Hurricane Dorian Forces Disney Dream to Alter Sailings

[TFM1980]

I think Disney is understating the damage to Castaway Cay. They have been getting hammered in the media, so much so that their corporate head of PR started giving statements to major newspapers. The wind maps show they were hit by at least Hurricane-force winds.

Regarding cleanup, the bigger issue actually isn't the island and structures, it is the underwater surveying that needs to occur to ensure the ships can actually dock (last major hurricane, which was much farther away, the storm surge moved a ton of debris and sand into the ship docking area). They literally are not legally allowed to bring the ship in until the surveying equipment has been brought in and the survey has been done. Any shifting debris will require significant dredging. Additionally, they will need to do serious cleanup of the beaches to ensure that there aren't debris waiting under the water that will injure people. Finally, a huge chunk of the island's workforce is from Abaco and surrounding islands and they won't be in a position to staff anytime soon. There is no way that they open up for at least a couple weeks in the best case scenario-- even the optics would be horrible--the hardest hit location with many dead is miles away and people are partying at the private island. I'm guessing months until they reopen.

I do disagree on Castaway Cay being replaced by days at sea though--longer term the backlash/outcry from the many cruises would be significant. They are going to route somewhere else (e.g., Grand Cayman for Southern and Western carribean cruises, San Juan for Eastern cruises).

 

[mamasher]

I think Disney is understating the damage to Castaway Cay. They have been getting hammered in the media, so much so that their corporate head of PR started giving statements to major newspapers. The wind maps show they were hit by at least Hurricane-force winds.

Regarding cleanup, the bigger issue actually isn't the island and structures, it is the underwater surveying that needs to occur to ensure the ships can actually dock (last major hurricane, which was much farther away, the storm surge moved a ton of debris and sand into the ship docking area). They literally are not legally allowed to bring the ship in until the surveying equipment has been brought in and the survey has been done. Any shifting debris will require significant dredging. Additionally, they will need to do serious cleanup of the beaches to ensure that there aren't debris waiting under the water that will injure people. Finally, a huge chunk of the island's workforce is from Abaco and surrounding islands and they won't be in a position to staff anytime soon. There is no way that they open up for at least a couple weeks in the best case scenario-- even the optics would be horrible--the hardest hit location with many dead is miles away and people are partying at the private island. I'm guessing months until they reopen.

I do disagree on Castaway Cay being replaced by days at sea though--longer term the backlash/outcry from the many cruises would be significant. They are going to route somewhere else (e.g., Grand Cayman for Southern and Western carribean cruises, San Juan for Eastern cruises).

What about for 3 day cruises?

 

[VeronicaZS]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/wea...0190903-4tancqlkuffcflcr4yffk5qdtm-story.html
“All is well at Castaway Cay," said Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman Kim Prunty. "Due to the tropical storm conditions the island experienced, we have some cleaning up to do related to landscaping and will need to make minor repairs to the roof of one small covered pavilion area. We are awaiting the arrival of survey equipment to evaluate the pier and ship channel, as is required after any storm, before we are able to reopen Castaway Cay to guests.”

 

[cynditech]

I’m on the extended Dream Cruise right now. The Captain just announced that we are stopping there tomorrow to drop off supplies but guests are not getting off the ship obviously.

 

[lanejudy]

I’m on the extended Dream Cruise right now. The Captain just announced that we are stopping there tomorrow to drop off supplies but guests are not getting off the ship obviously.

Well I see that as good news! At least, to my uneducated mind that seems logical. I was afraid they would need to do a lot of dredging to make it accessible again.

 

[Gentry2004]

So the dock is usable I guess?

 

[Lisa F]

they could be dropping anchor and tendering supplies over rather than docking. It sounds like they can't dock until it's been surveyed but seems like they can get reasonably close - will be interesting to hear reports of how close and what people can see.

 

[Gentry2004]

they could be dropping anchor and tendering supplies over rather than docking. It sounds like they can't dock until it's been surveyed but seems like they can get reasonably close - will be interesting to hear reports of how close and what people can see.

If they have a tender boat, wouldn’t they use that when the ship can’t dock at CC? I always assumed they didn’t have tender boats, but what do I know?

 

[Lisa F]

If they have a tender boat, wouldn’t they use that when the ship can’t dock at CC? I always assumed they didn’t have tender boats, but what do I know?

I'm sure they can use their lifeboats to tender supplies over.

When I spent a week on a schooner the lifeboats did double duty to run people to shore for a day trip and to grab ice cream for the kids the last night when we were close enough to shore. None of them were powered though so the crew had to row. Some cruise ships have their lifeboats do double duty as tenders but I don't know if Disney does... I believe that the ports where they tender people over are the ones who provide the ferries - but even if they are not really suitable to ferry passengers I am sure they are suitable for the crew to run supplies.

I would think tendering is expensive (uses fuel) and time consuming and during times when they can't dock, the seas would be way too rough to be running smaller boats over so there is really no point to it at CC. If they can't dock due to weather it would be even more dangerous to be running smaller boats and that's pretty much the major reason they don't dock there (except in this case where they may need to do dock repairs.)

 

[Lesley Wake]

If they have a tender boat, wouldn’t they use that when the ship can’t dock at CC? I always assumed they didn’t have tender boats, but what do I know?

They do have ships for locals who work on the island but don’t live there, only coming over when cruise ships are scheduled. So they may be able to use those too.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[lundve]

I’m on the extended Dream Cruise right now. The Captain just announced that we are stopping there tomorrow to drop off supplies but guests are not getting off the ship obviously.

Hopefully the captain gets the ship close enough to Castaway that you or someone else has a chance to take some photos.

 

[ArielRae]

I’m on the extended Dream Cruise right now. The Captain just announced that we are stopping there tomorrow to drop off supplies but guests are not getting off the ship obviously.

^ I agree with the above poster ^
Try and get some photos of the island if you get close enough. Could be one of the first to post photos of the island for us.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

Any thoughts on the Dream being able to port tomorrow at Port Canaveral? Wouldn’t the same be true for that port as CC, Army Corps would need to thoroughly assess the channel prior to opening? The hurricane is only now about even with PC.

 

[Lisa F]

Any thoughts on the Dream being able to port tomorrow at Port Canaveral? Wouldn’t the same be true for that port as CC, Army Corps would need to thoroughly assess the channel prior to opening? The hurricane is only now about even with PC.

it is much easier to survey a port on the mainland US than on a remote island. I'm sure it does need to be assessed after any storm but they did not have the storm surge there that they did in the bahamas.

 

[cynditech]

I’ll be sure to try for some pictures. The waters and waves are pretty rough right now as we’re sailing. I’ll update later.

 

[RedSox68]

We were some of those that lost days on seven day cruise in '04 to Frances. It was downgraded to a four day cruise. DVC refunded half of our points for the cruise and gave us a voucher for a cruise within the next year at 25% discount cash or points. So in that case using points was a good deal. But I do feel differently about using points now to cruise. Now we are going to book cash and rent the points.

We were on the cruise before yours that caused yours to become a 4-day. We were on a 7-day which was diverted from Key West directly to CC and then to Western Caribbean to outrun Frances. Then we got trapped at sea because Port Canaveral closed. So our 7-day turned into Disney's first 10-day, but we had to port at Port Everglades and they bused us from Fort Lauderdale. We saw so much damage -- including billboards through barns. But as always, Disney took good care of us. That was also the cruise where Disney visited Galveston for the first time in order to stock up on supplies, and had arranged for more entertainment to fly into Houston for the rest of the cruise. They were so excited to see us that they had the marching band there to greet us. We didn't get any compensation -- it wasn't needed -- but they did rearrange everyone's air even if they didn't book through Disney, and put us up at a Disney resort until we could fly out the next day.

 

[kj2mom]

Any thoughts on the Dream being able to port tomorrow at Port Canaveral? Wouldn’t the same be true for that port as CC, Army Corps would need to thoroughly assess the channel prior to opening? The hurricane is only now about even with PC.

I just saw a post from the Port that they are expecting 6 ships tomorrow. Waterways are open with some restrictions but the cruise ships are cleared.

 

[cynditech]

 

[cynditech]