Welcome Aboard Allure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Allure of the SeasSM Day 1

First in a series of articles about our 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Allure of the Seas. Virtually tour with us as we explore the Allure of the Seas and all she has to offer.  We'll highlight some of our adventures on land and sea during the week. 

Allure of the Seas & Emerald Princes - Ft. Lauderdale

Waking early Sunday morning, we went out on our hotel balcony to see the  Allure of the Seas and Emerald Princess completing their docking maneuvers.  Soon we would be onboard the Allure for our National Conference cruise.

We left the Hyatt Ft. Lauderdale hotel around 10:45 AM with another agent couple. After returning their rental car, the shuttle took all of us to Pier 66, which is within sight of the hotel.  We had to wait while for the shuttle, so we got to the pier around 11:30 AM.   By noon we were onboard the ship.


Embarkation Process

Most of you are aware that Allure of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world at present.  She and her sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, are the latest ships in Royal Caribbean International's fleet.   Allure is coming up on her one year anniversary, while Oasis celebrates her second birthday this year.  Fully loaded, these ships accommodate around 6,000 passengers.  Allure sailed at full capacity for our sailing.

The amazing thing is that Royal Caribbean guarantees that you won't have a long wait for embarkation.   This was our second cruise on Allure, and they delivered on their promise both times.  

We are Diamond members, which means there would be a special line for us at embarkation, but we didn't even need to go in that line.   After passing through security, we headed to the check-in lines where we were directed to a gentleman holding up his sign indicating that he was open and waiting for guests.  

The embarkation stations are grouped by deck making for a very efficient process.  After giving the check-in agent our completed paperwork, showing our passports, providing the credit card for onboard purchases, and having our picture taken for our cabin keys, we were off for our first photo opportunity, the Welcome Aboard photo.  He had given us our cabin keys, The Cruise Planner (pictured above), and a fold-up pocket guide map of the ship.   These can be very useful throughout the ship, but if you read our past article, Navigating the Allure of the Seas, you'll discover that there are more efficient ways to find your way around.

Getting Onboard

After our photo, we gathered our carry-on bags and headed to the gangway.   We showed our cabin key several times, including having it scanned, and then we were headed up the gangway to the Allure's entrance.  At the top of the gangway, it's time to sanitize your hands and step aboard the ship.  Cabins weren't ready for occupancy, so it was time to explore the open public areas.

What's the first thing you do when you get onboard - read our next article to see what we did on Allure of the Seas...

First Tropical Storm Forms in Atlantic

5-Day Forecast Cone for Tropical Storm Alex (Credit: NOAA NHC)

Click for Current 5-Day Graphic

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

1000 AM CDT WED JUN 30 2010

...ALEX HAS NOT STRENGTHENED YET...BUT FORECAST TO DO SO TODAY... 

Alex is now Category 1 Hurricane

The first Tropical Depression of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season became the first named Tropical Storm and is forecast to become the first Hurricane most likely before the end of Tuesday, June 29th.

NASA Data Sees Alex's Core Aligned, Growing Toward Hurricane Strength

An additional concern with this Tropical Storm is that it might hamper cleanup efforts of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse   Deepwater Horizon / BP Oil Spill Press Releases

Credit GOES-13 NASA (more info)

When we began tracking Alex, there were three active storms.  The two storms in the East Pacific, Hurricane Celia and Hurricane Darby became TS Celia and TS Darby and are no longer threats.  

For complete up to the minute information on this developing storm, click on the RSS feeds in the left navigation pane of this blog.   We will provide updates periodically as conditions warrant. NHC issuing advisories on TS ALEX

Current Watches & Warnings

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR

* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO
 

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED
36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE
PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS 
ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.

ADDITIONAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED 

Local Weather

Belize:  (Weather Underground)    Honduras: (Weather Underground)   
Mexico: (Maps of Mexico)           Texas: (NWS Austin)

Discussion & Outlook

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION (30 JUN)

LOCATION...23.8N 95.5W
ABOUT 145 MI...235 KM E OF LA PESCA MEXICO
ABOUT 190 MI...310 KM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH...130 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...961 MB...28.38 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  ALEX IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE BUT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE PRIOR TO LANDFALL. A GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN AFTER
THE CENTER CROSSES THE COASTLINE.

ALEX IS A LARGE CYCLONE AND THE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD
UP TO 60 MILES...95 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM PRIMARILY TO THE
NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL...ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN
TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES.  THESE RAINS
COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...
ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.  RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH ALEX
ARE SPREADING ONSHORE IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS.

WIND...HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST WITHIN
THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA TONIGHT. HOWEVER...TROPICAL STORM WINDS
SHOULD BEGIN SOON...MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR
DANGEROUS.

STORM SURGE...A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST
TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.  THE SURGE COULD
PENETRATE INLAND AS FAR AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE WITH DEPTH
GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE WATER MOVES INLAND.  NEAR THE COAST...
THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.

TORNADOES...ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHERN TEXAS TODAY AND TONIGHT.

There are no cruise ships in the immediate vicinity of Alex

Carnival Legend departed Sunday on a 7-night Western Caribbean that includes Honduras and Belize.  Based on the itinerary and the storms predicted path, there shouldn't be any changes to that cruise, but we will monitor this developing storm.

As always, Carnival Cruise Line will monitor the storm and make any necessary adjustments in schedules to protect ships, passengers, and crew.    No advisories are issued at this time.  The following link would have any updates:  Carnival Travel Advisory

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
Tropical Storm ALEX	National Hurricane Center
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (ATL)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (Atlantic)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

Historical Updates:

700 PM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...ALEX NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH...HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE APPROACHING

THE CENTER...

700 AM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT FINDS ALEX MOVING FASTER TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST...

1000 AM CDT SUN JUN 27 2010
...ALEX WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION...EXPECTED TO RESTRENGTHEN
OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO... 

1000 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010...ALEX MOVING INLAND OVER BELIZE...
 

400 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...AIR FORCE PLANE FINDS A STRONGER ALEX...WEATHER DETERIORATING
FAST IN BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...

700 AM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...ALEX HEADING TOWARD BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
(26 JUN) Tropical Depression ONE  has formed into the first named storm of the Atlantic 2010 Hurricane Season. We began watching this storm last night and it has become Tropical Storm Alex overnight.  It is currently 320  miles east of Belize.  On the current track, the storm is expected to reach the Yucatan Peninsula later today.

How Does Oil & Hurricanes Mix

Approaching Hurricane Season

Brings New Oil Spill Concerns

June 1st is the official start of the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season which runs through November 30th.  As you may know, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office of Response and Restoration has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill from the start.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has just released the NOAA 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook which calls for a 85% chance of an above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic region.

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

As the start of the hurricane season approaches, there are many concerns about the impact of a hurricane interacting with the oil spill.   NOAA scientists have prepared a document which addresses the following questions:

• What will happen to a hurricane that runs through this oil slick?
• What will the hurricane do to the oil slick in the Gulf?
• Will the oil slick help or hurt a storm from developing in the Gulf?
• Will the hurricane pull up the oil that is below the surface of the Gulf?
• Have we had experience in the past with hurricanes and oil spills?
• Will there be oil in the rain related to a hurricane?

Their analysis can be found in the following document:
Hurricanes and the Oil Spill: A Factsheet and Frequent Questions

In general, the oil slick isn't expected to have a significant impact on the hurricane.  The track of the hurricane and other factors would determine  the movement of oil from the slick and whether the biodegradation process might be accelerated by the hurricane.

Continual monitoring is needed since the details of the evolution of the storm, the track, the wind speed, the size, the forward motion and the intensity are all unknowns at this point and may alter this general statement.

We will continue to monitor both the oil spill and any developing tropical cyclone reporting details to help you be prepared for your cruise vacation during hurricane season.

Continue reading my series on hurricane preparedness as this week of preparation draws to a close.

Ungoing Efforts to Contain Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill

VENICE, La. -- Boom put in place to protect sensitive areas from the oil discharge from the Deepwater Horizon/BP incident, protects the shores of North Breton Island, La., which is a nesting ground for endangered birds, May 20, 2010. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with state and local agencies to protect the Louisiana bird population. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Lehmann.  View More Photos | Flickr

Cleanup / Containment Continues

President Obama announced that he has signed an executive order establishing the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling with former two-term Florida Governor and former Senator Bob Graham and former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William K. Reilly serving as co-chairs.  The bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is tasked with providing recommendations on how we can prevent—and mitigate the impact of—any future spills that result from offshore drilling.

At the direction of the President, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will visit Louisiana on Monday to inspect the ongoing response to the BP oil spill, accompanied by a bipartisan Senate delegation.   The delegation will conduct a flyover of the affected areas, discuss the latest response efforts in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast with federal and BP representatives, and meet with local community and industry leaders.

There are approximately 24,900 personnel currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife utilizing more than 1,100 vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts.  To date more than 1.52 million feet of containment boom and 560,000 feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 310,000 feet of containment boom and 1.27 million feet of sorbent boom are available.

Complete details can be found:  The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill

NOAA oceanographers continue to release updated trajectory maps showing the predicted trajectory of the oil slick.  Current Trajectory Maps.     There is growing concern that the oil will spread to the Loop Current (LC) so this situation is being closely monitored.


SUNDAY: EPA Administrator to Return to Gulf Region to oversee ongoing response to the BP oil spill


Many companies, local, and federal agencies are working closely together in response to this event.   For the latest information, consult the Joint Information Centre website.


U.S. EPA:  Federal Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
U.S. Coast Guard:    Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon Incident
NOOA:  Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico
Offshore Alabama     Update on the Oil Spill (Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce)
BP    Read the latest press release
NASA:  Earth Observatory Images 

Port of New Orleans. LA  
Port of Mobile, AL  
Carnival Cruise Line:  Travel Advisory (Port of Mobile) 
  
  

Update on Horizon Oil Spill

Graphic Courtesy of NOOA

This is an ongoing event - search for later blog posts or see links for updates

On April 20th a fire and explosion occurred in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deep Water Horizon.    The Horizon was engaged in drilling activity on behalf of BP at Mississippi Canyon Block 252, about 52 miles southeast of Venice, La.  Of the 126-member crew, 115 were safely evacuated. Despite exhaustive rescue efforts, eleven crew members lost their lives, nine of which were Transocean employees.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those families and to the entire community which is engaged in the response to this event.

Since that time, the world has watched as the equivalent of 5,000 barrels of oil a day continues to gush out into the Gulf.  Indications are that this could be the worst environmental disaster to date.  The difference between this incident and other oil spills is that the source of the oil flow comes from the ocean floor and will continue until it can be plugged.  In previous incidents, the source of oil was a container which would eventually be empty.

Many companies, local, and federal agencies are working closely together in response to this event.   For the latest information, consult the Joint Information Centre website.

We will continue to provide updates on this developing story and inform you of any impact to the cruise industry as well as the environmental impact.  

Resources & Updated News

U.S. EPA:  Federal Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
U.S. Coast Guard:    Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon Incident
NOOA:  Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico
Offshore Alabama     Update on the Oil Spill (Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce)
BP    Read the latest press release
NASA:  Earth Observatory Images

Updates for Cruise Ship Passengers 

So far, the ports of New Orleans and Mobile have not been impacted by the oil spill.  The Carnival Triumph is scheduled to arrive in the Port of New Orleans today and sail out again for their next cruise.  Carnival Cruise Line will continue to monitor this situation over the weekend to assess if there will be any disruption to the Carnival Fantasy cruise departing on Monday, May 3rd from Mobile, AL.

Port of New Orleans. LA    Mississippi River Ship Traffic Not Affected by Oil Spill

Carnival Cruise Line:  Travel Advisory (Port of Mobile)

Port of Mobile, AL    Press Release: Port of Mobile Open to Vessel Traffic