CARNIVAL was forced to disembark
passengers aboard the Carnival Conquest at
Mobile, Alabama instead of the intended port
at New Orleans after the Mississippi River was
closed due to a sunken tugboat.
The line said in a statement that the United
States Coast Guard was “working to locate to
determine if it posed a hazard for other vessels
transiting the river”.
Due to the nine-hour cruising time required
to reach Mobile, the decision was made to
disembark there rather than continue to wait.
Passengers were bused back to New Orleans,
with those due to join Conquest for its next
sailing transported to Mobile and offered
1-day pro-rata refunds of their cruise fare.
Two crew members aboard the tug were
rescued, with the US Coast Guard assessing for
how much longer the river will remain closed.
Conquest is expected to depart from Mobile
for its next scheduled departure today.
