Royal Caribbean IRMA Humanitarian Deployments

Royal Caribbean

Ships Deployed

To Assist In

Wake of IRMA

This base image, courtesy NOAA, shows Hurricane IRMA approaching the U.S. Virgin Islands. As one of the most popular Caribbean cruise destinations, the devastation is truly saddening. Our thoughts and prayers go to all impacted by the hurricane, in the USVI, and all along its path. This update from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line makes me proud to be part of the cruise industry.

We have been updating the ever changing Cruise Ship Impact throughout this storm. The latest update from Royal Caribbean deserves special mention.

CLICK FOR COMPLETE LIST OF CRUISE CHANGES

UPDATE:  (26  Sep 17)  Royal Caribbean continues to provide humanitarian aid putting that ahead of normal operations.   In this latest update, Adventure of the Seas current cruise is being canceled to provide humanitarian assistance to ports hit by Hurricanes Irma & Maria. 

Royal Caribbean Itinerary Updates  (click for latest update)

September 26, 2017 at 11 AM EDT (next update tomorrow at 2 PM EDT)

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors in San Juan and the other affected islands as they rebuild after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

To learn more about our humanitarian efforts, click here.

The following sailing is being cancelled: 

Adventure of the Seas: September 30

Given the impact of Hurricane Maria, we are cancelling this cruise to utilize the ship for evacuation and humanitarian efforts. The ship will arrive on Wednesday, September 27 and will operate humanitarian calls in San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Croix to aid in the evacuation and donate critical supplies to each destination. The ship will bring evacuees to Fort Lauderdale before returning to San Juan on October 6 to prepare for the October 7th cruise.

September 9, 2017 at 2 PM EDT (next update at 6 PM EDT)

We are closely monitoring Hurricane Irma’s path and its potential impact to our current and upcoming sailings. Royal Caribbean’s Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, is closely tracking the storm’s progress, and the current forecast is as follows:

Hurricane Irma is a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose’s strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

We do not expect Hurricane Jose to have any impact on our upcoming sailings as this time.

We are mobilizing ships and supplies to help people in need. In coordination with the US and local governments we are dispatching ships to St. Thomas and St. Maarten and stand ready to assist Key West, Tampa and other locations.

Presently, Adventure of the Seas will make a humanitarian stop in St. Maarten on Sunday and Majesty of the Seas will make humanitarian calls in St. Thomas and St. Maarten to provide supplies and also assist in transporting evacuees in St. Maarten to safety. Additionally, we have Empress of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas ready to assist Key West and Tampa once the impact of the storm is known.

Norwegian Sky on IRMA Rescue Mission

Norwegian Sky

Deploying to  

St. Thomas USVI

This base image, courtesy NOAA, shows Hurricane IRMA approaching the U.S. Virgin Islands.  As one of the most popular Caribbean cruise destinations, the devastation is truly saddening.  Our thoughts and prayers go to all impacted by the hurricane, in the USVI, and all along its path.   This update from Norwegian Cruise Line makes me proud to be part of the cruise industry.

We have been updating the ever changing Cruise Ship Impact throughout this storm.   The latest update from Norwegian Cruise Line deserves special mention.

CLICK FOR COMPLETE LIST OF CRUISE CHANGES

Norwegian Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)


September 9th at 12:30 PM (4:30 PM UTC)

Norwegian Cruise Line is continuing to closely watch the forecasted path of major Hurricane Irma and respond as necessary to ensure the safety of our guests and crew. We have cancelled this week’s scheduled sailings aboard our two ships that depart from Miami, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Escape and both ships are currently navigating a safe course around the path of Hurricane Irma

Norwegian Escape is sailing at full capacity with approximately 4,000 displaced guests from both ships that were unable to secure flights back home. The ship is currently alongside in Cozumel, Mexico and will remain there until 7 a.m. Sunday, September 10. Guests who have secured flights home may disembark the ship in Mexico if they wish.

Due to the devastation in the Caribbean caused by Hurricane Irma, all of Norwegian Escape’s upcoming Eastern Caribbean sailings will be altered to a Western Caribbean itinerary until November. All guests scheduled to sail on any affected cruises will be notified of the change.

Acting as a responsible corporate citizen and supporting the destinations that our ships operate in is a core value of Norwegian Cruise Line. In the wake of this devastating storm, we will be deploying Norwegian Sky from her current position off the coast of Cancun to St. Thomas, USVI to retrieve approximately 2,000 travelers who were unable to evacuate the island prior to the storm.

The ship is departing immediately and will arrive in St. Thomas in the late evening hours on Monday, September 11. Norwegian Cruise Line is working closely with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and the Governor of St. Thomas to execute this rescue mission. When all designated vacation guests have boarded the ship, Norwegian Sky will sail back to her homeport of Miami and is expected to arrive on Thursday, September 14.

Tropical Storm Bertha 2nd in Atlantic Season

Tropical Storm BERTHA

Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft this afternoon and evening investigated the well-defined low pressure system located about 350 miles east-southeast of Barbados. Surface winds were measured between 40 and 45 MPH prompting Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings for several countries in the immediate path of the storm. Showers and thunderstorms, along with gale-force winds are expected in the area through Friday and additional warnings may be necessary. The storm is expected to track towards the Bahamas by early next week. We will continue to monitor this storm as it may be necessary to alter cruise ship itineraries depending on the strengthening of the storm.

(8/5) MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND
BERTHA IS LIKELY TO BECOME A POST-TROPICAL OR EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE
ON WEDNESDAY.

NHC issuing advisories on TS BERTHA and TS JULIO

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

Full coverage of this, and all tropical storms, can be found on our Hurricane Zone page.   There are RSS feeds from the National Hurricane Center posted there giving you up to the minute information.   For storms that impact cruises, we will bring you information on those details as well.  Please bookmark that page for further reference during the Hurricane Season which runs now through November 30th.

Tropical Storm BERTHA	500 PM EDT TUE AUG 05 2014 ...BERTHA MOVING NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD WELL OFFSHORE OF THE U.S. MID-ATLANTIC COAST...
WIND:	NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.
SHIP IMPACT:	No Further Cruise Ship Impact

     
Storm Archive       Graphics Archive

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN
THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 TO 36
HOURS.

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND 

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS.

RAINFALL...BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3
INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS
OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AS WELL THE TURKS AND CAICOS THROUGH
MONDAY.

Historical Notes:

1100 PM AST THU JUL 31 2014

...TROPICAL STORM BERTHA DEVELOPS EAST OF THE SOUTHERN LESSER
ANTILLES...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS AND WATCHES ISSUED...

200 AM AST SAT AUG 02 2014

...BERTHA RACING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA...

200 PM EDT SUN AUG 03 2014

...BERTHA MOVING NEAR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...INCLUDING THE ACKLINS...CROOKED
ISLAND...LONG CAY...THE INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA...AND THE RAGGED ISLANDS
* THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

Carnival Breeze, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor 

itineraries were impacted by TS Bertha. 

Bluebird's Castle Photo Spots

St. Thomas In-Focus
Photo Ops Bluebird's Castle

In our previous article, 4 St. Thomas Photo Stops, we spoke about turning a familiar destination, St. Thomas, into a new adventure via photography.  There were four locations we visited during an organized mini photography tour.  

Objective

The goal of this photography exercise is to capture each of the destinations in a unique way.   You may have seen other images of the destination, in the past.  What makes your image something interesting to the reader?   How does the image enhance your visit?

Bluebird's Main Building

When arriving at your destination, begin the hunt for subjects to add to your portfolio of Bluebird's images.  Castles make very interesting photos, so this is probably the first subject matter you'll start with.  In our previous article, we included a photo showing the castle.   Here is another image, but this time we zoomed in and framed the castle with a tree and some flowers making it more appealing.   You'll want to experiment with several different angles, focal lengths, different parts of the building, etc. to completely document the subject.

Surrounding Area

Bluebeard's Castle has a colorful history  dating back to the 17th century.  The town was fearful for its safety, so this castle was fortified with several cannons which are still present today.

The castle was built on the side of a mountain with a clear view of the surrounding landscape.  This makes the current resort the perfect location for panoramic views of St. Thomas.

Imagine you are at the castle back in the early days, by gazing at the town from the vantage point of one of the cannons, as we have done in this image.

Look Closely for Unique Images

These local inhabitants have one of the best views at the castle overlooking the bay.  They blend in with the tree, so they are also protected from any foe. 
 
To bring home unique images, you will want to use macro photography techniques to zero in on a subset of the world around you.  These iguanas and flowers make the perfect subjects for your photography.  You should have several different focal lengths, including telephoto.

 Click on any of these images
 to see larger versions




Arches, Framing & Vantage Points

These two images were captured in the same doorway at the castle, but the vantage point changed.  In the first image, we are looking into the gardens while in the second we are looking out at the sea.   Archways make interesting additions to your photos, so be on the lookout for opportunities to include them in your portfolio.

Which image do you like better?  Which one is more likely to be unique?

Photography Helps You "See" the World

It's always fun to look at two sets of vacations images, made by two different photographers.  We suspect there will be some common images, and those would be the same images you'd find in a travel magazine featuring popular attractions.   It is the differences that help you "see" the destination in an entirely different light.

These are only a few images we captured at Bluebeard's Castle in St. Thomas.   Keep in mind that there isn't "right or wrong" when it comes to photography.  There are "better or worse" images, mainly due to some common errors, such as hand-holding a camera in low light conditions.  Sometimes errors can make interesting images.

We've enjoyed putting this collection of images together to demonstrate how you can take a familiar destination and rekindle the fire you felt the first time you visited.   We'd welcome your feedback.

Meanwhile, you can Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

4 St. Thomas Photo Stops

St. Thomas In-Focus
"Seeing" a Familiar Destination 

If you cruise to the Caribbean often, odds are that you will return to familiar ports. When doing so, you are faced with several possibilities.

In this article, we'll suggest one idea for the photography enthusiast. You don't need to be a pro to accomplish the assignment.In this introductory article, we'll describe the tour and in subsequent articles, we'll look at the results.

About the Tour

We have been to St. Thomas before, so we decided to do a different type of shore excursion. We booked the St. Thomas In-Focus Photography Tour . We met our guide on the pier just after 9:00 AM and waited for the rest of our group to gather.

Our guide was a local photographer's assistant. The tour took us to several locations around St. Thomas which are known as photo spots. The favorite stop of the tour was the one at Magens Bay. While there I spotted a hawk overhead and my husband was able to get a beautiful shot of the hawk with wide-spread wings back-lit by the sun. We couldn't have asked for a better photo opportunity.

Throughout the tour, our guide would take pictures of us if we wanted. She'd also offer advice and answer any questions. This was a most enjoyable tour, quite different than any other shore excursion we've been on.

Paradise Point

Our first stop was at Paradise Point, St. Thomas Skyride which is located just minutes from downtown.  There are several vantage points and photo spots at this location, with some of the best views of St. Thomas.

Insider tip
Three tram cars always travel up the mountain together in a row. Your least-spectacular view will be from the middle car, because the windows on two of the four sides look directly into the surrounding tram cars. So for the best view on the ride up and down, get into the third car going up and the first car going down. The last car's view is definitely better than the middle car, too.

Bluebeard's Castle Resort

Bluebeard's Castle Resort is located in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the heart of St. Thomas.  The hotel has spectacular views of the surrounding area.  The grounds of the resort have a wealth of photo spots.  This wouldn't be a location on a typical shore excursion but I'm sure a local taxi driver could get you here if you wanted to venture off on your own instead of taking an organized tour like we did.

Mountain Top

World Famous Mountain Top is one of the most popular attractions in St. Thomas.  The view of Magens Bay above was captured from the observation deck as well as the hawk's picture.  This attraction is located at the top of St. Peter Mountain, 2100 feet above sea level. 

Besides having some of the most breath-taking views of the surrounding islands, you can also shop in its stores or enjoy one of the famous banana daiquiris or other beverage.

Find Your Beach

The Caribbean is known for its many shades of blue waters, but few places offer so many different views from which you can capture beach activity.   We don't recall the name of this particular beach.  It was not a very popular location which is perfect if you are seeking some photo opportunities without the clutter of too many people.  Be sure to have someone take your picture as well, with the sea as the background.

St. Thomas - Photographer's Paradise

You don't need to go on an organized tour to find photo spots like this, but having someone to offer advice and give you tips to take better photos at a fraction of the cost of a photography tour is well worth it.  Our local pro was Gary Felton.  Check out his website for some more inspiration.

Explore Under the Sea in St. Thomas

St. Thomas U.S.V.I.

Exquisite Above 

or Under the Sea

This image captured by us on one of our past trips to St. Thomas was taken from the world famous Mountain Top.   From there you can see all of the surrounding area and really get the true sense of how blue the waters really are.

St. Thomas is truly a Caribbean paradise which is featured on many Eastern Caribbean cruise itineraries.  On our most recent visit, during our Carnival Conquest cruise, we decided to explore under the sea, without even getting wet.

Coral World

Coral World (click for more pictures)

After a short cab ride from the pier, we arrived at Coral World St. Thomas.  It is the second marine park developed by Coral World International and incorporates the following attractions: Marine Museum, Shark, Stingray and Turtle Pools, Touch Pools, and naturally - The Underwater Observatory.   Now you know how we could explore under the sea without getting wet.

The park has been damaged by several hurricanes in the past.  The Underwater Observatory was undergoing some renovation when we were there this February.  

The cruise lines offer this as one of their excursions or you can take a cab there on your own.  The prices are pretty comparable but the difference is with a group you are set to a schedule while when on your own you can set your own pace and possibly include one of the optional activities, such as the SNUBA® adventure pictured here.

SNUBA® gives you complete freedom of movement and ease of breathing under water as the air tanks are located at the surface being carried on a raft.

After a short orientation a certified SNUBA guide will lead you and a group of no more than 4 people on your adventure to the shores of Coki Point where a beautiful coral reef thrives with a wide variety of sea life.

Planning on Visiting USVI?

If you are flying directly to St. Thomas you won't need a passport if you are a U.S. Citizen. Of course, if you plan to also visit other islands that aren't U.S. Territories, or if you are on a cruise, you will still need your passport.

There are plenty of things to do from dining, shopping, relaxing on a beach, to exploring the wonderful world under the sea as we have discussed here. Visit the U.S. Virgin Islands tourism page to learn more about the islands and what they have to offer.

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

Tip: There are several attractions near the ship's pier in St. Thomas.  You can venture off on your own if you prefer.

We'll continue with San Juan  and more about the ship in our next installments.   If you are just joining us, we have several articles in this mini-series already.   You can either page backwards or check our main article (click image).

Parasailing Excursions Suspended

Cruise Lines 

Suspend Parasailing Excursions

A tragic accident, during a ship-sponsored shore excursion, has prompted a federal and local investigation and put the popular water excursion on hold.

A 60 year old female passenger was parasailing in tandem with her 34 year old daughter in St. Thomas, USVI, when she fell to her death.  Her daughter, who was also injured, is recovering in a local hospital.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, strong gusts of winds in the area may have contributed to the accident.  The local parasail company has suspended operations voluntarily until the investigation is concluded.

The passengers involved were sailing on Celebrity Eclipse.  Both Celebrity Cruises and parent company, Royal Caribbean, suspended all parasailing shore excursions in the Caribbean following the accident.  Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines followed suit, cancelling those excursions in St. Thomas pending the outcome of the investigation.  All lines took this action "in the abundance of caution".

Additional Resources:

Professional Association of Parasail Operators 

US Coast Guard Prevention Blog

Parasail Safety Council

Tropical Storm Emily Fifth in Atlantic

Tropical Storm Emily Triggers Watches & Warnings

EMILY REGENERATES

500 PM EDT SAT AUG 06 2011

...EMILY REGENERATES AS A WEAK TROPICAL DEPRESSION...EXPECTED TO
MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS AND THE U.S. COAST SUNDAY... 

UPDATE 500 PM EDT SUN AUG 07 2011

...EMILY DISSIPATES AS A TROPICAL CYCLONE...THIS WILL BE THE FINAL
NHC ADVISORY...

 Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

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

 NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

On Saturday, July 30th, we began tracking a potential tropical storm that had formed 900 miles from the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea.  There was a strong probability that it could become a tropical cyclone as it moved into more favorable waters.   On Monday August 1st, it became the fifth tropical storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season and was named EMILY.  Several governments issued tropical storm watches and warnings as the storm intensified.

After soaking Hispaniola and other nearby islands, TS Emily had become a remnant low but there was a high chance that it could regenerate into a tropical cyclone.   One week from its initial formation, Emily is once again a Tropical Depression as it now dumps heavy rains on the Bahamas.   Some cruise itineraries had been impacted and cruise lines are once again monitoring the storm for any additional changes.

Cruise Itinerary Changes

Currently, sailings for Norwegian Sky (8/5/11), Norwegian Jewel (8/6/11) and Norwegian Gem (8/7/11) will continue as scheduled. However, should weather conditions change, some of these itineraries may be modified.

EMILY IS BEING CLOSELY MONITORED BY ALL CRUISE LINES FOR IMPACT

************

Several Cruise Ships had diverted from planned stops

Carnival Dream - Thursday Freeport (was sea day),
Carnival Liberty - Thursday Key West (was Grand Turk)

Carnival Miracle - Friday San Juan (was Grand Turk), Saturday St. Thomas (was Half Moon Cay), Sunday Grand Turk (was Nassau) 
 
Caribbean Princess skipped its call in San Juan. 

Royal Caribbean canceled scheduled ports calls to St. Thomas and St. Maarten for both Oasis of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas:

Oasis Changes - Monday/Tuesday at Sea, Wednesday Costa Maya, Thursday Cozumel

Freedom changes - Wednesday Grand Cayman, Thursday Cozumel , Friday begin return to Ft. Lauderdale

Disney Dream - Thursday Nassau (was sea day), Friday at sea (was Nassau)

SUMMARY OF 500 PM EDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...26.9N 78.1W
ABOUT 70 MI...115 KM WNW OF GREAT ABACO ISLAND
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...30 MPH...45 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 8 MPH...13 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1012 MB...29.88 INCHES

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

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

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

ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE
DEPRESSION WILL BE MOVING AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS AND THE U.S. EAST
COAST.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 30 MPH...45 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT 24 TO 36
HOURS.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
---------------------- 

RAINFALL...EMILY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THROUGH
SUNDAY.  ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNT OF 6 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH EMILY.

WIND...WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE POSSIBLE IN HEAVY
SQUALLS IN THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT.

Historical data for Tropical Storm EMILY:    Archive     Graphics Archive 

730 PM AST MON AUG 01 2011 
...NEW TROPICAL STORM FORMS...TROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS
ISSUED... 

500 PM EDT THU AUG 04 2011
...EMILY DEGENERATES INTO A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE...HEAVY RAINS
CONTINUE OVER HISPANIOLA... Last Public Advisory issued for Emily

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
TROPICAL STORM EMILY	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

Merry Christmas 2010

Azamara Journey Discoveries Lounge

Merry Christmas

As I gaze out the kitchen window this morning, I see a white blanket of snow covering the ground and nearby trees.   The snow began falling late last night just in time for a White Christmas.   Looking at the untouched snow, everything looks quiet and peaceful.

Images like this usually stay with you for some time and when you close your eyes, you can sometimes see them again as if you were seeing them for the first time.

We've had the good fortune of being able to add other images to our memory banks this year.   The tree in this picture decorated one of Azamara Journey's lounges. The crew had just started decorating for the holidays on the final day of our 12 Night West Indies voyage.

We had hoped that they would have decorated sooner, but they told us it was too early. The voyage following ours would be the first one that had the holiday decorations.

Allure of the Seas Glass Elevator

Prior to our Azamara Journey cruise, we were onboard the Allure of the Seas for a pre-inaugural cruise to nowhere.   This picture of the glass elevators shows some simple holiday decorations.

Decorations play an important role in helping people get in the holiday spirit. For the cruise ship's crew, the holidays are business as usual as they go about assisting passenger's needs.

We sometimes forget that they are away from home for long periods of time. We had dinner with the Captain of the Azamara Journey one night. We learned that he was heading home after spending three months at sea away from his family. He was excited to be heading home for Christmas to spend time with his young child and wife.

Holidays are a time for family and friends. My wish for you this Christmas Day is that you are sharing the day with those that you love and care about, and who have mutual feelings for you. For those that are away from home, such as cruise ship crew and those serving their countries in the armed services, may the peaceful images in your mind help you to be close to those you love, if only in your heart and mind.

Trunk Bay, St. John USVI

People read this blog from all over the world, so I don't know if you are looking out your window and seeing snow like I did, or perhaps a sandy beach that has just had the tide wash back out to sea leaving a peaceful image of untouched sand.

Whatever images you are seeing, may they sustain you and bring you peace on this Christmas Day.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives by sharing our adventures and cruise industry information.   My blog and facebook fan page are my gifts to you.  I hope you enjoy them.  Merry Christmas to all.

Tropical Storm Erika Forms in Atlantic

Chart Courtesy of NOAA: 800 PM AST (Erika) TUE September 1, 2009
<more details> <click for updated chart>

Tropical Storm Erika Forms in Atlantic

Another tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and is currently east of the Leeward Islands. Tropical storm watches have been posted.

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>

UPDATE: 200 PM EDT FRI SEP 4 2009... FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ERIKA ARE LOCATED SOUTH OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO...

SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS DECREASED OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS... AND THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF A SURFACE CIRCULATION. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN UNFAVORABLE FOR RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES SLOWLY WESTWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH...

This post will track Tropical Storm Erika until it is no longer tracked by the NHC.

Local Weather Statements

<more details> <click for updated chart>

<NWS - Local Weather>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm Updates:

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

It is too early for cruise line advisories on this storm, but you may want to bookmark this post for future reference.

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.