Simply two days after a fog delay on the Port of Cellular in Alabama, fog has impacted one other Carnival Cruise Line homeport with the Port of Jacksonville now closed to marine visitors, delaying the return of Carnival Elation.
As a result of the Port of Jacksonville is situated up the St. Johns River and cruise ships should safely cross beneath the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (the Dames Level Bridge) to achieve the terminal, clear navigation is crucial earlier than Carnival Elation can proceed.
Carnival Elation Delayed
Carnival Elation is now delayed in getting back from her most up-to-date crusing, a 4-night Bahamas itinerary that left Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Heavy fog has briefly closed the Port of Jacksonville to marine visitors, and the 70,367-gross-ton, Fantasy-class ship can’t safely enter the St. Johns River to navigate to the cruise terminal.
“The Port of Jacksonville is closed to marine visitors as a result of dense fog, and Carnival Elation’s arrival can be delayed,” a notification despatched to embarking friends learn. “This can affect your embarkation.”
The primary notification didn’t embrace a timeframe for the revised embarkation, and friends have been suggested to attend for additional communication earlier than continuing to the cruise terminal. A second replace despatched at 9 a.m. suggested friends that the port remained closed, however one other replace can be supplied by 11 a.m.
“Please don’t proceed to the cruise terminal till you obtain our last replace,” the e-mail learn.
Visitors have been requested to enroll in textual content alerts for additional notifications because the state of affairs develops.
All friends are additionally receiving a $25 (USD) credit score posted to their onboard accounts to take pleasure in lunch on the cruise line’s tab whereas they wait to reach on the cruise terminal.
In the intervening time, the cruise ship is holding place exterior the mouth of the St. Johns River, offshore east of Jacksonville Seashore to make sure to be away from any marine visitors with enough room to maneuver. All operations onboard are totally practical.
Carnival Elation‘s subsequent cruise is a 5-night Bahamas itinerary with port of name visits scheduled for Nassau and Bimini, in addition to two days at sea. As a result of the times at sea are the primary and final full days of the cruise, it could be straightforward for the ship to make up time for a minor to average delay with out impacting her deliberate time in port.
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The ship can welcome 2,190 passengers aboard for every crusing at double occupancy, or as many as 2,697 friends when totally booked with all berths crammed. Additionally onboard are 900 worldwide officers and crew members to make sure everybody has a tremendous cruise trip.
Second Fog Delay in Three Days
Two days beforehand, on Saturday, March 2, one other Carnival ship was delayed as a result of fog when Carnival Spirit was unable to return to the Port of Cellular in Alabama on schedule.
In the end, Carnival Spirit was delayed by 4 hours, and friends have been requested to regulate their arrival appointment instances accordingly so debarking friends might easily clear the terminal and parking areas earlier than new passengers arrived.
All embarking friends have been supplied with a $25 onboard credit score to compensate for the delay, and everybody wanted to be onboard the ship by 6 p.m. for departure.
Fog delays usually are not unusual, significantly at homeports the place ships should navigate slim or advanced channels to achieve the cruise terminal. Such delays are well-known at Galveston, Tampa, Cellular, New Orleans, and Jacksonville, however can happen at any homeport for quite a lot of opposed climate circumstances.
