Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, is set to impact portions of the Texas coast, including the Port of Galveston, a major cruise embarkation point, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the destination. So far, no cruise departures are affected, but booked guests and cruise line officials are watching the situation closely.
Carnival Cruise Line has three ships homeporting at Galveston, and some cruisers slated to board their ships in the next few days are reaching out to the lineโs Brand Ambassador, John Heald, asking about any potential schedule changes.
โI know parts of Texas and including possibly Galveston are under weather warning watch over the next couple of days. Iโve had some people write to me asking if this is going to affect any of the cruising from Galveston,โ John Heald wrote on his Facebook page.
โObviously, my wonderful colleagues at our state of the art fleet operation center will monitor everything. We will, of course, keep everybody informed should there be any news. However, as many you are asking, at the time of me writing this post, there are no changes to any cruise departing from Galveston,โ Heald added.
The National Hurricane Center is reporting that Tropical Storm Alberto will bring heavy rains, flooding, and sustained winds up to 40 mph through June 20, 2024. Rain will continue on June 21, 2024, however, the winds are predicted to diminish.
The storm is moving west in the Gulf of Mexico and will reach the coast of northeastern Mexico late on June 19, 2024. The Port of Galveston is roughly 400 miles from the northeastern Mexican border.
Current National Weather Service alerts for the Galveston area include a wind advisory, flood watch, and rip current and small craft advisories along several Gulf of Mexico-facing beaches and Galveston Island. The service also indicates that the storm could possibly increase in strength as it approaches the coast.
Hereโs Where the Galveston-Based Ships Are Now
Carnival Dream, Carnival Jubilee, and Carnival Breeze are based out of the Texas port, and all three are mid-voyage on current itineraries.
The 3,646-guest Carnival Dream is operating an 8-day Eastern Caribbean sailing that departed Galveston on June 15, 2024 and is due back June 23, 2024. The Dream-class ship that launched in 2008 is calling at Key West; Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas; and Half Moon Cay, Carnivalโs private island destination.
Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
The 5,228-guest Carnival Jubilee is sailing a 7-day Western Caribbean that left the Texas port on June 15, 2024 and will return on June 22, 2024. The ship, which launched in 2023 as the lineโs third Excel-class vessel, is visiting Roatan, Honduras; and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
Carnival Breeze, also a Dream-class ship, departed Galveston on June 17, 2024, sailing a 5-day Western Caribbean itinerary. The 3,690-guest ship, which debuted in 2011, will call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico, before returning to Galveston on June 22, 2024.
Other cruise lines currently homeporting ships at Galveston include Royal Caribbean. The lineโs 3,344-guest Mariner of the Seas is sailing a 5-day Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel on an itinerary that left port on June 15, 2024 and will return on June 20, 2024.
The lineโs 5,400-guest Harmony of the Seas is sailing a 7-day Western Caribbean voyage to Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. The ship departed from Galveston on June 16, 2024 and will return on June 23, 2024.
Like Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean has not indicated any itinerary changes for these or future cruises as a result of the storm.
The tropical storm currently affecting the Gulf of Mexico is likely to be one of several that will impact the Western Caribbean and the Atlantic coast during summer and fall 2024. Early predictions for the hurricane season revealed by Colorado State University indicate a hectic series of weather systems will form.