In response to concerned inquiries, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald provided an update on the emergency port recall for guests onboard Carnival Magic as the ship was visiting Grand Turk on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
Due to an approaching storm, the ship was forced to recall guests early and depart ahead of schedule.
The ship was scheduled to be docked in Grand Turk from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the emergency call went out at approximately 12:30-1 p.m. for all guests to return to the ship no later than 2:30 p.m.
While the weather in port wasn’t too terrible throughout the day, the call was made due to the expectation of further deteriorating conditions later in the afternoon.
The decision for an earlier departure was made to ensure the ship would have ample time to undock and depart well ahead of any strong winds or waves that might impact thruster navigation. This would also permit the ship to move well away from rough weather so everyone aboard has a smoother, more comfortable voyage.
In addition to those on Carnival Magic‘s current sailing, Carnival fans who have loved ones enjoying the 7-night cruise were concerned about whether or not everyone made it back to the ship for the earlier departure.
As the cruise line’s official Brand Ambassador, John Heald is the go-to-guy for answering questions and concerns. He does this through his popular Facebook page with its more than 580,000 followers.
Fortunately, Heald was able to offer reassurance to everyone concerned shortly after Carnival Magic left Grand Turk ahead of schedule.
“I posted earlier today asking all of the guests on the Carnival Magic to get back on board earlier due to approaching bad weather. Some of you were concerned about family members, and whether they would receive the message,” he explained.
It is common for cruise travelers to turn their cell phones off or have them in airplane mode while on a cruise in order to avoid exorbitant roaming charges and unexpected bills when they return. This could mean, however, that those travelers would not receive such emergency notifications.
“I wanted to share a message with you from our Guest Services Manager Frenando onboard the ship who told me, ‘All on board and it is sailing time,'” Heald confirmed just before 4 p.m., after the ship had already set sail.
Guests onboard also confirmed how many different ways were used to get the emergency message to all travelers. Carnival Magic blew its horn repeatedly to alert guests in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Turk Cruise Center that they should return to the ship.
Not all travelers may be aware of such a signal, however, and local businesses also worked to ensure everyone was aware of the situation.
“We are onboard Magic now. They made announcements all over the island at all businesses and over loudspeakers. All excursions came back early,” said one guest. “Carnival does everything they can to account for all guests. … SHOUT OUT to the Magic crew for handling all this so well!”
One family yet unaccounted for as the ship’s new departure time neared, but they were quickly found and brought back to the ship via a golf cart so the vessel could leave. Guests onboard watching the pier cheered their safe and timely return.
In addition to the text and email notifications, horn sounding, and announcements from local businesses, crew members onshore also helped alert guests and spread the word about the early departure.
It should be noted that Grand Turk is a relatively small island, measuring 6.5 miles long and just 2 miles wide. It would not be hard for word to spread quickly across the island in this type of emergency situation.
Why the Bad Weather?
While Grand Turk was not under any sort of tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning at the time Carnival Magic was in port, Hurricane Ernesto was at its closest approach to Grand Turk on Wednesday.
Distant outer bands of any hurricane can stretch hundreds of miles from the storm’s center, producing rough waves and strong winds well out of a hurricane’s direct path.
In fact, Carnival Magic had already diverted away from the storm, cancelling a planned visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico and moving other port calls – including Grand Turk – earlier in the 7-night itinerary. Unfortunately, Grand Turk was still hit with a significant squall line during the ship’s visit.
Read Also: All Cruise Ships Affected by Hurricane Ernesto
Cruise lines always keep the safety of guests, crew members, and port communities as their top priority for any itinerary adjustments. It was a wise decision to move Carnival Magic further from the storm, even though it meant cutting her visit to Grand Turk shorter than anticipated.
The 128,048-gross-ton, Dream class ship is continuing her modified Eastern Caribbean itinerary, spending Thursday at sea as she heads for Nassau – added to the sailing as a replacement for San Juan – to enjoy a port visit on Friday. The ship will then have another day at sea before returning to Miami on Sunday, August 18.
