25 August, 2017
Carnival Cruise Line said that cruises on three of its ships leaving the Port of Galveston on Saturday and Sunday will be shortened because of impacts from Hurricane Harvey.
Tropical Storm Harvey has now been upgraded to a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of Galveston is now closed to all marine traffic. Carnival spokesperson Christine de la Huerta said the Carnival Freedom and Valor will stop in New Orleans on Saturday to replenish food and supplies, at which point passengers can choose to disembark and travel back to Galveston on their own or re-board for the journey by sea back to Texas. Carnival Breeze is now docked in Cozumel and will remain there overnight, added de la Huerta.
"If they're asking you to evacuate and telling you to do it now - listen to their advice", Bossert said, as he assured reporters that President Trump was ready for this storm, as were officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is expected to remain closed until the storm has passed and a port assessment has been completed. Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have heard from us. Cruise details will be finalized once we have confirmed our arrival into Galveston. Additionally, guests who pre-purchased any of our beverage packages will receive a pro-rated refund. In its most recent statement, Royal said the Liberty of the Seas is keeping a safe distance behind the storm and Royal is actively monitoring the path and progression of Hurricane Harvey and will inform guests of any itinerary changes. At this time, Liberty of the Seas will keep her original schedule for Sunday's turnaround in Galveston, TX.
To stay up to date on any changes, guests are asked to sign up for text alerts by texting the codes below to CRUISE (278473).
Surprisingly Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean which both have ships scheduled to arrive in Galveston over the weekend have not adjusted ship itineraries.
