20,000 stuck at sea in cruise ships as Galveston hunkers down for Hurricane Harvey
By Keri Blakinger and Andrea Rumbaugh Updated 8:12 pm, Friday, August 25, 2017
About 20,000 vacationers are stuck at sea on cruise ships headed for Galveston Island, with some unable to come ashore until perhaps next week because of worsening weather conditions wrought by Hurricane Harvey.
Four ships that had been set to dock over the weekend — three Carnival cruises and one Royal Caribbean boat — were turned away after the Port of Galveston closed about noon Friday with gale-force winds approaching.
Peter Simons, interim director for the Port of Galveston, said officials are still trying to determine if it will be safe for ships to call on Galveston Sunday. One official said it could be Tuesday or Wednesday before the ships can dock if Harvey continues on its expected path toward Houston and Galveston.
"We're working with the cruise lines, the Coast Guard and the pilots to see what can be done to bring the cruise ships in as quickly but as safely as possible," Simons said.
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http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/20-000-stuck-at-sea-in-cruise-ships-as-Galveston-11959300.php
