Hopefully Starting Cruise out of San Juan Sept. 23.

[djbobbydeese]

Hopefully Starting Cruise out of San Juan Sept. 23. Our flight is booked from Orlando to San Juan arriving at 11:55 AM. Adventurer of the Seas leaves at 8PM that same day. It appears that Tropical storm Maria may alter our plans and stop us from getting in to San Juan. our issue is that no one at Allianz will clarify when the 24 hour rule goes in to effect. Any one have experience with this?  

Canceled services
Your airline, cruise line, or tour operator or travel supplier stops offering
all services for at least 24 consecutive hours where you’re departing,
arriving or making a connection because of:
 a natural disaster;
 severe weather;
 a strike; or
 a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate.

Thanks in advance

[RCVoyager]

Hey dj.  Looks like you are new here.  Probably the number 1 most discussed topic on this board is getting to your location the day before your cruise or buying insurance at the time of purchase.  Obviously, it's way too late for that now.  You may get lucky, based upon the timeline given, and I hope so.  If so, have a great cruise, and please next time spend an extra day at the beginning in the home port of your ship.

[twangster]

Cone of uncertainty still pretty large.  You can follow the chief meteorologist for RCI on twitter @JamesVanFleet.  He is very good about tweeting updates and responding to questions.  When I used to live in a coastal area I would jokingly say it's good to be the bullseye 5 days out because they always seem to shift away.  Not very scientific or helpful and more of a nervous coping mechanism, but it proved true time and again.  Hoping for the best for you.  

[NS8VN]

Welcome to the site!

I have worked in the insurance industry, but not in travel insurance so my reading of this may be incorrect.  It sounds like if the San Juan airport is closed for 24 hours straight and your arrival time falls in that 24 hours then they cover it.  If we were to assume that Maria follows this path exactly (it won't) then they will likely close the airport sometime Wednesday.  If it takes a direct hit from a Category 3 hurricane then it is likely the airport will remain closed in to Saturday.

However it might not matter.  If your flight is cancelled then you will be refunded and if your cruise is cancelled you will be refunded and (probably) offered an incentive on rebooking.  Really waiting and seeing is the best option for your situation.  Due to the timing you likely won't know what is going on until much later in the week.

[DaGunny]

They won't know anything until Thursday afternoon.  We fly Friday to same cruise - maybe.

Link to RCCL Itinerary updates

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/royal/US/en_US/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

 

[djbobbydeese]

1 hour ago, DaGunny said:

They won't know anything until Thursday afternoon.  We fly Friday to same cruise - maybe.

Link to RCCL Itinerary updates

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/royal/US/en_US/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

 

What is your gut feeling? will it go out as planned?

[NS8VN]

With a category 5 hitting the island directly and San Juan finding itself just to the Northeast of the eye, I would not say that your odds are good.

But until you hear something from your airline or RCCL don't make any decisions.  You want to let them cancel things, not you, to assure refunds or insurance kicks in.

[djbobbydeese]

On 9/17/2017 at 10:04 AM, RCVoyager said:

Hey dj.  Looks like you are new here.  Probably the number 1 most discussed topic on this board is getting to your location the day before your cruise or buying insurance at the time of purchase.  Obviously, it's way too late for that now.  You may get lucky, based upon the timeline given, and I hope so.  If so, have a great cruise, and please next time spend an extra day at the beginning in the home port of your ship.

Our original plans were to go on Thursday prior to the departure date but we switched to  Saturday due to the obvious Also, we purchased Insurance. Southwest airlines stopped service as of 6PM yesterday. I am new here but not to cruising. 35 days this year alone. Thanks though..

[RCVoyager]

46 minutes ago, djbobbydeese said:

Our original plans were to go on Thursday prior to the departure date but we switched to  Saturday due to the obvious Also, we purchased Insurance. Southwest airlines stopped service as of 6PM yesterday. I am new here but not to cruising. 35 days this year alone. Thanks though..

The storm is over Puerto Rico now.  It should be long gone by Saturday.  Then the question will be how much damage to Puerto Rico and the ports you are scheduled to go to.  I hope you have a great time.  The most number of days I've been on a ship in a year is 26.  I'm a little jealous of your 35.

[djbobbydeese]

21 minutes ago, RCVoyager said:

The storm is over Puerto Rico now.  It should be long gone by Saturday.  Then the question will be how much damage to Puerto Rico and the ports you are scheduled to go to.  I hope you have a great time.  The most number of days I've been on a ship in a year is 26.  I'm a little jealous of your 35.

thanks, we did a transatlantic in march. then on the new Princess Majestic around Italy and Greece,  then a smaller vessel around  the smaller island ports. I think the Achilles heel in this trip is going to be the air-"port" as opposed to the cruse port.  

[RCVoyager]

48 minutes ago, djbobbydeese said:

thanks, we did a transatlantic in march. then on the new Princess Majestic around Italy and Greece,  then a smaller vessel around  the smaller island ports. I think the Achilles heel in this trip is going to be the air-"port" as opposed to the cruse port.  

You could be right.  I think it will all come down to damage at SJU.  Good luck.

[Koz]

Reports are that the entire island is without power.   Debris everywhere and infrastructure is crippled. I can't see any cruise ship being near Puerto Rico for at least the next few weeks.

[JLMoran]

34 minutes ago, Koz said:

Reports are that the entire island is without power.   Debris everywhere and infrastructure is crippled. I can't see any cruise ship being near Puerto Rico for at least the next few weeks.

I think an equally big issue, if not bigger, will be availability of the airport. Many itineraries depart from and return to San Juan, especially the southern Caribbean ABC island routes, and people have to fly in to and out of San Juan to do these trips. If the entire island is without power, that means the airport also has no way to operate until power is restored (unless they have a seriously massive generator system available).

Another potentially big issue is that a couple of radar towers were completely destroyed by the storm, although I'm unclear if those were used purely for weather monitoring or if those were also used by the airport and/or seaport for things like flight and marine traffic control.

[monctonguy]

Some areas will be 4-6 mths with no power they are estimating. Its going to be weeks if not months before the port or airport is reading to be receiving thousands of tourists each day.

 

This season has been terrible on the Caribbean and the affects are far reaching and will be felt for a very long time.

[BobG]

Airport is supposed to open tomorrow to commercial flights.  Question will be how many flights they can handle.  I depart Sep 30th so keeping fingers crossed!  Thoughts with those affected by the hurricane.  As I worry about my trip, they worry about where they will get food, water and housing.

[NS8VN]

I'm sure OP knows this, but RCCL announced their plan for the Adventure OTS cruise:

Quote

Due to the uncertainty of the timing of the port re-opening in San Juan, we anticipate our new departure date will be Wednesday, September 27, sailing a 3-night itinerary to Antigua and St. Kitts.

We know these changes are disappointing, and we are truly sorry for the storm’s impact on your vacation. Should you choose to sail with us we will provide you with a refund of 60% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, and an additional 50% future cruise credit, for a cruise booked within the next year.

If you are unable to travel and need to cancel your cruise, we will provide you with a 100% future cruise credit, for a cruise booked within the next year. Pre-booked shore excursions will be refunded to your original form of payment, and you will have the ability to book excursions in our new ports of call once onboard.

So, do they really think the port will be open within a week, or are they trying to get as many people as possible to cancel for a future cruise credit before they actually have to cancel the cruise and issue cash refunds?

[djbobbydeese]

38 minutes ago, NS8VN said:

I'm sure OP knows this, but RCCL announced their plan for the Adventure OTS cruise:

So, do they really think the port will be open within a week, or are they trying to get as many people as possible to cancel for a future cruise credit before they actually have to cancel the cruise and issue cash refunds?

They have canceled the original cruise but want to make it seem like we the customers canceled  the cruise in order to keep it legal in their favor.

Original one was this  

ITINERARY: Location Arrival Date Departure Date San Juan, Puerto Rico Day 1 Sep 23 2017 20:30 Charlotte Amalie (St.Thomas), USVI Day 2 Sep 24 2017 08:00 Day 2 Sep 24 2017 17:00 At Sea Day 3 Sep 25 2017 Day 3 Sep 25 2017 Willemstad, Curacao Day 4 Sep 26 2017 08:00 Day 4 Sep 26 2017 20:00 Oranjestad, Aruba Day 5 Sep 27 2017 08:00 Day 5 Sep 27 2017 23:00 At Sea Day 6 Sep 28 2017 Day 6 Sep 28 2017 Basseterre, St. Kitts Day 7 Sep 29 2017 07:00 Day 7 Sep 29 2017 16:00 San Juan, Puerto Rico Day 8 Sep 30 2017 06:00.

It Morphed into this Wednesday, September 27, sailing a 3-night itinerary to Antigua and St. Kitts.

[whenismynextcruise]

I wonder how they would provision a ship leaving from Puerto Rico in the very near future.Like others have said  I also saw that the entire island is crippled and without power. I cant imagine they would be able to procure the provisions needed to accommodate any cruise while there is such devastation.

 

[fonemanbob]

And how do the pumps pump fuel on board with no electricity.  And where do the provisions come from?  Mother nature has sure struck a cruel blow .    I feel really bad for those who have lost everything.  And it is sad and unfortunate for those who are vacationing.   

[bcarney]

Calm down folks.  The "no power for 6 months" isn't for the entire island, it's until the entire island gets power back.  The airport is #1 priority as its how supplies get to the island.   Once the airport is back online, power will be restored in urban areas and then spread outwards into the rest of the island.  We all sail from San Juan, which I would expect to have electricity back in a week at most.  

Once the OK is given, go there.  Spend money.  It's what they need right now.

[whenismynextcruise]

I dont think I need to be told to clam down thanks. Well placed concerns for the people who have lost everything is immanently more important that being concerned about luxury ocean liners sailing on time for wealthy vacationers. I understand full well that tourism will will only benefit Puerto Rico and the other devastated island nations and in I have and will continue to participate in their economies by doing so,  but restoring basic needs like clean water and electricity are their first priority.