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Hurricane Milton is anticipated to reach Florida by tomorrow evening, Wednesday, October 9, 2024, prompting cruise ports to prepare for temporary closures until the storm passes.
This precautionary measure is not unexpected, as the Category 5 hurricane is set to generate hazardous docking conditions due to flooding and wind gusts exceeding 100 mph. Consequently, cruise ships currently at sea, including the Carnival Elation, will be unable to return to port on schedule.
The Fantasy-class ship is currently on a 5-night round-trip cruise to the Bahamas, having departed from Jacksonville, Florida, on October 5, 2024, with stops in Nassau and Princess Cays, the cruise line’s exclusive island destination.
However, the 2,052-passenger vessel will not be able to return to its homeport as planned on October 10, 2024, because of expected storm conditions and the likely closure of the Jacksonville Cruise Port.
Instead, the 70,367-gross ton ship will remain at sea, safely out of the storm’s path, until it is cleared to return to Jacksonville.
This delay will create a ripple effect, impacting Carnival Elation’s following journey—a 4-night cruise to Freeport and Nassau, originally set to depart on the afternoon of October 10, 2024.
“Given the current track, the port of Jacksonville will close tomorrow, Wednesday, October 9. Since storm conditions are expected to persist on Thursday, October 10, it is now evident that the ship cannot return to Jacksonville as scheduled,” the cruise line stated in a message to guests booked for the October 10 voyage.
Carnival has yet to establish a definite timeline for when the cruise can set sail, recognizing that the situation is evolving and further decisions will be made after the storm passes.
“We must await officials conducting a post-storm assessment to confirm it is safe for the ship to return. Once we receive the all-clear, we will inform you of plans for your voyage, which we now know will be abbreviated,” the update continued.
The 27-ship cruise line has committed to providing additional updates promptly and expressed regret for the unexpected disruption to guests’ vacation plans.
This message specifically addresses guests of Carnival Elation’s upcoming cruise, while the cruise line is managing inquiries from current passengers separately.
What Does This Mean for Impacted Guests?
At this point, all affected passengers aboard Carnival Elation can do is hope for a swift resolution to the delay.
Depending on the damage at the port and the duration of the delay, there is a possibility that the 4-night voyage could be entirely canceled—similar to what recently occurred with Carnival Paradise.
The cruise line had previously advised guests scheduled for Carnival Paradise‘s October 10 sailing to await updates before heading to the port, as the vessel’s return to Port Tampa Bay was uncertain due to the impending port closure.
As of October 8, however, Carnival has confirmed that the upcoming sailing of its second-oldest ship has been entirely canceled due to the storm; this voyage was meant to be a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.
Read Also: List of All Cruise Ships Impacted by Hurricane Milton
With the fate of Carnival Elation’s shortened journey still uncertain, the cruise line is offering guests the option to cancel their reservations for a future credit, should they prefer to avoid the ambiguity.
“For those who wish to cancel their reservations, we will provide a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) for use towards another Carnival Cruise. We will also issue a complete refund for all pre-purchased items related to this voyage,” the cruise line indicated.
Otherwise, the next step for guests is to wait for further communications from the cruise line in the days ahead.
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