Hurricane season is upon us, and the latest storm in the Gulf of Mexico is impacting Carnival Cruise Line’s current operations.
Hurricane Francine poses a significant threat to the coast of Louisiana as the storm approaches land. The hurricane is anticipated to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday night as a Category 1 hurricane. With September 10 marking the climatological peak of hurricane activity, the storm is no surprise given the current conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.
Carnival Cruise Line is the only mainstream cruise line that operates from the Port of New Orleans year-round. Two of its vessels - Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor - currently sail from New Orleans.
9/12 UPDATE: According to a post shared on John Heald's Facebook, Carnival Valor will not be able to return to New Orleans until FRIDAY, Sept. 13. The 4-night cruise scheduled to depart on Sept. 12 will now leave New Orleans on Sept. 13, and cruise to nowhere, rather than visiting Cozumel, Mexico.
Carnival Liberty is sailing a 7-night itinerary to the Caribbean with a return date to New Orleans on September 15, while Carnival Valor is sailing a 5-night Caribbean itinerary. Today, the cruise line announced that Carnival Valor would be delayed for its scheduled return tomorrow, Thursday, September 12.
In a communication sent to passengers around 2:00PM (EST) on Wednesday, the cruise line stated, “We continue to monitor Hurricane Francine. The ship will be delayed returning to New Orleans Thursday, 09/12/24. At best, we anticipate arriving tomorrow afternoon, possibly later.”
"Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation on when your cruise will operate. We will provide another update by 10:00 AM (CT), September 12. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”
Moreover, Brand Ambassador and senior cruise director of Carnival Cruise Line John Heald posted on Facebook about Hurricane Francine. In his post, Heald states, “It is clear that the ship will not be able to return to New Orleans at the scheduled time tomorrow, Thursday, September 12.”
Carnival Valor is scheduled to sail a 4-night Caribbean itinerary from New Orleans to Cozumel, Mexico. The ship is meant to return to Louisiana on Monday, September 16 after the weekend itinerary.
Heald continues, “Depending on the storm’s impact, it is possible that our arrival could be further delayed. Once the storm passes, officials will conduct an assessment, after which we will have more information regarding our operational plans. Thank you for your understanding.”
The Port of New Orleans also posted an announcement about Hurricane Francine on its website, noting that the New Orleans Terminal and Ports America will be closed on Wednesday, September 11. The port states that normal operations for Thursday, September 12 are pending.
Read more: Cruising during hurricane season: Is it safe and should you do it?
“Terminal operators will be conducting damage assessments and operations may resume at noon, weather and terminal conditions permitting,” states the announcement.
It’s not uncommon for cruise ships to be impacted by hurricanes or tropical storms, especially during peak hurricane season. Cruise lines monitor storms closely to ensure the safety of its passengers, crew members, and vessels. Cruise ships are often rerouted to avoid any potential storms, which can create unforeseen delays. However, it’s rare for cruise lines to cancel cruises entirely, as this is a last resort.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Francine developed into a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday evening. The wind speeds are around 90 mph, which is near Category 2 levels. Sustained wind speed is expected to be maintained as the storm nears land. Francine is predicted to make landfall early Wednesday evening on the Louisiana coast.
As of 1:00 PM (CST) on Wednesday, Hurricane Francine is about 155 miles southwest of New Orleans. CruiseMapper shows Carnival Valor is slowly sailing towards New Orleans, Louisiana, with a current location of 303 miles south of the port.
Hurricane Francine is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge to Louisiana with flooding possible throughout the state and into Mississippi. The dangerous conditions could cause travel delays for passengers on Carnival Valor heading to the port, although an updated departure time is not known.
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) has also announced cancellations for flights on Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.
In an announcement on its website, the airport shared, “[We] continue to monitor weather conditions and prepare for potential impacts from Hurricane Francine. The airport will remain open unless conditions become unsafe. Airlines have canceled all flights after noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and there have been some additional cancellations reported for the morning of Thursday, Sept. 12.”
The National Hurricane Center has described Hurricane Francine as having a “life-threatening storm surge” for Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines. A hurricane warning is in effect for portions of Southern Louisiana due to damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds. Impacts from the storm could stretch as far as the Florida Panhandle as the storm moves through Wednesday into Thursday.
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
