Jon Winburn and his fiancee, Cheryl Rodgers, had planned for their cruise-ship wedding more than a year in advance; they had dreams of getting married on the Fourth of July and celebrating each anniversary with fireworks.
The Centennial couple invited 27 family members and friends to accompany them on a four-day Carnival Fun Cruise aboard the Fantasy, from Port Canaveral, Fla., to the Bahamas.
So they enlisted the experts at The Cruise Web (thecruiseweb.com) to help them plan the group’s itinerary, determine which cruise line would best fit their needs and help coordinate plans for their most anticipated day.
Two weeks before departure, they were notified that the employee responsible for coordinating the trip and wedding had been let go several months before and had never made all the requested arrangements with Carnival.
Because of the foul-up, they were not getting married on July 4 after all.
Carnival representatives did what they could to accommodate the couple, but all they had available for the ceremony was 1 p.m. on July 3 – a scant one hour after boarding the ship before most of the other passengers. Once at the port, each member of the party was informed that they were allowed just one carry-on bag; the rest were stowed away with the other cruise guests’ luggage. There was a scramble to rearrange clothing and accessories to ensure everyone had what they needed for the wedding.
In the end, Jon and Cheryl were so rattled at the rush of pre-wedding activity that they left a specially prepared CD with their music in another suitcase, which was somewhere in the bowels of the ship awaiting delivery to their bridal suite. The groom’s sister, Jamie Winburn, and a helpful Carnival employee rigged up an iPod with copies of the songs on it so they could have the music they desired.
Then the Winburns arranged for a civil ceremony to renew their vows the next day on a beach in Freeport so they could still claim July 4 as their anniversary date.
After that, they had no reason to think the rest of the trip wouldn’t run smoothly. But then:
The groom’s father came down with a urinary tract infection that landed him in the infirmary and eventually in a hospital in Nassau. He had to pay $1,200 (cash or credit card) upfront before the emergency room would even admit him. The total bill: $2,000. (Luckily, they had both medical and cruise insurance, but nearly three months later they still haven’t been reimbursed.)
The bride’s sister suffered sun poisoning, her eyes swelled shut and skin blistered, forcing her to spend more time in a hotel room than she had intended.
At least one participant suffered severe seasickness.
The bride’s parents were in a cabin below the galley and were kept awake each night by rattling carts and crashing dishes.
The ring bearer’s baggage was lost, never to be seen again.
Two of the bride and groom’s suitcases – the ones carrying her jewelry and trousseau, their camera, signed marriage certificates and other valuables – were lost or taken shortly after disembarking the ship and never showed up at the hotel in Orlando. Police were called, and a report was filed, but they spent the rest of their vacation with borrowed clothing and a few small purchases from a local Wal-Mart.
Eventually, without explanation, the suitcases appeared at their Colorado home about a week after their return, shipped to them by Carnival.
Then Hurricane Dennis hit.
Still, the Winburns were lucky. Their cruise was over by the time Dennis crept up the East Coast, and they felt only the peripheral effects of it during their post-cruise vacation near the Disney Village in Orlando.
A group of 45 travelers from Texas and Colorado who were on the flight back to Denver, however, weren’t so lucky: Their cruise, just after the Winburns’, was canceled because of the hurricane. Luckily, they had purchased insurance and were guaranteed another cruise.
So before booking your own cruise, know that things can go wrong, and be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. (More of these travel tips can be found at thecruiseweb.com; or call 800-377-9383.)
Check and double-check all the details or your trip with either the cruise line or booking agent well before departure. Get those details in writing. Confirm your arrangements before leaving for the airport or port.
When traveling in large groups, don’t rely on the lead planner for information; seek it out before boarding or from the ship’s information desk or concierge. There are many activities and programs onboard and offered as excursions; pre-planning will guarantee you a spot.
Also when traveling with large groups, set time aside for yourself. As nice and well-meaning as people are, they adhere to their own schedules. Don’t expect them to adjust to yours.
Pack a small, separate carryon bag with valuables and essentials in it (and a spare set of clothes) and keep it with you at all times. Never pack your passport, visa, license, medications, computer, cellphone, cruise documents or airline tickets in checked luggage. Leave copies of your passport, airline tickets, traveler’s checks and credit cards with a family member or friend back on the mainland. Put a card with your name and address inside your luggage, as well as on the outside.
Know where your cabin is located ahead of time and if you’re unhappy with it, don’t wait until you’re settled in before requesting a move.
Get the insurance offered by the booking agency or cruise line. Check what each offers concerning pre-existing medical conditions, emergency hospital care, family illness, injuries and accidents, inclement weather conditions, cruise cancellations or interruptions, travel delays, terrorist incidents or financial hardships, and loss of baggage and travel documents. Most cruise-line insurance will offer credit for future sailings, not refunds, and may not reimburse you for the taxes and fees. Most of all, roll with the punches when things go awry. (It’s a vacation, remember?)
Staff writer Barbara Ellis can be reached at 303-820-1751 or bellis@denverpost.com.
