Carnival Glory is a cruise ship that sails from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, and Costa Maya, Mexico, every January. The ship was scheduled to set sail this week, but was put in a hold to complete a safety inspection. On Sunday, it was determined that the ship was too unstable to continue, and the cruise was canceled. Carnival did not immediately confirm whether passengers would be compensated for the trip already paid for, or if they would receive a refund.
On Wednesday, September 2, Hurricane Ida was upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and by the following afternoon it was a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph (215 km/h). As of Friday, September 4, the storm left at least 13 dead and millions without power in its wake.
Due to Hurricane Ida’s effect, Carnival Cruise Line’s first voyage from New Orleans since the industry closure has been canceled. The decision was taken after a post-storm review by local authorities, according to the line. The Mississippi River is still blocked to marine activity in certain areas.
The Carnival Gloriousness was scheduled to take sail on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on September 5, including stops in the Bahamas at Bimini, Freeport, and Nassau.
Carnival Glory
Carnival says a departure from the storm-battered city is just not feasible at this time in a letter to affected passengers. According to the letter, “our Fleet Operations Center in Miami has been in constant touch with port authority authorities in New Orleans, who performed a post-storm assessment.”
“They told us that the canal leading to the cruise port remains blocked and that the city is now under emergency management. We regret to tell you that your cruise has been canceled as a consequence of this.”
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Carnival is giving the opportunity of changing their reservation to the Carnival Vista cruise leaving Galveston, Texas on September 4 to individuals who are completely vaccinated and have flexible arrangements. This is a seven-night Western Caribbean trip that includes stops in Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, and Mahogany Bay, Honduras.
“Unfortunately, since vaccination exemptions are capacity restricted and non-transferable, we will be unable to accommodate passengers with a vaccine exemption granted for Carnival Glory. Please contact us as soon as possible at 1-800-CARNIVAL, your Personal Vacation Planner, or your travel adviser so that we can help you make this change,” the cruise company advised passengers.
At the Erato Street Cruise Terminal, the Carnival Dream is moored (Photo courtesy of Port NOLA)
Passengers who have paid for the cruise but are unable to take the Galveston option will get a full refund.
“A complete refund, including taxes, fees, and port costs, Fly2Fun bookings, and any other prepaid goods, such as Carnival shore excursions, gratuities, Fun Shop purchases, beverage and Wi-Fi packages, will be handled immediately (no need to contact us). The refund will be applied to your original payment method.”
Guests who purchased a previously canceled cruise using a future cruise credit (FCC) will be allowed to utilize the credit again in the future as long as the trip is rebooked within certain timeframes.
Carnival is advising passengers who booked flights separately to contact their airline directly, adding that airlines are accommodating adjustments due to the storm’s effect.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our visitors, and we will keep those impacted by the storm in our thoughts and prayers,” Carnival stated in a statement.
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