Before Hurricane Irene Hits, Cruise Ship Scrambles To Leave New York Harbor

[tawadi]

Before Hurricane Irene Hits, Cruise Ship Scrambles To Leave New York Harbor

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/27/hurricane-irene-cruise-ship_n_939073.html

For Sandra and Eddie Castle, no hurricane was going to keep them from their cruise vacation.

"We just want to get on board, and get away from this storm," Sandra Castle said as she and her husband towed their bags toward the massive Princess Cruises ship docked the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal early Saturday afternoon.

On the terminal all around the boat, which was originally due to sail out around 5 pm, last-minute preparations were underway to get the boat ready two hours early. Dark clouds from the front edge of Hurricane Irene periodically dumped rain down on the final stragglers streaming out of coach buses and into the terminal.

Starting around 5 in the morning, dockworkers had to maneuver some the baggage and supplies of 3,000 or so people from the last trip off the boat and then replace them with supplies and luggage for 3,000 new travelers. Cruise-line officials at the dock said abut 900 people out of 3500 had cancelled their reservations for the Saturday afternoon departure.

[tawadi]

1. Wonder how rough those waters will be

:scared:

[brooklynite]

2. An office mate of mine is onboard...

...they were told the ship could get out to sea and be safe. Uh huh...

[tawadi]

4. Hope they watch out for slamming doors as that ship rocks and rolls

:puke:

[Cleita]

7. Yeah, I got a smashed finger from one, hanging onto

a door jamb when the ship heaved and slammed the door shut. I lost a fingernail and broke a bone. Ouch! I still remember and I was only eight years old.

[tawadi]

10. Ouch. Glad you didn't lose a finger. eom

[dana_b]

3. I would be one of those 900 people

the ship may be fine but why take that chance?

[Cleita]

5. Been through the tail end of hurricanes in ships much

smaller than cruise ships. It was rocky and wet but got through it. Probably that's what these ships will do, try to outrun the hurricane and if they can't, just to be on the tail end of it. It's more like a bad tropical storm then.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. actually open water is the safest place to be

as counter intuitive as that sounds.

Yes it will be rolling seas, but still safer. This is why the navy scrambled out of port yesterday

[tawadi]

8. While it is safer for the ship, I wonder how responsible it is to take people out in it

Hopefully they won't end up with injuries.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Well if they do lawsuits will come

Personally I'd rather be on a big ship in open ocean

[tawadi]

11. Oh no doubt

Given the choice between a low-lying area on land or sea, the sea is safer.

[Auntie Bush]

16. I think I prefer my comfy chair in front of the TV and my computer in my lap.

But, I'm not in a direct line of a hurricane...but will get a lot of wind and rain. I just hope none of the huge trees all around me don't topple...that's my biggest fear!

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Well there is that, but if I were in NYC, I'd prefer the open ocean

or far inland.

I am clear on the other side of the country and we just had a severe thunderstorm warning.

WEEEE

[Cleita]

13. My experience has been that ships rolling in oceans

bring on sea sickness to most but the most hardy sea dog. That usually sends passengers running for their staterooms and the loo, where they stay until it's over. I don't know about cruise ships though. Since they are like small floating cities, they may not rock as much. However, on a recent cruise I was on, there was a large security contingent that magically materialized when problems ensued. I believe they will keep the passengers in line.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. A ship taht size has stabilizers, so the rolling

will be far less

[elleng]

12. Right; was gonna say that.

[Ineeda]

14. I was also on a cruise on the tail of a hurricane.

Went to the Caribbean and had a blast. It was rockin' and rollin' but not bad. No seasickness that I knew about, and no injuries. Walking along the decks felt unsteady, like having too much to drink. The seas were too rough to transfer passengers to the tenders to go ashore in Nassau, but that was fine with me. Just kept on drinking on board!

[tawadi]

17. I always imagined it like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDTbopUYg20

Or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tChJ2fBKw6w

[Ineeda]

21. Ughhh. I'm seasick and terrified just seeing those.

It was nothing like that, thank heavens. Those poor passengers.

[COLGATE4]

18. Depends on what part of the hurricane you're in at sea. My

daughter (then a Navy doctor) was sent from Norfolk to New Orleans two days following the big hurricane. She went on a Navy troopship, and everyone on board was essentially stuck in their racks for the whole time, other than running for the head to puke if they could. On the way they were being followed by a Cruise Ship (one of the ones contracted for to provide temporary housing) - she sent photos taken of the bow of the cruise ship almost entirely submerged by the waves up to the bridge - the sea was unbelievably high. I wouldn't want to be on one in the tail of a major hurricane.

[HockeyMom]

20. Having gotten sea sick on the Staten Island Ferry as a child,

I don't think I would want to be on a cruise ship in a Tropical Storm.

[applegrove]

22. There was a hurricane in Bermuda a decade ago. Cruise ships that were going

there rerouted to Halifax, Nova Scotia and didn't tell the passengers until they had left port (I think it was New York). Seems those cruise ships will not stop for nothing. Why I will never take a cruise.