Everyone in the cruise industry and beyond has been watching as wildfires devastate parts of Los Angeles and efforts to contain them are struggling.
Talking about cruises seems trivial when people are losing their homes, their businesses and, in some cases, their lives. But Carnival Cruise Line has several ships of its brands that call Los Angeles home.
Related: Carnival shares warning, Royal Caribbean passenger receives huge bill
Passengers on those ships want to know if they can make it to their cruise and if they have options if they need to cancel.
LAX Airport, for example, has shared its status at the top of its website.
“LAX is open and operating normally. Passengers should check their flight status directly with their airline,” he shared.
Taking a cruise for people who live in affected areas may not be at the top of your list.
Cruise News Today's Doug Parker has shared how Carnival Cruise Line is handling this issue and what it is doing for upcoming passengers. Parker also has news of a new warning issued by Royal Caribbean and more.
Carnival Princess offers flexibility
Transcription:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here is your news from the cruise on Friday, January 10.
Princess Cruises is offering flexible cancellation options to help those affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Guests living in evacuation zones or homes that sustained significant damage can cancel January cruises scheduled between January 11 and January 30 and receive a credit toward future cruises or full refunds on purchases. such as excursions and packages.
Discovery Princess and Grand Princess continue operations with planned departures to Mexico, Hawaii and the South Pacific.
Los Angeles World Cruise Center remains open at the time of broadcast. Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that its operations from the port of Long Beach, California, are not affected.
Now, despite the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, brand ambassador John Heald assured guests that the port is operating normally and that no disruptions to Carnival's homeport schedules are anticipated.
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Royal Caribbean shares illness warning
And Royal Caribbean has notified guests who sailed aboard Symphony of the Seas in October and December of last year about possible exposure to Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease.
Two passengers, one from each cruise ship, were diagnosed after the voyage.
Now, the cruise line said it is unclear where the exposure occurred and that it has implemented enhanced sanitation protocols in accordance with CDC guidelines. Legionella is usually transmitted through contaminated water, not by person-to-person contact.
Symphony of the Seas continues to operate from Miami and no outbreaks have been confirmed on board.
And the photo of the week is of Walt. Royal princess of what looks like Grand Cayman. Great photo here, Walt.
Thanks for sending it. You can send yours to [email protected]. All photos are subject to dissemination.
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Have a great weekend. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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