Tomorrow's Norwegian Dawn Sailing CANCELLED!

Tomorrow's sailing of the Norwegian Dawn has been cancelled. The following notice appears on the NCL website:
Miami - Nov 28, 2009 --- Important Travel Update: Please be advised that Norwegian Dawn's 5-Day Western Caribbean sailing from Miami, Florida on Sunday, November 29, 2009 is cancelled. Guests can call Norwegian at 800-327-7030 Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 9pm Eastern Time and Monday to Friday from 8am to midnight Eastern Time and a Norwegian Cruise Line representative will be available to assist in answering questions.

Word is that the Dawn has 'lost power' not once, but twice , and was eventually escorted to San Juan, Puerto Rico, by a Coast Guard vessel. NCL arranged for special flights back to Miami, where passengers are being given sleeping accomodations tonight, and transportation to airport or parking lot tomorrow.

Sources also say Norwegian Cruise Line is offering those passengers whose cruise ended in San Juan compensation in the form of a 75% refund of their cruise fare, and a future cruise at a 50% discount. Those who were booked on the Dawn's cancelled cruise will get a full refund, and a 50% discount on a future cruise.

HURRY! Win a Cruise Contest Ends Monday

Here's another opportunity to win a free cruise...I found this one on Frommer's, where you can enter - or just use the link at the bottom of this post. It's sponsored by Travel Themes and Dreams , and you can enter once each day, through this coming Monday.

The PRIZE is a Norwegian Cruise Line seven day cruise for two, in an ocean view cabin to the Caribbean (departing from Miami or New Orleans) or the Mexican Riveria (departing from Los Angeles.) You also get a $750 airfare credit to get to and from the port of embarkation.

YOU CAN ENTER ONCE EACH DAY, so, counting today, you can still submit six entries.

Click here to enter today.

Good Luck, and Happy Sailing from Cruise Ready Store!

Today, We "Sail-A-Brate" the Dream

Today's the day that the Port Canaveral Dream Sail-A-Bration that will take place! The big ship from Carnival Cruise Lines is making a port call here today, prior to making a berth at the port home, beginning next month.

EVENT: Dream Sail-A-Bration
DATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
TIME: 5:30 to 7:30 PM
PARKING: (free) at Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal 4
REQUESTED DONATION: A non-perishable food item

The festivities will include a 'spectacular laser light show, ' live broadcast from a local radio station, Lite Rock 99.3 FM, and plenty of photo opportunities, as local area residents wish the passengers and crew of OUR new ship bon voyage while she moves along the channel on her way out to sea. Guests can also enter a drawing for a free cruise for four - in a penthouse suite!

This reminder brought to you courtesy of

Carnival Cruise Mementos at Cruise Ready Store

We'll Wake Up to The Dream Next Month

20 Days and Counting

As of today, we are twenty days away from the day when the Carnival Dream will call Port Canaveral her home port. After a 9 night Caribbean cruise, visiting Antigua, Tortola, S Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk, she'll begin sailing 7 night alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries.
The Dream's Eastern Caribbean itinerary will appeal to those who love to relax on board, with three Sea Days and three ports - St Maarten, St Thomas, and Nassau.
Her Western Caribean itinerary is a bit more port intensive, as she calls at four ports in a row - Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya - with a Sea Day on each end.
So, it looks ike the huge new Dream will have something for just about everyone, with all lher new bells and whistles, and two very different itineraries.

The Dream Sail-A-Bration is this Wednesday at Port Canaveral.

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Ida Rumbles On

Ida left some very sad marks on Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Reports are that over 100 lives were lost and more than 500 homes were destroyed. Americans, please remember our southern neighbors in your prayers
Now weakened again to a Tropical Storm - after becoming a Category 2 hurricane, Ida is now poised to make her presence known to the upper Gulf Coast of the United States.

Cruise itineraries have been affected - some more, some less.
A few ships substituted another port for Cozumel, spent an unscheduled day, or re-ordered their port stops. These included Carnival's Liberty, Inspiration, and Conquest, as well as the Crown Princess. NCL's Spirit found it necessary to leave from New Orleans about an hour and a half early for her current cruise. Hopefully, all the cruisers on these ships were equipped with their favorite cure for motion sickness , such as Cruise Ready Store's best-selling natural motion sickness remedy, Gin-gins double strength hard ginger candy


Passengers on two other ships will experience more drastic changes to their cruise vacations.
CARIVAL FANTASY's November 10 six day cruise will be shortened to five days, departing on November 11, with the visit to Progresso being eliminated. These passengers willl will receive a one day pro-rated refund of the cruise fare paid for the 6 day cruise.
CARNIVAL TRIUMPH's November 10 four day cruise will be shortened to a three day cruise, departing on November 11 instead. The ship will not visit Cozumel, and passengrs will receive a 50% refund of their cruise fare.

Ida Approaching Hurricane Strength in NW Caribbean

First things first - there has been no reported loss of life in either Nicaragua or Honduras from Ida. This may be due to the fact that she took a more northerly than first expected route across the two countries, and spent less time than projected getting herself back out into open water.

She emerged earlier than forecast into the NW Caribbean Sea, as a Tropical Depression, but has quickly ramped back up, and now, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, is once again nearing hurricane status.

The northeastern coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula (including Cozumel) is under a Hurricane Watch, while other areas of the Caribbean are under Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches, including western Cuba, Grand Cayman, and the Isle of Youth. Cozumel is probably in for some real weather

ITINERARY CHANGES - IDA
The Carnival Liberty will alter her itinerary, postponing the schduled port of call at Cozumel, and calling instead at Ocho Rios on Monday. Other changes may also be needed with other ships. I will post any that I am made aware of. Now is the time for everyone who is about to cruise to keep a wary eye on Ida. If at all possible, it would be wise to arrive at your port of embarkation a day early, just to be on the safe side.

Brought to you by

Tips for Cruisers at Cruise Ready Store

EDIT at of 5 AM Sun, Nov 8, Ida is a strong catetory 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 90 MPH. She was upgraded to a hurricane just before midnight last night.

Hurricane Ida strikes Nicaragua

After dilly-dallying off the coast all night, and strenthening to a Category 1 Hurriane, Ida made landfall this morning north of bluefields, Nicaragua. She is currently posing a major flooding threat to northeastern Nicaragua (and possibly also Honduras), dumping enough rainfall to cause flash flooding and possible deadly mudslides.

Tropical Storm Ida Has Formed

Tropical Depression Number 11, which formed earlier today in the southwstern Caribbean Sea, not far from the coastline of Nicaragua, has intensified to tropical storm strength, and is named Ida. Ida is the 9th named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. Within the last hour, an Air Force Rconnaissance plane found sustained winds of nearly 60 MPH, with a minimum central pressure of 996 mb.

The system is moving slowly toward the WNW, but is expected to slow more, turn NW, and make landfall on Nicaragua's east coast sometime tonight, possibly producng very dangerous flash flooding and mud-slides. Ida's 'long term' future will be determined by where she hits, and what path she takes over Nicaragua. Meanwhile, the short term future of many Nicaraguans will be determined by Ida. I'll worry about what might happen to Ida down the line after her initial encounter with land. For now, let's hope the people of Nicaragua escape any major effects from this late season storm.

Port Canaveral Dream Sail-A-Bration

Here are the details of the Port Canaveral Dream Sail-A-Bration that will take place two weeks from today. That's when the big ship from Carnival Cruise Line will pay us a port prior to making a berth here home next month.

• EVENT: Dream Sal-A-Bration
• DATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
• TIME: 5:30 to 7:30 PM
• PARKING: (free) at Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal 4
• REQUESTED DONATION: A non-perishablel food item

The festivities will include a 'spectacular laser light show' when the Dream sails away from Port Canaveral for the very first time. A local radio station, Lite Rock 99.3 FM, will be boroadcasting live from the site. There should be plenty of photo opportunities as local area residents wish the passengers and crew of OUR new ship bon voyage as she moves along the ships channel on her way to sea. Guests can also enter a drawing for a free cruise for four - in a penthouse suite!

News of this event brought to you by

Cruise Ready Store