Cruise Ships Return to Port of Galveston

zoomCarnival Breeze at Port of Galveston, Image Courtesy: Port of Galveston All four cruise ships arrived safely in Galveston this weekend, the port authority said in its latest update in the Hurricane Harvey aftermath. As of September 1, the Port of Galveston and Galveston Ship Channel have been open to vessels with the maximum 37ft draft and no night restrictions. The port was unable to receive ships as it was closed due to extreme flooding caused by the hurricane. The shutting down of the port left Carnival’s three Galveston-based ships, Carnival Valor, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom, stranded and forced to divert course to New Orleans, with some of the sailings, including those planned for August 31, being canceled. The fourth ship, Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas was diverted to Miami. Around 20,000 cruise passengers were said to be affected by the storm. Carnival Freedom, Carnival Valor, Liberty of the Seas arrived at the port on September 1, while Carnival Breeze arrived a day after. Texas and Louisiana Gulf coast ports are busy trying to restore normal operations after the hurricane. Port of Corpus Christi is open with restrictions like Galveston, Houston, and Texas City ports while Freeport and Brownsville are open without restrictions. World Maritime News Staff