Cruise Impacts from Franklin and Idalia

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Hurricane Franklin

Updated August 28, 2023

Hurricane Franklin, which was a Category 2 hurricane when we first published this article is now the first major storm of the 2023 Hurricane season.

 

Swells generated by Franklin are expected to begin affecting Bermuda by tonight. These swells are also likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the beginning of this week along portions of the east coast of the United States. Please consult products from your local weather office.

Hurricane Franklin	1100 AM EDT Mon Aug 28 2023 ...FRANKLIN RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES INTO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE... ...TROPICAL STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR BERMUDA... Additional strengthening is possible today, but gradual weakening is expected to begin later Tuesday.
WIND:	MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...230 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Bermuda

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Tropical Storm Idalia

Tropical Storm Idalia is centered 70 nm ESE of Cozumel Mexico, moving E at 2 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 996 mb. Maximum sustained wind speed is 35 kt with gusts to 45 kt. Peak seas are around 10 ft. Idalia is expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday. Heavy rainfall from Idalia is expected across the eastern Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. The heavy rainfall may produce areas of flash and urban flooding, as well as landslides, across western Cuba. Heavy rainfall is also likely to spread into portions of the Southeast U.S. by mid to late week. Minor coastal flooding is expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area over the Yucatan Peninsula in areas of onshore winds.

Tropical Storm Idalia	400 PM CDT Sun Aug 27 2023 ...STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE WATCHES ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA GULF COAST...
WIND:	MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel * Pinar del Rio Cuba A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for... * Chokoloskee to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Englewood to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Isle of Youth Cuba * South of Englewood to Chokoloskee Florida * Dry Tortugas Florida.

Please read the latest HIGH SEAS FORECAST issued by the National Hurricane Center at website - https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFAT2.shtml and the latest NHC Forecast/Advisory and Public

Advisory at www.hurricanes.gov for more details on Franklin and Idalia.

Several Cruise Lines have already made changes to their itineraries in anticipation of the approaching storms.  Cruise lines will take every precaution to protect passengers, crew, and ships from weather conditions.  When traveling during hurricane season, it is common to have modified itineraries.

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

• NHC issuing advisories for the Atlantic on Hurricane Franklin and TS Idalia
• NHC issuing advisories for the Eastern Pacific on TS Irwin
• Marine warnings are in effect for the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean/SW Atlantic and Eastern Pacific

Click Here to Learn More

Royal Caribbean Itinerary Updates 
(click for latest)   


Royal Caribbean has multiple ships sailing toward the area of Tropical Storm Idalia, including Voyager of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. As of now, however, there are no updates to the schedule announced by the cruise line.

Follow @JamesVanFleet or visit the Royal Caribbean Facebook page for frequent updates.

Disney Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)
Disney Fantasy is scheduled to visit Cozumel tomorrow morning.
MSC Cruises

No announced schedule changes for MSC at this time.

Norwegian Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)

Norwegian Pearl's itinerary calls for a stop in Bermuda, which will likely feel the effects of Hurricane Franklin.

Carnival Cruise Line Travel Alerts (click for latest)

Carnival Magic: Originally set to sail from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda on a six-day cruise, Carnival Magic will now instead sail to Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport to steer clear of Hurricane Franklin.

Carnival Legend: Similar to Carnival Magic, Legend was slated to sail from Baltimore on a six-day cruise to Bermuda. Instead, it will now visit Nassau and Freeport.

Virgin Voyages

Scarlet Lady is scheduled to sail from Miami to Costa Maya, which would put in in the path of Idalia.

If you are sailing this week or next, please consult with your travel agent or the cruise line's website for up to the minute information.  The information below was accurate at the time of publication.

Hurricane Season Dates 

Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th.
Make a Plan (FEMA) 

Read entire series (click here)

More links and information about tropical storms and other weather conditions can be found in the Weather & Hurricane Zone tabs above.


If you live in, or plan to vacation in, an area where hurricanes are prevalent, please prepare in advance by reading our series.

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Royal Caribbean COVID-19 Impact

Royal Caribbean Group reported financial results on Monday for the fiscal year of 2020 and commented on the business considering the global COVID-19 pandemic.

 "The COVID-19 pandemic is having a painful and profound impact on our world and our business; unquestionably, this crisis is the most difficult in the Company's history. But we have been impressed and grateful for the resourcefulness and agility of our team in responding to these unprecedented challenges. More importantly, we remain confident about the ability of our Company to recover and return to the positive trajectory we were on previously," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO. "We are encouraged to see the sharp decline in cases and the growing availability of vaccines. We can't wait to get back to the business of showing people the world and making great memories." 

Full Year 2020 results: 

As part of the global containment effort resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company implemented a voluntary suspension of its cruise operations beginning March 13, 2020, which has been extended for most ships through at least April 30, 2021. 

For the full year, the Company reported US GAAP Net Loss of $(5.8) billion or $(27.05) per share compared to US GAAP Net Income of $1.9 billion or $8.95 per share in the prior year. The Company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $(3.9) billion or $(18.31) per share for full year 2020 compared to Adjusted Net Income of $2.0 billion or $9.54 per share in the prior year.

Healthy Return to Sailing

Royal Caribbean continues to collaborate with the Healthy Sail Panel, epidemiologists, health authorities and various governments around the globe to ensure a healthy and safe return to cruising for guests, crew and the communities visited. The Company also continues to prepare and develop its plan to meet the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for US sailings. Meanwhile most sailings remain suspended.

In December, Quantum of the Seas started operating out of Singapore.  The CDC has requested Royal Caribbean provide information about two of their COVID-19 safety technologies being used on Quantum.  We wrote about the first one, Muster 2.0 in a previous post.  With that technology, passengers no longer gather in large groups to complete the mandatory safety drill before sailing.

The second technology, the Tracelet™ is a patented technology which allows for contact tracing.

 

What is a Tracelet™? 

Tracelet™         Courtesy Royal Caribbean Singapore

Who needs to wear it? 

What if I cannot wear it on my wrist? 

According to Royal Caribbean's Singapore website, the Tracelet™ is a comfortable, water-resistant, hypoallergenic wearable worn by all guests and crew during the cruise. The Tracelet™ helps us with contact tracing in the unlikely event of an onboard health concern. Therefore, everyone onboard regardless of age, needs to wear it. 

Should you be unable to wear it on your wrist, we will find another way for you to wear it. Any guest who chooses not to wear the Tracelet™ will be unable to sail.

The press release also details financial steps taken by the company and details the impact on past and future bookings.  Read entire Press Release here.

Looking to 2022

Royal Caribbean has released its Short Caribbean sailings for Summer 2022 - Winter 2023, which are now available for booking.  Three Freedom class ships, Freedom of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas will operate from Florida and sail 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas including a stop at their private island sensation Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Mariner of the Seas will sail 4-5 night cruises to the Western Caribbean and Perfect Day at Coco Cay from Port Canaveral.  Adventure of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will offer short cruises from Galveston.  Brilliance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas will sail 4-5 night cruises to Western Caribbean from Tampa.

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2020 in Review

click images to enlarge

Looking Back at Historic Year 

As the year drew to a close, we took a look at some of the industry headlines and reviewed our cruise adventures.  COVID-19 made the biggest headlines impacting the cruise industry in 2020. 

Following a year unlike any other in the history of the industry, this Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) State of the Cruise Industry Report offers a look at the trends and analytics propelling the cruise industry forward in the coming year and beyond. 

(Click the link above for the complete report)

CLIA President's Message

"In a year marked by hurricanes, wildfires, and the worst public health crisis the world has experienced in over 100 years, we have seen our industry and our communities challenged in ways we could have never imagined. 

 As with the rest of the world, our plans for 2020 were turned upside down at the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating in the voluntary suspension of cruise operations worldwide in mid-March. In the months that followed, our industry wasted no time engaging leading experts and government authorities to strengthen already robust public health measures and to put people and communities first. With enhanced measures in place, an initial resumption of cruising began in Europe and some other parts of the world, building confidence in the industry’s new protocols and inspiring hope for the future." said Kelly Craighead, CLIA President and CEO.

She also remarked "The reality of 2020 sits in stark contrast to the year that immediately preceded it. In 2019, the global cruise industry welcomed nearly 30 million passengers, creating jobs for 1.8 million people around the world and contributing over $154 billion to the global economy. With this growth came increased recognition of cruising as one of the best ways to experience the world, and our industry was focused on achieving previously unthinkable milestones to pave the path for a brighter and more sustainable future."

Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), member cruise lines and health industry experts, from CDC and elsewhere, teamed up to outline plans for a safe and healthy resumption of cruise operations.   Those efforts are still ongoing, with the majority of cruises in North America suspended through the first quarter of 2021.

2020 Industry Trends - Putting People First

2020 Industry Trends - Thoughtful Planning

2020 Industry Trends - Following the Science

2020 Industry Trends - Phased Resumption

See our previous post: CDC Publishes Conditional Sailing Orde

Spotlight on Responsible Tourism

Sustainability - Even as CLIA members worked tirelessly to address the impacts of COVID-19, the cruise industry remained focused on its commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Innovation - The cruise industry continues to lead the way in the adoption of cutting-edge maritime environmental technologies.

Progress - CLIA’s annual 2020 Environmental Technologies and Practices Report highlights the progress that the cruise industry continues to make in the adoption of new environmental technologies.

Partnership - The cruise industry continued to lead the way in sustainable tourism management in 2020.

 New Cruise Ships for 2021

 

Our Favorite Cruise for 2020

Having cruised for 30+ years, our cruise selections are driven primarily by destination and secondly by cruise ship. We love exploring new destinations from our bucket list as well as revisiting some of our favorites. Exploring new ships, including older ships we've never sailed on before, is also quite enjoyable. Of course, we love to share with our readers so that they can discover the world that awaits them.  

We had several cruise adventures planned for 2020, including our National Conference onboard the brand new Celebrity Apex, but those were all rescheduled to 2021.

15 Day Australia - Asia Cruise Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip. While onboard Majestic Princess in January, 2019, we looked at cruises for 2020, taking advantage of the ongoing Anniversary sale.  Our selection was a respositioning cruise which included Southern Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. There were several options for embarkation, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. We selected the 15 day itinerary from Melbourne based on cabin availability in the cabin class we were looking for. Due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) epidemic, our cruise was terminated in Perth, Australia (cancelling the segment from Perth to Singapore).  Additional photos can be found on our Soouthern Australia Shutterfly page View Our Other Shutterfly Share Pages

What's Ahead for 2021

There's a lot of uncertainty as the new year begins.   At our virtual national conference, cruise line execs told us that they are planning for the gradual resumption of operations.  They all told us that bookings are strong and they were optimistic about the industry recovery once vaccines become more widely available.

It will be a rebuilding year for the Caribbean and Bahamas and another ship building year as well.  What will the added capacity mean?   There are still a large percentage of the population that have not experienced cruising.   The lines, including new players like Dream Cruises and Virgin Voyages, will continue to advertise which will help spread the word.

There has been a lot of ship re-deployments, with larger ships replacing smaller ones, to allow for social distancing,  The first itineraries that will be sailing will be shorter cruises, 3 - 7 night maximum, to comply with CDC guidelines.  Ship capacity will also be reduced at first, and gradually increase once the world's population has been vaccinated.  Life onboard and in port will be different as new protocols are employed to keep passengers, crew, and countries visited safe and healthy.

We are constantly in communication with our travel partners, learning about the latest itineraries, ship deployments, future cruise credits, and other changes.  We have had multiple re-bookings for some of our guests as these new measures are implemented.  

Travel Professionals are not going away.  In fact, our expertise is even more valuable now, as there are more and more options to sort through.   Matching the right ship and itinerary to the cruisers' desires is one of the biggest values we bring to bear.   Hope to see you on the seven seas in 2021 and beyond. 

Note: while you are waiting for cruising to resume, we can also assist you with land travel.   There are several resorts that have implemented changes to allow for safe and healthy vacations.  We appreciate your business as 2020 has been very devastating for the travel industry (as well as many other industries).

Happy New Year

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