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September13, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings Cruise Fans, Just a week ago, Pat and I were aboard the Carnival Imagination, cruising home from a great day in Nassau. We knew there was a hurricane in the Gulf and we feared New Orleans was its target. We'd had our brush with Katrina on Thursday. My office closed at noon. We went out to lunch. Then made a quick trip to the grocery for milk and headed home. By 2 p.m. the wind was fierce. Shortly after that, the cable went out. And then Katrina turned to the south. And that was it for us. Little did we know. Little did any of us know. And how much wiser and sadder we are today. Now we're left with the debate: where do you send your contribution to do the most good. Pat likes Habitat for Humanity. I'm liking the American Friends Service Committee. I hope you find the charity you like best and donate generously. You are needed. Pat and I enjoyed our mini-voyage on the Imagination. It's a cute little ship - the size I prefer - and the entertainment and accommodations were very nice. She was built in 1995 and refurbished in 2000 and it's probably time to refurbish again. But the bed was comfy and the public rooms are holding up pretty well. This ship is a sister to Carnival's Elation, but a trifle more "glitzed up." There's some modern sculpture in the atrium and some Egyptian touches. There's a nice sense of being at sea with a ship of this size, but it offered a very smooth ride. Service was quite good and although we only had two nights in the dining room, our waiter/bus boy team caught on to us quickly. Iced tea, no lemon. Keep it coming. Decaf, etc. Normally, the ship does 4- and 5-night cruises. This 2-night one was a last minute attempt to salvage a cruise for people who had flown down and spent 2 nights in a motel just waiting for a cruise. Carnival sent emails on Thursday inviting Carnival cruisers in South Florida to sail for about $50 a person. Since we live so close, we jumped at the chance. It was a good decision. The ship's very generous casino actually paid for the cruise, and we had the opportunity to save on some Christmas presents in Nassau, and take a cab over to Paradise Island to take a look at the amazing Atlantis resort. Wow. If you haven't seen it, picture the castle in your fishbowl - giant size. It's beautiful. The facilities are fantastic. And the 10-cent slot machines were both fun and profitable. Carnival announced today that the severe weather caused by Hurricane Katrina and subsequent port closures resulted in the cancellation of one voyage and the shortening of two voyages, as well as other voyage disruptions and related costs, for the company's Carnival Cruise Lines brand. In addition, Carnival Cruise Lines has two vessels, the Carnival Conquest and Sensation, which homeported out of New Orleans. Given the tremendous damage to New Orleans, the company does not expect these ships to operate from New Orleans for an extended period of time. The Carnival Conquest will relocate indefinitely to Galveston, Texas. Carnival Cruise Lines has chartered three vessels, including the Sensation, along with the Holiday and Ecstasy - to the Military Sealift Command ( MSC) on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a period of six months that will be used in the hurricane relief efforts. The charters will begin Monday, Sept. 5, aboard the Ecstasy and Sensation, docked in Galveston, and Thursday, Sept. 8, aboard the Holiday, docked in her homeport of Mobile, Ala. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of New Orleans and all of the Gulf Coast who have been so terribly devastated by this catastrophic event," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation CEO. "We know that all of our loyal guests, shareholders and employees are very pleased that we were able to join forces with the federal government to participate in the extensive relief efforts that have been launched. We have every intention of re-launching cruise service from the great city of New Orleans as soon as the infrastructure is in place so that our ships may contribute to the economic recovery of the area," he added. "At the same time we apologize to those guests who have had their vacation plans disrupted by these cancellations but know that they will understand the extreme circumstances our country is facing and why this action is necessary," Arison said. All Sensation departures from September 5, 2005 through and including March 2, 2006 have been cancelled. All Holiday departures from September 8, 2005 through March 4, 2006 have been cancelled. All Elation departures from September 11, 2005 through February 26, 2006 have been cancelled. Elation's 7-day itinerary departing on September 4, 2005 has changed to a 6-day sailing returning on Saturday, September 10, 2005. Please note that Elation will be taking over Ecstasy's sailings between September 10, 2005 through March 2, 2006. Carnival Ecstasy's September 5, 2005 sailing has been cancelled. The Carnival Conquest cruises departing September 11, 2005 and beyond will now operate round trip from Galveston, Texas. NEW ORLEANS CRUISES The Sensation September 1, 2005 cruise departed and will return to Galveston, Texas. Guests who parked at the pier in New Orleans will not be able to access their cars until access is re- opened. The Carnival Conquest cruises departing September 11, 2005 and beyond will now operate round trip from Galveston, Texas. TAMPA CRUISES The Carnival Miracle August 28, 2005 cruise scheduled to depart from Tampa departed from Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale). The ship will return to Tampa as scheduled on September 4, 2005. The Inspiration August 29, 2005 cruise scheduled to depart from Tampa departed from Port Everglades ( Ft. Lauderdale). The ship will return to Tampa as scheduled on September 3, 2005. If you're booked and have questions about how the New Orleans port closure and the FEMA charters will affect your vacation, call Pat. If he doesn' t have the answer, he'll get it for you! That's about it for the edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News. Pat and I send our prayers to those of you who have been through so much. Please remember that there are millions of us who care more than you can know. Until next week, call Pat if he can help any of you with cruise plans! 1-866-424-1090 toll-free for you! Teri |
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September13, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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