Current updates from the Cruise lines in regards to the 8.8 magnitude Earthquake in Chile and the Tsunami warnings that followed. The best news is that the Hawaiian Islands and the NCL Pride of America which was due to be in Honolulu yesterday were not damaged. The Pride of America and Naval Vessels stayed at sea because in the case of an approaching Tsunami, ships are safer out at sea. If you are scheduled to sail on the Star Princess departing out of Valparaiso you’ll want to read below and stay in contact with your Travel Agent in case Princess has to change plans. I will update the CruiseSource.us when I become aware of changes, so you can subscribe in the top right hand corner of the page.
From NCL.com:
Info for Norwegian Sun & Pride of America Guests (updated)
Miami - Feb 27, 2010 —
Pride of America Guests
Pride of America will dock in Honolulu at approximately 3 pm HST. Guests embarking on today’s cruise should arrive at the pier between 7 and 9 pm HST. The ship will depart later this evening for its seven-day inter-island cruise. We appreciate our guests’ cooperation.
Norwegian Sun Guests
Norwegian Sun is in Montevideo, Uruguay today as scheduled. The ship will arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina tomorrow as scheduled and embark guests on the February 28, 2010 cruise. We are closely monitoring the situation in Chile and will keep guests updated as to any changes to the current scheduled itinerary.
From Princess.com:
Star Princess Sailings in South America
Star Princess is currently sailing in South America and is en route to Valparaiso, Chile, where the cruise is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, March 2.
Voyage 9005: Arriving Valparaiso Tuesday, March 2
We have been in close communication with management onboard Star Princess and, where possible, our contacts in Chile. Based on the information we currently have obtained, we do not anticipate any changes to our arrival in Valparaiso on March 2. The ship’s call to Puerto Montt tomorrow is scheduled to proceed as planned. The authorities in Puerto Montt have confirmed that the port is open and fully operational. Officials have also advised that the city and surrounding area has suffered minimal damage and virtually all tours will operate as planned.
We are aware that the airport in Santiago is currently closed and appears to be closed through Monday, March 1. We are reviewing the impact of that closure and will provide updates as they become available.
Voyage 9006: Departing Valparaiso Tuesday, March 2
Star Princess is still scheduled to arrive on Tuesday in Valparaiso, Chile on Tuesday, March 2. Based on information that the Santiago airport will be closed for the next 72 hours, at this time we expect embarkation to commence as planned.
However, this is a very fluid situation and could change at any time. We encourage passengers to make any necessary adjustments to plan their flight to arrive in Valparaiso on Tuesday, March 2.
Pacific Tsunami Warnings
The Princess ships cruising in areas of the Pacific Ocean rim that have received tsunami warnings, are not adversely affected. As necessary we are making itinerary adjustments to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew. The location of our ships and their status is as follows:
Coral Princess is at sea, en route to Costa Rica and is unaffected.
Dawn Princess is in Auckland, New Zealand today, and has had to make operational adjustments.
Diamond Princess is at sea in Australia waters and is unaffected.
Golden Princess is in Ensenada, Mexico today and is unaffected.
Island Princess arrived at Huatulco, Mexico today but had to depart because of the sea surge.
Pacific Princess was slightly delayed arriving into Suva, Fiji, but is otherwise unaffected.
Sapphire Princess is turning around in Los Angeles today, but because the Port is currently closed embarkation will be delayed.
Sun Princess is at sea in New Zealand waters and will visit Fiordland National Park tomorrow as scheduled, however the time will be reduced.
