How Will This Affect Your Next Cruise?

[FJB]

This can’t be good for anyone, cruise ships included - 5000 mile wide algae bloom headed to Florida! 
 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/giant-blob-seaweed-twice-width-us-taking-aim-florida-scientists-say

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB This is such an unfortunate circumstance after all that Florida has been through recently with red tide and the hurricane aftermath. The Gulf Coast waters are still very much contaminated and polluted, killing much of the wildlife and ecosystems within. Much of my family that lives on this coast has not had the pleasure of enjoying the beaches due to all of the chaos within the waterways. The last time I went back the tides were very low and the waters were filled with dead sea life. My mom works at a yacht club on the marina and has been facing significant respiratory issues due to the air quality. Most of the guests at the yacht club are only dining indoors due to this.

[kefthecruiser]

The blob that ate Florida! Sounds like a 1950s horror flick. I saw an update on the news last night and the scientists were pretty clear they don't know where it may end up. Having been here in Florida for over 40 years, the seaweed issue seems to be more with when it lands on the beach and decomposes, rather than as a navigational issue. I suggest any large ship will simply cut through it. Smaller boats may have issues.

Perhaps that mass of floating greenery/brownery will lessen the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic this season???

[3Sisters]

@kefthecruiser Seaweed on beaches is no fun, especially if it harbors sea lice! I hope that the large ships chop it up really well and help dissipate the issue a bit. I don't think this is the worst of the problems Florida is facing right now, but I would truly hope that it helps lessen the formation of hurricanes! That would be a significant plus to this mass if that is the case. Also, the Atlantic coast isn't unfamiliar with seaweed, but it doesn't make for the best walk at the beach. 

[LukeJ]

@3Sisters is that what would happen do you think? Would the ships do that. I hope it doesn't damage the ships as if that clogs up the mechanical side of the boat.

[kefthecruiser]

Just a few more thoughts on the seaweed blob. This is not a new issue, it occurs yearly, just really big this year. The seaweed floats and needs the sun to grow, so it's not very deep into the water. It has no strength, you will fall through if you try to stand on it. It is not one big mass, rather there can be strands to floating islands. It will not stop any ship. However, if you are out fishing on your boat, you will likely spend time cleaning a fouled prop.

The real impact for a cruise is if the seaweed has landed on the beach you plan to visit. This stuff is smelly and toxic as it decays. This article is a good read.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/15/sargassum-seaweed-bloom-florida-beaches/

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@kefthecruiser Like you stated, it's unfortunately pretty common to come across seasonal seaweed on Atlantic beaches. The Pacific beaches face this same thing, but I have noticed the type of seaweed is so much more tolerable on the Pacific Coast. I think it's because the pieces that get washed up on shore are so much larger on the Pacific Coast. I totally agree with you, the dried-up seaweed is not fun to walk on, it can oftentimes smell weird, and it harbors some pretty gross organisms at times. I would recommend avoiding the beaches when this stuff is present.

Grand Turk had a pretty bad experience with seaweed a few years back. https://www.cruisehive.com/seaweed-takes-over-popular-beach-at-the-grand-turk-cruise-center/26518

@LukeJ It's definitely a possibility! I'm sure seaweed is the least of the cruise ship's worries.

[Ian Feldman]

 I believe that the seaweed can cause issues for ships with their various water intake systems.  And what about the small props for maneuvering at the bow thrusters area? We were once on a ship where cooling intakes were fouled by lots of seaweed.  The ship needed divers to clean out the intake ports. This could become huge with all the Florida Ports impacted as well as the Caribbean itself?  

 

 

 

[3Sisters]

@Ian Feldman This is likely a bigger issue for smaller ships, cruise ships are pretty well equipt and heavy-duty to manage seaweed, even in excess. Could you expand on the cooling intakes? I'm not sure how those work. This information is very intriguing. I never thought of the seaweed wreaking such havoc on a ship. I would hope the cruise crew does all of its preparations ahead of time to protect itself from any potential hazards. Cruises come in and out of Florida/the Caribbean on a daily. I would imagine this is not the first time they are encountering this sort of natural debris. 

[kefthecruiser]

@3Sisters Yep, you get it. Sargassum has been around for a long, long time. In fact, Christopher Columbus named the Sargassum Sea on his way to the West Indies. The stuff is actually beneficial to sea life and only becomes a nuisance when it lands on beaches. 

[3Sisters]

@kefthecruiser I love the history! I didn't know that Christopher Columbus named the Sargassum Sea. It makes perfect sense. I'm noticing cruisers are voicing their concerns about this year's sargassum bloom. I have experienced seasonally significant amounts of seaweed on beaches before and it isn't pleasant, but I don't think it should be oddly offputting for cruisers. If the beaches are overwhelmingly filled with seaweed, then exploring other areas of the port of call could be just fine. I hope this large bloom headed to Florida doesn't instill fear in cruise guests. You can still have fun at every port of call without sunning on the beaches! 

[FJB]

Still going...

https://www.foxnews.com/us/satellite-images-show-breadth-massive-seaweed-belt-stretching-across-atlantic-ocean

[3Sisters]

@FJB I think this seaweed belt is going to get a lot of news coverage until the whole thing is over and gone. It could be worse, but maybe it's just best to avoid cruising to the affected areas if you are looking for a pristine beach experience. Beaches are definitely beautiful and enjoyable but it's not the only place to explore at each port! Ports of call have so much more to offer than a beach-focused experience. This sargassum bloom actually does some good for the environment, so it's truly a benefit in several ways. 

[kefthecruiser]

Lest we forget, hurricane season is right around the corner. The Caribbean is just so unpredictable...almost scary! 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@kefthecruiser I can't believe the hurricane season is almost back again. So many of my friends that reside in Florida are still experiencing such a struggle while trying to get their homes back to a state of normalcy from the last major hurricane to hit down south, Hurricane Ian. I really hope that this year's hurricane season is milder than last year's. Usually, the season begins in August and poses threats into October. Hurricane Ian ended up making landfall towards the end of last year's hurricane season in late September as a Category 4. This is a great article on some of the ways a hurricane could impact your cruise experience this year.