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St. Maarten welcomes first cruise ship since Hurricane Irma
The Viking Sea in St. Maarten. Photo Credit: RTGH Photography
St. Maarten has reopened as a port of call for cruise ships, three months after Hurricane Irma left the Dutch-French island in shambles.
The Viking Sea sailed into St. Maarten on Dec. 4, followed by the Marella Discovery on Dec. 5. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas will call on Dec. 17.
Signs of progress on the French side of St. Martin include the reopening of Tijon Parfumerie and the Spiga restaurant and the debut of Cafe Spiga in Grand Case later this month.
On the Dutch side, hundreds of villas are available for rent. Timeshare resorts Sapphire Beach Resort and Atrium Resort plans to welcome guests early in 2018, according to SXM Weekly News.
Royal Caribbean returning to St. Thomas in November
Royal Caribbean International will resume calls at St. Thomas on Nov. 10. Calls were suspended after Hurricane Irma ravaged the island on Sept. 6.
The Adventure of the Seas will make the call. At the same time, island officials, with an assist from Royal Caribbean, hope to reopen a restored Magens Bay, one of St. Thomas' most popular tourist attractions.
Royal Caribbean said that most downtown shops, restaurants and bars and tour operators will be fully operational, with boat and catamaran excursions among the activities that will be offered.
Royal Caribbean said it has committed to returning to San Juan and St. Maarten by the end of November and is working closely with local governments to announce the exact dates.
Port St. Maarten, in a statement on its Facebook page, said that Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas plans to make its return to that storm-battered destination on Nov. 5, but a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman said that is incorrect.
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Correction: Royal Caribbean says it isn't returning to St. Maarten on Nov. 5.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean Announce Caribbean Return
PHOTO: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will return to St. Thomas November 10. (photo by Brian Major)
Activity is returning to Caribbean cruise ports shuttered by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas will call in St. Thomas on November 10— the first ship to return to the destination following the crippling September storms.
Conversely, Carnival Cruise Lines officials say the company’s ships won’t return to St. Thomas until January 2018, the same month officials anticipate the line will resume calls at St. Maarten.
Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, recently announced November 30 as the date for the company’s resumption of calls in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Duffy said calls at Carnival’s port in Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos will resume “in less than two weeks.”
U.S Virgin Islands government officials are quickly preparing for the November 10 Royal Caribbean call despite continuing struggles with issues that include a widespread lack of electricity, damaged roads, badly damaged infrastructure, sunken boats hampering navigation and several beaches considered unsafe for swimming according to media reports.
Royal Caribbean is opting to return to St. Thomas next month following company executives’ tour of the island's port facilities, infrastructure, shopping areas and attractions. The company is providing significant resources to assist government agencies and private sector groups with the restoration of Magen’s Bay beach, a popular stop for cruise passengers, said Adam Goldstein, Royal Caribbean’s COO.
Beverly Nicholson-Doty, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ tourism commissioner, said downtown stores are expected to be open for business on November 10 following recent meetings with business community leaders. Based on an assessment last week, 11 St. Croix beaches, six on St. Thomas and five on St. John were deemed safe for swimming, officials said.
She said that over the coming weeks, “20 to 25 ship calls” will follow Royal Caribbean’s November 10 arrival.
"As we move forward from September's historic storms, we are laser-focused on improving and enhancing the overall tourism product, and creating an environment that stimulates economic growth and employment for our residents," said Kennneth Mapp, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ governor.
Local press reports note that while Royal Caribbean contracts with the U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority for ships to dock at St. Thomas’ Crown Bay facility, several other cruise lines will contract with the West Indian Co (WICO) to dock ships at St. Thomas’ Havensight facility. WICO president Clifford Graham told local media he is negotiating with other lines to return to St. Thomas in November.
Meanwhile, in her announcement of Carnival’s planned January return to St. Thomas and St. Maarten, she described the destinations as among “the few remaining ports that had not yet been added back to our itineraries following the recent hurricanes.”
Nicholson-Doty said preparations for Royal Caribbean's arrival continue and more meetings with the business community are also being planned.
“Welcoming cruise visitors back to the U.S. Virgin Islands is key to our economic recovery," she said.
PHOTO: The Disney Fantasy and MSC Divina docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (photo by Jason Leppert)
As far as cruise itineraries are concerned, the Caribbean is not quite back to business as usual.
However, following recent hurricane destruction, things are starting to look better. There is a glimmer of light now emerging at the end of the tunnel for St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola and even San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Like the recent reopening of Key West, Florida to cruise ships, the U.S. Virgin Islands are hoping to be up and running soon, according to Seatrade Cruise News. While cruise lines would like to begin returning to St. Croix and St. Thomas as early as October 15, based on Governor Kenneth Mapp’s assessment, the end of the month is more likely.
Priorities now are to reopen famed Magens Bay as well as ensure operational restaurants, stores and other beaches in addition to security infrastructure.
Seatrade Cruise News reports the British Virgin Islands are on a similar track. Even though the destination took a toll, the cruise facilities managed relatively well. Tortola Pier Park received minor damage according to Mark Vanterpool, minister of communications and works.
At least half of the pier-side shops and restaurants are looking to open by November 1. Outside the port, restoration is also underway on roadways, electricity, water and telecommunications. A status report regarding beaches and other attractions is still forthcoming.
Cruise Fever reports Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas will return to home-porting from San Juan, Puerto Rico on October 7. Jose Izquierdo, Executive Director of Puerto Rico Tourism Company, announced the news on Twitter.
Royal Caribbean’s website still indicates all other calls on San Juan are still being replaced with different destinations. In fact, the line is also continuing to bypass St. Croix and St. Thomas, as well as St. Maarten for the time being.
Meanwhile, Princess Cruises is already anticipating being able to return with its Regal Princess to St. Thomas and San Juan for its December 17 sailing. Off limits also to Princess, though, is St. Maarten in addition to Dominica and Virgin Gorda.
Though Grand Turk and St. Barts remain closed according to USA Today, the latter is expected to be ready to accept its next scheduled call on October 30. Grand Turk, on the other hand, is still being replaced by Carnival Cruise Line.
The future for Dominica, Grand Turk, St. Maarten and Virgin Gorda remains unknown.
At least the entire industry is banding together to assist the Caribbean at large and it is all helping bring the bulk of the destinations back up to their usual paradise conditions. In the meantime, less frequented islands are seeing increased cruise ship traffic and visitor love as well.
St. Croix cruise pier holds up to hurricane; update on USVI hotels
A cruise ship in St. Croix last winter. Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock
The Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility pier in Frederiksted, St. Croix's deepwater cruise ship facility, withstood the barrage of wind and storm surge from Hurricane Maria, according to U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp.
The runway at Henry Rohlsen Airport has been cleared but relief flights have not yet begun.
The government is working with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association to coordinate humanitarian missions to evacuate residents, primarily those with medical conditions. The hospital and medical center on St. Croix were breached by Maria.
The governor conducted a flyover of St. Croix on Thursday and reported that the western and southwestern portions of the island received the greatest damage from Maria's winds and water.
Until further notice, a 24-hour curfew remains in place for St. Croix, although the curfew is suspended today between noon and 4 p.m. to allow for essential tasks such as refueling or picking up supplies from the four distribution centers on the island.
Curfew hours for St. Thomas and St. John are 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.
FEMA urban search and rescue teams arrived on St. Croix Thursday night.
"It's going to be a long road to recovery. It ain't gonna happen overnight. We have to manage our expectations realistically and we will get through this," Mapp said in a media briefing on Thursday.
He called for "all hands on deck" as the USVI expands its recovery efforts. Maria significantly impacted St. Croix and worsened conditions in hurricane-affected St. Thomas and St. John.
Hotel updates on St. Croix:
• Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino reported that the grounds sustained damage and assessment is underway.
• Caravelle Hotel & Casino is operational and will accommodate relief workers.
• Hotel on the Cay survived the storm and will house first responders and the Air National Guard.
• The Buccaneer was spared major damage and guests and staff are safe.
St. John:
• Caneel Bay is closed. Further updates for 2018 will become available in due course.
• Westin St. John is closed until further notice.
St. Thomas:
• Point Pleasant sustained some damage. Guests should cancel all reservations through Nov. 15.
• Sugar Bay Resort & Spa is closed.
• Windward Passage is closed.
• Club Wyndham Reservations advises that all four St. Thomas resorts are closed until Oct. 10, including Margaritaville Vacation Club, Bluebeard's Beach Club, WorldMark St. Thomas and Elysian Beach Resort.
• Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas is closed.
• Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort is closed.
• Bolongo Bay Beach Resort is housing relief workers and people in need. It hopes to reopen in the second or third week of December.
With some Caribbean ports knocked out, cruise lines make wholesale changes
The cruise port in Nassau, Bahamas, has escaped hurricane damage. Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have announced itinerary changes for cruises scheduled to depart into October that steer ships clear of storm-ravaged destinations in the eastern Caribbean.
The changes affect nearly half of Carnival's fleet of 25 ships. The cruises, with departure dates ranging from Sept. 20 to Oct. 1, will visit ports in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic and sail to ports in the western Caribbean, including those in Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.
One ship, the Carnival Vista, will visit the southern Caribbean on an 8-day roundtrip Miami itinerary that includes La Romana in the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Curacao.
The Carnival Paradise will offer a five-day roundtrip Tampa cruise departing Sept. 25 that overnights in Havana.
Other affected ships and their departure dates are: Carnival Ecstasy (Sept. 20), Carnival Sensation (Sept. 21 and 30), Carnival Splendor (Sept. 23 and Sept. 30), Carnival Conquest (Sept. 24), Carnival Magic (Sept. 24), Carnival Pride (Sept. 24 and Oct. 1), Carnival Victory (Sept. 25) and Carnival Glory (Sept. 30).
Carnival said the Sept. 24 cruise of the Carnival Fascination, which sails from San Juan is contingent on the damage caused by Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday. Carnival said it will continue to monitor the hurricane and will confirm the itinerary once a post-storm assessment has been completed.
Royal Caribbean said that it will skip Key West on departures of Empress of the Seas through Oct. 11, but that it plans to visit Havana as scheduled on Empress departures that have it as part of the itineraries.
Five Royal Caribbean ships have modified itineraries to substitute other ports for stops in St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Key West.
Cruise ship chartered for relief mission in St. Thomas
Grand Celebration.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line said its ship has been chartered to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to assist hurricane-recovery efforts in St. Thomas.
The Grand Celebration will head for the storm-stricken destination in the U.S. Virgin Islands with arrival anticipated on Sept. 23. The mission is expected to continue into the later part of December, with Grand Celebration resuming its two-day cruises to Freeport from the Port of Palm Beach on Dec. 23.
St. Thomas was devastated by Hurricane Irma and is in line for more hurricane-force winds from Hurricane Maria. While in St. Thomas, the ship will be used to house National Guard first responders.
"We will be reaching out to all of our guests and travel partners this week," said Bahamas Paradise CEO Oneil Khosa. "We feel badly about this 90-day disruption but believe the extensive needs of the St. Thomas people to be of greater importance at this time."
Guests who have already booked cruises during the next few months through travel partners should contact their agents about rebooking or refunds. Those who booked direct can call the customer service department at (800) 374-4363.
The Grand Celebration, originally the Carnival Celebration, has 750 cabins and space for up to 1,900 guests.
Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart embraces Hurricane Irma evacuee Bryan Denton. At left is Denton's sister-in-law, Jodi. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
More than 900 people stuck in the U.S. Virgin Islands because of Hurricane Irma, many grateful to be alive, arrived at PortMiami on Friday morning after being rescued in St. Thomas by the Norwegian Sky cruise ship.
The majority were tourists stranded when Irma's 185 mph winds obliterated the Cyril E. King Airport in Charlotte Amalie. "The control tower is gone," said Charlene Woolley, who was on vacation from Atlanta. "[Flying] was not an option."
The Norwegian Sky had sailed empty to Cancun during the storm and motored directly to St. Thomas once the government there sent out an urgent request for transportation off the island.
The 2,004-passenger ship picked up a total of 923 evacuees, including 99 from St. John who had been brought to St. Thomas by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.
Before the hurricane, Woolley said she was relocated from the beachfront hotel where she had been staying to the Windward Passage. That hotel is built of concrete and mostly stood against the storm's assault, but sustained a lot of damage.
"It was raining in the room," Woolley said. "Some rooms had lost their ceilings. The air conditioner was gone. We were in the bathroom. The whole building was shaking the whole time. Imagine a really big hotel door that was rattling like you think it was going to blow off."
Hurricane Irma evacuee Arlene Graham shares a photo of the storm with Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart at PortMiami. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
She said the shatter-proof windows looked like they were "breathing," being sucked in and out by the pressure.
But Woolley said the aftermath was worse.
"Because of where our hotel was, it was kind of a bad part of town. So there was nightly shooting. They were robbing the tourists because they knew they had cash," she said. "There was no power. There was a generator that the manager of the hotel ran only at night for lights, for safety. We actually had the St. Croix police staying in our hotel and there were still people trying to get in. You literally stood outside your room and guarded your supplies, your water, ice, toilet paper."
Woolley found out on the web that the Norwegian Sky was coming to evacuate people. She and her companion got their names on the list.
"You literally saved our lives," Woolley told Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart, who was at the port on Friday to greet evacuees. "I can't say that enough."
For Terry Denton and his family, Norwegian Cruise Line represented hope at the darkest hour.
The Phoenix businessman was on a 10-day vacation with his wife and two relatives. They had planned to fly back before the storm hit, "but that didn't happen," Denton said.
Norwegian Sky by Dave Jones
Instead they were moved from their waterside villa to a condo building, where the walls held but the windows shattered. The room flooded.
Still left with some internet service, Denton heard a rumor that a cruise ship was coming and sent Facebook messages to every line he could.
Only Norwegian replied. "They simply typed back, 'You're not forgotten. Someone will come help you,'" said Denton's wife Jodi.
Until that point, the group, which included Denton's brother and the brother's daughter, had been in the dark literally and figuratively. "We had nothing before that," Jodi Denton said. "It gave us hope."
Another evacuee, Arlene Graham, had been through hurricanes before. As a 20-year-resident of St. Croix and St. Thomas, she had seen some severe storms, including Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, which left 11,000 people on St. Thomas homeless.
"This hurricane was worse," she said.
Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart talks with Charlene Woolley, an Atlanta resident on vacation in St. Thomas when Hurricane Irma hit. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
Although her home held up fairly well, Graham said she left her husband to take care of the property so she could get her 15-year-old son Ahmad reestablished in school in northern Virginia.
"We're not sure how the storm will affect things," said Graham, a financial analyst for the Department of Education.
Graham said there was no looting in her neighborhood, but the island is in dire need of supplies, including tarps for damaged roofs, food, water and ice.
"The main concern is for people to be able to get back on their feet and sustain themselves, and get what is needed to rebuild," she said.
Carnival Corp. pledges $10 million for Irma relief
Carnival Corp. and related entities have pledged $10 million toward hurricane relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which devastated parts of the Caribbean and Florida, including Miami-Dade County where Carnival has its headquarters.
Carnival Foundation (the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corp.) and the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund are pledging to raise a combined $5 million for relief and recovery efforts. Carnival chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine will match that commitment through their foundation.
Included in the $5 million, the Arisons are making an immediate donation of $2.5 million to Direct Relief, UNICEF and the United Way of Miami-Dade County to support the most timely and urgent relief needs, Carnival said.
"Hurricane Irma's impact strikes close to home both in our home state of Florida and across the Caribbean, where we and our brands have made many friends and partners over many years," Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to all of those who have been impacted."
Carnival Ships to Land Supplies in St. Kitts and Grand Turk
Carnival Cruise Line is stepping up efforts to aid in the Caribbean following Hurricane Irma.
The Miami-based cruise line, the world’s largest by passenger capacity, will deliver supplies to St. Kitts later this week during a call from the Carnival Fascination.
In addition, the cruise line will also land supplies in Grand Turk, and according to a statement, is working with a number of Caribbean islands to bring in supplies on a long-term basis.
This follows announcements from Royal Caribbean, which is deploying ships to aid in relief efforts, and Norwegian Cruise Line, which is sending the Sky to St. Thomas to help evacuees.
Cruise lines to help evacuate Irma-ravaged St. Thomas
Damage caused by Hurricane Irma
Two cruise lines on Saturday said they were diverting ships to the hurricane-ravaged island of St. Thomas to drop relief supplies and evacuate stranded travelers.
Norwegian Cruise Line said it was sending the 2,004-passenger Norwegian Sky to the island with the goal of retrieving as many as 2,000 vacationers who were unable to leave before Hurricane Irma hit on Wednesday. The ship currently is off the coast of Mexico and should arrive in St. Thomas by late Monday.
Royal Caribbean said it was redirecting its 2,350-passenger Majesty of the Seas to the island to similarly evacuate several thousand travelers and also to drop water, food, ice and other provisions that are needed. The ship is off the west coast of Cuba and expected to arrive in St. Thomas on Tuesday.
The two ships are based in Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla., respectively, and currently are sailing without passengers. The lines previously had canceled their weekend sailings due to the approach of Irma and sent the ships toward Mexico to seek shelter from the storm.
Royal Caribbean also plans to redirect its 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas to the hard-hit island of St. Martin on Sunday for an unscheduled stop to drop relief supplies. The vessel is departing San Juan, Puerto Rico late Saturday on a previously scheduled cruise to the Southern Caribbean and is loading on provisions that are needed for a mounting relief effort.
Royal Caribbean uses ship as hurricane safe haven for employees
The Enchantment of the Seas holds 2,252 at double occupancy.
Royal Caribbean International will use one of its ship as a vehicle to keep employees and their families safe from Hurricane Irma, which is expected to strike the Miami area this weekend.
The Enchantment of the Seas' Sept. 8 cruise was canceled because of the hurricane, so Royal Caribbean opened the ship to its workforce. The ship will depart around noon on Friday and sail out to sea away from the projected path of the storm. The plan is to return to Miami once the storm passes and the port reopens.
The-20 year-old Enchantment holds 2,252 people at double occupancy and typically offers three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas.
"We decided to offer the ship to our employees and their families so they could evacuate," said spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez. "[We] felt that it was the right thing to do."
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean Cancel Sailings Ahead of Irma
With Hurricane Irma potentially heading to South Florida and key destinations in the Caribbean, cruise lines are scrambling to make changes to itineraries and have also cancelled a handful of sailings.
Norwegian Cruise Line has axed the Sept. 8 sailing aboard the Norwegian Sky. Guests get a full refund, plus a 50 percent future cruise credit.
The Norwegian Escape’s week-long Sept. 9 voyage from Miami is also cancelled. Guests get a full refund, plus a 50 percent future cruise credit.
For the Escape’s current Sept. 2 sailing, the ship will be returning to Miami on Thursday.
“Those guests who are residents of South Florida, who drove to PortMiami or who have travel plans already confirmed that will return them safely home by Friday afternoon may disembark the ship on Thursday if they wish to do so. For those guests who did not drive to PortMiami and are unable to secure a flight back home, we strongly encourage them to stay onboard the ship,” said Norwegian in a prepared statement.
Norwegian Escape will set sail from Miami on Thursday evening on a course away from the storm. While we are unable to confirm at this time when and where the ship will return to port, we welcome all guests to remain onboard to stay safe and secure.”
Royal Caribbean has employed similar tactics, and has cancelled the September 8 sailings on the Majesty and Enchantment of the Seas. Guests will receive a full refund and 25 percent future cruise credit.
Royal Caribbean said it will provide an end-of-day update on Tuesday regarding sailings aboard the Allure, Anthem, Empress, Harmony and Oasis.
The cancelled sailings will impact third quarter earnings.
