2 Texas cruises diverted to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – Carnival Cruise Lines has diverted two of its ships to New Orleans until damage to the Port of Galveston can be assessed.

The Carnival Conquest and the Carnival Ecstasy will both disembark passengers in New Orleans instead of Galveston, Texas, this week following Hurricane Ike, according to The Times-Picayune newspaper.

The Conquest arrived Monday morning. The Ecstasy was expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer de la Cruz, the cruise line's spokeswoman, says both ships' passengers will have the choice of either disembarking in New Orleans or waiting aboard the ships until they return to Texas.

Carnival is uncertain when its ships will be able to dock at Galveston again. But de la Cruz said the cruise line also is trying to make arrangements to tie up at the nearby Port of Houston.

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Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com