Updates to Itineraries for the Caribbean due to Hurricanes

I woke up at 4 am today - on my day off - thinking of those affected by the recent hurricanes and the horrible earthquake in Mexico.   I am thinking of Antours in Dominica who we have used numerous times.  I wonder about Daria and Michael from Dominica's Caribbean Cooking Experience and how they are.

As I checked the web for updates I saw that Princess has released an update to their cruises that visit affected ports in the Caribbean.

Our trip in January will certainly be affected as we dock in Dominica and I am not sure if they will be able to get back up and running for cruise passengers.  Other islands that are currently affected can hopefully get the help needed to accept tourists soon.  

One thing we both have agreed to is that we will be actively searching ways we can give back on the islands affected.  

Also following is Frequently Asked Questions.

HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA — CARIBBEAN UPDATE
What's on this page: Impact on Itineraries | Frequently Asked Questions
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

Princess Cruises has no ships in the Caribbean until Caribbean Princess departs Ft. Lauderdale on October 7, 2017. We look forward to continuing to provide the great cruise experience our guests expect and the economic support that the region relies on, now more than ever.

Our staff will continue to assess recovery efforts and conditions in affected destinations. Should any adjustments be required to future sailings as a result of storm damage, booked guests and their travel professional will be notified.

Princess Cruises and its parent company Carnival Corporation are working to provide extensive relief to those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Princess has created a matching fund through Princess Cruises Community Foundation for employee donations to support hurricane relief via the American Red Cross. As part of Carnival Corporation’s pledge at providing up to $10 Million dollars in Hurricane relief, Princess Cruises Community Foundation has also set up a Hurricane Relief initiative on board Princess Cruises’ ships to gather donations from guests and crew members which will be matched by Princess Cruises Community Foundation.*

Carnival Corporation, has begun outreach and support for those islands already impacted on behalf of the family of cruise lines. They have been in communication with officials in many of the Caribbean islands and have activated a plan to begin delivery of supplies on both an immediate and sustained, longer-term basis. These deliveries will be worked into ships’ cruise itineraries as part of ongoing operations. Carnival Corporation Foundation is also beginning to evaluate the best channels for support in the Caribbean, as well as Florida.

*Princess Cruises Community Foundation will match funds up to $100K.

IMPACT ON ITINERARIES
UPDATED AS OF 9/18/17, 5:50PM PDT
The following sailings are being adjusted due to Hurricane Irma:

Caribbean Princess: October 7 Caribbean Cruise
We have replaced the call to St Thomas on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 with a call to San Juan from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the same date. Since the time we made this decision, the path of Hurricane Maria is likely to affect Puerto Rico, therefore an update to the call to San Juan will be provided after the storm passes.

Guests who booked Princess shore excursions for St Thomas will receive a refund to the original form of payment. Shore excursions for San Juan will be available within the next two weeks or may be booked on board.

Regal Princess: October 26 Caribbean Cruise
We have replaced our call to St Maarten on Monday, October 30, 2017 with a call to St Kitts from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 31. As a result of this change, we will now call to Antigua on Monday, October 30. Since the time we made this decision, the path of Hurricane Maria is likely to affect St. Kitts, therefore an update to the call to St. Kitts will be provided after the storm passes.

Guests who booked Princess shore excursions for St Maarten will receive a refund to the original form of payment. Shore excursions for St. Kitts and Antigua will be available within the next two weeks or may be booked on board.

For remaining 2017 Eastern Caribbean ports of call, we are currently assessing itinerary impacts and an update will be provided by the end of the week. We sincerely encourage guests with current reservations and anyone considering a Caribbean cruise to move forward with their plans. There is no better show of support for the area and the people than to continue to visit.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard.

UPDATED AS OF 9/14/17, 8:45PM PDT
Princess Cruises can announce that none of its cruises to the Caribbean or Panama Canal will be cancelled as a result of Hurricane Irma. Furthermore, our private island resort at Princess Cays is ready to receive guests and all of our 7-day cruises to the Western Caribbean and all cruises to the Panama Canal are unaffected by Irma and will go ahead as planned at this time.

At Princess Cruises, we prioritize the safety and enjoyment of our guests and to that end, we are working with local ports in the Eastern Caribbean affected by the Hurricane to assess the situation and to determine if any itinerary changes are needed. Please check back on Monday, 9/18 for an update.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I have booked a Caribbean cruise and would like an update on my itinerary.
We are currently talking to our port agents in each of the affected islands to assess the situation in each area. As you can imagine, communication is difficult at the moment in many places but as soon as we can establish the facts we will be able to share an update.

Will cruises be cancelled?
We will not be cancelling any cruises at this time

Will my itinerary be changed?
While we need to support the communities in those affected islands, inevitably it may take some time to repair the damage and restore those islands so they are able to accept cruise guests. We are talking to each of the islands to understand the extent of the damage so we can make a decision on the itineraries. As soon as we are aware of any changes we will be in touch with all guests individually or through the travel agent. At the moment unfortunately we cannot confirm the time line but will certainly let you know as soon as possible.

How will guests be notified of any changes?
We will be in touch with all guests individually or through the travel agent. We will also update our website with any changes.

Will I receive any compensation if itineraries have been changed?
At this point there are no confirmed changes to the itineraries. If any changes are necessary then we will review them in line with our booking conditions and we will be in touch with guests individually or through the travel agent.  

Will our insurance cover us if we cancel?
Each insurance policy is different so guests should speak to their travel insurance directly.

What if I have booked shore excursions in cancelled ports, will these be cancelled?
If any ports are cancelled then a full refund will be given on any booked shore excursions.

Are there any Princess ships in the Caribbean at the moment?
There are no Princess ships in the Caribbean until the beginning of October.

May I bring on supplies to deliver to the communities the ship visits?
As it requires infrastructure to receive and distribute supplies and the needs at each Island vary, the organizations responding to the immediate crisis and ongoing rebuilding efforts request money rather than supplies. There will be donation opportunities onboard.

Dominica January 14, 2016

Darn it is 3:30 am and I am wide awake again!  This time I lay in bed and pull out my book and read for 2.5 hours until I fall back asleep.  Thankfully Bernie can sleep thru.  When he wakes he quietly gets dressed and heads out.  He comes and goes throughout the morning while I sleep.

I finally wake around 11 am feeling refreshed.  When we watch the morning show and then shower and I head down to the International Café to get some lunch around noon.

There are a lot of people who have stayed on the ship.  We are docked in Dominica and we are at the industrial pier which is only a five minute shuttle ride to town but this does deter people from getting off.  You can walk into town too, but it is at least a half hour walk and it is hot.  There is a large building here right at this pier that sells trinkets and stuff if you just want to get off and shop.  But I do encourage people who have never been here before to head out and explore this island.

We love this place and we have used Antours numerous time for many different private tours.  It is even possible to just get off and hire a private guide ashore for a bit of an island tour.  The falls are beautiful and they have a nice botanical garden that you can walk to from the downtown core. 

So as I sit here in the Atrium a group of beautiful women come on and they are representing the Dominican pageant and even Miss Dominica 2016 is here.  It is nice that Princess invites them on for the day.

Lots  happening this morning and afternoon:  trivia, lawn bowls competition, charades, croquet open play, tennis, ping pong, Afternoon Movie the Intern in Vista Lounge, champagne ring toss, win lose or draw, golf putting challenge, sail away with Tyrone Babb, afternoon tea, nail care clinic, Movies Under the Stars is Il Divo, Jewish Sabbath Service and more.

Dominica

I want to back track a bit to cover our meal last night in Sabatinis.  After the night in Crown Grill we had said we would not dine at the specialty restaurants again but boy are we ever glad we did.  Tonight we stop by Sabatinis just prior to our reservation and ordered some wine so they could put it on ice and open when we arrive.  We head over to Adagio for a drink and we can hear they are doing the sports trivia and Corey is hosting.  It is so nice to see him again after spending a month on the Star we got to know him well.  He is happy to be back on board and is well rested after a two month break and visit home to New Zealand.

We meet up with the other four and have a quick drink and some olives!  Make sure you try the olives here!  They are so good.

When we are sat at Sabatinis for 8 we already can feel the diference.  It isn’t as busy as Crown was and the waiter and head waiter are immediately offering us menus and opening and pouring wine.  We see that there is a new hostess and we all comment to each other on the differences.

Tonight I really wanted to have the sea bass as it is something I have never had but have always wanted but it is a dish that is served for two and I have never found someone to share it with.  Tonight Bill says he will have it with me but our waiter offers to get it and have it for the middle of the table for all of us to share and we are tickled pink this is just perfect!

I start with the Calamari then have I have to have the mushroom tart and both were so good – but I made sure not to eat the entire dish so that I still had room for my entrée.  The pasta course is served next and it is good but again too much and I have to stop myself from eating all that they put on my plate.  For my entrée I love the lobster three ways but I don’t really want the tail what I really want is the risotto and they are happy to provide, but are very concerned that it won’t be enough and offer to add more to the dish and more lobster.  I say I am good with the regular portion but I get a large bowl of risotto with tons of lobster meat in it and even with sharing it with the tablemates it is way too much.  I should also add the sea bass is prepared in a salt crust that is served table side.  The waiter cuts off the salt and debones the fish there and serves succulent chunks of fish on a platter for the table.   It is so good and I have another favorite dish at Sabatinis.

For dessert I once again have the Napolean and a latte and we are all so happy with the food and service and I thank Bill and Cathy for suggesting it.  We thank the waiter and head waiter for a great meal and we don’t hesitate to tip extra tonight as we really appreciate it.

We need to wander and walk off this meal a bit.  After a few minutes we end up at Crooners cause Kory Simon draws us in with his singing and playing and we spend about an hour there laughing, singing along and having our food settle a bit. 

Another Great Day!

Now for Barbados…..

We wake and we both feel tired and grumpy…. Third port day in a row and we really miss those sea days.  We also have another tour planned today and we should know better we get tired of having too many things organized and maybe should of planned better but what is done is done. 

We wake, and Bernie heads upstairs for some food and brings me an egg sandwich to tie me over.  We get our bathing suits on and meet the others at 9 in the coffee bar when I get my latte to go.  We are all commenting on how we are tired and needed a later start today so we all grudgingly head ashore.

Oh I should say we are at the industrial pier about 2 km from town so this doesn’t add to our mood very well.  We are trying to find the sign for Antours.  Now for those that have followed my blogs for years you know we love Antours, this is our third tour with them, all of them River Tubing with one year doing the tubing and the Emerald Falls.  Today we are just doing the tubing again.  We finally meet up with the host who has our names and checks all our names off and says that there are four others that are already here but there are a few others still.  So we are lead to a shaded area that has a fence around it where we all giggle commenting that we feel like sheep that are corralled in their pen. 

Finally after about 15 minutes we are directed to two vans where our group of about 22 is divided and we get in and again all our moods are being put to the test as the fan is stifling hot and humid and we are sitting, and sitting and sitting.  Finally some AC starts and we are still waiting but at least the AC is helping.  The driver of the van in front keeps coming back and checking names.  We once again go thru the roll call and he is looking for Bridgitte!  This becomes the running joke as no one knows who Brigitte is and after an hour of waiting around, sitting, corralling, and checking names we are off.

Our driver does outline some of the sights but we are not interested we have been here before, I am tired and we are all still cranky.  We hope the day will improve, or at least our moods will.

Part way to the falls we are told we have a delay because of a scheduling error and we are told that they will take us to the black sand beach to hang out at for a bit until they can get us onto the river.  We are fine with this, but really we don’t have a choice. 

But as soon as we arrive we see this little girl of about four who welcomes us and says hi and how are you and well heck what do I have to complain about really…. And look at this beach!  Look at the water!  And guess what I didn’t have to drive the bus today so I soon change my tune.  And it looks like others are feeling better too as moods have adjusted after this short stop at the beach.

We are driven the short distance to the river and the drop off spot.  Antour is there and he remembers me and he apologizes so much about the error today.  We feel rushed though as another group from another organization arrives and they want to get into the water too.  We are fitted with life jackets and helmets and we are in the water.  The water is high today and this should help with the flow down the river better and hopefully I won’t get stuck too much.

Some of the people in the other van in our group are still cranky, especially  these two women who constantly complain as they go down the river but I try to block out their complaints and focus on the positive.

My butt can still fit in the river tube!  The river is running fast!  I can still fit in the life jacket!  The trees that surround the river are lush and work like a beautiful canopy for my transport!  The guides are fast and very helpful and getting us out of areas when we get stuck!  And I can physically still do these exciting excursions!

We are met at the end (which took about 40 minutes) by Antour who soon has us drinking beer, water or Kennedy rum punch…. All is right in the world and we are all laughing in our bus on the ride back. 

I am so tired as soon as I get on board I am struggling to stay awake…. Heck I am on holidays and a nap is in order and I crash.  I slept for a few hours and wake just as we are pulling out but I don’t feel guilty I needed it.

Tonight’s drink of the day is the mojito in Skywalkers and I hear that there is one with my name on it, well actually two!  We meet up with Bill and Cathy and Mike and Sue. 

At 7:30 we head to the dining room and Elda and Nathanlian are happy to see us again and we are happy to see them too.  I start with the pear and pineapple salad, then apple soup, then the fish kabobs and all is very good.  Of course a bottle of Santa Margaritta makes it taste so much better.

Tonight we opt to see Rolling Jay Moore in the Princess theater, of course as soon as he comes out we recognize him and we laugh our heads off but we are tired!  Go figure!   Other things going on tonight are Muts Pitch Perfect, Beatles Maniacs in Club Fusion, Majority Rules and Karaoke Madness and of course the regular bands.

Another great day!

Dominica January 21

Dominica

We are pulling in Roseau the Capital of Dominica and we are the other pier, but it isn’t far and the ship tells us it is a short walk, about a mile, and if we want a ride it should go for about $2 per person. It is raining but lightly and should pass soon.

We have river tubing booked with Antours, you can find them at their site http://dominicacruisesite.com/river_tubing    We were met at the pier by Neysa who was our guide last year, but this year we are missing her daughter. Our group consisted of 20 and we filled two vans for the 30 min ride to the river. Antour was waiting for us at the drop off spot and informed us that the river is flowing really fast and therefore we are starting a little bit down stream but we will travel further than last time.

I recognized some of the guides from last year! They are all so great, so professional and very friendly and are very professional. The water is really flowing – we didn’t get stuck as the current kept us flowing.

After about 40 minutes of riding the tubes were went ashore and everyone is treated to a cold beverage, either water, soda, or rum punch (Kennedy Punch made with the local rum), so guess what I had, yup the rum punch.

Neysa promises to take us to a local place for cold local beers and doesn’t disappoint. We then stop at the store so we can all buy local beer and the rum punch.

We are dropped off at the terminal and we head back on quickly to shower and go back ashore.

We want to go downtown and get a meal ashore, the taxi quickly drops us off right at the other pier and we stop for a meal. We share an entrée of mahi mahi fish with a coconut curry and Bernie has a bowl of pumpkin soup. Both were so good and we are so glad we indulged.

We then head out on foot exploring the town, Bernie even helped a car that broke down in an intersection by giving them a push and getting it started. We ended up walking back to the ship so I could take some water shots.

and it still runs

We are back on just before sailaway and I head up to watch the sailaway as Bernie makes another attempt at trivia. Tonight the Café Caribe is offering Bavarian Night so we decide to head up there for a quick bite. We then head to Skywalkers for the Most Travelled Cocktail Party and have a nice conversation with Deidra the Customer Service Manager. After the cocktail party we head to Club Fusion for 70’s multi media trivia and we come in second. We are both tired and head to bed shortly after ten.

Jan 23 - Dominica

Dominica

This is our second time to the lovely island of Dominica. The last time we were here Bernie really wanted to on a whale watching trip so on this visit I got to choose something I had wanted to really do. River tubing down one of their many rivers. We knew that Princess offered a river tubing excursion, but we had heard many negative issues with their provider and the river they choose and the crowds. So I searched out www.cruisecritic.com under the port information and found great things about Antours http://dominicacruisesite.com/ and our friends Larry/Amy used them last year and spoke very highly of them .


We arranged for a group booking and as soon as we got off the ship a representative was there with a sign for us and we were quickly ushered to our air conditioned van, along with the reps daughter who acted as the junior tour guide.



We first went to Emerald Falls where we climbed down to the falls and we even went in. It was a little cool but I thought when I ever going to get to do this again, so we went in. Standing under the falls was amazing.

We got back into the van for about a half hour drive to the river we would be tubing down. The guides were there and we all got outfitted in life vests and helmets and were assigned a tube.



The river's was flowing but there were some areas that we would get stuck and the guides would quickly come to our aid to help us on our way.

The entire group couldn't stop laughing as we banged into each other, got stuck, or laid back and enjoyed the experience.

And when the rapids hit it was a real rush

Here is a video I took of the experience

In total I would guess the ride down the river took about a half hour. Many of the guys got a rub burn on the inside of their elbows from trying to paddle out of areas. So my biggest recommendation is to get Vaseline and coat the inside of your elbows ahead of time to prevent friction burns.

Looks like Allan really enjoyed himself.

Our junior tour guide spits our water... she so wanted to go down the river with us

At the end of the trip the cooler comes out and free beverages are provided, soda, beer and water.

A group photo of our gang after a GREAT day

Here is the van that transported us.

We were taken back to the port and on the way we were told that the town was just beginning the festivities for Carnival and the first of many parades was happening today. So we decided to head back on the ship to shower and grab a bite to eat and head back out to check out this parade.

It was hot out, really hot, and the noise was deafening... as many of the floats had music blaring from them.

I can only imagine how hot these guys were

Apparently the key of the parade is to dress the most outlandish

Princesses from each of the towns on the island

We run into Paul who is taking advantage of some amazing shots

This woman was so nice, we gave her some Canadian lanyards and she smiled ear to ear

What was so interesting about this parade was each float was handing out something. Usually it was of some acoholic nature. Cold beer, water, rum, you name it -- it flowed freely. Got to love a parade that hands out beer.

A beer float

Another beer float

A few of us partake in the free beer

Caribe beer handed out this great hats

The parade was just starting but we knew our time was limited and we had to get back on the ship for sailaway. The parade weaved its way throughout town, back and forth with the music blaring from the floats. Even when we got back on board we sat out on our balcony and could hear the music pounding. What a great island.

Tonight we have a reservation for the Crown Grill again. We enjoyed it so much on the Crown Princess the sailing prior so we are really looking forward to this meal too. Sue and Mike and Jerry and Rose are joining us.

Bernie decided to order this huge steak, it took up the whole plate and he couldn't finish it.

I ordered the tenderloin and the lobster. What is really nice is you order your vegetables family style, they bring a large serving dish of the veggie to the table for everyone to share. I can vouch for the asparagus and the garlic fries. Oh and you have to start your meal with the Blue Onion Soup, yummy

And of course for dessert this time I ordered the full order of the chocolate molten cake.

It was a great night, great company, great food, we laughed sharing our experience of the day in port and the lovely people of Dominica.