Keeping an Eye on Gordon

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Tropical Storm Gordon

If you haven't noticed before, we are heading into the most active part of the hurricane season.  Right now there are two storms in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific that are being tracked by the National Hurricane centers. 

The one that has everyone's attention is Tropical Storm Gordon, which should make landfall in the Gulf region sometime tonight as a hurricane.    All the states in its path are on high alert and preparations for heavy rainfall are underway. Gordon is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue until landfall occurs tonight along the north-central Gulf coast.

• NHC issuing advisories for the Atlantic on Hurricane Florence and TS Gordon
• NHC issuing advisories for the Eastern Pacific on Hurricane Olivia
• CPHC issuing advisories for the Central Pacific on Norman

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Full coverage of this, and all tropical storms, can be found on our Hurricane Zone page.   There are RSS feeds from the National Hurricane Center posted there giving you up to the minute information.   For storms that impact cruises, we will bring you information on those details as well.  Please bookmark that page for further reference during the Hurricane Season which runs now through November 30th.

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

Tropcial Storm Gordon	1000 AM CDT Tue Sep 04 2018 ...OUTER RAINBANDS PRODUCING SQUALLY WEATHER ALONG THE COAST OF THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE... ...GORDON EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL TONIGHT AS A HURRICANE...
WIND:	near 65 MPH...100 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for... * Shell Beach to Dauphin Island A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for... * West of Shell Beach to the Mouth of the Mississippi River * East of Dauphin Island to Navarre A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida Border A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * West of the Mouth of the Pearl River to Grand Isle, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas * Alabama-Florida Border to Okaloosa-Walton County Line
SHIP IMPACT:	Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas ship departed Florida just before midnight Monday night September 3rd in order to sail behind the storm. The ship will flip its itinerary, but the voyage is still expected to make all of its ports of call. The Port of New Orleans Administration Building will close for all nonessential personnel at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, in order to prepare for any possible weather-related activities due to Tropical Storm Gordon.

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening
inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline,
in the indicated locations. For a depiction of areas at risk, please
see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic,
available at hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation.
Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions
to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for
other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other
instructions from local officials.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-
threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the
coastline, in the indicated locations.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life
and property should be rushed to completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning areas.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
STORM SURGE:  The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the
tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by
rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could
reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated
areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Shell Beach to Dauphin Island...3 to 5 ft.
Navarre Florida to Dauphin Island, including Mobile Bay...2 to 4 ft.
Shell Beach to the Mouth of Mississippi River...2 to 4 ft.
Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Louisiana-Texas border...1 to
2 ft.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to
the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be
accompanied by large waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the
relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary
greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area,
please see products issued by your local National Weather Service
forecast office.

RAINFALL:  Gordon is expected to produce total rain accumulations of
4 to 8 inches over the western Florida Panhandle, southwest Alabama,
southern and central Mississippi, southeastern and northeastern
Louisiana, and southern Arkansas, with isolated maximum amounts of
12 inches through late Thursday. This rainfall will cause flash
flooding across portions of these areas.

WIND:  Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin this
afternoon within portions of the warning area, with hurricane
conditions expected by this evening in the hurricane warning
area.

TORNADOES:  A few tornadoes are possible this afternoon through
tonight near the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida
Panhandle.

New Orleans Welcome for Carnival Sunshine

Naming Ceremony

Back in May, the Carnival Sunshine emerged from dry-dock after the $155m refurbishment of the Carnival Destiny which brought new features, such as the new dining options and waterpark to what is now known as Carnival Sunshine.

The ship was sailing in Europe until this past weekend when it arrived in New Orleans which will be its new home through May 2014.

Farewell Destiny Hello Sunshine

On Sunday, Lin Arison, wife of the late Ted Arison, Founder of Carnival Cruise Line, named the ship following an event that paid homage to the arts.   About 600 people were in attendance for the
performance by YoungArts, which included jazz classics, tap-dancing and modern dance.  

On stage in the Liquid Lounge theater, Arison, along with Sunshine Captain Giuseppe Giusa, pulled a ribbon attached to an oversized replica of a Champagne bottle -- the crowd then watched on video monitors as the real thing smashed on the hull of the ship as is the nautical tradition.
 
Carnival's Senior Cruise Director John Heald recaps the Carnival Sunshine's naming ceremony in this video:
   

Senior Cruise Director 

John Heald Tours 

Carnival Sunshine

How do you breath new life into a 17 year old cruise ship?  

 

Watch these videos as Senior Cruise Directory John Heald takes you on a guided tour of the changes made to what was previously known as Carnival Destiny.  You will be amazed at the transformation.  It's just as good as having a brand new ship introduced to the fleet and it becomes more cost effective.

 

 

Tale of Two Hurricanes Seven Years Apart

On this the eve of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast were once again bracing for the impact of a hurricane.

Katrina was an extraordinarily powerful and deadly hurricane that first caused fatalities and damage in southern Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. After reaching Category 5 intensity over the central Gulf of Mexico, Katrina weakened to Category 3 before making landfall on the northern Gulf coast.

Even so, the damage and loss of life inflicted by this massive hurricane in Louisiana and Mississippi were staggering, with significant effects extending into the Florida panhandle, Georgia, and Alabama. Considering the scope of its impacts, Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters in United States history.

New Orleans was severely impacted by Katrina, and has since rebuilt the levees that failed them back in 2005.   The burning question for town residents tonight was - would they hold with this latest approaching storm.

Fortunately, Hurricane Isaac was a much weaker storm, but don't let that fool you.  It had the potential to bring heavy rains, flooding, power outages, damaging winds, and all the hazards associated with tropical cyclones.

Isaac, which spans more than 200 miles, made landfall at about 6:45 p.m. local time near the mouth of the Mississippi River. New Orleans, about 75 miles to the northwest, was a ghost town as residents and tourists heeded warnings to stay indoors.   Except for low-lying areas which were under mandatory evacuation orders, the majority of the folks stayed here to ride out the storm.

Following is a comparison of the two storms.   We trace some of the significant milestones as the two storms headed from the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall.  For those that want even more information, see the storm and graphic archives on the NHC website.

For  Latest Impact (click here):  Tropical Storm Isaac in Atlantic

Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

 

DATE / TIME	KATRINA 2005	ISAAC 2012
	Storm Archive	Storm Archive
Storm Milestones, Watches & Warnings Issued
21 AUG		500 AM AST TUE AUG 21 2012 TD-9 forms east of Lesser Antilles,  TS Warnings / Watches issued 1007 MB / 35 MPH   500 PM AST TUE AUG 21 2012 Strengthens to tropical storm  1006 MB / 40 MPH   1100 PM AST TUE AUG 21 2012 Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
22 AUG		500 AM AST WED AUG 22 2012 Dominican Republic 1003 MB / 45 MPH   800 AM AST WED AUG 22 2012 British Virgin Islands  1004 MB / 45 MPH     200 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012 Leeward Islands 1006 MB / 45 MPH 500 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012 Haiti 1004 MB / 45 MPH     1100 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012 Eastern Caribbean 1003 MB / 45 MPH
23 AUG	500 PM EDT TUE AUG 23 2005 TD 12 forms - Bahamas TS Warnings issued 1007 MB / 35 MPH   1100 PM EDT TUE AUG 23 2005 Florida Keys, East coast 1007 MB / 35 MPH	1100 AM AST THU AUG 23 2012 South of Virgin Islands 1003 MB / 40 MPH    500 PM AST THU AUG 23 2012 Bahamas, Cuba 1003 MB / 40 MPH    1100 PM AST THU AUG 23 2012 Hispaniola 1001 MB / 45 MPH
24 AUG	1100 AM EDT WED AUG 24 2005 Becomes tropical storm Bahamas, Florida 1006 MB / 40 MPH  500 PM EDT WED AUG 24 2005 SE Florida 1002 MB / 45 MPH     1100 PM EDT WED AUG 24 2005  Hurricane warnings 1001 MB / 50 MPH	800 AM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012 Jamaica 1000 MB / 50 MPH    200 PM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012 Southern Hisapniola 997 MB / 50 MPH   1100 PM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012 Haiti Landfall 990 MB / 70 MPH
25 AUG	800 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Better organized 999 MB / 50 MPH 1100 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Florida straits 997 MB / 60 MPH    300 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Near hurricane strength 990 MB / 70 MPH  500 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Cat 1 Hurricane 985 MB / 75 MPH    900 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Eye over NHC 984 MB / 80 MPH   1100 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 Eye over Miami-Dade 984 MB / 75 MPH	500 AM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012 South Florida, Keys 992 MB / 60 MPH   1100 AM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012 Florida East Coast 998 MB / 60 MPH   200 PM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012 East Coast Cuba 1000 MB / 60 MPH    1100 PM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012 Straits of Florida 997 MB / 60 MPH
26 AUG	100 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005 Weakens over land 980 MB / 70 MPH   700 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005 Westward over Gulf 987 MB / 75 MPH    1100 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005 Stronger - West of Florida 981 MB / 80 MPH    200 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005 Cat 2 Hurricane 969 MB / 100 MPH    1100 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005 Expected to intensify 965 MB / 105 MPH	800 AM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012 Florida Keys 995 MB / 65 MPH   500 PM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012  Key West 992 MB / 60 MPH   1100 PM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012 Eastern Gulf of Mexico 993 MB / 65 MPH
27 AUG	200 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005 963 MB / 110 MPH   800 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005  Cat 3 Hurricane 940 MB / 115 MPH   400 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005 Louisiana 945 MB / 115 MPH   1000 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005  Threat North Central Gulf 939 MB / 115 MPH	500 AM EDT MON AUG 27 2012 Louisiana Coast 990 MB / 65 MPH    1000 AM CDT MON AUG 27 2012  Eastern Gulf of Mexico 988 MB / 65 MPH    400 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2012 Storm surge threat 981 MB / 70 MPH   1000 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2012 Flooding threat 979 MB / 70 MPH
28 AUG	100 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 Cat 4 Hurricane New Orleans 935 MB / 145 MPH   700 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 Cat 5 Hurricane Northern Gulf Coast 908 MB / 165 MPH   100 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 Still Cat 5 906 MB / 175 MPH    1000 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 Cat 5 904 MB / 160 MPH	400 AM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012 Verge of becoming hurricane 977 MB / 70 MPH   1120 AM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012 Becomes Cat 1 Hurricane 975 MB / 75 MPH   700 PM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012 Landfall Extreme SE Louisiana 970 MB / 80 MPH    1000 PM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012 Dangerous storm surge; flooding 968 MB / 80 MPH
29 AUG	MIDNIGHT CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Nearing Louisiana coast 908 MB / 160 MPH    600 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005  Cat 4 Near Shore 918 MB / 145 MPH   800 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Pounding SE Louisiana 923 MB / 135 MPH    1000 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Weakens to Cat 3 Moving ashore near Louisiana & Mississippi border 927 MB / 125 MPH    NOON CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Weakens to Cat 2 over land 940 MB / 105 MPH    400 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Weakens to Cat 1 960 MB / 75 MPH    700 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Now a tropical storm 965 MB / 65 MPH    1000 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 Coastal warnings discontinued 973 MB / 60 MPH	1200 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Coast of Louisiana 969 MB / 80 MPH 200 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Nearly stationary 968 MB / 80 MPH        300 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Second landfall  969 MB / 80 MPH    400 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012  Begins Moving Inland 969 MB / 80 MPH   600 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Floods and heavy rains continue 970 MB / 80 MPH     800 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 970 MB / 80 MPH  1200 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 SE Louisiana / Mississippi Rains 973 MB / 75 MPH  200 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012  Weakens to Tropical Storm 974 MB / 70 MPH 700 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Slow moving - only 6 MPH 977 MB / 60 MPH    1000 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 Only moved 60 miles all day 980 MB / 60 MPH
30 AUG	400 AM CDT TUE AUG 30 2005 Weakens further 981MB / 50 MPH    1000 AM CDT TUE AUG 30 2005 Still heavy rainfall Weakens to tropical depression 985 MB / 35 MPH	100 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012 Heavy Rains & Severe Weather Farther inland Louisiana 981 MB / 50 MPH 400 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012 983 MB / 45 MPH    1000 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012 987 MB / 40 MPH   400 PM CDT THU AUG 30 2012 Weakens to Tropical Depression 995 MB / 35 MPH
31 AUG	No Advisories Issued	No Advisories Issued

Destiny Goes In Sunshine Comes Out

49 Days + $155m = Sunshine

Carnival Destiny will undergo a $155 million makeover next year that will incorporate all of the line’s “Fun Ship 2.0” dining, bar and entertainment features, as well as a variety of exciting innovations unique to this vessel.

Next February, Carnival Destiny will go into a 49-day dry dock at Fincantieri shipyards. This project represents the most ambitious refit and transformation that Carnival Cruise Line has ever done.

 

During the dry dock, Carnival Destiny will be transformed into Carnival Sunshine, which will emerge from the shipyard with a reconfigured layout, the addition of a partial deck, and the expansion of two other decks within the forward section of the ship.  This transformation  provides the opportunity to incorporate a number of new and exciting on-board spaces. 182 cabins will be added, as well.

Update:  Return to Service now May 5th 2013, 2 European Cruises Cancelled

Carnival Triumph & Sunshine Returns Delayed

Following the dry dock, Carnival Sunshine will embark on a schedule of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona and Venice from April to October 2013 then launch year-round seven-day Caribbean departures from New Orleans beginning November 2013.

“This is our most ambitious ship conversion project to date and it will radically transform the Carnival Destiny into essentially an entirely new ship offering a variety of exciting dining and beverage choices, spectacular outdoor spaces and entertainment options, and on-board innovations not available anywhere else" said Gerry Cahill, Carnival President and CEO.

Fun Ship 2.0 + New Features

• A full-service Asian restaurant inspired by the line’s popular Mongolian wok casual eateries , with no charge for lunch, but a nominal fee for dinner.
• The Comfort Kitchen: Located in the Lido Marketplace, it will offer a tempting array of American-style “comfort food” entrees and side dishes.
• Havana Bar, a tropical-inspired nightspot located aft within Lido Marketplace featuring a panoramic ocean view from its floor to ceiling windows and offering a unique and memorable venue for cocktails, live Latin music and dancing.
• New Sunshine Bar, an elegant lounge with sun-splashed interiors located at the lobby level of the ship’s towering atrium.
• A new cigar bar concept offering fine cigars and a variety of brandies, cognacs and liqueurs, ideal for pre- or post-dinner drinks and conversation.


• Carnival’s first three-deck-high Serenity adults-only retreat, with plush chaise lounges and chairs, a whirlpool, a cascading waterfall, teak-planked decks, a pool and complimentary dining area.
• SportSquare, Carnival Sunshine’s new open-air recreation complex that includes a ropes course, mini-golf course, a lighted half court for basketball and volleyball among other sporting amenities.  

Mediterranean Cruises

• 14-day Venice to Barcelona (Apr 6-23, 2013)
• 9 and 12-day R/T Barcelona or Between Barcelona and Venice (18 voyages)
• Ports include: Marseilles, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Livorno (Pisa/Florence) and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Transatlantic Cruise

•  16-day departing Barcelona Nov1 arriving New Orleans Nov 17, 2013

Year-round Deployment - New Orleans

• 6-day from New Orleans (Nov 18-24, 2013)
• 7-day schedule begins Nov 24, 2013 (3 different itineraries)
• western Caribbean route to Belize City, Belize; Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, and Cozumel, Mexico
• Bahamas/Florida schedule to Key West, Fla., Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas
• western Caribbean departures to Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel

Carnival Sunshine will replace Carnival Conquest, which is currently based in New Orleans. Additional details on the Carnival Conquest deployment will be announced in the near future.

Royal Caribbean 2012 Venice Italy

Composed of 117 islands in the Venetian Lagoon and held together by a series of canals, Venice is like no other city in the world. Established more than 1,000 years ago by seafarers and Roman refugees, this magnificent city continues to be the heart of Italian culture as well as a mecca for hopeless romantics.

2012 – Summer Europe & Transatlantic Sailings 


 VOYAGER of the SEAS®

Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans  Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos

On April 14, 2012, VOYAGER of the SEAS® leaves New Orleans, Louisiana on a 16- Night Transatlantic Eastbound to Barcelona, Spain.   A special 11-Night Mediterranean cruise follows which transitions the ship to Venice, Italy for the majority of the Summer 2012 season.

On October 26, 2012, a special 8-Night Mediterranean cruise transitions back to Barcelona, Spain where the ship will cross the Atlantic back to New Orleans starting November 3, 2012.


10-Night Greece and Turkey

Venice, Italy • Dubrovnik, Croatia • Cruising • Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey • Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey • Cruising • Athens (Piraeus), Greece • Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece • Cruising
Venice, Italy

11-Night Greece and Turkey

Venice, Italy • Dubrovnik, Croatia • Cruising • Rhodes, Greece • Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey • Istanbul, Turkey • Cruising • Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece • Cruising • Venice, Italy

2012 EUROPE CRUISETOUR DEPLOYMENT

 Get a local's view of the great cities and sights of Europe, as well as its hidden treasures. 

13-Night Italian Lakes & Venice Cruisetour #5EB

Featuring an 10-Night Greek Isles & Turkey Cruise &
3-Night Pre-cruise Escorted Italian Lakes & Venice Land Tour

May 8, 29; June 19; July 10, 31; August 21; September 11; October 2; 2012

Day 1: Milan/Como, Italy
Day 2: Como, Italy
Day 3: Como/Venice, Italy
Day 4: Venice
Days 4-14: Voyager of the Seas®
10-Night Greek Isles & Turkey Cruise
14-Night Italian Lakes & Venice

Cruisetour #5EB

Featuring an 11-Night Greek Isles & Turkey Cruise &
3-Night Pre-cruise Escorted Italian Lakes & Venice Land Tour

May 18; June 8, 29; July 20; August 10, 21; September 21; October 12; 2012

Day 1: Milan/Como, Italy
Day 2: Como, Italy
Day 3: Como/Venice, Italy
Day 4: Venice
Days 4-14: Voyager of the Seas®
11-Night Greek Isles & Turkey Cruise

Carnival Redeploys Elation and Ecstasy

Carnival Elation

Carnival Cruises Redeploys Carnival Elation 

& Carnival Ecstasy

In a surprise move, Carnival Cruise Lines announced that they are pulling out of Mobile, Alabama in October, 2010.   Carnival Elation has been operating four-, five- and seven-night cruises out of Mobile, and is the only cruise vessel sailing out of the city.

According to the Mobile Press-Register, the news shocked local officials and cruise industry insiders, and leaves the city of Mobile with no direct revenue to pay the millions in debt remaining on the seven-year-old cruise terminal. 

Elation Moving to New Orleans

Carnival Elation will reposition from Mobile, Ala., to New Orleans to operate year-round four- and five-day western Caribbean cruises beginning November 5, 2011. On this route, four-day cruises will depart Thursdays and visit Cozumel, one of the Caribbean’s most popular ports, while five-day voyages will call at both Cozumel and Progreso.

Carnival Elation will join the Carnival Conquest in New Orleans, marking the first time Carnival has operated two ships from New Orleans in six years.  Carnival will be the only cruise line with two ships based year-round in New Orleans, carrying more than 350,000 passengers annually. 
     

Carnival Ecstasy Moving to Port Canaveral

The second part of the double repositioning is the move of the Carnival Ecstasy, which was to have sailed from New Orleans this coming season, to Port Canaveral, Florida.

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will operate four- and five-day Bahamas cruises from the Space Coast beginning November 7, 2011.  The move further bolsters Carnival’s position as Port Canaveral’s largest cruise operator with three year-round ships carrying approximately 600,000 guests annually.

Carnival Ecstasy will depart Thursdays on four-day ‘long weekend’ cruises visiting Nassau and Half Moon Cay or Freeport. Five-day cruises will depart Mondays and Saturdays and call at Nassau, Freeport and Half Moon Cay or Key West.

Prior to repositioning to Port Canaveral, the Carnival Ecstasy will continue to operate from Galveston, Texas through September 8, 2011 and then from New Orleans September 22 through November 5, 2011, as previously scheduled.     


Guests with Current Reservations
As a result of these deployment changes, Carnival will no longer offer cruises from Mobile, Ala.  Guests booked on those voyages will have the option of re-booking from an alternate homeport and receive a $25 per person onboard credit, or they can elect to receive a full refund.

Guests booked on cruises from New Orleans on the Carnival Ecstasy that will now be operated on the Carnival Elation are being automatically shifted to the Carnival Elation.  Itineraries on the Carnival Elation will be identical to those that were scheduled for the Carnival Ecstasy.  The two vessels are sister ships with largely similar features, amenities and staterooms. (Those guests who were booked in standard balcony staterooms on the Carnival Ecstasy – a cabin category not featured on the Carnival Elation – will be contacted individually to discuss their preferences.) The movement of bookings from Carnival Ecstasy to Carnival Elation will be completed by Friday, March 11, 2011 at which time new bookings can be made.

Hurricane Ida Heads for Gulf of Mexico

Chart Courtesy of NOAA: 1200 PM EST (Ida) Wed Nov 8, 2009 (click for udated chart)

<more details>

Hurricane Ida

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

900 AM CST MON NOV 09 2009... IDA WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM...

900 AM CST TUE NOV 10 2009... IDA BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL... ALL WARNINGS DISCONTINUED...

Mobile and New Orleans Port Closures

Impacts Carnival Cruises

Tropical Storm IDA, which at one point was a Category Two Hurricane, entered the Gulf of Mexico Sunday afternoon. This is the first storm of the season to track into this region. Tropical Storm watches are warnings are posted for the Gulf Coast region.

As a service to my clients and my blog readers, we'll provided continual updates on tropical storms and any cruise line advisories that are posted. For convenience, RSS feeds are also added so that you can get up-to-date information between posts. <NHC Active Storms>

The NHC has issued its final advisory on this system. Public Advisories from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center will provide updates as long as the system remains a flood threat.
PublicAdvisory #39 1000 AM EST Friday, November 13, 2009

UPDATE: 900 AM CST TUE NOV 10 2009... IDA BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL... ALL WARNINGS DISCONTINUED... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 35 MPH... 55KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IDA HAS LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DIMINISH DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO.

IDA TURNS NORTHWARD... SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL OVERNIGHT... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS IDA MOVES OVER COOLER WATERS PRIOR TO MAKING LANDFALL... AND IS EXPECTED TO MERGE WITH A FRONTAL ZONE ON WEDNESDAY.

IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES... THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING FROM THE EASTERN GULF COAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INTO THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC STATES.

WATER LEVELS ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SHOULD GRADUALLY BEGIN TO SUBSIDE DURING THE DAY.

THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM. This also ends our coverage of this tropical storm.

Local Weather Statements

404 PM CST MON NOV 9 2009

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

<more details> <click for updated chart>

<NWS - Local Weather>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm

Updates / Itinerary Changes

The following are links to the most recent advisory posted by the respective cruise line. As we learn of changes, this post will be updated.

This storm isn't as predictable as others so far this hurricane season. As you can see from the real-time tracking link below, there are a number of ships in the area that could be affected by Ida depending on the track it takes over the next few days.

<CARNIVAL> <Norwegian Cruise Line> <Royal Caribbean>

CARNIVAL TROPICAL UPDATE - November 9, 2009
We are closely monitoring the progress of Hurricane IDA. All of our ships are currently operating at a safe distance from the storm. Our number one priority is the safety of our guests and crew.
Due to the impact from the storm and the related port closures in New Orleans and Mobile, we will modify the following itineraries:

Carnival Triumph – November 10, 2009 Departure
The 4 day cruise scheduled to depart on Tuesday, November 10 will be changed to a 3 day cruise departing on Wednesday, November 11. The scheduled call in Cozumel will be cancelled. Guests that sail on the 3 day cruise will receive a 50% refund of the cruise fare paid for the 4 day cruise.

Carnival Fantasy - November 10, 2009 Departure
The 6 day cruise scheduled to depart on Tuesday, November 10 will be changed to a 5 day cruise departing on Wednesday, November 11. The scheduled call in Progresso will be cancelled and the calls in Cozumel and Costa Maya will be operated as scheduled. Guests that sail on the 5 day cruise will receive a one day pro-rated refund of the cruise fare paid for the 6 day cruise.
Additional updates will be provided if any new information becomes available.

PRINCESS CRUISES: Crown Princess (Nov 6, 2009)

Crown Princess will be rearranging the port calls on its November 7 itinerary to avoid Tropical Storm Ida. The ship will depart Fort Lauderdale as scheduled, and the new cruise itinerary will be as follows: Princess Cays; sea day; Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico; sea day; return to Fort Lauderdale.

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking:

<Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.