Carnival may divert cruise ships to Houston

Any port in a storm? You bet. With the cruise terminals shut down in Galveston, Texas, after Hurricane Ike, and no reopening set, Carnival Cruise Lines is hunting for another port, possibly Houston, to berth the two ships that it diverted to New Orleans, spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said today.

“We would like to get those ships back to a Texas port as soon as possible,” said De la Cruz, adding that Carnival was talking with officials in Houston, which, of course, has its own storm recovery issues.

Meanwhile, instead of heading back out to sea Tuesday, the Carnival Conquest will stay in New Orleans for “the time being,” as will the Carnival Ecstasy when it arrives Tuesday afternoon, she said.

Whatever happens, cruisers face several problems. Among them:

Retrieving cars: Carnival was trying to get information on the status of vehicles parked by its cruise customers at Galveston’s port, but “we don’t have a clear answer yet,” De la Cruz said. Even if vehicles are road-ready, navigating the area may be tough, with most Galveston roads entirely or partly blocked by debris and down to one lane this morning.

Getting new flights: Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) were open today but with reduced flight schedules. Most airlines were waiving change fees for Houston flights, but policies varied, so check first. If you booked an air-sea package with Carnival, the cruise line will cover flight changes and fees, De la Cruz said. If not, you’ll need to work it out with the airline.

Booking future cruises: As of today, the Carnival Ecstasy was still scheduled to sail out of Galveston on Saturday and the Conquest on Sunday, De la Cruz said. But that situation could change, so check the Carnival website for updates or call the company.

— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

[Photo: A building on the shore in Galveston, Texas, is battered and barely standing in the midst of Hurricane Ike; by Matt Slocum / Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 at 2:10 pm by Jane Engle and is filed under Caribbean, New Orleans & Louisiana, News, Tips & Advice, Southern States, Texas, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.