Is the Caribbean Open for Business?

It’s a question we’ve been getting a lot recently – is the Caribbean open? Which islands were impacted by hurricanes and which ones are accepting guests? Our friends at Carnival Cruise Line have put together this great primer that answers these and other questions.

Before we post Carnival’s great update, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge our friends on the islands that were devastated by these storms. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of recovery. We’d like nothing more than to send visitors back to your lovely destinations and look forward to doing this again soon.

Here’s the FAQ from Carnival:

Q: What is Carnival doing to support the recovery efforts in the Caribbean and how can I help?

A: As rebuilding efforts begin in the affected islands, Carnival Corporation, Miami HEAT Charitable Fund and the foundation of Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine (the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation) have pledged up to $10 million in funding and in-kind support in Florida and throughout the Caribbean following Hurricane Irma. An immediate donation by the Micky and Madeleine Arison Foundation of $2.5 million will benefit Direct Relief, UNICEF and the United Way to support the most timely and urgent relief needs. Direct Relief and United Way are heavily engaged in Puerto Rico. When comedian Chris Tucker performed two sold-out shows on board Carnival Liberty and Carnival Breeze as part of the Carnival LIVE concert series recently, Carnival donated 100 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales to assist islands affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Also, we are collecting monetary donations from our guests during embarkation and on our website and are initiating a new shoreside employee fundraising drive, as well.

To learn more about Carnival’s efforts or to donate yourself, click here. For booked guests, we suggest that guests do not bring donation materials with them on an upcoming cruise due to logistical issues but instead donate directly to an organization assisting with the relief effort.

Q: Is the Caribbean open for cruise guests?

A: Yes. There are only four ports we normally visit that are unavailable. More than 40 Caribbean ports are currently fully operational and providing excellent experiences to cruise guests. These destinations rely heavily on tourism and are eager to welcome cruise guests. Here is a map of Caribbean destinations that are open.

A note from Premier Custom Travel: All cruise destinations visited from Galveston are currently open and operating on normal schedules.

Q: Are all shore excursions operating in ports that are open? If guests don’t participate in Carnival shore excursions, can they still leave the ship/explore on their own?

A: Carnival is offering robust and engaging shore experiences in each port that we are visiting. For the latest details on shore excursions in each port, booked guests can visit the shore excursion section of their online cruise planner. Due to our extensive relationships with local experts & operators, we believe our excursions are good choices. As always though, guests are welcome to explore on their own and our shipboard teams will be glad to guide guests to areas of each port destination which are recommended for self-touring.

Q: What Caribbean cruise ports are currently not open?

A: For Carnival Cruise Line, as of October 5, 2017, our ships are currently not calling at Grand Turk, St. Maarten, St. Thomas or San Juan. We are working very closely with local officials in these ports and hope that they will be able to reopen soon. We have posted any relevant itinerary changes on our website.

Q: What itinerary changes have been made and will additional itinerary changes be announced?

A: Itinerary changes are posted and updated on our website. We have worked to create attractive alternative itineraries that offer our guests a wonderful cruise and shore experience. Carnival continues to monitor the recovery efforts closely and if any future itinerary changes are needed, these will be added our site.

Q: For additional questions, who can I contact?

Reach out to us at Premier Custom Travel. Our contact information can be found here.