Just a thought here...could it possibly have been a language barrier? The Captain is Italian and English is not his first language. Is it possible he was attempting a joke that failed because of this?

Like I said...just a thought.

I also think that most often while cruising, pax aren't told of changes because the staff don't know what to say. While Bermuda, or other ports, may have seemed to be a good alternative, perhaps they tried and couldn't get permission to port there. Many ships were scrambling to find alternate ports.

Initially I thought the same but was convinced when the remarks and the attitude continued throughout the trip.

Lets put ourselves in his shoes. Do you want hundreds of passengers invoking the guarantee and leaving,not buying booze?
or do you mislead them and keep them onboard and save the company a boat load?
Steve

Welcome to the family

As far as I can see, no-one was misled about the weather or the measures taken to ensure the ship did not sail into a dangerous area. Carnival have been updating itineraries for days...along with RCI too. Every cruise that headed into the Caribbean region has been impacted by the string of storms...which are still raging btw with hurricane Ike making mincemeat of every Caribbean sailing at the moment.

A storm doesn't advertise where it is going next, it changes direction and strength as often as humans change their underwear...a captain of a ship can only do what his company tells him and what his weather radar tells him and if that means going to Rhode Island instead of hitting a cat 4 hurricane, well so be it.

You cannot expect to have a refund for something no human has control over...that being the hurricane season or the weather in general. If you book a holiday...landbased or cruise in the Caribbean region during the hurricane season, then you also book the chance of that holiday being disrupted.

Itineraries change all the time, they are not set in stone but at least Miracle did manage a full cruise, albeit in the wrong direction according to some. This smacks of the RCI cruise that went to Canada instead of the Caribbean a couple years ago. It happens, nothing anyone can do but make the best of what you have.

At least you came out of it alive, with a home that is standing....the chain of storms raging in the Caribbean lately have killed thousands and ruined homes and factories in areas that are struggling. Give these cruise diversions some perspective first before diving off the deep end and blaming the cruise line for spoiling a holiday by not going to the hot and exotic Caribbean...those same hot and exotic Caribbean islands are fighting for their lives right now..Grand Turk has been flattened...so you can scrub that off the itineraries for the rest of the year.

You paid to go cruising in hurricane season, so effectively you paid for any and all diversions that could potentially mean that you wind up somewhere completely different.

Hi

Although plans are often made for itinerary changes in bad weather it is always possible, when a port is contacted at short notice, that it is not able to have room for that cruise ship to be docked.

The result is what was an alternative port gets cancelled and another port takes it place.

The cruise ports can only dock so many ships at the same time and if a berth has not been reserved well in advance, there is a very good chance a berth will not be available at short notice.

I expect that the ships captains get very frustrated when this happens but the persons who should be blamed are the port managers for not having bigger ports not the ships captain !

The bottom line is if someone books during hurricane season than they get what they get. No one forced anyone to book during this time.

I am so tired of hearing...." well I know it was hurricane season, BUT..."

There is no BUT. It is called personal responsibility. Don't whine about rain...don't whine about missed ports. You chose to cruise during hurricane season...PERIOD...end of story. Live with it!

If the Captain was rude...I can assure you that he was only giving back a fraction of the total whiney nonsense he was getting from all the spoiled brats on that ship.

Fortunately, the VAST majority (one being my dear friend) handled it with grace and maturity. She understood the risk when she booked. And she was sickened by the temper fit thrown by a small number of jerks who (if it were up to me) would never be allowed on a cruise ship again.

Of course, you never hear from the vast majority. It is the whiners and complainers who come out of the woodwork at the first opportunity.

She was never offended by what the Captain said...but then...she knew she wasn't one of the spoiled children he was talking to.

Bravo to the Captain for telling them like it is...that happens FAR to little these days!!!

I had the good fortune to sail on the Carnival Miracle the previous week or so from 8/21-8/29.

What a difference a week makes, eh?

Our cruise was obviously handled much better. We made all of our ports and mostly had gorgeous weather.

I believe the Captain was Roberto Volpi, and I have to say that I found him to be very friendly and engaging. He moved around the ship, and I even came to speaking with him one afternoon as I was wandering around. We had a short, but positive conversation, during which I found him sincere, professional, and possessing of a wit & charm. Now I only spoke with him for a few minutes on both occasions, but he certainly left a positive impression on me. Perhaps it was telling that his joke that he used when addressing the entire ship was "I promised you 3 islands, and I even found the right ones." Amusing at the time, but obviously not something to laugh at a week later.

I'm sorry to hear that some passengers on the subsequent ill-fated cruise the following week had a much different, more negative impression. Not having been onboard that time, I could not comment further, although I didn't want to remain in the silent majority on this. I would certainly cruise with Capt. Volpi again

And truth be told, I tend to agree with some of the other posters in saying that you play roulette each and every cruise during hurricane season. We barely missed Fay on the way down and Gustav on the way back up. And considering the path of Hanna (i.e. directly in the way), hitting the Turks & Caicos (which apparently may no longer be afloat...), and then proceeding up the coast & hitting the U.S. in the Carolinas before dumping rain on us in NJ, I'm not sure how else Carnival could have diverted. Bermuda may have been an option, but the storm path was still uncertain. Making south of the storm would have been nearly impossible, or at least a dangerous gamble.

I certainly can't speak for the passengers, but I think a reality check is in order. For me, I find that Carnival does as good a job entertaining & feeding me at days at sea as they do when we pull into a port. Sure, i'd be bummed if we stopped at Newport, RI too, but I'm not sure what other choices you'd have...

[quote=K_Floats;188153. Sure, i'd be bummed if we stopped at Newport, RI too, but I'm not sure what other choices you'd have...[/quote]

If they notified you of the port of RI before the first foreign port,you could have gotten off and used the guarantee.

Steve

Weather conditions at this time of the year in the Caribbean can change overnight.

The Captains job is to ensure that the ship is as safe as possible what ever the weather and also the passengers.

You therefore can not decide in advance where you will call if the weather conditions change and make it unsafe to keep to the advertised itinerary.

With the storm damage done to some of the islands it is often better to keep the ship at sea.

For me, the Captain is the head honcho and I put my life in his hands. (All cruisers do really). I would never question the decisions he and his crew are making in a situation like that. I trust him to keep me safe and do what he needs to do. If I didn't trust that to be the case, I wouldn't be cruising.

I'm on the ship, that's what matters. Where we go is secondary. Heck, I LIVE in RI and I'd be ok with Newport. I'd probably stay on the ship and enjoy the amenities.

I've read other reviews where people felt they were informed, that the Captain did not insult them and that the only thing that annoyed them were all the rebel rousers.

I don't buy the conspiracy theory that the cruise line withheld information to avoid a mass exodus....I just doubt that many would have gotten off regardless. I find it more likely that the Captain didn't know what port he was going to until details were worked out, likely at the last minute. There are many factors to porting a cruise ship....finding an open port while a hurricane is brewing is probably like trying to find an open parking space at the local mall the day before Christmas.