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Travel Disrupted Waiting on Wilma

October 21, 2005

Travel Disrupted Waiting on Wilma
October 21, 2005 – Hurricane Wilma, currently a Category 4, hits the Yucatan Peninsula today, including Cozumel and Cancun, as Florida residents prepare. The storm is expected to head towards Cuba, then to either the Florida Keys or southwest Florida sometime Monday.

Cruise ships are preparing to change itineraries as they watch the hurricane’s path. Carnival Cruise Lines altered itineraries for seven ships. The Valor and the Fascination visited different ports this week and the Imagination was set to visit Freeport on Friday and Nassau on Saturday. The Tampa-based Carnival Miracle called on Progreso on Thursday while the line said it will make a decision Friday regarding the Inspiration’s Oct. 20 departure. The Carnival Conquest and the Elation, which both departed earlier this week from Galveston, have visited a different string of ports. Carnival had made no changes to weekend departures by Thursday evening, but suggested agents and passengers check its Web site on Friday. Royal Caribbean International also continued to keep weekend schedules on track, although it offered passengers the chance to cancel and receive a letter of credit for the amount paid to Royal Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Line altered the itineraries of the Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Dream out of the Port of Houston this week. The Norwegian Sun called at Cozumel on Tuesday as scheduled and stayed over on Wednesday instead of heading south to Belize. The Norwegian Sun was at sea Thursday and was to call at Progreso Friday instead of Roatan, Honduras. The Norwegian Dream called at Cozumel on Tuesday as scheduled, then visited Progresso Wednesday instead of Belize and was at sea Thursday and Friday. Additionally, Holland America Line said three of its ships were sailing in the Caribbean on Thursday, encountering partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 80s near San Juan and Curacao. Holland America also said the scheduled arrivals remain unchanged for the Zaandam and Zuiderdam on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

United Airlines has revised its ticketing policies for customers with travel plans to and from Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico, affected by Wilma. These revised policies apply to all customers ticketed on or before Oct. 19, for travel Oct. 19 – Oct. 22 on any United, United Express, Ted or United code-share flight. United has also revised its ticketing policies for its customers with travel plans to and from Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Miami, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, Key West an Sarasota, Fla., affected by Wilma. These revised policies apply to all customers ticketed on or before Oct. 19, for travel between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24 on any United, United Express, Ted or United code-share flight. For customers currently en route who would like to adjust a return trip, rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, and/or minimum stay or Saturday night-stay requirements have been waived. For more information, visit http://www.united.com/.

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