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Harvey Impacting Cruise Vacations Out of Texas Ports

Hurricane Harvey has many vacationers worried about how the storm will impact their plans, especially people planning to take cruises out of Galveston.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines are both monitoring the storm to figure out the best course of action between now and the weekend.

Cruise lines typically will not sail their expensive ships anywhere near a potentially dangerous storm.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas did sail into a storm off the Atlantic coast last year, forcing the ship to turn around, and subjecting the passengers to the consequences of high wind and waves.

To avoid those situations, the ships — which are currently positioned in the southern Caribbean and along the Mexican coast — could stay on the back side of the storm until it passes. It would mean an extra sea day or two for passengers currently on board and less time on the ship for those expecting to cruise next week.

Even if the ships make it to port, some passengers may not be able to make it to Galveston if roads are flooded in the low-lying areas leading to the port city.

Right now, Carnival tells us their customers should sign up for text messages alerts to keep up with updates from the company.

Royal Caribbean didn't respond to requests for comment on their plans, but their ship isn't slated to arrive until Sunday and may be able to keep its schedule.

Refunds are not likely, but credits are possible for those whose cruise is shortened. The best protection against bad weather and other interruptions to your vacation is travel insurance.

The insurance needs to be purchased ahead of time.

You can also follow the cruise lines on Facebook and Twitter for possible updates regarding for your trip.

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