure to visit you the next time......

What a great attitude yoou have.....

T's & P's.....

MrLeo...Could you make sure the posts placed on this thread get back to them .......

[cruzegirl]

Ok, Julie was able to email me again. She's in another town as they have no power. She said Frank and Enrique are ok. I don't know who they are, but apparently well known in town and by tourists. She also sent me photos from today that Frank took..... I will post several here. I am also posting some of Julie's email. But first, let's start with a photo I took of Costa Maya as were leaving on our cruise. I forgot I took until I was looking back through my photos.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a message dated 8/22/2007 8:08:15 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, julie@blueoceansafari.com writes

thank God that Frank and Enrique are ok, attached is what he saw today,and pictures of mahahaul., and our house, sorry, I don't know what to think... or say, as far as where to send stuff, if you would think about sending it to Continental Airlines in Cancun, we are in the midst of setting up a tatastrophy area, to help EVRYONE, not just a few, so please believe me when I say that I and everyone in Mahahual thanks you for anything you can do. we have all lost everything, but we are very greatful to have people care about our little paradise, yes it is a village, and we will grow again, of course if you have any pictures of Mahahual, from before, remember it, now is just rocks and debri everywhere. I'm in mexico now. the only gas station was whiped out, so we need containers to put gasoline in, if you could send 10gls or 5lgs.. anyway we will have a real assestment by tomorrow evening... God Bless.

 

with the outmost regard

 

Julie Minter

 

 

In a message dated 8/22/2007 8:08:15 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, julie@blueoceansafari.com writes

Praise be to the Lord Jesus for sparing your home. mine was not as fortunate, but we are confident it will get rebuild some day.

I know you won´t mind me sending your email to our friends at cruise critics, they are very interested in helping our community, our little paradise, and there is lots of people who are concerned, I am so humble by all of the outpour of support, we need to come up with a commity to insure that the people of mahahual get assistance, we all needed.

 

Dan, and Debbie, and Kat, please forward this email to all who are interested in helping, and God Bless you..

 

Julie

[vacruizer]

The pier comes straight into that red building on the right. It would be to the right of that photo.

 

Oops - sorry guys - my perspective was off.

[The Grumpus]

Great pics of Majahual MC! Thanks for sharing them with us.

[Mrsg324]

Here is the pic of Chac-Chi, the resort to the right of the pier. The owner sent me the letter and the link.

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070822/ids_photos_wl/r582010275.jpg

 

I tried to get it to upload, but no cigar.

 

Piece it together with picture of the cruise ship port and you have the panorama.. Its so sad.

 

Marge

Starz723

 

[jamiski]

Here is a good 'before' picture of the resort next to the pier to compare to the Reuter's photo.

 

It was good to hear no one was hurt from the resort. I definately found spirt and hope in the letter that was posted from the resort owner. Costa Maya is battered and bruised, but it will be back.

[BobbieSu]

We are still evaluating the extensive damage that our place received, and we estimate a long recovery time. We hope to be open around the same time that the cruise ship pier is repaired and will be open as long as you or people as your self are willing to come to our place to have a good time. All changes are for good and life give us new opportunities to improve, we will try to make a better place were you can enjoy and relax on your vacations.

 

Once again I would like to thank you for all your support this years and we hope to see you again when we are up and running again.

 

Joaquin R.

Thank you Starz for this report. What an amazing attitude! I wish them all the best.

[sf2]

Just from a lot of experience on the Grandeur . . . and also knowing that in the winter and springtime that the currents are too rough for ships to even pull into the dock (remember the dent?) - they used to just have a sea day, just like not being able to pull into Cayman.

 

Seem to remember that the port can only hold maybe 3-4 ships, so redeploying to another port may not be that big of a deal . . . but it is wintertime and that's when A LOT of the ships that are doing Europe/Alaska and other more exotic runs come back to the Caribbean. Remember Cozumel having 13 ships in one time . . totally evil!!!

 

If someone's got the time . . you can probably go to cruisecal and see who was to be in Costa Maya and figure out where the empty berths are in other ports on the same day

 

Also thinking that tendering in Costa Maya (like what Cozumel did after their hurricane) would be an issue due to those strong currents . . .

[sf2]

just looked at cruisecal - only 2 ships in Costa Maya, the run already has Belize . . . I'm thinking Cozumel, with only 3 other ships would be the logical replacment. The Jewel is in, and the RCCL pier can hold both the ships easy . . . . and it would be a good beach/ruins day, which is basically what Costa Maya has to offer also.

[luv2cruise777l]

Thanks for posting! I feel so sad for those people.:(

[Cozumel_Tom]

I taped tonight's newscast with my digital camera a few hours ago...really bad quality images but you can see the pier in about 7 or 8 pieces in the 2nd video. Also....not on the videos, but an earlier piece with the Gov. of the State had him saying 6-12 months before recuperation and most interestingly that they hoped to put in a tender pier to service the cruise ships while the reconstruction of the main pier was going on...

 

http://www.dropshots.com/tomjensen#date/2007-08-23/00:24:34

[Cozumel_Tom]

I taped tonight's newscast with my digital camera a few hours ago...really bad quality images but you can see the pier in about 7 or 8 pieces in the 2nd video. Also....not on the videos, but an earlier piece with the Gov. of the State had him saying 6-12 months before recuperation and most interestingly that they hoped to put in a tender pier to service the cruise ships while the reconstruction of the main pier was going on...

 

http://www.dropshots.com/tomjensen#d...08-23/00:24:34

[dolphin_lover]

It took me 22 cruises before I found my favorite spot, Majahual. I will forever be grateful that I was able to experience the original Majahual with my two sisters. I feel the people who stayed at just the port area will never understand what the rest of us got to experience.

 

The folks in Majahual showed their visitors true hospitality and friendship and created memories for all that walked down that little street. Ah, paradise in the most simplistic form!

 

I hope they rebuild without many changes. God Speed.

[spongerob]

Thanks for the video, Tom. It's quite sad to look at. Majahual was one of our favorite spots and we have such good memories of the days we have spent there that it's a bit tough to look at the devastation. We'll make a special effort to get back there as soon as we are able.

[AuntieBon]

Wow! That last pic sure says it all!:(

 

Momentary highjack: Hi Bunky! Hope all is well! Back on topic

 

I've never been to Costa Myer and am scheduled to be there in May. How sad that what makes CM precious to all of you has been destroyed:(

[idlewood4]

This may be further in the thread, but I'm currently on AOS, and have the dial up cybercabin. It is soooooooo slow, it takes about 3 minutes to load a cruise critic page. Has anyone heard from David or Ivan? How did they and their families fare?

 

What a tragedy for the Costa Mayan area, it was our favorite port to date, and our David and Ivan tour was the best ever. We had the Mayan lunch option with a Mayan family, and it was unforgettable. I'll post my pics of Cats Meow and the port once we are home and I have normal computer service.

[TEXASMUNK]

Costa Maya was completely destroyed. Pier destroyed. Mahajaul wiped out. nothing left. It will be a long time before we get to visit again

[hightownCO]

Haven't posted on this thread before but reading with great interest and saddness. Visited Costa Maya and Majahual in 2006 and it was a wonderful place, the village.

 

Just wanted to say that I did e mail Carival Media yesterday to ask if they were undertaking any relief or humanitarian efforts for the people there. I would like to find some agency to donate to who would make sure that funds and supplies actually get to the people who have come to rely on the cruise industry so much. They are the ones who have made our vists there so wonderful.

 

If there is any reply, will post.

 

Sharon

[gnparend]

If they still want to do 2 ports they may consider Cozumel which was on the recovery from the hit 2 yrs ago. Not too sure how they are doing with the piers. They were down to 1 pier and tenders. Maybe someone in Cozumel recently can update on the number of berths there now. They ay consider Costa Rican port or Progresso at the top of Yucatan. Although leaving out of Tampa Key west is just down the coast. Too bad Havana isn't available yet.

[Schplinky]

I have never understood why people who go on cruises can claim to have such tender feelings about keeping places like Costa Maya pristine. Our very presence makes that impossible. That said, the only way to claim it should not be developed with any integrity is to stop cruising altogether. By visiting any island, you're introducing an economy that was not there before.

 

I think the people of Costa Maya are feeling pretty destitute today. The only thing that would like compound this would be to be abandoned by their visitors.

[ERLEC]

Wow, thanks for the video Tom... This explains everything... A picture/video is worth a thousand words. We see the pier and it's dammages. We see also the tourist buildings and all palapa style shelters are damaged. They are now only structure without roofs.

[cmom]

Flashinglights 83. I to will be on the cruise in December. I am so upset about missing this port. I have been to most of the islands in the Carribean and this was one I was so excited to see. Lets just hope they come up with a plan of somewhere great for us to see.

[rolloman]

I have never understood why people who go on cruises can claim to have such tender feelings about keeping places like Costa Maya pristine. Our very presence makes that impossible. That said, the only way to claim it should not be developed with any integrity is to stop cruising altogether. By visiting any island, you're introducing an economy that was not there before.

 

I think the people of Costa Maya are feeling pretty destitute today. The only thing that would like compound this would be to be abandoned by their visitors.

 

I assume you are not refering to my post. It had no mention of "tender feelings" yet it does mention the idea of wasted millions of dollars from bankrupt cruiselines and bankrupt countries to invest in an area which has a history of massive class 5 hurricane activity. Costa Maya was a man made cruise only port.. not a functioning city which has been around for hundreds of years. Costa Maya was not a populated area 5 years ago, the majority of people came gradually while the area was being built. Millions of dollars will be required to rebuild whats left...since the origional development proved to be such a success, several of you "rebuild it at all costs types" should probably invest in the initial capital it will require to rebuild. IMO the place was a jungle for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, the Mayans were smarter than they are given credit for. Interesting the structures they built in strategic areas are basically still intact.