Grand Cayman Cruise Ship Passengers Disappointed "Regularly"
December 27, 2006
Cruise ship passengers heading to the Cayman Islands are likely to be disappointed if they arrive at Grand Cayman in the late fall and winter. This is according to the Grand Cayman Manager of Cruise Operation and Security, Joseph Woods.
He says, "On Tuesday, 26 December, eight ships came here but the inclement weather prevented passengers from most of them from disembarking." This not only ruined the anticpated revenue from passengers spending on shore, but it ruined the vacation of about 18,000 passengers.
Initially, ten ships carrying close to 25,000 passengers were scheduled for Grand Cayman on Boxing Day [December 26, 2006]. On Wednesday, only two cruise ships, the Golden Princess and Navigator, were able to settle at the Spotts Dock. Mr Woods said that the two ships accounted for 7,000 passengers.
"Seven ships had started to disembark, however, due to the weather change, they had shortened the schedule,” Mr Woods said.
Woods says that cold fronts arriving to the south coast keep cruise ships off shore. The ships then cancel the port of call or cut it very short and this "happens regularly".
This fact is not seen in a travel brochure, nor on any cruise line website. Since it is a well-known fact, it would be nice if cruise ship passengers were given advance warning of this problem. Instead, passengers book shore excursions, which they never get to take.
This causes passengers, especially the new, less savy cruise ship passenger undue hardship. While the cruise lines say they can not predict the weather, only react to it, where there is a consistent problem, it would prudent to warn passengers in advance of their booking, that at certain times of the year, weather does not cooperate with the Grand Cayman tourism industry.
Shore excursions booked on Grand Cayman include horseback riding, diving, deep sea fishing, sail boat charters, private charters, city tours and island tours.
The Carnival Cruise Lines site, for examples, hawks over 30 shore excursions to Grand Cayman. These excursions last from one to four and half hours. Most of the descriptions of those excursions do NOT warn passengers that the excursion is subject to weather, nor that it is very likely their excursion will be cancelled during the end of the year holiday season due to inclement weather.
In the winter, cruise ship passengers book cruises to these locations far south of their own hometown frigid temperatures thinking the weather is going to be sunny and warm, and they are going to have a great time ashore. Few are probably aware of the cold fronts Mr. Woods says "happens regularly".
On this particular cruise, wind speeds at Grand Cayman were gusting to 40 kilometers an hour or 24-25mph during the hoiday period December 25 through December 28, 2006. This is just short of the Beaufort wind speed classification of "near gale" in the "strong breeze" classification.
Strong Breeze is defined as 'Large waves with foam crests and some spray, Large branches in motion. Whistling heard in overhead wires. Umbrella use becomes difficult." Wind speeds are 25-31 miles per hour or 40-50 kilometers per hour.
Near Gale is defined as "Sea heaps up and foam begins to streak, Whole trees in motion. Effort needed to walk against the wind." Wind speeds are 32-38 miles per hour or 51-62 kilometers per hour.
Wind speeds during U.S. Thanksgiving weekend 2006 were were gusting 20-29mph several days Nov 19-23. In 2005, the winds were gusting 19-31mph for three days Nov 21-27.
Wind speeds Chistmas week 2006 were gusting 20-25mph for several days, and back in 2005 they were gusting 19-23mph for several days Dec 23-27.
October also sees some very high wind gusts. The photo below was taken at the Spotts Dock on Oct 20, 2006. You can see how rough the seas are. You can see why tender is not possible when winds and seas are high, by viewing our Grand Cayman videos.
Grand Cayman South Shore December 27, 2006
Ships Anchored Off Shore Unable To Dock Or Tender - Cafe Sits Empty
Grand Cayman Spotts Dock Spotts Bay October 20, 2005
Grand Cayman Weather Videos >>> HERE
