Hurricane Sandy has caused the
cancellation of east coast
departures and the rerouting of
ships in the Caribbean and
Bahamas.
THE Port of New York was closed down on
Sunday night, delaying yesterday’s scheduled
arrival of NCL’s Norwegian Gem, which
remained at sea awaiting instructions from
the United States Coast Guard.
Also based in New York, Carnival Cruise
Line’s Carnival Miracle skipped two ports of
call to beat the storm back home and then
delayed its next departure.
Carnival Fantasy spent Thursday at sea
instead of visiting Freeport in the Bahamas,
and the delayed Carnival Sensation shortened
its itinerary to only three days.
The company also cancelled the departure
of Carnival Pride from Baltimore and Carnival
Glory from Norfolk due to adverse weather
conditions. But Carnival was quick to make up
for the scratched seven-day Caribbean cruise
on Pride and is now offering a two-day “cruise
to nowhere” this weekend, priced from US$99
per person.
Carnival’s senior cruise firector John Heald
wrote in his popular blog: “I have to say I can’t
remember a storm that has affected so many
ships and forced the closure of ports, and in
the case of the Carnival Glory and Carnival
Pride, the cancellation of two cruises.”
Royal Caribbean delayed until today a
departure of Jewel of the Seas that had been
scheduled for Saturday.
NCL’s Miami-based Norwegian Sky returned
late from its last voyage and delayed its next
sailing.
Holland America’s Eurodam, was scheduled
to dock in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, but
rough conditions forced the ship to pull into
Jacksonville.
Eurodam departed Quebec, Canada, on 14
October and for the first time since Tuesday,
the 2,100 passengers saw land on Friday
afternoon.
Other ships that have shifted course and
skipped ports include Allure of the Seas,
Monarch of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas,
Norwegian Jewel, Gem and Pearl, Carnival
Valor, Carnival Fascination, Disney Dream and
Disney Fantasy.
Cruise lines’ private islands in the Bahamas
were also damaged by the hurricane, which
has killed people more than 65 people, mainly
in Haiti.
Affected cruise passengers are being
provided with refunds, future cruise credits,
hotel accommodation and meals.
American meteorologists coined the
nickname ‘‘Frankenstorm’’ because it is made
up of different types of weather patterns and
is due to reach the US just before Halloween.
