Carnival Cancels Mexico Port Calls Through May 4
Carnival Cancels Mexico Port Calls Through May 4
Carnival Cruise Lines is cancelling calls at Mexican ports for all current and future sailings through May 4 due to fears about swine flu. In many cases, Carnival will be able to substitute the cancelled call with an alternative port and is currently working on those itineraries. Carnival is posting itinerary changes on its website as they are finalized. For current sailings, alternate ports of call include Key West or Nassau, although most substitutes are days at sea. Guests who do not wish to sail on a modified itinerary will be given the option to reschedule their cruise for a later date. Carnival reiterates there are currently no reported cases of swine influenza on Carnival ships or in any of the ports that we normally visit in Mexico. Updates will be posted at www.carnival.com.
Meanwhile, the Port of San Diego said 10 cruise ships will visit San Diego instead of calling at Mexican ports. Princess Cruises’ 2,670-passenger Sapphire Princess will visit San Diego instead of Puerto Vallarta on April 30 for an 11-hour stopover. Princess and other cruise officials said they are working on alternatives to passenger itineraries, but details are still pending. On April 28, posters provided by the Centers for Disease Control were put in place at the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal. The posters offer tips on proper hygiene in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Department continues to closely manage and oversee the region's response to the influenza cases. For more information, visit www.portofsandiego.org.
With all the changes taking place because of swine flu, Aruba announced that it welcomed the Pacific Princess on April 27 and Sea Princess on April 28, and no swine flu case was reported. The Pacific Princess was on its first call and exchange of plaques took place. Aruba has heightened surveillance on the swine flu. For more information, visit www.ArubaByCruise.com. For more information on swine flu, visit www.cdc.gov.