20,000 cruisers find themselves stuck at sea.
Those stuck at sea not always in mood to enjoy extended trips
Nonie and Roger Lambert can’t bring themselves to enjoy the bingo games, karaoke or comedy shows.
Their cruise on the Carnival Breeze has been extended. But they’ve spent the extra days in their room, calling loved ones back home who are riding out Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.
“We always feel fortunate, but we go through waves, kind of, of guilt because we are lucky,” Nonie said. “We have food, we have shelter, and a lot of people don’t have it.”
The Lamberts were among roughly 20,000 cruisers who found themselves stuck at sea when Hurricane Harvey prevented four ships from returning to Galveston. Many of the passengers have disembarked in New Orleans or Miami to make their own way home.
But for travelers like the Lamberts, who live in Alvin, there is no point getting off the ship. Flooded roadways make it impossible to get home. Other travelers have their cars parked on Galveston Island.
The Lamberts’ 22-yearold son, William, is riding out the storm in the family’s home. Fortunately, it has remained dry, and he’s taking care of it.
Roger Lambert praised Carnival for its work in keeping everyone safe, providing entertainment and holding town hall meetings to keep travelers informed. Carnival also opened up the phone lines and provided free access to Wi-Fi and laundry facilities.
Both say they’d cruise again. But right now, their thoughts are with those back home.
“You just can’t fully enjoy something when you’ve got all these worries,” Roger said.
Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom were set to depart New Orleans Wednesday afternoon en route to Galveston. Carnival Breeze will stay overnight in New Orleans and then start making its way to Galveston on Thursday evening.
Assuming the Port of Galveston completely reopens later this week, Carnival Freedom will dock on Friday and disembark guests from its previous cruise. Passenger boarding for its Sept. 2 voyage will take place on Saturday as scheduled.
Carnival Valor will also arrive in Galveston on Friday to disembark guests. The ship’s Thursday sailing has been canceled, but the Sept. 4 trip will begin as scheduled.
Carnival Breeze is scheduled to arrive in Galveston on Saturday evening to disembark guests from the previous cruise. Boarding for the Sept. 3 sailing will take place on Sunday as scheduled.
Another cruise passenger, Cindy Twilla, said the mood on her ship was mostly buoyant.
“We are far better off than many families in South Texas that have been affected by this hurricane and tropical storm,” she said. “Despite our challenges, the ship’s crew have been very supportive and upbeat.”
On Facebook, other stranded cruise ship passengers said they’d had the “time of their lives.”
On the ship, it’s “pretty much business as usual,” Twilla said. A string of trivia games, movies and comedians have kept the passengers entertained.
Still, there have been some frustrations: lack of internet access, uncertainty about the future and yearning to get home.
“We hear different things with regards to the storm, which is unsettling,” Twilla said earlier this week. “We are heading back to New Orleans but are not sure we should take our chances and get off there in hopes that we can find transportation back to Austin and eventually get back to our car in Galveston and our dog, Rue, that we left with my sister in Houston.”
Her sister had already evacuated to a nearby church.