Swine Flu - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

sue miller · 04-29-2009, 09:12 PM

Carnival Cruise Ship may
not sail

This left many passengers angry

Updated: Wednesday, 29 Apr 2009, 6:02 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 29 Apr 2009, 5:03 PM CDT

Renee Dials
Taren Reed
Photojournalist: Eric Lowe

MOBILE, Ala. - The swine flu concern is interrupting service for a popular cruise line. Carnival Cruise Lines canceled all port calls to Mexico for the next week aboard the "Holiday."
It's still unclear where the ship will sail. Springdale Travel in Mobile was still getting calls about the Holiday cruise schedule Wednesday.

"We were getting calls off the hook here, the phones are just ringing," Cape said.

Director Stephen Cape said Wednesday morning his booking agents didn't have all the answers. "People are concerned about their vacation. They want to know where they're going to depart from, and right now Carnival hasn't announced where the new port of calls going to be or if it's going to be a day at sea. I think that's going to be the main decision as to whether people are going to decide to go on the cruise or not to go the cruise." Cape said.
With Mexico off the list of ports for the time being, the Holiday's other options are limited. "If we're not stopping in Mexico and we're not stopping in Cuba it's going to have to be Key West, or a day a sea." he said.
The Holiday has done both in the past. A few years ago, engine problems resulted in a detour to Key West, Florida. In 2005, the ship took passengers on an unexpected cruise to nowhere with no port calls.
That left many passengers angry.
"It was awful. Nothing went the way it was planned. It was a fiasco," one passenger said in January.
In a Statement posted on its website, The Cruise Line said "Guests who do not wish to sail on a modified itinerary will be given the option to reschedule their cruise for a later date".
The Holiday returns to Mobile Thursday morning from a five day cruise that did include one stop in Mexico instead the scheduled two stops.

sue miller · 04-29-2009, 10:50 PM

New itineary for Carnival Holiday out of Mobile 4/30/09 Key west in place of Cozumel