They were ready to depart last night but when the ship channel traffic was halted at 10pm, their plans changed leaving them to fend for themselves. According to passengers no hotel vouchers or meals were offered. Some spent the night in their cars.
Passengers waiting to push off for vacation are not happy to be stuck.
"Well, it's just been one fiasco after another. They have shuttled us around from one place to another, given us a lot of stalling, a lot of excuses and here we are after midnight and we still have not boarded after two days," said passenger Brenda Raven.
The cruise ship Conquest finally departed just before 9am, while the cruise ship Ecstasy left around noon.
Carnival released a statement which read in part:
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"Because of its delayed arrival and subsequent delayed departure, Carnival Ecstasy will now sail on a modified three-day cruise that will return on Thursday, Feb. 24 (originally, the ship was scheduled to sail on a five-day cruise to Cozumel and Progreso operating Saturday to Thursday).
Guests have the option of cancelling and receiving a full refund, a 25 percent discount off a future two- to five-day voyage and a $45 per person meal allowance. Guests who opt to sail on the modified three-day cruise will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare, a 50 percent discount on a future two- to five-day cruise, and $45 per person meal allowance in the form of a shipboard credit.
Carnival sincerely apologizes to its guests for this disruption in their vacation plans."
The Pilots' Association says traffic was held up until the fog burned off.
