Tropical Storm Hanna scatters more cruise ships

USA Today -- Last week it was Gustav causing trouble for the cruise industry; this week it's Hanna.

Even before the slow-moving storm reached hurricane status Monday it was forcing cruise lines to alter itineraries, and the list of ships affected by the storm continues to grow as it churns toward key ports in the Bahamas.

In the latest change, Royal Caribbean says two Florida-based ships that normally stop at CocoCay, the line's private island in the Bahamas, will instead head to Key West, Fla., this week -- a switch that some cruisers might consider an upgrade. Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas , which departed Port Canaveral on Monday, will visit Key West on Wednesday. The line's Majesty of the Seas , which departed Miami on Monday, will visit Key West on Thursday.

A third Royal Caribbean ship, Mariner of the Seas, also is skipping CocoCay this week but will not substitute another port (the ship will go ahead with its scheduled calls in St. Thomas and St. Maarten). A fourth Royal Caribbean ship, Liberty of the Seas out of Miami, also is being affected by the storm in that it's switching the order of its port calls.

Also switching gears due to Hanna, as we've previously reported, is Norwegian Cruise Line's New York-based Norwegian Spirit, which is heading to Bermuda this week instead of the Bahamas. Another Norwegian ship, the Miami-based Norwegian Sky, will skip the Bahamas in favor of the Western Caribbean.

At least one Carnival ship, the Carnival Miracle, also has changed itineraries this week as Hanna approaches. As we reported over the weekend, Carnival already has switched the itineraries of more than half a dozen ships the past week to avoid Hurricane Gustav (see the photo above of the Carnival Legend arriving in Key West on Monday; it was originally scheduled to visit Grand Cayman). READ MORE