Swine Flu Causes Mexico Cruise Itinerary Changes

During the last 24 hours, cruise lines have made dramatic changes in itineraries and other policies due to the swine flu outbreak. These changes have affected dozens of cruise ships that visit Mexico ports and thousands of passengers. Here is the latest information on cruise itinerary alterations:

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled all current and future Mexico port calls for any sailings through May 4, 2009. This change affects 15 out of 22 of the cruise line's ships. Itineraries have only been announced for 7 of the ships:

* Carnival Ecstacy: Current sailing will remain at sea instead of visiting Mexican ports. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

* Carnival Fantasy: The current sailing will call at Key West today and remain at sea instead of visiting Mexican ports. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

* Carnival Conquest: The ship will remain at sea instead of calling on Cozumel.

* Carnival Legend: The current sailing will remain at sea today instead of visiting Cozumel. A new itinerary is to be announced later today.

* Carnival Valor: The current sailing will visit Key West instead of Cozumel. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

* Carnival Paradise: The current sailing will remain at sea instead of visiting Ensenada. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

* Carnival Imagination: The current sailing will visit Nassau instead of Cozumel. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

* Carnival Splendor: The current sailing will visit San Francisco instead of Cabo San Lucas. A new itinerary is to be announced for future cruises later today.

Carnival is still working on the itinerary changes for its remaining ships scheduled to visit ports in Mexico. Call your travel agent for more information and options. For more information, visit: http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx

DISNEY

The Disney Magic will call at Nassau, Bahamas instead of Cozumel on May 6. No future changes have been announced at this time.

HOLLAND AMERICA

Holland America has cancelled Mexico ports of call for all five spring sailings with Mexico on their itineraries.

* Ryndam will now be calling at San Diego, Los Angeles, Catalina Island and Victoria, BC.

New itineraries for the Statendam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and the May 1 Veendam sailing have not been announced at this time. We understand that Holland America is allowing guests on these cruises to cancel or switch to different dates. For more information, however, call your travel agent and visit: http://www.hollandamerica.com/news/Main.action?tabName=Travel+Advisories

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Norwegian has cancelled the Norwegian Pearl's Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas calls. The ship will visit San Diego on May 2 instead. Norwegian's cruise itineraries do not include planned visits to Mexico until late September, 2009.

PRINCESS CRUISES

Princess Cruises has cancelled all remaining Mexico port calls for its spring season cruises. This affects six ships as they reposition to Alaska:

* Sapphire Princess: The current sailing will visit San Diego and Catalina instead of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The ship's new itinerary for the May 2 sailing will be Santa Barbara, San Diego and San Francisco instead of its planned Mexico calls. The ship will make a quick call in Ensenada, Mexico in order to qualify as an international cruise under U.S. laws, but passenger will not be allowed to get off the ship. Princess is now offering some compensation to passengers: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1019

* Island Princess, Pacific Princess, Coral Princess and Sea Princess: Rather than calling in Mexico, the ship will stay at sea or call at yet to be named ports as it repositions to Alaska. Additional details on the changes are to be announced later today.

For more information, call your travel agent and visit: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1010

ROYAL CARIBBEAN AND CELEBRITY

All of Royal Caribbean's calls in Mexico ports have been cancelled "for the immediate future." This change affects six Royal Caribbean ships:

* Enchantment of the Seas: On Monday 5-night sailings, the ship will spend more time in Key West and a day at sea instead of visiting Cozumel. On Thursday 4-night sailings, the ship will spend more time in Key West and visit Nassau, Bahamas instead of Cozumel. On Saturday 5-night sailings, the ship will visit Ocho Rios, Jamaica instead of visiting Cozumel.

* Freedom of the Seas: The ship will spend more time in Grand Cayman and an additional day at see instead of visiting Cozumel.

* Liberty of the Seas: The ship will visit Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay, instead of calling on Cozumel.

* Mariner of the Seas: This ship has a major itinerary change on all sailings through June 14. Instead of visiting 3 Mexico ports, the ship will call on San Francisco, Seattle, and Victoria, British Columbia. The May 10 sailing will call on Astoria, Oregon instead of San Francisco. Due to the extensive nature of the itinerary change, passengers are able to call their travel agent or Royal Caribbean at 1-800-327-6700 for compensation and rebooking.

* Serenade of the Seas: The current repositioning cruise will visit San Diego instead of Cabo San Lucas.

* Radiance of the Seas: The ship's current repositioning cruise will do an extended overnight port call in San Diego and an extra day at sea instead of its 3 port calls in Mexico.

* Celebrity Infinity: The ship will skill its 3 port calls in Mexico. More information on the ship's new itinerary is not yet available.

For more information, contact your travel agent and visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/itineraryUpdates.do