Swine Flu Forces Cruise Itinerary Changes - Some Drastic!

With governments advising against non-essential travel to Mexico, the cruise lines have scrambled to find alternate ports for their many ships scheduled at Mexican ports of call.

As of now, NO ships will be calling at Mexican ports through at least the 11th. Mostly, this poses no inconvenience for cruise passengers. It does, of course take money out of the pockets of the locals at the cancelled ports.

The changes began a couple of days ago, and today, it really cranked up, with one line, in particular making drastic changes for a couple of its ships.
For Carnival's Ecstacy, sailing out of Galveston, and the New Orleans-based Fantasy, entire sailings have been cancelled, and replaced with new ones of different lengths, sailing sailing on different dates. This will, no doubt, prove difficult for those who had pre-approved vacation dates, or who are flying to reach their cruise.

However, it is well to remember that, in an emergency, convenience must sometimes take a back seat to safety and public welfare.

If you are sailing on any ship - with any line - during this flu emergency, PLEASE check your cruise line's website frequently. Most are updated at least daily, and are easy enough to access.

If you are scheduled to sail on the Fantasy or the Ecstacy, do yourself a favor, and check Carnival's website NOW.

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