9.30 am - Sunday, Oct. 6 -- Carnival Cruise Lines has two ships homeported in New Orleans whose operations have been impacted by Tropical Storm Karen. Given the closure of the Mississippi River, the arrivals of both Carnival Elation and Carnival Conquest to New Orleans were delayed. Both vessels maintained a safe distance from the storm while awaiting the re-opening of the river. Both are now expected to dock at the Port of New Orleans this afternoon.
Carnival Elation
Carnival Elation operates four and five-day cruises from New Orleans and departed on its current voyage, a five-day cruise, on Monday, Sept. 30 that included stops in Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship was originally scheduled to return to New Orleans on Saturday, Oct. 5. Carnival Elation is now expected to dock in New Orleans at approximately 2pm this afternoon. Guests have the option of disembarking today or remaining on board until tomorrow morning.
The Elation’s next voyage will depart on Monday, Oct 7 and has been modified from a five-day cruise to a three-day Fun Cruise at Sea. Guests who opt to proceed with the cruise will receive a 50 percent refund for this voyage and a 50 percent discount towards a future three to five-day cruise. Tomorrow's embarkation for the next voyage is scheduled from 11 am to 3 pm.
Carnival Conquest
Carnival Conquest operates seven-day Caribbean and Florida/Bahamas cruises from New Orleans. The ship departed New Orleans on its current voyage on Sunday, Sept. 29 that included stops in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Carnival Conquest was originally scheduled to return to New Orleans this morning. The ship is now scheduled to arrive at approximately 1.30p this afternoon. Guests have the option of disembarking today or remaining on board until tomorrow morning.
The Conquest’s next voyage will be modified from a seven-day cruise to a six-day cruise with stops in Key West and Nassau, The Bahamas – two of the three originally scheduled ports. Guests who opt to proceed with this cruise will receive a one-day pro-rated refund. Embarkation for tomorrow's cruise departure is scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm.
A number of additional staff have been mobilized to join the current team in New Orleans to provide guests with assistance and support.
"Our top priority was to keep a safe distance from the storm while we waited for the river to re-open. We are pleased to be able to get our ships back into New Orleans earlier than what was originally anticipated as the storm was moving towards the coastline. We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience caused by Tropical Storm Karen and we extend our appreciation to all of the officials and maritime partners in New Orleans who have worked with us throughout to manage the situation as smoothly as possible," said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Guests can receive automatic updates by signing up for text alerts. For updates on Carnival Elation, text CCL1 to CRUISE (278473) and for updates on Carnival Conquest text CCL2 to CRUISE (278473). Updates are also being postedonwww.carnival.com.
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