Explorer to return 3 days later let the panic begin

[Pattycruise]

Currently on Explorer Transatlantic and we were hit with an unexpected squall last evening about 7 pm our time (3 pm Miami time). The ship listed significantly causing injuries -casino table and a slot machine pinned a woman-plus other injuries to others. Items flew off shelves, things overturned. 
 

We turned around last night around midnight our time-8pm Miami time. 
an announcement was made 8 am our time (5am Miami time-we had a scheduled time change last night)

 we are turned around to bring injured to Las Palmas, Canary Islands. AND to resupply.

 Ships normally have “enough and then some” in inventory to complete their sailing a some extra “in case of delay returning”.  In our case we were supposed to resupply in Azores-but due to weather we had a last minute port change to Tenerife.  So while some supplies were acquired I’m sure it was not enough for the chain of events that happened leading to inventory being ruined,

I digress

reminder

1. ALWAYS pack extra meds-I do for 3 days, but mine are not “life changing” if I miss them for a few days.  I’ll now consider a 7 day supply going forward or just pack the one bottle full. 

 2. if traveling with meds in a pillbox medical will not know what you are on if you don’t have a list or picture of your pill bottles that they can find.  I’m not sure of the protocols if you are unconscious-is someone searching your cabin? Are they calling your emergency contact shoreside if you are a solo traveler?  So you really need to have an emergency card with a list of meds and the dosage and the time of day you take them with your cabinets knowing where that list is and if traveling solo your emergency contact should have that info. 

3.  Be aware of surroundings and try to think quickly. Is walking and staying near glass a good idea? If you are near things that can fall and roll your way-is that safe if it indeed happens? Yes events unfolded fairly quickly-but there was time as we were listing to think about that before the tilt got worse and things started flying.

4. yes, we all have plans and need to be somewhere. 3 days late to port is not good for many people. travel insurance can address some of the pain of canceling/changing flights.  Get travel insurance!! 

5. patience and understanding.  Have it.  Everyone has questions.  I’m pretty sure they will all be answered. Know that Royal will answer your questions about reimbursement and compensation soon enough.  Understand that they are putting the pieces together, working with many parts of this big machine to get the answers you need so they aren’t giving constantly changing answers.

6.  realize the extra work crew has to put in.  The same stress you felt during the incident they felt to.  I was able to text my family to tell them what was happening-live, crew had no such luxury.  They also had to go above and beyond to clean the mess, ensure we were all accounted for and then that they were all accounted for.  This on top of a drill day where they could not get their usual rest.  They must be exhausted.  Consider putting a note out with your do not disturb sign-no service needed today.  Give them a break where you can. 

7. If you are unhappy with what’s offered and need “more of something” ask guest services.  My last sailing we had a delay to port (radiance Panama Canal to Tampa) due to Hurricane Milton.  I overheard a passenger complain the one hour they gave him of free internet was not enough to fix his flights, hotel and ground transportation. (Things don’t come easy to everyone!). The “internet guy” said that’s all you get.  I logged the guy into Internet on his phone with my code.  Guest services was offering the use of their phone to assist people. Had he complained there he would have been reminded of the benefit that had been announced.

8. join the Facebook group for your sailing.  You’ll get better ideas on what others are doing.  Also be mindful though that you can’t believe everyone in those groups with the rumors they may start, but there typically are some helpful hints about your cruise- before, during and even after. 
 

9. continue to read things in this group.  You really do learn useful info and learn from other’s experiences. 

 

[GatorCruiser]

My wife and I are scheduled to be on the post transatlantic sailing on 11/14. So our cruise will be effected. We are waiting on Royal to make announcement on options. Major bummer for sure. We may still fly in the day before and just go to key west and maybe catch another sailing that Saturday 11/17. We shall see. Crap happens. 

[FloatyBoaty]

We onboard still have little info, only the day we are arriving, no confirmation of the time. Everyone has been given 2 hours of internet, but that is the extent of the information thus far. Obviously there is so, so much for them to work out and everyone I’ve talked to is mostly asking “how is everyone in your group” and “where were you when it happened “ and sharing their stories. Captain Frank and Cruise Director Ilcy(sp?) have been great communicators. 
 

When you do get on, know that there is an amazing, helpful, and very positive crew onboard.

[smokeybandit]

Are there any passengers trying to step in and help clean up? It'd be hard just to stand there and watch.

[Pattycruise]

33 minutes ago, FloatyBoaty said:

We onboard still have little info, only the day we are arriving, no confirmation of the time. Everyone has been given 2 hours of internet, but that is the extent of the information thus far. Obviously there is so, so much for them to work out and everyone I’ve talked to is mostly asking “how is everyone in your group” and “where were you when it happened “ and sharing their stories. Captain Frank and Cruise Director Ilcy(sp?) have been great communicators. 
 

When you do get on, know that there is an amazing, helpful, and very positive crew onboard.

Communication has been great.  

I’m thinking we must be docking standard early morning as they gave out that WiFi to change flights and other plans but if we all change assuming morning arrival and it’s not that means additional changes for people.  That would really be terrible and a nightmare PR  considering so many people don’t carry insurance and Sunday flights are typically more money, let alone the cost of flights this close to flight date. 
 

I’m glad they made it 2 hours free WiFi to get things organized.

[Pattycruise]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

Are there any passengers trying to step in and help clean up? It'd be hard just to stand there and watch.

The cleanup in public areas was done last night.  I went out to the bars when they let us out of our cabin and all appeared normal-except for tied closed cabinets in the pub on 5. The guitarist there even played extra time after the pub closed ( maybe 15-20 people there)

 

[tjcruisers]

My wife was showing me some pictures from that cruise, seemed to get hit hard

 

[smokeybandit]

I'll be curious if anyone puts out any video of the wave as it was happening.

[GatorCruiser]

Thank you for the updates. 

[TessFromFlorida]

Glad you are OK @Pattycruise and @FloatyBoaty!

[Pattycruise]

34 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'll be curious if anyone puts out any video of the wave as it was happening.

There was no wave. Not sure who started that rumor as no one onboard has mentioned flooding cabins etc except for one person on deck 6 saying she had sand and seashells on her balcony.   Captain even came on to say it was wind and reiterated that today.  wind from the squall  knocked us sideways

[FloatyBoaty]

2 hours ago, GatorCruiser said:

My wife and I are scheduled to be on the post transatlantic sailing on 11/14. So our cruise will be effected. We are waiting on Royal to make announcement on options. Major bummer for sure. We may still fly in the day before and just go to key west and maybe catch another sailing that Saturday 11/17. We shall see. Crap happens. 

@GatorCruiser we were told about an hour ago that we will receive letters from “the home office” later this afternoon, so hopefully they’ll have info for you as well 

[WAAAYTOOO]

@FloatyBoaty and @Pattycruise, so glad to hear that you and your traveling parties are uninjured.  What a frightening experience !

Frankly, I don't think 2 hours of "free" internet is sufficient.  IMO they should just make the internet complimentary for the rest of this [ill-fated] cruise for everyone.  It's no one's fault...I'm not trying to ascribe any blame....but the cruise line should make it much more convenient for those (that would be everyone ?) affected to let their family at home know they are ok...or not, if that's the case...and to make their [now very complicated] arrangements for getting home. 

Glad to hear that things are getting cleaned up, but as @Pattycruise noted, the provisions have been significantly affected and they're going to have to do some big time compromises.

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful rest of your journey !

[DoomSlayer]

Glad you are safe.  Hopefully the worst is behind you.

[RCIfan1912]

Was the ship in any actually danger of a catastrophe? Explorer was our honeymoon ship and our first "mega" ship that now would be considered small. We will always have a fondness for her.

[Pattycruise]

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

@FloatyBoaty and @Pattycruise, so glad to hear that you and your traveling parties are uninjured.  What a frightening experience !

Frankly, I don't think 2 hours of "free" internet is sufficient.  IMO they should just make the internet complimentary for the rest of this [ill-fated] cruise for everyone.  It's no one's fault...I'm not trying to ascribe any blame....but the cruise line should make it much more convenient for those (that would be everyone ?) affected to let their family at home know they are ok...or not, if that's the case...and to make their [now very complicated] arrangements for getting home. 

Glad to hear that things are getting cleaned up, but as @Pattycruise noted, the provisions have been significantly affected and they're going to have to do some big time compromises.

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful rest of your journey !

They announced an additional 2 hours of free WiFi. -still inadequate.  A big issue are many older folks are calling their airline and on hold for super lengthy times.  A friend assisted a couple who were having great difficulty rescheduling flights. I happened along and said they should be getting $200 in some form Re: domestic flights-but that letter is not out.  It took my friend 1.5 hrs to get them setup as they couldn’t find confirmation, apps needed to be updated, credit card issues-if you name it this couple struggled with it. Royal was useless for them and does not have the ability, nor the time, to help each person/family with their travel and all other rescheduling

 

[Gadget Hackwrench]

Well the ship certainly suffered bar damage. All that amazing wasted alcohol saddens me deeply.

[FloatyBoaty]

they have announced an additional 5 hours of internet time, so it’s up to 9 hours total now. Still no additional information/ letter from corporate yet.

we are to dock in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria tomorrow for medical transfers, bring on provisions, and get fuel. 

the crew continues to amaze -bar and dinner service is as if nothing at all happened. 

@rclfan1912- Captain took an immediate turn to get the wind off our broadside and stop the tilt,  as you can see in the cruise tracker. He said we were safe, but was that just after the fact and what the initial real level of danger was - I’m not qualified to say. We felt safe enough, but some people did run for their life jackets. 

[RCIfan1912]

40 minutes ago, Gadget Hackwrench said:

Well the ship certainly suffered bar damage. All that amazing wasted alcohol saddens me deeply.

My first cruise with my GF at the time, wife now was on the Crown princess that healed, if that's the right word in calm water just after leaving Port Canaveral. It was really, really scary. I remember walking up hill today get into the hallway. Everything toppled and pool water was rushing down the elevator shafts. Absolutely terrifying. That was first cruise. Scary but didn't deter me, just moved on to Royal Caribbean. 

By the way it was operator error in that case. One of the officers panicked over something they were reading on the instruments and actually took the little tiny wheel they still have but never use. 

[RCIfan1912]

8 minutes ago, FloatyBoaty said:

they have announced an additional 5 hours of internet time, so it’s up to 9 hours total now. Still no additional information/ letter from corporate yet.

we are to dock in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria tomorrow for medical transfers, bring on provisions, and get fuel. 

the crew continues to amaze -bar and dinner service is as if nothing at all happened. 

@rclfan1912- Captain took an immediate turn to get the wind off our broadside and stop the tilt,  as you can see in the cruise tracker. He said we were safe, but was that just after the fact and what the initial real level of danger was - I’m not qualified to say. We felt safe enough, but some people did run for their life jackets. 

Holy cow, that does sound scary. These ships are very resilient and safe. Over engineered. What we consider deadly or unsafe is not reality most of the time. I went through a similar situation but in calm water. See my post I list made. 

[RCCLNYMETS41]

About Your Upcoming Travels  Dear Guest, We have an important update to share with you regarding our upcoming Explorer of the Seas, November 14, 2024, sailing. Due to our previous sailing’s delay in arriving at PortMiami, our sailing will now take place on Sunday, November 17, 2024. Please know, our return to PortMiami is fluid, and once our times are finalized, we’ll send you an email with your updated check-in times. Additionally, as a result of this change, we’ve adjusted our visits to our ports of call. We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change. Feel free to use this information for insurance purposes. Please see our updated itinerary below. Date Day Port of Call Arrive Depart 11/17/24 Sun Miami, Florida   5:00 PM 11/18/24 Mon Cruising     11/19/24 Tue Cruising     11/20/24 Wed Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis 8:00 AM 5:00 PM 11/21/24 Thu San Juan, Puerto Rico 7:00 AM 2:00 PM 11/22/24 Fri Labadee, Haiti 10:00 AM 6:00 PM 11/23/24 Sat Cruising     11/24/24 Sun Miami, Florida 7:00 AM   Compensation Details To make up for this last-minute change and because we’re cutting our sailing short by three (3) days, we’re providing you with: A prorated refund of three (3) days of your Cruise Fare paid as an Onboard Credit, plus an extra one for the inconvenience, for a total of four (4) days refund. Additionally, to give us another opportunity to make it up to you – we’ll be providing you with a pro-rated refund of three (3) days as an Onboard Credit for your daily packages (Beverage, Dining, VOOM) and pre-paid gratuities. All Onboard Credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any remaining refundable amounts at the end of our sailing will be refunded to the card on file up to 14 business days from final disembarkation. Shore Excursions Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Castries, St. Lucia and St. Johns, Antigua, will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. Our Shore Excursions team will automatically reschedule any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions affected by this change. In the meantime, feel free to browse all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in My Royal Cruise to plan your time in port. Flights & Travel Guests who booked flights and/or transfers through Royal Caribbean International that have been impacted will have arrangements rescheduled for them automatically. Our teams will provide you with your updated transfer details via email. If you’ve pre-purchased your air and transfers independently, please reach out to your carrier to arrange alternate accommodations. We’ll reimburse any travel change fees up to $200 USD for domestic travel and $400 USD for international travel. Please send your receipts to royalguestrelations@rccl.com for review and reimbursement.  Include EX 11/14/24 and your Booking ID in the subject line, and in the email body include the last four digits of the preferred card. If your preferred card was not used on the booking, please provide a contact number, as we’ll need the full card information from you.  Loyalty You’ll receive loyalty points for the original sail nights, instead of the nights sailed. For this sailing, you’ll still receive ten (10) nights’ worth of loyalty points. This situation continues to evolve, and we’re committed to keeping you informed with any new update every step of the way. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you onboard Explorer of the Seas this Sunday, November 17th. Sincerely, Royal Caribbean International

[RCCLNYMETS41]

I received a text & then the above email.

[GatorCruiser]

So stoked , when life gives you lemons you make lemonade. Wife and I are staying in key west for 2 days at a hotel we stayed at in 2011 that we absolutely loved then 2 days in Miami before the Sunday November 17 departure. Royal taking care of business, getting full 10 days of points for 7 day cruise plus a bunch of refundable OBC. We will have 2 vacations in one. Let’s go !!!

[smokeybandit]

6 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Was the ship in any actually danger of a catastrophe

The ship itself probably enjoyed the ride. The people and its stuff, not so much 

[silentfaith]

Wife and I are going on this cruise, not happy about 7 days instead of 10 as we like 10 days or more cruises.

Now we wonder about how many folks that booked this cruise are cancelling and if Royal will something for them.

[JimnKathy]

On 11/8/2024 at 6:29 PM, smokeybandit said:

The ship itself probably enjoyed the ride. The people and its stuff, not so much 

Now THIS is funny! 

[SPS]

On 11/8/2024 at 3:03 PM, Gadget Hackwrench said:

Well the ship certainly suffered bar damage. All that amazing wasted alcohol saddens me deeply.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MHoelscher]

Wife & I are scheduled on next EOS cruise originally planned to depart on 14th. Now told it will be 7 days leaving Sunday 17th. Any update from current passengers on ETA into Miami?  

[GatorCruiser]

Explorer is about half way to Miami. We should be good for Sunday departure 

[Pattycruise]

8 hours ago, MHoelscher said:

Wife & I are scheduled on next EOS cruise originally planned to depart on 14th. Now told it will be 7 days leaving Sunday 17th. Any update from current passengers on ETA into Miami?  

Captain announced yesterday we are coming behind a storm the day before we get to Miami.  I don’t know what that means.  He’s never given a firm arrival time into Miami.  Today I asked about disembarkation procedures for Pinnacles and was told they still don’t have the info as to when we will arrive in Port to start disembarkation so they can’t send out instructions.

Friday they will have the back to back meeting for those staying on for the next leg.  Maybe they’ll have better info then