WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2011
TIME AND WEATHER. TWO THINGS YOU'D HARDLY THINK YOU NEED TO CONCERN YOURSELF WITH WHEN GOING ON VACATION, BUT NOT EVERYBODY LIVES IN THE SAME TIME ZONE AS THEIR DESTINATION. YOU MAY NOT LIVE ON THE EAST COAST AND ALREADY BE IN A DIFFERENT TIME ZONE THAN WALT DISNEY WORLD AND PORT CANAVERAL. OR YOU MAY NOT BE GOING TO CASTAWAY CAY AND NASSAU, BAHAMAS, WHICH IS ON EASTERN STANDARD TIME ALSO. TRIPS THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN TRAVEL THROUGH AND INTO DIFFERENT TIME ZONES AS WELL.
WHY DOES THIS REALLY MATTER AT ALL? WELL DISNEY TIME IS THEIR TIME NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM OR GOING. MEANING: DEPARTURE TIMES FOR SHIPS ARE THE LOCAL TIME IN PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA. SO PLAN ON IT. THEY ALSO KEEP THE TIME ON-BOARD OF THE TIME ZONE THEY ARE IN. SO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THE EXACT TIME OR HAVE SHORE EXCURSIONS PLANNED, LIKE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, THE CLOCKS CHANGE ON-BOARD. DISNEY ALSO HAS ACTIVITIES PLANNED ON-BOARD AS LISTED ON THEIR "PERSONAL NAVIGATORS". THOSE TIMES THAT THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO START DON'T CHANGE, BUT THE TIME ZONE YOU'RE IN MAY. SO IF YOU DON'T KEEP TRACK OF THE CHANGE, YOU COULD BE AN HOUR OFF FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT YOU PLANNED ON.
SINCE MOST PEOPLE CAN'T USE THEIR PHONE WHILE ON-BOARD DUE TO POOR RECEPTION OR JUST RIDICULOUS INTERNATIONAL OR ROAMING CHARGES, YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE IT ON YOU. SEE? NOWHERE TO LOOK FOR THE TIME. SO GET USED TO WEARING A WATCH AGAIN IF YOU DON'T WEAR ONE NOW. AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE YOU'RE WITH WEAR ONE, PREFERABLY WATERPROOF TOO. POOLS, SLIDES, BEACH, OCEAN, LOTS OF WATER, SO A WATERPROOF WATCH IS GOOD.
ANOTHER PLAN AHEAD, OR AT LEAST FOR, IS WEATHER. LORD KNOWS WE CAN'T CHANGE THE WEATHER. AND AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, I COME FROM THE HOTEL BUSINESS WHERE BAD WEATHER BREEDS TONS OF EXCUSES TO BE ABLE TO CANCEL. UNFORTUNATELY IT'S USUALLY THE OPPOSITE ON A CRUISE. WHEN YOU HAVE A SHORE EXCURSION PLANNED, BAD WEATHER CAN CAUSE THE COMPANY OR PLACE YOU'RE VISITING TO CANCEL THE EXCURSION FOR YOU WITHOUT ANY SAY FROM YOU AT ALL.
BAD WEATHER CAN ALSO CHANGE THINGS THAT ARE PLANNED ON-BOARD FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S TO BE HELD OUTSIDE ON DECK. RAIN AND BAD WIND CAN FORCE THINGS INSIDE AND CHANGE THE AVAILABILITY, SEATING, AND/OR VISIBILITY OF THE EVENT OR ACTIVITY.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, BAD WEATHER CAN CHANGE YOUR ITINERARY OF YOUR CRUISE IN IT'S ENTIRETY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? CAPTAINS ARE FORCED TO GO AROUND BAD WEATHER FOR THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF THEIR GUESTS. THIS CAN MEAN YOU MAY HAVE TO SWITCH PORTS OR GO IN A DIFFERENT ORDER OR IN SOME CASES, SKIP A PORT ALL TOGETHER. I'VE FOUND THROUGH READING ABOUT IT, THAT THE HARDEST THING IN THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS IS DOCKING THE SHIP, DESPITE IT'S SIZE AND WEIGHT. IF IT'S SAFE, THEY'LL TRY, BUT IF IT CAN'T BE DONE, THAT'S THAT. THEY'LL TAKE THE SHIP BACK OUT TO SEE AND TRY AND KEEP GUESTS OCCUPIED, BUT THOSE THINGS YOU HAD LOOKED FORWARD TO IN PORT, YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT SEE AT ALL NOW.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT ANY OR ALL OF THIS? PLAN AHEAD. CHECK http://www.accuweather.com/, http://www.weather.com/, or http://www.wunderground.com/. ALL CAN GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S UPCOMING FOR YOUR DESTINATION. YOU CAN ALSO, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR YOU'RE CRUISING, CHECK HURRICANE FORECASTS AT: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ OR LOOK FOR YOUR OCEAN WATER TEMPERATURES AT: www.oceanweather.com/data. HAVING ANY OF THIS INFORMATION CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AS YOUR TRAVEL DATES APPROACH. ESPECIALLY IF YOU CHECK CLOSER TO YOUR VACATION AND GET THE MOST ACCURATE FORECAST FOR RAIN, SUN, CLOUDS, AIR AND OCEAN TEMPERATURES, ETC. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY, RIGHT? FOR YOU OVER PACKERS, KNOWING THE WEATHER AHEAD OF TIME CAN CERTAINLY HELP YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH EXTRA OF WHAT THINGS YOU NEED TO PACK! ;-) SO KEEP A WEATHER EYE OUT AND THINK SUNSHINE.
SEE YA REAL SOON! ºOº
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