Texas Oil Spill Impacts Cruise Ships

An aerial photograph of the staging area for oil spill response operations
occurring at the Texas City Dike, March 23, 2013. The efforts are the
result of a collision between the bulk carrier Summer Wind and the Kirby
Barge 27706, which occurred Saturday, in the Houston Ship Channel.
(U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery)

Port of Galveston 

While the Port of Galveston is open, the U.S. Coast Guard had closed the shipping lane and restricted traffic in the area.

UPDATE: March 24, 2014   4:00 PM (Source:  John Heald Carnival Sr. Cruise Director) Carnival Magic to undergo hull cleaning due to oil spill Moving to another pier to allow Carnival Triumph to disembark / embark passengers Carnival Triumph embarkation 8 PM UPDATE: March 24, 2014   Noon Carnival Magic, Carnival Triumph and Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas are all being held at the Galveston port. Magic and Navigator of the Seas were scheduled to depart yesterday, while Triumph was supposed to leave today. Princess' Caribbean Princess has now been stuck in Houston's Bayport terminal since Saturday.

Update 5: Texas City “Y” incident response

Update 3: Texas City "Y" incident response

The Bolivar ferry remains closed to traffic, and a safety zone, established on Saturday to ensure the well-being of response workers and prevent the further spread of oil, has been extended from lighted buoy 40 to lighted buoy 3 on the Houston Ship Channel. This safety zone restricts the transit of vessels not involved in the response from entering the area.

Coast Guard officials did allow two cruise ships to travel through the incident area by late afternoon to minimize inconvenience to the thousands of passengers aboard and limit economic impacts from the spill. However, neither vessel will be allowed to leave the port again until deemed safe to do so.

Persons with questions regarding the cruise ships’ transit plans are urged to contact those individual cruise lines for specific information.

There are several response vessels on site attempting to protect the environment from this spill.
Read More

References:

U.S. Coast Guard

Port of Galveston

Perhaps it is ironic, but this incident occurred just 2 days prior to the 25th Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Here is a video published by Greenpeace:
The United States of Oil Spills (25th Anniversary of Exxon Valdez)

Cruise Itineary Changes Due to Matthew

NHC Experimental Graphic TS Matthew  (click for latest)

Tropical Storm Matthew is producing heavy rainfall in Central America.  Carnival Cruise Line has altered several itineraries as a result of this storm.   We will continue to bring you updates from Carnival and other cruise lines as they become available.    Since these advisories can occur at any time, we have also included links so that you can see if the information has been updated.

For details about the storm itself, see related blog post:

Tropical Storm Matthew Prompts Hurricane Warnings

Carnival Cruise Line :  (click for latest update)


TROPICAL WEATHER UPDATE 
SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 – 6:00 PM
We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Matthew which has developed in the Gulf of Mexico.  Based on the current information, we will be making changes to the following itineraries to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests.

Carnival Cruise Line Itinerary Changes
Carnival Destiny: Day    Port                         Arrive        Depart  Sat     Miami                                       4:00PM Sun    Fun Day at Sea Mon   Grand Cayman     7:00AM    4:00PM Tue    Ocho Rios             7:30AM    3:30PM Wed   Fun Day at Sea Thu    Miami                     8:00AM	Carnival Elation: Day    Port                         Arrive        Depart Sat     Mobile                                      4:00PM Sun    Fun Day at Sea Mon    Freeport               11:00AM   6:00PM Tue    Key West               9:00 AM    5:00PM Wed   Fun Day at Sea Thu    Mobile                   8:00 AM
Carnival Freedom: Day   Port                            Arrive      Depart  Sat    Ft. Lauderdale                         4:00PM Sun   Fun Day at Sea Mon   San Juan                 5:00PM   Midnight Tue   St. Thomas              7:00AM    6:00PM Wed  Antigua                     7:00AM    6:00PM Thu   Tortola                       7:00AM   3:30PM Fri     Fun Day at Sea Sat    Nassau                     Noon      7:00PM Sun Ft. Lauderdale           8:00AM	Carnival Inspiration: Day   Port of Call                Arrive       Depart        Sat   Tampa                                         4:00PM Sun   Key West                   Noon    10:00PM Mon   Fun Day at Sea Tue   Grand Cayman         8:00AM   5:00PM Wed   Fun Day at Sea Thu   Tampa                       8:00AM
Carnival Liberty: Day   Port                             Arrive       Depart Sat    Miami                                          4:00PM Sun   Fun Day at Sea Mon  Ocho Rios                 9:30AM    5:30PM Tue   Grand Cayman         9:00AM   6:00PM Wed  Fun Day at Sea Thu   Cozumel                     8:00AM   5:00PM Fri      Fun Day at Sea Sat     Miami                         8:00AM	Carnival Triumph: Day   Port of Call                 Arrive       Depart        Sat    New Orleans                                4:00PM Sun   Fun Day at Sea Mon   Key West                   10:00AM    6:00PM Tue    Fun Day at Sea Wed  Isla Roatan                  8:00AM    6:00PM Thu   Cozumel                       9:00AM    5:00PM Fri      Fun Day at Sea Sat    New Orleans               8:00AM

In addition, all of Carnival’s other ships are operating the scheduled itineraries.

We will post updates on Carnival.com as new information becomes available.  Most importantly, we look forward to welcoming our guests onboard this weekend.

Links to other  Cruise Lines

MSC CRUISES: 


Norwegian Cruise Line:

Royal Caribbean International:  

Celebrity Cruises: 

Hurricane Ida Heads for Gulf of Mexico

Chart Courtesy of NOAA: 1200 PM EST (Ida) Wed Nov 8, 2009 (click for udated chart)

<more details>

Hurricane Ida

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

900 AM CST MON NOV 09 2009... IDA WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM...

900 AM CST TUE NOV 10 2009... IDA BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL... ALL WARNINGS DISCONTINUED...

Mobile and New Orleans Port Closures

Impacts Carnival Cruises

Tropical Storm IDA, which at one point was a Category Two Hurricane, entered the Gulf of Mexico Sunday afternoon. This is the first storm of the season to track into this region. Tropical Storm watches are warnings are posted for the Gulf Coast region.

As a service to my clients and my blog readers, we'll provided continual updates on tropical storms and any cruise line advisories that are posted. For convenience, RSS feeds are also added so that you can get up-to-date information between posts. <NHC Active Storms>

The NHC has issued its final advisory on this system. Public Advisories from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center will provide updates as long as the system remains a flood threat.
PublicAdvisory #39 1000 AM EST Friday, November 13, 2009

UPDATE: 900 AM CST TUE NOV 10 2009... IDA BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL... ALL WARNINGS DISCONTINUED... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 35 MPH... 55KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IDA HAS LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DIMINISH DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO.

IDA TURNS NORTHWARD... SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL OVERNIGHT... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS IDA MOVES OVER COOLER WATERS PRIOR TO MAKING LANDFALL... AND IS EXPECTED TO MERGE WITH A FRONTAL ZONE ON WEDNESDAY.

IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES... THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING FROM THE EASTERN GULF COAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INTO THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC STATES.

WATER LEVELS ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SHOULD GRADUALLY BEGIN TO SUBSIDE DURING THE DAY.

THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM. This also ends our coverage of this tropical storm.

Local Weather Statements

404 PM CST MON NOV 9 2009

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

<more details> <click for updated chart>

<NWS - Local Weather>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm

Updates / Itinerary Changes

The following are links to the most recent advisory posted by the respective cruise line. As we learn of changes, this post will be updated.

This storm isn't as predictable as others so far this hurricane season. As you can see from the real-time tracking link below, there are a number of ships in the area that could be affected by Ida depending on the track it takes over the next few days.

<CARNIVAL> <Norwegian Cruise Line> <Royal Caribbean>

CARNIVAL TROPICAL UPDATE - November 9, 2009
We are closely monitoring the progress of Hurricane IDA. All of our ships are currently operating at a safe distance from the storm. Our number one priority is the safety of our guests and crew.
Due to the impact from the storm and the related port closures in New Orleans and Mobile, we will modify the following itineraries:

Carnival Triumph – November 10, 2009 Departure
The 4 day cruise scheduled to depart on Tuesday, November 10 will be changed to a 3 day cruise departing on Wednesday, November 11. The scheduled call in Cozumel will be cancelled. Guests that sail on the 3 day cruise will receive a 50% refund of the cruise fare paid for the 4 day cruise.

Carnival Fantasy - November 10, 2009 Departure
The 6 day cruise scheduled to depart on Tuesday, November 10 will be changed to a 5 day cruise departing on Wednesday, November 11. The scheduled call in Progresso will be cancelled and the calls in Cozumel and Costa Maya will be operated as scheduled. Guests that sail on the 5 day cruise will receive a one day pro-rated refund of the cruise fare paid for the 6 day cruise.
Additional updates will be provided if any new information becomes available.

PRINCESS CRUISES: Crown Princess (Nov 6, 2009)

Crown Princess will be rearranging the port calls on its November 7 itinerary to avoid Tropical Storm Ida. The ship will depart Fort Lauderdale as scheduled, and the new cruise itinerary will be as follows: Princess Cays; sea day; Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico; sea day; return to Fort Lauderdale.

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking:

<Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.

Tropical Storm Danny Forms in Atlantic

Map Courtesy of NOAA - (Danny) Position as of 11 AM Eastern, Wednesday

< Click for Updated Map > <NHC Active Storms>

Current Atlantic Tropical Storm Watch

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

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center is now tracking the fourth named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We will also monitor this storm and provide updates including any cruise itinerary changes that become necessary.

1100 AM EDT WED AUG 26 2009...THE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER EAST OF THE BAHAMAS BECOMES TROPICAL STORM DANNY...

UPDATE: 500 AM EDT SAT AUG 29 2009...DANNY RAPIDLY BECOMING ABSORBED BY AN EXTRA TROPICAL LOW... THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED ...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS... THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NHC ON THIS STORM....

LARGE SWELLS FROM THE EXTRA TROPICAL LOW ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE U.S. EAST COAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO....

Local Weather Statements

<More Details> <Warnings and 5-Day Cone >

<Bahamas Weather>

<Bermuda Weather Service>
<Baltimore, MD NWS> <Bayonne, NJ NWS>
<New York, NY NWS>

<Atlantic Canada Weather>
<Canadian Hurricane Centre>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm Updates

<CARNIVAL> <Norwegian Cruise Line> <Royal Caribbean> <Holland America>

(Aug 29) Carnival Cruise Line:
This storm has weakened significantly and we are not anticipating any itinerary changes at this time for the following cruise departures: Carnival Triumph departing from New York on August 29; and Carnival Pride departing from Baltimore on August 29.

The Carnival Miracle cruise that departed from New York on August 28 will visit Nassau on Monday, Half Moon Cay on Tuesday and Grand Turk on Wednesday.

(Aug 27) Carnival Cruise Line:
We are closely monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Danny. All of our ships are operating at a safe distance from the storm. Our number one priority is the safety and comfort of our guests and crew.

We are not anticipating any itinerary changes at this time including the following cruise departures: Carnival Miracle from New York on August 28; Carnival Triumph departing from New York on August 29; and Carnival Pride departing from Baltimore on August 29.



(Aug 29) Royal Caribbean International: At this time, no Royal Caribbean International itineraries are being affected by Tropical Storm Danny. (NO CHANGE FROM AUG 28TH STATEMENT)


(Aug 28) Royal Caribbean International:
At this time, no Royal Caribbean International itineraries are being affected by Tropical Storm Danny. Royal Caribbean will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will update this information again tomorrow, August 29 at noon.

Explorer of the Seas is scheduled to depart on Saturday, August 29, for its five-night sailing to the Caribbean. Earlier this week, Tropical Storm Danny showed some signs of unpredictability. However, the most recent weather forecasts available predict that the ship will be able to depart Cape Liberty and head south to Bermuda as scheduled.

(Aug 26) Royal Caribbean International:

Given the current location and projected path of Tropical Storm Danny, we are not altering the itinerary of any ship, and providing the following guidance regarding one sailing:

Ships sailing from Baltimore, Maryland Grandeur of the Seas, is scheduled to depart on Thursday August 27, for its nine-night sailing to the Caribbean. However, guests on this sailing are encouraged to monitor these updates for any possible modifications to the itinerary.

(Aug 26) Holland America: Regarding Tropical Storm Danny, we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to watch the storm's development.

Please note the following ship itinerary information:
ms Maasdam - Scheduled to turn in Boston on Saturday, August 29. No changes have been made to the published itineraries.
NOTE: There have been no other advisories made at this time.

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking: <Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.

Hurricane Bill Eyes Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Hurricane Bill's Next Target

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

Ongoing updates:

Keeping an Eye on Hurricane Bill / Cruise Ship Impact

As Hurricane Bill, now a Category One storm, continues its journey across the Atlantic, tropical storm and hurricane warnings and watches are posted and lifted as the danger passes.

Bermuda and the East Coast of the United States are relieved as Hurricane Bill stayed offshore. Bermuda was the first to be spared a direct hit. There were high winds and rain with some damage, but considering the strength of Hurricane Bill earlier in the week, things could have been much worse.

Residents of the East Coast of the United States had weekend plans at the beach foiled by the tropical storm, but again, except for some heavy rain and surf, Hurricane Bill didn't cause any real issues. Lifeguards in the area took drastic measures, closing beaches, to keep people safe from the swells and rip-currents which could be life-threatening if ignored.

Hurricane Bill has weekened substantially and, according to NOAA forecasts, may even lose all tropical storm characteristics within the next 24 hours. That will be very good news indeed.

Carnival Triumph cancelled its call in Saint John, New Brunswick, and will return to New York as scheduled on Monday. This change allowed the captain and crew to stay clear of Hurricane Bill and provide a safe cruise for the passengers.

Canada Weather Links: <Atlantic Canada Weather> <Canadian Hurricane Centre>

We will continue to provide updates (see above) until Hurricane Bill is only a memory. For those in the area of the tropical storm, stay safe by following guidance provided by local agencies.

Keeping an Eye on Hurricane Bill / Cruise Ship Impact

Map Courtesy of NOAA - (Bill) Position as of 11 AM Eastern, Sunday < Click for Updated Map >

Current Atlantic Tropical Storm Watch

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

<NHC Active Storms>

Tropical Storm Danny:

Tropical Storm Danny Forms in Atlantic

We have been tracking Hurricane Bill since Sunday and providing multiple updates each day. This is your one-stop source for cruise-related information and hurricane updates. Continue to monitor this post for updates.

The best defense against a hurricane is to be prepared. This post will continue to focus on regular updates on the storm and impact to the cruise lines. In my post, Hurricane Bill / Current Tropical Storms , I have included a Be Prepared Checklist.


For historical information on Hurricane Bill and Tropical Depressions Ana and Claudette, see my republished blog post: First Atlantic Tropical Storms 2009

UPDATE: 5AM AST Monday, Aug. 17 ...BILL NOW A HURRICANE...THE FIRST OF THE 2009 ATLANTIC SEASON...

UPDATE: 500 AM AST MON AUG 24 2009... BILL LOSES TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH ...

AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...ENVIRONMENT CANADA HAS DISCONTINUED ALLTROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR NEWFOUNDLAND...

GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. EVEN THOUGH BILL IS NO LONGER A TROPICAL CYCLONE...IT IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A LARGE AREA OF STORM AND GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.....

THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM CAN BE FOUND IN HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...UNDER AWIPS HEADER NFDHSFAT1 AND WMO HEADER FZNT01 KWBC

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

These swells will likely cause extremely dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents. Please consult statements issued by your local weather office.

Local Weather Statements

<More Details> <Warnings and 5-Day Cone >

<Bermuda Weather Service>

<Baltimore, MD NWS> <Bayonne, NJ NWS>

<New York, NY NWS>

<Atlantic Canada Weather>

<Canadian Hurricane Centre>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm Updates: <CARNIVAL> <Norwegian Cruise Line> <Royal Caribbean>

Note: These are the only Cruise lines with ships that were in potential danger from Hurricane Bill.
Holland America, Princess Cruises, Cunard, Celebrity Cruises, though in the area, have no announcements.
<Holland America>

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking: <Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Aug 21) The Carnival Triumph cruise that departed from New York on August 20 will cancel the scheduled call in Saint John. The ship will now navigate a safe course away from the storm and return to New York on Monday as scheduled.

We are not anticipating changes to any other itineraries at this time including the Carnival Triumph cruise departing from New York on August 24. We will update this information if any new information is available.

(Aug 19) For the Carnival Miracle cruise departing on August 20 from New York; and the Carnival Pride cruise departing on August 21 from Baltimore, we are not anticipating any changes to the itineraries for these cruises at this time. We will update this information if any new information becomes available.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Aug 21) Norwegian Spirit will depart Boston as scheduled August 21. Depending on the path of the storm, the ship may arrive later than scheduled into Bermuda. The ship's Captain will update the guests on board as to the specific arrival time in Bermuda once it has been determined.
At this time, we are anticipating that the August 23 sailings of Norwegian Dawn from New York and Norwegian Majesty from Baltimore will depart as scheduled.
(Aug 19) Norwegian Cruise Line announced the following itinerary changes: Because of the current path of Hurricane Bill which is forecasted to pass near Bermuda on Friday, August 21, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Majesty will depart Bermuda earlier than scheduled, leaving at 5 pm on Thursday, August 20.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Given the current location and projected path of Hurricane Bill, we are altering the itinerary of one ship , and providing the following guidance regarding one sailing:

Ships sailing from the Cape Liberty

Explorer of the Seas, which departs Cape Liberty on Thursday, August 20, will sail a revised itinerary, with its ports of call simply reordered. The ship will visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday; Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Monday; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Tuesday; and Kings Wharf, Bermuda, Thursday.

Ships sailing Baltimore, Maryland

Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to depart on Saturday, August 22, for its five-night sailing to Bermuda. However, guests on this sailing are encouraged to monitor these updates for any possible modifications to the itinerary.

Additional Updates will be posted as information becomes available

Staying Prepared

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

My other blog articles on Hurricane Bill:

Hurricane Bill / Current Tropical Storms (includes a Be Prepared Checklist)

First Atlantic Tropical Storms 2009 (historical notes on Hurricane Bill and the first 2009 storms)

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.

Carnival Triumph - Great Cities Theme

Carnival Triumph - Ship Decor

While on our recent Canada & New England cruise aboard Carnival Triumph, I learned that the theme for the ship is "Great Cities". In looking at the decor throughout the ship, I might have thought it was "Around the Globe" or "The World" since the globe theme appears throughout the public areas.

When you look at the names of the various public spaces, the theme does start to take shape. The two dining rooms are called London and Paris. The main show lounge is the Rome Lounge. Another entertainment venue is Club Rio Lounge. You can enjoy a drink and cigar in the Oxford Bar or perhaps curl up with your favorite book in Washington Library. Those are just a sample of the "Great Cities" represented on Carnival Triumph.

Decor of a ship contributes to the overall atmosphere during your cruise experience. Modern cruise ships are brightly decorated often, with abstract art throughout the vessel. In ages gone by, the ships were decorated with exquisite wood and often times the decor was very dark. Cruise lines spend a large portion of the new ship budget bringing their vision to life.

The next time you are onboard a ship, take a look at the decor and see if you can determine the ship's theme. Take some time, perhaps on one of the sea days, to walk around the ship and enjoy the various art that is displayed throughout the ship. This may open up an entirely new aspect to your cruise experience.

Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax

TITANIC - Halifax Connection

The RMS Titanic was a British steamliner built by the White Star Line. For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. It employed the latest technology available at the time and was thought to have been "unsinkable". Unfortunately, as you know, that wasn't the case.

The Titanic left Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912, with 2,200 passengers and crew onboard. This was the maiden voyage of this amazing new steamship. Four days after leaving Southampton, the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. Over 1500 people perished making it one of the most deadly peacetime disasters in history. The high casualty rate was later believed to be due to the insufficient number of lifeboats onboard, something that has been corrected in modern day cruise liners.

The White Star Line chartered several ships to assist in recovery efforts following the sinking of the Titanic. Two Halifax-based ships, the MacKay-Bennett and the Minia, were part of that recovery fleet. The ships' crews recovered 328 bodies, with 209 being returned to Halifax. The badly damaged or deteriorated bodies were buried at sea. Of the 119 buried at sea, 60 were unidentified at the time and 49 remain unidentified today. The last survivor of the Titanic sinking, Millvina Dean, died on May 31, 2009, at a nursing home near Southampton, England (not far from where her and her family boarded the ill-fated ship) at the age of 97.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has an extensive exhibit, Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, which was recently updated. The exhibit has 20 artifacts and dozens of photographs, including many that had never been published or displayed before. Two well known articles in the exhibit are the only intact Titanic deck chair and the shoes of the Titanic unknown child. Consult the museum's Research Page for more Titanic information.

Besides the exhibit at the museum, visitors to Halifax can also visit the graves of the Titanic victims buried there. Read more

It is possible to walk to the Maritime Musuem from the pier. It is just along the boardwalk. There is a Visitor Information Centre right next door to the museum, where you can obtain maps and other information about local attractions. Watch our Cruise Vacations pages for more photos from our cruise.

Silva - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Canadian Tall Ship - Silva

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

This was our second visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia. During our last visit, we visited Peggy's Cove Lighthouse. If this is your first visit to Halifax, I would highly recommend you tour the lighthouse. You can get a special cancellation from the post office there. Peggy's Cove Lighthouse is a bit weathered, but it will get a new paint job in 2009.

We decided to do something different this visit. Carnival offerred the Canadian Tall Ship Sailing Experience tour. We were able to experience the historic seaport from a unique perspective aboard the tall ship Silva for an approximate 1½ - hour sail. We were entertained by the Captain and crew as they shared some interesting anecdotes of Halifax Harbour. It was even possible for some hands on sailing experience.

The weather was overcast with some rain as we pulled out into the harbour. The Silva has a canopy that covers a large portion of the deck, so the rain didn't bother us. As we left the dock we were able to get pictures of our ship and also the Royal Caribbean ship that was docked in Halifax. We passed by the Canadian Naval yard where there were several ships docked. It is actually a NATO port, so you never know what ships might be in the harbour. The captain pointed out several sights along the boardwalk including Casino Nova Scotia.

There are other options to see Halifax from the Harbour. I know it sound strange going from one ship to another, but Halifax is best seen from the water. Following your harbour tour, you can then move inland to visit the various popular attractions. The boardwalk was our destination of choice as the rainy weather kept us from venturing too far from the ship. I'll talk about that more in another post.

Greetings from Saint John, NB

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Our first port of call was Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, not to be confused with St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick. It is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River.

This was the first time we visited this particular port in Atlantic Canada. While doing our research for this cruise, we learned about the Reversing Falls which is the most popular attraction in Saint John. The mighty Bay of Fundy causes the Saint John River to reverse direction twice every day and flow upstream. It is recommended to view the Falls twice - near low tide and near high tide. Tide charts can help you plan your visit.

The pictures above on the left were taken at high tide around noon. The pictures to the right were taken around 3:30 PM at low tide. Notice that the ship was about 14 feet lower in the second set of pictures.

Saint John is a port that you could tour on your own if you liked. There are tours for sale in the cruise terminal. I have to caution you that they could be sold out, however. We were booked on a Bay of Fundy Coastal Photography tour through Carnival, but we did ask about tours that were available. At that time, the only tour that was left was a San Francisco-style trolley tour . That tour is 1 hour and 15 minutes long with photo stops at the Reversing Falls Rapids, Historic Trinitiy Royal, and Fort Howe where you would be able to view your ship.

There are shops in a tented building adjacent to the pier. There is a good selection of merchandise and the prices are reasonable. The nice thing is that they accept U.S. dollars, so you don't need to exchange money. The vendors we bought from provided change in U.S. dollars also.

My husband has uploaded some pictures of the Carnival Triumph in the Port of Saint John. See his Saint John - Arrival / Departure photo album. We'll be posting more pictures as we continue our cruise review.

Happy Father's Day

Greetings from the Atlantic. We are onboard Carnival Triumph for a cruise to Canada and New England. We arrived at New York LGA airport yesterday where we then took a cab to the Manhattan Terminal. We arrived around 1 PM and by 2 PM we were onboard having some lunch.

The weather in New York was gloomy and raining as we sailed out of New York Harbour. It didn't matter - it is still wonderful sailing past the Statue of Liberty.

Today we are enjoying Father's Day at sea. The weather is still gloomy, but it isn't stopping us from having a good time.

One of the first things we did yesterday after getting something to eat was to take the spa tour. We both booked massages including a free hot stone treatment on the back. They were offering specials during the spa tours.

I'll write more later in the week. I hope all the fathers have a great Father's Day today. Hopefully you'll have a cruise vacation as a gift. If you still got the usual tie, you might want to drop a hint for your birthday or next holiday.