CedricL

I booked a cruise to relax and visited Belize City due to my mother attending college there! I booked the 5-day cruise because it gave me time in the State of Florida to do some shopping before and after the cruise. I live in the US Virgin Islands where shopping is very minimum. However, on Monday March 17 my family of 4 missed the cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, FL Port Everglades. We arrived at the port at 4:30 pm and last boarding call was at 4:20 pm. The ship was still in port with the gangway still connected to ship. Nevertheless, we were not the only folks late for boarding. There was a Royal Caribbean representative there at the port which gave us an sheet of paper with a contact number to get more information regards our situation of missing the cruise ship. The customer service person we spoke to on the phone instructed us to travel to the first port on the itinerary which was Belize City by Wednesday March 19, 2008 and we would be able to board the ship. The cost of travel was at our expense due to the reason missing the ship was our own fault. Needless to say, the ticket cost was very expensive being last minute travel from South Florida to Belize City, Belize. However, I was able to purchase 4 one way tickets from FLL-Fort Lauderdale Airport to BZE-Belize City Belize for the cost of $627 per ticket for Tuesday March 18, 2008 through Travelocity.com. The flight plan was to travel from FLL-Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, Bahamas to Miami, FL, then to Belize non-stop from Miami. We contacted the rental car company to find out about keeping the vehicle for another day. In this process we asked if we could return the vehicle to the Miami airport instead of Fort Lauderdale Airport. To our surprise we could without a great one way rental charge. At this time we made our way to the Miami airport to check with American Airline to see if we can just catch own Miami to Belize flight only. To my surprise American Airline informed me that changing the ticket would cancel the entire flight and I would loss my money. Therefore, we flew the flight booked and made to Belize City on Tuesday March 18, 2008. On Wednesday March 19, 2008 my family of 4 made our way to the port where the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Enchantment of the Seas was supposes to be tendering to shore. To my surprise we were informed that the current was to strong and the ship could not tender the port. This information was give to me by a port agent representing Royal Caribbean. Therefore, now I need to make travel arrangements to get to Carmen de Playa, Mexico and take a ferry over to Cozumel, Mexico to meet the Cruise Ship at my own expense. Out of my mind with frustration I demand to be put on another ship Royal Caribbean had in port at Belize City, Belize which was the Jewel of the Seas. After waiting from 8:00 am to 12:00 PM(noon), my family and I where allowed to tender & board the Jewel of the Seas Cruise Ship. This Cruise Ship return to Port Everglades Fort Lauderdale on March 22, 2008, the same day as the Enchantment of the Seas was schedule to return. Through all of the drama my family enjoyed the trip with a few folks on the Jewel of the Seas pool attendants harassing me about my 9 year old in the hot tub without supervision with me only 8 feet away. I hope this helps anyone going through travel ups and downs don't give up!