Jaunted - Tag: hurricanes

Hurricane Ida Is In Your Caribbean, Messing With Your Cruises

JetSetCD — 2009-11-10T08:44:25-05:00

You know the cruising season has begun when the hurricanes and tropical storms lay into the Caribbean; it's just a hazard of the peak season. Still, this week we've been watching the progress of Hurricane Ida, which began way down in Central America and worked its way due north, eroding beaches in Cozumel and Grand Cayman before just not being downgraded back to Tropical Storm in advance of landfall in Mississippi.

Most affected by the storm were two inaugural sailings of Carnival ships, the Fantasy and Triumph from new home ports of Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, respectively. According to CruiseCritic, each voyage is now delayed by a day, turning a 6-nighter into 5 and Triumph's 4-nighter into 3 with no port calls; it's now a "cruise to nowhere."

CA: Hurricane Rick Swatting Cruise Ships Out Of The Way En Route To Baja

JetSetCD — 2009-10-19T09:38:40-05:00

If there is something we know about traveling during the late summer thru early fall, it's to buy trip insurance. We're sure some cruisers and Baja vacationers will be finding out the importance of such policies as Hurricane Rick hits Baja Mexico and diverts ships away from holiday ports in order to avoid the 100 mph winds.

Although Rick has already crested in strength and now it peters down to a category 3 hurricane, let us remember that having a category anything storm crash your beach holiday is never positive. Judging the infographic above, Rick is zeroing in on Mexico like a frat boy with fantasies of cheap Patron. With the storm due off the coast from late today through early tomorrow, cruise ships are skipping visits to Mazatlan and possibly even Cabo San Lucas, adding insult to injury for the city that counts on these near-daily cruise ship calls.

Hurricane Bill Huffs And Puffs, But Doesn't Blow Much Down

kjb — 2009-08-24T08:37:49-05:00

We were finishing off some time on the Outer Banks of North Carolina when Hurricane Bill decided to blow by the beaches these last few days. Although it definitely stirred things up and limited our sun intake over the weekend, we didn’t see any direct damage overall. However, we did notice some lifeguards downing a couple cheeseburgers now that the no swimming flags were doing their jobs for them.

A trip into the waves on Thursday evening off Cape Hatteras resulted in an immediate face plant into the sand. Friday brought out the riptide warnings and the surfers, and by Saturday we knew better than to venture out into the water. We didn't have our tape measures with us, but we'd say the waves approached ten feet. Instead we spent most of the afternoon on the land, perusing shops perfectly suited for grandparents.

HI: A Serious Storm Is A-Brewin' Off The Hawaiian Islands

kjb — 2009-08-10T10:29:32-05:00

If you’re hanging out in Hawaii this week, please make sure your tropical umbrella drink is securely placed in a cup holder. Paradise is going to be a little stormy over the next few days as Tropical Storm Felicia nears the Aloha State. The storm was hurricane strength over the weekend, but it has slowly lost its mojo. Still, a tropical storm is serious, so visitors should still be cautious heading out into the surf and keep watch for rip currents.

Despite some beaches being closed on the Big Island, we’re thinking that passionate surfers aren’t going to heed these warnings. After all, the bigger the storm, the bigger the waves.

Paloma Threatening The Caribbean, Airlines On The Ball

pbb — 2008-11-07T12:00:09-05:00

And you thought hurricane season was over! Nope, it technically runs until the end of November, which is why we shouldn't be too surprised to see Paloma threatening Cuba. The island has already endured direct hits from Ike and Gustav this year, and Paloma may be just as strong when it makes landfall.

The storm is already drenching the Cayman Islands, and it's forecast to reach the Bahamas by Monday. Paloma is headed northeast, so it most likely won't be hitting the United States.

Airlines, which this hurricane season were admirably quick to make special arrangements when hurricanes threatened, are again on the ball. American has a special webpage up about the storm's impact. US Airways has a similar page, as does Continental.

Related Stories:
· Hurricane Paloma Powers Up [AFP, via Google]
· Hurricanes of 2008 coverage [Jaunted]

Galveston: More Post-Ike Travel: Where's The Only Open Bar in Galveston?

egw — 2008-09-17T14:15:29-05:00

As Galveston residents packed to flee last week ahead of Hurricane Ike, a biker bar along the seawall called the Poop Deck boasted it would defy official warnings and not close. We haven't read of its fate yet, but sadly any establishment facing the Gulf of Mexico along Seawall Blvd. probably sustained major damage.

But six blocks away, the party continues at Robert's Lafitte, a gay bar known for its tight door and drag shows. Despite losing all its windows and drawing three feet of water in the storm, Robert's Lafitte re-opened Monday to pass out food and celebrate the career of Tina Turner, gaining converts beyond the usual barflies:

Houston: Post-Ike Travel: Houston's New Cruise Terminal Will Actually Get Some Use

pbb — 2008-09-17T11:05:29-05:00

Turns out the $81 million Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston will actually get some use--and all it took was a Category 2 hurricane steamrolling Galveston! In the wake of Hurricane Ike, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to bypass the island, instead operating its ships Conquest and Ecstasy out of the brand new-but-unused passenger terminal closer to downtown.