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| (c) 2011 Carnival Cruise Lines |
As Hurricane Irene takes aim at the Carolina coastline, the mid-Atlantic region and northeastern cities, U.S. agents are scrambling to keep up with more cruise itinerary changes and assist customers.
Carnival Cruise Lines: Carnival (www.goccl.com) revised four more itineraries for ships departing from Charleston, Jacksonville, New York and Port Canaveral, FL; other itineraries were previously revised.
The most dramatic new change is for the six-day Carnival Fantasy sailing today from Charleston, SC. Passengers expecting a British-style Bermuda vacation will be immersed in a tropical one instead. The ship will spend two full days at sea, forego two days in Bermuda and instead spend Sunday at Cozumel, Mexico and Monday at Key West, FL, with one day at sea en route back to Charleston next Wednesday.
The line’s four-day Carnival Fascination cruise, which sails today from Jacksonville, will spend a day at sea on Friday in lieu of Freeport in the Bahamas, but it’s still scheduled to visit Nassau on Saturday.
Carnival Sensation, departing today on a three-day cruise from Port Canaveral, FL, will substitute two days in Key West for the previously planned two days in Nassau, the Bahamas.
And Carnival Glory, operating an eight-day cruise from New York, will visit Saint John, New Brunswick, on Tuesday instead of Monday. It will call at Halifax, Nova Scotia on Monday.
Royal Caribbean International: Agents need to know that Royal Caribbean (www.cruisingpower.com) has moved Explorer of the Seas’ sailing one hour earlier than normal on Saturday from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ. Passengers need to be onboard no later than 3 p.m. for a 4 p.m. departure. Look for another update from the line at 6 p.m. tonight.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Gem has arrived in Bermuda but will depart at 6 p.m. today, one day earlier than planned to avoid the storm’s path. The ship will arrive in New York on Sunday as scheduled.
Norwegian Jewel did not call on Nassau, Bahamas today and instead is spending the day at sea, heading north to return to New York on Saturday as scheduled.
Norwegian Sky has canceled its call to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas today and is spending the day at sea. Tomorrow, the ship will miss its call to Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas and instead call on Key West, FL from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrity Cruises: Given the current location and projected path of Hurricane Irene, Celebrity Cruises (www.cruisingpower.com) has revised the departure time for Celebrity Summit from Kings Wharf, Bermuda. The ship will leave there today at 6 p.m., one day earlier than originally scheduled. Celebrity Summit will now arrive in Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ, on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The line also said it encourages guests booked on the Sunday, Aug. 28, sailing of Celebrity Summit to pay close attention to the line’s updates for any possible modifications to the itinerary. Celebrity will issue another update at 6 p.m. tonight.