ShipRockers woke up to rough waters while docked in beautiful Ocho Rios Jamaica. In the morning, passengers were disembarking and were told the gangways needed to be reset every five minutes for our safety. It was Bob Marley’s birthday so it was fitting to spend the day in Jamaica to take in the local culture.
The Port of Ocho Rios is beautiful, as are the people and homemade goods. We had a jerk chicken wrap, ginger beer, and the signature Bob Marley drink at the tranquil KK Tavern & Lounge. As we headed back to the port, before noon, to go back onboard, we realized we couldn’t. Around 11 a.m. that morning, due to strong winds and currents, the Carnival Magic made contact with the pier.
This collision caused concern to ShipRockers on board and those on land. Cruisers who were ready to get back onboard in the afternoon didn’t find the ship in sight. Some of us saw the Carnival Magic sail into the fog.
“For the safety of everyone on board, it was necessary to leave the area and return to dock at another nearby pier. This allowed guests who went ashore to rejoin the ship,” a Carnival statement read.
According to some passengers who were on board they couldn’t feel the collision but they could hear it bumping against the pier and metal scraping. They said they dealt with extremely rough motion as the ship went back out to sea. Damage on the front of the ship was evident from the contact it made with the pier.
At the Ocho Rios port, some ShipRockers took haven for hours at Starbucks and Margaritaville. Other ShipRockers were bused to Laughing Waters Villa and were told lunch and drinks would be provided but when they arrived there was no food, water or enough restroom facilities available.
One of the biggest issues of the day was little to no information and/or miscommunication from officials to guests which led to distrust. Bands and fans were anxious and concerned.
If fans had service on their cell phones they were getting text and email alerts from Carnival and ASK4 with updates throughout the day. Passengers with the Carnival HUB app could also track the ship’s position.
Eventually, around 6 p.m. the Carnival Magic docked again at the nearby Reynold’s Pier. ShipRockers who were on buses at Laughing Waters and those who stayed at the port ended up in the same space, waiting well over an hour to board. Ultimately, everyone boarded safe and sound.
Back On Board & Back to the Music:
Members of Fire From the Gods and Nonpoint deserve their flowers for not only being on land, outside for several hours in Ocho Rios but having an optimistic attitude and strength to perform soon after boarding that evening.
Despite some rainy weather, Texas band Fire From the Gods set it off on the Deck Stage with bangers like “Another Level” and “American Sun.” Singer AJ Channer dubbed the Metal Marley has Jamaican roots and being in Ocho Rios was of massive importance to him. He brought his father’s ashes on the boat and released them into the sea during his time in Jamaica. He dedicated the song “INI” to his dad and on cue the skies opened up and rained during this moving tribute.
It was a full circle moment for the Metal Marley performing while docked in Ocho Rios, donning a Bob Marley hoodie with the colors of Jamaica.
It just wouldn’t feel like ShipRocked without Nonpoint! The band entered the stage to the Gilligan’s Island theme song to add some levity to the day’s events now that everyone was back onboard and safe.
“If a hole at the side of the boat ain’t going to stop us, the rain ain’t going to stop us,” said frontman Elias Soriano during their dynamic set. They humorously kicked off their performance with the song aptly titled “What a Day.” Their songs of power, endurance, and strength are exactly what we needed at the end of a long arduous day!
Schedules were being readjusted for the next day and ShipRockers were rolling with the punches as everyone tried to figure out how to make adjustments.
“We have canceled our call into Grand Cayman tomorrow due to forecasted weather conditions. Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, we are awaiting the arrival of a team of experts to continue the assessment of the ship. We expect them to arrive later tonight,” the statement from Carnival said.
All the bands thanked the fans for being great throughout the experience and noted that many crew members had told them how happy they were with how the ShipRockers came together and handled the situation.
ShipRockers made the best out of the trying situation and dressed in their best Nightmare Before Christmas …or bloodied prom outfits. The theme for the evening was The Nightmare Before Carrie and guests paid tribute to both iconic films!
ShipRocked had full length horror flicks playing in the theater late in the evenings everyday if fans wanted to grab some popcorn and fully participate in the horror theme nights.