Leaderboard

My phone gets turned off and put in the safe as soon as we pass the sea buoy until the morning we return.

But, it will be empty.....

I would say no chance of the 10/8 sailing being cancelled, there is nothing wrong with the ship and so no way is RCI just going to not do a cruise that week (Espcecially this far out). Good chance that the itinerary changes some more though as they look around for alternate ports of call to build a sailing plan around.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates we're sailing on oasis 10/8, st Martin replaced with Nassau. We were refunded on our st Martin shore excursion and there are no shore excursions offered (yet?) for Nassau. With Maria threatening Puerto Rico, likely that'll be off the itinerary soon. Not clear if RC is offering cruise credit for 10/8 oasis or not, but I'll still go even if we only stop at Nassau and Labadee. What are the chances of oct 8 sailing of oasis being cancelled? non refundable airfare and hotel before and after cruise will make rescheduled cruise pricey, but I won't complain considering the devastation and suffering of millions in hurricane affected areas. It's also an accepted risk taken by saving $ on the non refundable reservations. i am impressed with RC's humanitarian efforts to provide relief of supplies and transportation to affected locations. Makes me happy to accept itinerary changes, or rescheduling if necessary, and not demand refunds, but rather applaud RC and be happy my vacation $ assists RC humanitarian efforts.

Canadian bacon?

We sailed out of Miami on Monday Sep 4th for a 4 day cruise to what was supposed to be Nassau, Coco Cay, and The Keys. At that time the hurricane was in the Atlantic and we were not too concerned due to the uncertainty of how it was going to behave in the coming days. Besides, we were confident the captain and RC's meteorologists were watching the storm closely, and we would just change itinerary if needed. On Tuesday Sep 5th we docked in Nassau and spent the day at Atlantis. We got the package on RC's website and it was a better experience than we were expecting! The slides, pools, and facilities were extensive, and we had access to their private beaches, casino and aquarium on site. We got to spend the entire day there from 9am to 7pm with shuttles leaving every 30 minutes to take us back to the ship. It was well worth it in our opinion! Unfortunately later that evening, the captain came on the intercom to tell us Coco Cay and The Keys were being evacuated, and we would be staying in Nassau overnight. Everyone on board was obviously disappointed, but the tension and nervousness could be felt for the entirety of the cruise. There was a huge line at guest services after the initial announcement, partially for refunds and partially questioning our safety. For us, we decided it was out of our control, to trust the captains judgement, and enjoy ourselves as much as we could. The next day (Wednesday) we got another announcement on the intercom from the captain. We would be staying another day in Nassau but would cut our cruise short. We would begin our return to Miami that evening as the city was beginning evacuations. Commence another ship-long line to guest services with people in varying degrees of distress. Everyone had their own situations, but for us, we were planning to stay in Miami through Friday and fly home Saturday afternoon. Hearing forecasts that the storm would hit Friday or Saturday, we were almost positive our flight would be cancelled, not to mention our hotel closed. RC opened all the phone lines for us to make international calls without being charged. They also offered anyone who could not make travel arrangements to stay an additional night docked in Miami through Friday morning, the original time we were supposed to leave. That night we got a notification that our flight was cancelled and there were no room on earlier flights. Our hotel called us to say they would be evacuating and could not honor our reservations. I'll admit I felt the panic welling up at that point. We were being dumped in an evacuating city with no where to stay and no way to leave. After calling home to my dad, he went online and arranged a car rental from MIA to drive home to Cleveland, Ohio. In the moment, I was angry we were going back to Miami. We overheard angry cruisers saying we should have left Nassau for Miami earlier, or they should have sailed away from the storm, not in the path of it. How would it make sense to drop a bunch of tourists in an evacuating city with no where to go with a hurricane coming? Later I realized there were Florida residents on the ship that had to prepare their houses and meet with their families. Others that drove from other places that had their car parked by the dock. I came to the resolution that we took a risk taking a cruise this time of year and once we disembarked, I alone could be responsible for my own safety. Thursday morning we chose to disembark, everything riding on the car rental. Sailing up to Miami was eerie. Few cars were on the roads, resorts and beaches were deserted. We joined the line to get through customs, people in line still calling their airlines and trying to make arrangements. Once we left the terminal, there was a roped off area of taxi companies yelling at us like paparazzi that they would take us to the airport. They were playing off our fears, but it was working. It was chaos and the air started to feel panicked. We jumped into a nearby taxi and decided anywhere would be better than staying there. We drove through nearly empty roads to get to the airport car rental area, which was very busy, but to our relief, had a car reserved for us. We set off and ran into some serious traffic by Daytona Beach. Hundreds of thousands of people trying to go North. The first time we stopped for gas, they were empty. Nervousness set in as we drove off the beaten path a bit to find a gas station that had just been filled up, the worker starting to open pumps again. We got lucky. There was a line of cars waiting and people filling red gas containers. To avoid traffic, we drove through the night until we couldn't stay awake anymore, pulling into a rest area literally packed with cars. I don't think I'll ever forget what we saw there. We saw people with elderly and disabled parents, children, babies, dogs and cats. People with U-hauls and trailers. All these people prepared to lose everything. I could no longer complain. We drove up onto the grass and slept for about 2 hours. The drive home ended up being 26 hrs with traffic. I was grateful for my time spent at the beach and in the sun. I enjoyed the drinks and food on the ship and appreciated everything the staff did to make our trip fun despite the circumstances. We got refunded for the day we missed and the excursions we didn't go on. The staff remained professional and calm in the midst of stressed and angry customers. I will definitely be going on another cruise to get the complete experience, just not during hurricane season.

I bet you still wear bell bottom pants.......

I'm old when it comes to smart phones. I just got one because my flip phones buttons started to fall off after five years! Can I just turn on the airplane mode? Will that do the same thing? I'm just concerned with sea days as we have Verizon and all of our ports are included in our service.

Amen!

A foggy day on vacation is better than a sunny day at home, yes? ?

Thanks, good call. I cancelled water bottles and will be refunded.you saved me $160!

Well, hopefully that was a Disney problem. After all, what do you expect from a cruise line that's a Mickey Mouse organization?

Our experience with Enchantment and IRMA - To the one that did the report above, you should have stayed on. It was awesome! http://www.cimorelli.com/cruises/2017-evacuation-cruise/2017-evacuation-cruise.html

They scan your SeaPass every time. I got all digital pictures on a CD at the end of our cruise (Oasis). They had a special on the photo package on board (unknown to me) and I got a letter in our cabin informing me that it was now cheaper so they gave me the difference in OBC. I was pleasantly surprised.

We used parkportcanaveral a couple weeks ago. Its just a mile or so from the bridge. It was like 6.99 a day. Worked out pretty well but dealing with the shuttles is always a pain but if you have 30 minutes to spare its well worth the savings. I think its roughly 15 per day to park in the parking deck at the port but it's very convenient. We were on the extended Oasis cruise and cars made it through the hurricane with no damage. Just salt spray and sea weed lol.

FManke not sure where in Canada you are headed but beaver tails are amazing! Think churros but flat topped with lots of sweet stuff! Also, i agree with poutine too!

You can always park at the port. It cost more but you're right there. I'd call park-n-cruise, they might have something going by now. Their site doesn't say anything about not being open.

Why do I feel like this is turning into the "Four Yorkshiremen" skit from Monty Python?

I got an update from Capt. Bob Cass, who owns and runs Soualiga Destinations in St. Maarten. This was in response to an email I sent yesterday simply to express my hope that he and his crew were all well and safe: He also said that he thinks Maria might pass to the south and may not be too bad. Granted, that's now two days ago and the track has been updated, but I didn't hear any comments in last night's news broadcast about St. Maarten being under threat, only St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. Might just be US-based focus of that broadcast, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that he's right.

POUTINE! French fries with cheese curd and gravy. Sorry, I got excited for a second. I went to school in upstate NY right near Canada and that was as popular as pizza for late night food. I miss it a little.

Regarding the program and tracking the players: Yes , it is easier to be tracked playing the slot machines as it is automatically being done while in the table you are in the mercy of the pit boss and the dealer. Also Casinos loves slots players since well the odds is much better for the casino. Regrading the benefits , well, its not how much you play lost it all about the average , you can play with 100$ all the cruise and as long you will continue to win and loose the same original 100$ it can still count as allot of action as long as it last ... So what can be done, first ask to be rated ,say hello to the pit boss when you going to seat in a table, make sure the dealer take your card , I agree in RC ships the attentions of the pit bosses is much less than in land casinos , If you increase your bet , make sure it is notice, remember it is better to play longer with less amount then play with high amount for 5 minutes (recycle the money). Another important tip , if you are going to play with minimum 50 or 100 $ try to seat in a table which thous are the minimum bet. that way even if the boos dose not looking at your direction at least your average will calculated as the minimum table. if you will seat in a 10 $ table and play 100 $ per hand you might be still tracked at 10$ average. But the most important tip I can share with anyone is do not play for the benefits, play for the fun. most of the times the free cruise you get cost much much more if you would have just went and book it with your credit card.

rjac, I believe it is called the "S.S. I've spent WAAAYTOOO much money in the casino this trip". Candie

@azfish Why purchase the water? It include in your alcohol packages, plus you could also carry it on to save money. If it's for convenience or the kids, I get it, but not necessary for the adults. Plus, a variety of Dassani waters are available on the soda package through the Free Style machines.

I noticed that RCCL now showing a BOGO 2 Night Dining Package on my 11/26 Freedom of the Seas sailing. Has anyone booked this, and had a problem changing restaurants that are pre-selected? Believe it or not, most of my group isn't interested in trying Sabor.

Just checked the latest on Maria. St. Maarten is "only" on a tropical storm warning / hurricane watch. So with luck they'll be spared any further devastation. Unfortunately, now St. Kitts and Nevis are on hurricane warning along with Puerto Rico, the USVI and British VI. This hurricane season really is shaping up to just decimate the entire eastern Caribbean. ?

We had a booking with Captain Alan to snorke in SXM in mid-October, and it sounds like their whole operation was destroyed. :( boats, marina, and all.

Five years ago I had a contract on St Thomas that lasted almost two years. In those two years I got to know all of the USVI. There is nothing like living somewhere to really get to know the culture. I've been communicating with a local resident I used to work with who lived through Irma and the struggles since. This morning was the first sign of hope in his communication, they've been pretty bleak up to this point. His message today read "Yesterday was a great day. Tim Duncan, pro basketball player, also a virgin islander, distributed a lot of food at the Innovative parking lot. I volunteered to assist giving bags of food away". That's the most hopeful and positive message I've received so far. Up until today his messages have repeatedly discussed a lack of food and water. Even after Majesty OTS visited there dropping off supplies earlier this week, its taken time for those and other supplies reaching the island to make it into the hands of the residents. I understand that, it takes time for local authorities and relief organizations to triage the situation and with so many in need, to get more supplies flowing and distributed to the people in need. Watching this unfold from both sides has been nerve racking and frustrating but in my heart I knew it would be a process that wouldn't happen overnight. I'd like to personally thank any Royal Caribbean employees at all levels of the organization who might read this post. In a natural disaster anywhere an immediate response is critical to saving lives. With island factors involved that is even more so the case. As first responders, relief organizations and governments began to mobilize their forces, Royal Caribbean employees worked to fulfill the gap in those critical first days after Hurricane Irma had passed bringing much needed supplies and evacuating stranded travelers, reducing the number of victims vying for limited food and water. Since 2016 I've been evaluating new cruise lines to sail with. My upcoming Harmony cruise will mark the 5th with the Royal Caribbean family in support of that goal. It had been my intention to continue to explore different cruise lines not because I was unhappy with any of those cruises, more because I just wanted to be familiar with all my options before zeroing in on any line in particular. My search is over. Watching Royal Caribbean's response to Irma I know I found the right cruise line. For me with my St Thomas connection this is personal. I look forward to cruising back there one day when the time is right. I'll find other ways to help when the time is appropriate, going there right now would just make me another mouth to feed. For those with cruises impacted I'm sorry and I know its upsetting, but Royal Caribbean made a real difference deploying their ships as they did. Before joining this forum, I posted in another forum shortly after talking to my friend earlier this week. His call came in late one night and after I couldn't sleep so I started writing. I apologize for making this post very long, but thought the context was important. Things on island are improving. There is a still a long way to go. It will take months to get power back. Recovery is a process and it has begun. It's only going to get better from here. Here is my post, from 9-12-2017: I finally heard back from a former coworker and friend on St Thomas tonight. Area code 340 appeared on my phone as I watched the evening news in Denver. My heart skipped a beat, I know that area code, I know it's the USVI. It felt surreal having to mute my 70" big screen TV and look at my large glass of ice water beside me as he explained how things are on St Thomas. I used to work there with him. I know the islands well. Now, no power, no water, little food. Multiple check points. Curfew 6pm to noon. They can't open the supermarkets fully for fear of looting, so the National Guard allows 8-10 in at a time to pick from the small selection of food. Long lines waiting for your turn. He seemed pleased to have a few items of food from his last visit. He had found a working ATM and was able to get cash for food. Small miracles. Between getting there and waiting in line, it's an all day affair. Curfew. He was aware of the cruise ship visit today and why they were there - to pick up stranded travelers, but he knew nothing of the supplies being left by the ships. "Where did they go?" was his question, meaning the supplies, not the travelers. He still works for the same company where I was a contractor. He explained how he works noon to six because that is when curfew is lifted. He goes to the office building where I used to work from and tries to keep some of the equipment from over heating by moving fans around. They have a generator, but not one to run the air conditioning for the building, a building which is damaged. They all are. Today he tried to make it to the Home Depot to buy something for the office. That took 2 1/2 hours. It used to take 10 - 15 minutes from Tutu. Lots of check points. VI police at one, National Guard at another, Marines at a 3rd. He wasn't sure they were Marines, but some sort of military. Turns out Home Depot was closed. No power and damaged. With no time to lose, he headed back. He had to, curfew in 2 hours. A work day lost. Many of the company buildings are damaged. Some of these are the central offices of the local Telco where we worked. They were the backbone of island communication before Irma. He was grateful to have cell signal tonight. I felt guilty talking to him for so long knowing it was draining his battery, but it seemed like he wanted to talk, needed to talk. He can charge it in the office tomorrow he explained. Our calls dropped numerous times but he promptly called me back each time. "It's hard" he explained. "Everything is hard". I could hear it in his voice. Even doing nothing all morning but laying in bed until noon. Curfew. Can't go outside, nothing to do inside. His house damaged he is living with friends. Even bathing is hard. No water and it's hard to bathe in the ocean and be salty. He was hoping to make it to St Croix soon. The company has offices there. He could keep his job. That's really important in the VI, jobs are hard to come by and he is grateful to have one. St Croix felt some effects from Irma but nothing like St Thomas and especially not like St John. "I'm blessed" he told me. "People on St John have it very bad". He explained they are resettling anyone they can from St John over to St Croix. For the moment that means he can't go to St Croix. Maybe soon he hopes. They have power, and water. Some of St Croix does he heard. He told me several times how fortunate he is. I felt silly asking if he needed anything, both of us knowing there would be no way for me to ship it to him. Maybe soon. Until then I've got to find a way to help. We all do. Since writing this late last night I woke to the news that Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas remains in the area and is doing runs between San Juan and St Thomas. Shout out to the NCL Sky for her visit Monday, I was checking out her webcam while she was there. Even bigger shout out to Royal Caribbean for keeping Majesty OTS in the area for a few days. I know other lines are helping in other places too. The biggest challenge in a natural disaster anywhere is surviving the first few weeks. Add the island factor and the fact that there are two islands, St Thomas and St John and it becomes a massive challenge. With more supplies continuing to arrive they will eventually make it to the people. Looters won't feel the need to loot, curfews can be relaxed, people will shift focus to items like getting the power on and water running. It won't happen overnight but don't underestimate the resolve of VI residents, these are American citizens after all. St Thomas and St John will rebuild. I look forward to returning on a cruise one day. Until then donate if you can and thank the cruise lines for their role in this critical phase of surviving the next few weeks.

I'll add this to RCCL's responsiveness. We were on the Enchantment Evacuation Cruise. You can read about it here. They overcame many obstacles and took care of those of us that had no power at home or way to get back. Well done! Evacuation Cruise Synopsis

Don't worry about the length of your post, please keep the news/updates coming! All of those folks are in our thoughts and prayers.