Hurricane Matthew Forces Cancellation of NACBA Workshop
Dan LaBert | Latest News | October 4, 2016

It is with great regret to inform you that due to Hurricane Matthew and the current weather forecast issued for Miami and the Bahamas, NACBA has made the decision to cancel the 2016 Fall Workshop.

Given workshop attendees will be traveling from all parts of the country on Thursday and Friday AM when the storm is predicted to be hitting Miami, we believe in applying common sense and putting the safety of our members as the #1 priority.

Additional factors in canceling the workshop were as follows:

• As of 5:00 PM Est. on Tuesday, the latest update has the storm tracking in a westerly direction. Florida Governor: Prepare for direct hit from Hurricane Matthew
• The National Hurricane Center formally issuing both a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings for Miami including points north and south of the city.
• The state of Florida has issued a state of emergency due to expected hurricane conditions.
• Travel advisories have been issues by almost all major airlines.
• The threat to the entire Southeast Coast continues to grow.
• POTUS canceled trip to Florida due to Hurricane Matthew.
• Other legal associations have canceled their travel to the hurricane impacted area.
• Even though the cruise line would re-route from the Bahamas to the Florida Keys, Key West is now embracing for storm impact.
• Speaking with a cruise-line professional, even if the hurricane were to pass Miami by the time of our sailing, waters are expected to be “rough, choppy and possible bouts of sea sickness” will ensue.

As you may know, Royal Caribbean has not been forthcoming with information as they are trying to wait out any decision. Their website has not been updated in a timely fashion. The problem with their process is that it does not account for travel into Miami. Several of the workshop attendees and presenters are flying from the West Coast. They do not have the luxury of changing their flight to Thursday or Friday AM when conditions are expected to worsen.

Please know, NACBA will issue registration and cabin refunds (assuming you booked through the NACBA cruise agent) in a timely matter. We will also work with Royal Caribbean on postponing the cruise to a later date. Additionally, NACBA will consider a virtual format for the presentations that were to take place on board.

While we are terribly upset to cancel such an exciting event, the safety of NACBA members and their families take precedent over everything else. We have made every attempt to keep all attendees informed. We hope this decision will allow you to make the appropriate adjustments to your travel plans.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.