USCG Inspects Ports After Irma

• 2017 Hurricane Preparedness - After the Storm

Recovering From
Hurricane Irma

Now that the hurricane has moved out of Florida, it's time for the recovery to begin.

One of the main tasks falls on the U.S. Coast Guard: determining the condition of the Florida Ports (as well as those in other states along Irma's path) and getting marine vessels moving again.


Port Tampa Bay

https://www.tampaport.com/
@PortTampaBay


STATUS:  Opened at 2PM Sept. 12th

#BREAKING #USCG @USCGSoutheast United States Coast Guard estimates re-opening @PortTampaBay at 2pm on Tuesday. Three fuel vessels expected.

Florida's Governor reported that dozens of tanker trucks were loaded with gas (with fuel stored at Port Tampa Bay), and continue to be filled tonight. They are delivering fuel to the Tampa Bay area and beyond.  The fuel vessels waiting offshore for the port to reopen will replenish the supply.

Port of Miami

STATUS:  Carnival Reports Port Opened Sept. 12th

PortMiami will open tomorrow, September 12th. Marine Terminals POMTOC and SFCT may open Wednesday depending on final assessments. Cruise travelers should contact their cruise line directly for more information on cruise itineraries.

Please stay connected via www.portmiami.biz and on Twitter @PortMiami @MiamiDadeCounty @MiamiDadeEM for official updates. The port will remain closed for marine traffic at least through 4 p.m. Tuesday, September 12. Upon conclusion of side sonar underwater inspections by NOAA we will update the public as to the opening of PortMiami's navigational channels.

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale)

STATUS:  Opened at 9:44 AM Sept. 12th

@PortEverglades
http://www.porteverglades.net/ 

Broward County offices, including Port Everglades, will reopen for normal business hours tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12. Port staff should contact their supervisor with any questions. Damage assessment and recovery efforts are continuing. Port Everglades will fully reopen following approval from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Disembarkation / Embarkation ports for Carnival Cruises have been posted now that the ports are open.  See their September 12th 9:30 PM Advisory.

Port Canaveral

STATUS:  Opened  Sept. 12th

Hurricane Irma Port Canaveral Update

BCSO, Canaveral Fire Rescue has been on scene at Port making preliminary assessments; no major damage noted at this point. All vessels that remained in port are secure. We will begin assessing general harbor conditions soon to facilitate return to normal operations as soon as possible. Port remains closed until further notice.

Cruise Passengers

Cruise passengers who have had their cruises extended, due to Hurricane Irma, are now heading towards Miami or other ports for disembarkation once the ports have reopened. In addition to letting passengers return from extended voyages, cruise lines are mobilizing to provide humanitarian aid to the Caribbean islands that were impacted.

See Hurricane Irma Cruise Ship Impact for the latest plans regarding future sailings and humanitarian efforts. Getting the ports reopened is a critical part of getting disaster relief to remote areas. Thank you to the United States Coast Guard and other Federal and Local agencies who are taking part in the massive efforts to get Florida's infrastructure re-established.

Tweets about @USCGSoutheast

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.

Royal Caribbean Humanitarian Relief Haiti

Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean International

ROYAL CARIBBEAN
RESPONDS TO
HAITI EARTHQUAKE

Royal Caribbean Humanitarian Relief - Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M_w earthquake struck 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the capital of the country. Current estimates indicate that about three million people were affected by the quake with as many as 200,000 people believed to be dead. The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince significantly damaging or destroying most major landmarks, including the Presidential Palace.

For almost 30 years, Royal Caribbean International has been an important foreign investor in Haiti. Their private beach destination in Haiti, Labadee®, was undamaged by this week's massive earthquake in the country. This privately-run retreat offers passengers beaches, watersports, a Haitian flea market and a zip-line. Labadee® is the biggest provider of tourist revenue in the country and employs hundreds of Haitians.

Immediate Response to Earthquake

Royal Caribbean announced today its plans to provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti in response to the catastrophic earthquake. They will be partnering with charitable organizations such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation, and the Solano Foundation, the company's foundation in Haiti to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti. Royal Caribbean will also be delivering much needed goods and supplies to Haiti via their cruise ships.

The following ships will be delivering goods to Haiti, such as: rice, dried beans, powdered milk, water, canned goods and other supplies. When the supplies arrive in Labadee®, they will be transported to an offsite location to be distributed by Food for the Poor, a long time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.

• Independence of the Seas® - Friday, January 15th
• Navigator of the Seas® - Monday, January 18th
• Liberty of the Seas® - Tuesday, January 19th
• Celebrity Solstice® - Friday, January 22nd

Royal Caribbean Itinerary Updates


Guests can Contribute

Guests sailing onboard Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises will be able to make a donation to Food for the Poor's Haiti Relief Fund, via a charge to their onboard account.

We are saddened by the devastation in Haiti this week and are concerned for those living and traveling there. As a service to our readers, here is a partial list of organizations that have offered assistance to the people of Haiti.

To learn how you can contribute immediately, visit one of the following websites:

www.foodforthepoor.org/royalcaribbean

Pan American Development Foundation

American Red Cross

Catholic Relief Services - Haiti

The United Nations World Food Program

The Salvation Army

Project HOPE