Hurricane Hilary Forces Cruise Changes

Post-tropical cyclone Hilary may have moved inland but its affects are still being felt by passengers onboard Carnival Panorama. The itinerary, originally a three port-of-call sailing out of Long Beach, California, has been reduced to two ports of call.

Guests received news of the change via a letter in their staterooms on embarkation day, Saturday, August 19.

“Due to the projected path of the storm, we have modified the itinerary for your cruise… Unfortunately, it is necessary to cancel the call on Mazatlan,” the letter states.

Additionally, the order of the two remaining ports of call have been moved around, with the ship now calling on Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday instead of Thursday, and Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

On the plus side, the call on Cabo has been extended by an hour and a half, giving cruisers more time to visit the popular port. The call on Puerto Vallarta was also extended, by 30 minutes.

“We know this change impacts your plans and are sorry for any disappointment this may cause. However, we trust you understand this decision was made with everyone’s safety in mind,” the letter continues.

Pre-purchased shore excursions for Cabo and Puerto Vallarta were adjusted to the new dates, while tours in Mazatlan, along with port fees and taxes were refunded.

Princess Cruises also made an itinerary change, canceling its full-day stop at Ensenada and bringing Emerald Princess back to Los Angeles a day early, arriving on Sunday, August 20 instead of Monday, August 21.