Hurricane Matthew continues to pour heavy rains to the Caribbean, causing hundreds of people in Jamaica and Haiti to evacuate to emergency shelters over the weekend.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, the Category 4 storm was expected to pass just east of Jamaica and near or over the southwestern tip of Haiti early Tuesday before heading to eastern Cuba.
The hurricane sustained winds of 140 mph Monday morning and continued its trajectory, resulting to several major cruise lines to change their itineraries for ships sailing in and out of the Caribbean this week.
Carnival Cruise Line announced its cancellation of all ports of call in Half Moon Cay and Nassau and replaced them with a visit to Key West and Freeport. WTSP reports that the said changes will affect at least six ships sailing this week.
Moreover, the cruise line decided to give its passengers a 25 percent future cruise discount and $100 voucher to use onboard. Carnival is also offering full refunds to people whose original itineraries have been changed and wish to cancel.
Fox News reveals Carnival's statement reiterating that passenger safety is their primary concern: "Given the unpredictability of tropical weather systems, and with guest and crew safety as our foremost priority, we are taking a prudent course of action to keep the ship out of harm's way and provide our guests with a safe and enjoyable vacation experience."
The Disney Dream will also skip its schedules call in Nassau, Bahamas and make a stop in Cozumel on October 5 rather than Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line's private island.
Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas are all re-routing several of its ships.
Furthermore, a hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Haiti, the southeastern Bahamas, the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
