FMC Notice
Houston Ship Channel Oil Spill (Image Credit: USCG)
Federal Maritime Commission has issued a notice refering to cruise passengers affected by the Houston Ship Channel oil spill as follows:
Royal Caribbean International (RCI)’sNAVIGATOR OF THE SEAS 7-night Western Caribbean March 23rd sailing was originally cancelled because of an oil spill in Houston harbor but has decided to go ahead with a shortened 4-night cruise.
For information on refund and compensation offered, contact RCI directly.
Carnival Cruise Line (Carnival)’s CARNIVAL MAGIC departed March 25th from Galveston to begin a new cruise after being delayed as a result of the oil spill. The ship is operating a 5-day Western Caribbean cruise with calls in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The original voyage was a 7-day cruise scheduled to depart on Sunday, March 23rd.
Carnival Cruise Line (Carnival)’s CARNIVAL TRIUMPH departed March 25th from Galveston for a 4-day cruise to Cozumel. It was originally scheduled for a 5-day cruise.
On March 25, 2014, Carnival issued a statement that passengers who chose to sail on the shortened voyages would receive pro-rated refunds and a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.
Princess Cruises (Princess)’s CARIBBEAN PRINCESS sailed from the Port of Houston on March 25th after being held in port since an oil spill closed the Houston Ship Channel. The ship is currently underway on a shortened itinerary which will call to Cozumel on March 27th before returning to Houston on March 29th. The original voyage was scheduled to depart March 22 on a 7-day Caribbean cruise calling at Cozumel, Roatan and Belize.
FMC Services Offered
Although the Commission does not have jurisdiction over such matters as cruise satisfaction, billing issues, itinerary changes, and other disputes arising between cruise operators and their customers, CADRS staff can contact a cruise line on your behalf and facilitate a discussion of the issue.Requests for assistance from CADRS for a cruise line problem should be made in writing.
Safety issues should be submitted to theU.S. Coast Guard.
Sanitation issues should be submitted to theVessel Sanitation Program, National Center for Environmental Health.
Contact details may be found at FMC website
