Thousands of vacationers disappointed as Tropical Storm Harvey forces cruise cancellations

People and rescue boats line Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway as rescues continue from flooding following Hurricane Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. People and rescue boats line Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway as rescues continue from flooding following Hurricane Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 116 Caption Close Thousands of vacationers disappointed as Tropical Storm Harvey forces cruise cancellations 1 / 116 Back to Gallery

Thousands of would-be cruise ship passengers have had their dream vacations cancelled due to the devastating hurricane that wracked the Texas coast this week.

With some 20,000 passengers on four cruise ships stuck at sea after Hurricane Harvey's wrath shuttered the Port of Galveston, thousands spent the weekend in limbo as they waited for their ships to come in.

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But on Monday, Carnival announced the cancellation of three trips on those same ships originally set to push off Saturday and Sunday.

"Based on the uncertainty of when specifically the ships will be able to dock in Galveston, the Aug. 26 sailings of Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom, and the Aug. 27 voyage of Carnival Breeze, are now cancelled," the company said in a statement. "A full refund will be provided to all guests who were scheduled on these cruises. Additionally, a 25 percent future cruise credit will be applied to their next reservation with Carnival if booked within the next 60 days."

The three Carnival ships prevented from porting were forced to dock in New Orleans to replenish supplies, and guests will be able to either disembark there and return home on their own or else stay on the ship. But the ships still can't come in to Galveston, where thousands of passengers' cars are waiting in lots on the low-lying side of the island.

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Cruising is big business for Galveston, which reported nearly 1.1 million passengers through the first seven months of this year, an increase of 8 percent from the same period last year.

More than 1.7 million passengers set sail in 2016 on cruises from Galveston, and an expanded cruise terminal also opened last year.

The would-be cruisers in Galveston this past weekend traded their tropical vacation for Harvey. Some remain stranded at the island's hotels on Monday.

"We have quite a few people that were hoping to go out on one of those cruise ships over the weekend. Some of them are making the best of it," said Steve Cunningham, complex general manager for Hotel Galvez & Spa, The Tremont House and Harbor House Hotel & Marina.

He bought board games and playing cards for guests, so many are hanging out in the hotel lobbies playing games and enjoying a cocktail. Others would like to go home, but flooded roadways prevent them from leaving.

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Cunningham said one couple is going to stick around until next weekend to try and catch a cruise scheduled to depart then. Others are taking refunds or rescheduling their vacations.

In the meantime, they're using breaks in the rain to explore Galveston.

"We're hoping more restaurants and attractions down here will get open in the next day or so," he said.

At the San Luis Resort - the erstwhile fort that's now a posh hotel situated on the high side of the island - some of the waiting cruise ships passengers have helped keep business bustling.

"We do have people checking in waiting for cruises," said a front desk worker, who also confirmed that there are still some rooms available.

A San Antonio man and his wife were among the disappointed cruise-goers holed up at the hotel.

The pair initially drove from Bexar County Saturday after Royal Caribbean told them the cruise was still on. Worried about losing the $1,600 they shelled out for the trip, they decided to head to Galveston as planned.

"Right now we're sitting it out waiting," he said, adding that he was annoyed the cruise line had waited till the last minute to cancel. "I understand they are a company and are probably self-insured, but when they put people in harm's way it's a different ballgame."

Now, the thwarted vacationers are stuck.

"All the roads are blocked and we can't get out," he said.

But other groups - including island residents seeking refuge, hotel employees and first responders - are also taking up temporary residence in the ritzy resort.

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"Everybody knows that these properties are the highest on the island," said one hotel employee.

The Royal Caribbean cruise caught up in the chaos of the storm rerouted to Miami, and the trip scheduled to leave Sunday was also cancelled. A spokesperson said guests will have their fares fully refunded and have been provided with a future cruise credit.

"The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is our foremost priority," Carnival said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by Hurricane Harvey."

The Port of Galveston remains closed Monday and is not expected to open until late this week.