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Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port due to Bolivian passengers’ visa problems

A view of the cruise ship MSC Armony moored in the port of Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Authorities said Wednesday that a group of 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to disembark from a cruise ship in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona because they lack valid documents to enter the European Union’s Schengen area. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A passenger is photographed on the cruise ship MSC Armony, moored in the port of Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Authorities said Wednesday that a group of 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to disembark from a cruise ship in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona because they lack valid documents to enter the European Union’s Schengen area. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Passengers are photographed on the cruise ship MSC Armony, moored in the port of Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Authorities said Wednesday that a group of 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to disembark from a cruise ship in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona because they lack valid documents to enter the European Union’s Schengen area. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A cruise ship reportedly carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck Wednesday in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona due to the visa problems of a group of Bolivian passengers who were due to disembark there, officials said.

Authorities say 69 Bolivians were not being allowed to leave the ship because they lacked valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area. Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told The Associated Press she received reports some of the stranded Bolivians had been duped into obtaining fake visas but had no further information.

“We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers,” she said, adding she heard it was possible the Bolivians would be transferred to a different ship.

Spain’s national police was looking into the possibility of a fake visa scam, Duarte said.

Spanish state news agency Efe and other media said some 1,500 passengers were on board the MSC Armony hoping to continue the cruise to Croatia.

Bolivia’s deputy foreign affairs minister, Fernando Pérez, said the country was waiting “to see what the Spanish authorities decide what to do.”

A statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the Bolivian Embassy in Spain and the country’s Consulate General in Barcelona “are carrying out the pertinent steps to address this case,” coordinating with Spanish authorities, as well as with the MSC Cruises Company.

MSC Cruises said in a statement the Bolivians included families and children.

It said the “passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil. We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”

The company said the ship remained in port while it works with authorities to facilitate the process.

The Schengen area is an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries, most from the European Union.

This story was corrected to show that the Schengen zone is a European rather than European Union creation and comprises 29 countries.

A cruise ship stuck in Barcelona resumes sailing after passengers accused of having fake visas were removed and investigated by authorities

• A cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck in Barcelona because of a visa dispute.
• Spanish authorities suspected that the visas of 69 Bolivian passengers were fake.
• The passengers are being held on another boat while authorities investigate. 

A cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck in port in Barcelona after Spanish authorities investigated 69 Bolivian passengers.

The police believed that the Bolivian passengers' visas were fake and are investigating, Spanish police authorities told news agency Efe .

The MSC Armonia cruise ship set off from Brazil and was due to continue through the Mediterranean, with some passengers switching over in Barcelona, Efe reported.

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The delay has meant that planned stops in France, Greece, and Croatia have been canceled which has caused some disgruntled passengers to leave the boat early, Reuters reported.

Barcelona was meant to be the final destination for the Bolivian passengers. However, the ship had to stay in port until the situation was resolved.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, MSC Cruises confirmed that the cruise would resume sailing on Thursday.

"Thanks to the cooperation with the Spanish authorities, the group of Bolivian guests has been disembarked and will now follow the immigration process as required by law. We are fully assisting with this process," they said.

The spokesperson confirmed that the passengers' visas were found to be not valid for entry and that the Spanish authorities are investigating.

The passengers' will be held on another boat while Spanish authorities decide whether they will be deported or granted asylum, Reuters reported, citing the government's regional delegation in Catalonia.

Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told the AP that she had received reports that some of the Bolivian passengers had been duped into obtaining fake visas.

MSC Cruises is one of the world's largest cruise lines, known for its long luxury trips that can set sail for months at a time.

Its new four-month-long world cruise, which will set off in 2026, is expected to cost passengers between $15,800 and $38,210 per person, depending on their cabin.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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Cruise ship stranded in Spanish port resumes sailing after removal of passengers with visa problems

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• A cruise ship stuck in Barcelona has resumed its route after Bolivian passengers with visa problems were removed.
• The Spanish government and MSC Cruises reached an agreement to remove 69 Bolivian passengers.
• The Bolivian passengers were taken to a transit zone in the port but were not allowed to enter Spanish territory.

A cruise ship stuck in the northeastern Spanish port of Barcelona will be able to resume its route after a group of Bolivian passengers with visa problems were taken off the vessel on Thursday, authorities said.

The Spanish government said in a statement it had reached an agreement with MSC Cruises Company in which 69 Bolivian passengers were removed from the boat and taken to a transit zone in the port, but were not granted permission to enter Spanish territory.

The ship got stranded in Barcelona this week after the Bolivian passengers were not allowed to disembark because they lacked valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area, an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries that Spain is part of.

CRUISE SHIP REPORTEDLY STRANDED IN SPANISH PORT DUE TO PASSENGER VISA PROBLEMS

Barcelona was meant to be the final destination for the Bolivian passengers, but the boat was scheduled to travel onward to other countries.

The cruise ship MSC Armony is seen moored on April 3, 2024, in the port of Barcelona, Spain. The ship was able to resume its route after a group of Bolivian passengers with visa problems were taken off the vessel on Thursday. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The cruise company agreed to provide another boat from Livorno, Italy, for the Bolivian passengers later Thursday, the government statement said. It was not clear if that boat would remain in Barcelona until the situation is resolved or take the Bolivian passengers elsewhere.

Under the agreement, MSC Cruises will also provide food and health care for the impacted Bolivians and immigration officials will work to resolve the passengers' visa problems as quickly as possible, it added.

The MSC Armonia, with more than 1,000 passengers reportedly on board, plans to sail to Italy on Thursday, the cruise company said.

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Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she had received reports that some of the stranded Bolivians had been duped into obtaining fake visas but had no further information.

"We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers," she said.

Spain’s national police were looking into the possibility of a fake visa scam, Duarte said.

MSC Cruises said in a statement Wednesday the Bolivian "passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil " but Spanish authorities later said the visas were not valid for entry into the Schengen area.

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Cruise carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Barcelona port over Bolivian visa dispute

The ship had sailed from Brazil and was on course for Croatia before the incident involving Bolivian passengers.

Wednesday 3 April 2024 16:30, UK

A cruise ship carrying hundreds of passengers is stuck in the port of Barcelona after a group of Bolivian passengers were found to have visa issues, according to officials.

Authorities said 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to leave the liner as they do not have valid documents to enter the EU's border-free Schengen area.

There are some 1,500 passengers on board the luxury MSC Armonia, which had set sail from Brazil and was to continue through the Mediterranean Sea to Croatia.

Spanish government officials in Barcelona said they were in contact with Bolivian authorities and MSC Cruises to resolve the situation.

The Bolivians on board included families and children, MSC Cruises said in a statement.

It said: "The passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil.

"We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination."

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'Treated like a criminal'

The ship remained in port while it works with authorities to rectify the incident, the company said.

A statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry said the Bolivian embassy in Spain and the country's consulate general in Barcelona "are carrying out the pertinent steps to address this case".

Read more: Ex-Spanish football boss arrested at airport 'Heartbroken' and 'devastated' families of UK aid workers killed by Israel pay tribute

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Catalan newspaper Ara reported a Bolivian woman felt she was treated like "a criminal [in a] prison" despite claiming she paid for a visa from an agency which told her it was valid.

The newspaper also reported passengers claiming they had been allowed to leave the cruise in Tenerife without impediment, before being blocked in Malaga and eventually stopped in Barcelona.

The Schengen area is an ID check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries, most from the European Union.

Related Topics

Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port due to Bolivian passengers' visa problems

A cruise ship reportedly carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck Wednesday in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona due to the visa problems of a group of Bolivian passengers who were due to disembark there, officials said.

Authorities say 69 Bolivians were not being allowed to leave the ship because they lacked valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area. Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told The Associated Press she received reports some of the stranded Bolivians had been duped into obtaining fake visas but had no further information.

"We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers," she said, adding she heard it was possible the Bolivians would be transferred to a different ship.

• Read more of the latest international headlines

Spain's national police was looking into the possibility of a fake visa scam, Duarte said.

Spanish state news agency Efe and other media said some 1,500 passengers were on board the MSC Armony hoping to continue the cruise to Croatia.

Bolivia's deputy foreign affairs minister, Fernando Perez, said the country was waiting "to see what the Spanish authorities decide what to do."

A statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the Bolivian Embassy in Spain and the country's Consulate General in Barcelona "are carrying out the pertinent steps to address this case," coordinating with Spanish authorities, as well as with the MSC Cruises Company.

MSC Cruises said in a statement the Bolivians included families and children.

It said the "passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil. We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination."

The company said the ship remained in port while it works with authorities to facilitate the process.

The Schengen area is an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries, most from the European Union.

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Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port due to Bolivian passengers' visa problems

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A cruise ship reportedly carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck Wednesday in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona due to the visa problems of a group of Bolivian passengers who were due to disembark there, officials said.

Authorities say 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to leave the ship because they lack valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area.

Spanish government officials in the city said they are in contact with Bolivian authorities and the MSC Cruises Company to resolve the situation. The ship had sailed from Brazil to cover a route in the Mediterranean Sea.

Spanish state news agency Efe and other media said that some 1,500 passengers were meanwhile on board the MSC Armony hoping to continue the cruise to Croatia.

A statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the Bolivian Embassy in Spain and the country’s Consulate General in Barcelona “are carrying out the pertinent steps to address this case,” coordinating with Spanish authorities, as well as with the MSC Cruises Company.

MSC Cruises said in a statement the Bolivians included families and children.

It said the “passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil. We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”

The company said the ship remained in port while it works with authorities to facilitate the process.

The Schengen area is an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries, most from the European Union.

This story corrects that the Schengen zone is European, instead of European Union, and comprises 29 countries.

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Thousands stranded on Norwegian Dawn cruise ship hit by possible cholera outbreak

By Haley Ott

Updated on: February 27, 2024 / 8:54 AM EST / CBS News

A Norwegian cruise ship with over 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew on board was given permission to dock in Mauritius on Tuesday after being denied permission over fears of a potential cholera outbreak on board. At least 15 people on the cruise ship Norwegian Dawn were isolated and samples were taken for testing on Sunday, according to a statement from the Port of Mauritius. The test results came in on Tuesday, the Reuters news agency reported.

People on board the ship developed mild stomach symptoms after visiting South Africa for a couple days in mid-February, CBS News partner network BBC News reported.

"The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost importance to the authorities," the port authority of Mauritius said. Officials there decided to block the ship "to avoid any health risks."

There have been a number of cholera outbreaks in southern African countries over the last few months, the BBC reported. Since January 2023, over 3,000 people in the region have died from cholera and 188,000 have been infected, according to the BBC.

Cholera, an infection that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, is rare in the developed world, but it is almost always fatal if left untreated. It is among the deadliest diseases in the world.

There are 2,184 passengers on the Norwegian Dawn along with 1,026 crew members. About 2,000 of those passengers would have completed their trip and disembarked in Port Louis, while 2,279 new passengers were expected to board the ship, Reuters reported.

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Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.

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March 27, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

By Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Elise Hammond , Tori B. Powell and Aditi Sangal , CNN

11 ships are stuck inside the Port of Baltimore besides the Dali, officials say

From CNN's Matt Egan

Federal authorities now said there are 11 ships, in addition to the Dali cargo vessel, stuck inside the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge . 

The Transportation Department told CNN on Wednesday that it corrected the data to reflect an additional vessel stranded behind the fallen bridge.

Officials now say that the following vessels are stranded at the port:

• Four Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve vessels
• Three bulk carriers
• One vehicle carrier
• Two general cargo ships
• An oil/chemical tanker

This post has been updated with the latest information on the vessels in the post .

Buttigieg outlines priorities in reopening Baltimore port and offloading cargo from other ships

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN’s Phil Mattingly his agency is focused on four things following the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore:

• Working with the city to get the bridge back up
• Dealing with traffic impacts
• Reopening the port
• Making sure the supply chain impacts are dealt with.

Buttigieg called the reopening of the port the most “acute short-term concern” especially for the workers impacted with about $2 million a day being lost in wages, he said. 

Other ships stuck at the port have to be unloaded and have cargo offloaded and transported by land to get to other ports during this closure, which Buttigieg described it as a “complicated operation.”  

Parties that are found accountable for the incident will be held liable, Buttigieg promised, but said that process will now slow the process of reopening the port.

“We’re going to make sure that those federal resources are put together upfront so that nothing unnecessarily delays the roadway back to normal. Workers are counting on it, people who depend on these shipments, whether they realize it or not, they’re counting on it and about 30,000 vehicles a day that go over that bridge, they’re counting on us doing everything in our power to get them back to normal,” Buttigieg said. 

“It will not be quick and it will not be easy, but we’re committed to do it as long as it takes,” he said.

Baltimore Orioles will hold moment of silence for bridge workers at season opener

From CNN's Wayne Sterling

The Baltimore Orioles will honor the people who are presumed dead in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse at the season opener on Thursday.

The team said the moment of silence will also pay tribute to the city's "brave first responders who immediately stepped into action."

The Orioles are scheduled to face the Los Angeles Angels at Camden Yards in Baltimore at 3:05 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Maryland governor and other officials to hold news conference at 5:30 p.m. ET

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Ben Cardin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen as well as officials from the Maryland State Police, US Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of Transportation will hold a news conference at 5:30 p.m. ET. 

They will discuss updates on efforts underway following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.

Here's how the Army Corps of Engineers plan to clear the shipping channel

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

More than 1,000 US Army Corps of Engineers personnel were activated to help clear the critical shipping channel where Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed.

Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commander and chief of engineers, explained the team will approach the mission in three steps. Here's what they are:

• Step 1: Get the steel truss out of a 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep channel, and examine what parts of the concrete are still at the bottom. "Any piece of concrete, any piece of steel on the bottom is just as much as of a hazard as that in the channel," Spellmon said. This step will allow "one-way traffic going in and out of the Port of Baltimore again," he said.
• Step 2: Work closely with the Coast Guard to stabilize containers on top of the ship. Then the truss of the bridge that is still on top of the ship needs to be taken off "so it can be tugged to a safe part of the port," Spellmon said. "By removing the vessel, that will allow us to reopen two-way traffic."
• Step 3: Take out the remaining 2,900 feet of steel and all the associated concrete and roadway that's at the river bottom.

"We're up to this task. We have what we need," Spellmon said.

This post has been updated with additional information about the bridge collapse.

EPA not aware of any fuel leakage after bridge collapse, spokesperson says

From CNN’s Ella Nilsen

The Environmental Protection Agency is not aware of any fuel leakage at this point after a ship hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a spokesperson said.

Earlier Wednesday at a White House briefing, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier said the vessel is stable but still has over 1.5 million gallons of fuel onboard.

The US Coast Guard would be the ones to determine if there is a fuel leak because they are the lead agency, EPA Region 3 spokesperson Shaun Eagan told CNN.

Some background: Members of the Coast Guard detected an oil sheen on the water near the wreckage of the Key Bridge on Tuesday. However, they have not yet determined the source of the fuel discharge, according to USCG Petty Officer Kimberly Reaves.  

Maryland governor and other officials visit the scene of the bridge collapse

From CNN’s Gabe Cohen

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and several other officials were taken to the scene of the collision on Wednesday, his spokesperson told CNN.

“The governor surveyed the recovery area to further assess the damage. He along with other federal and local partners boarded a Coast Guard ship to receive a closer view and a better understanding of the ship’s path and how this incident occurred," the spokesperson said. "This is part of the Governor’s efforts to continue the strong working relationship with the Coast Guard along with our federal partners, thank first responders working on the scene, and to learn more about the events that took place,” the spokesperson added.

Other officials included Sen. Ben Cardin, Mayor Brandon Scott, Congressman David Trone, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and County Executive Steuart Pittman.

NTSB is leading the bridge collapse investigation. This is what investigators are working on

From CNN staff

Investigators are focusing on how a massive cargo ship collided into a key Baltimore bridge — and whether any preventative measures could have helped mitigate the bridge collapse.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said. The board will try to determine what occurred onboard Dali and also look at the structure of the bridge itself.

Here's what the NTSB is working on:

• Investigators boarded the ship overnight and retained the vessel’s recorder or black box , she said. They will use this to put together a timeline of what led to the ship hitting the bridge.
• In this, the NTSB will look to verify reports that the ship had power issues and lost propulsion just before hitting the pillar, Homendy said.
• A team of 24 investigators planned to return to the vessel on Wednesday to focus on collecting the perishable evidence, including pictures of the vessel, she said.
• Investigators will also begin interviews with Dali's crew. A specialized team will determine who was controlling the vessel and who was on the ship’s bridge at the time of the crash.
• The NTSB will additionally look at the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the debris that fell into the water or onto the ship, Homendy said. It will determine whether there were other measures that “should have been in place to prevent this type of destruction from occurring," she said, including things like "dolphins" and "fenders," structures aimed at protecting the bridge.

7 Brawner Builders employees were on the bridge when it collapsed, executive tells CNN

From CNN’s Danny Freeman and Linh Tran

Seven Brawner Builder employees were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the night of the collapse, Brawner Builders Executive Vice President Jeffrey Pritzker told CNN.

One survived, and the other six are presumed dead.

"These were wonderful young men," he said. "They were doing a tough job. These guys were hardworking wonderful people and now they're gone."

Pritzker told CNN he doesn't know how the worker managed to survive, saying the survivor isn’t ready to talk about his experience yet but he is “very, very upset," has injuries and is suffering from stress.

"It's amazing that he did survive," Pritzker said, adding that the worker was able to swim away.

Most of the seven men have worked for Brawner Builders for years, according to Pritzker and were doing concrete remediation work, including filling potholes on the Key Bridge on the night of the collapse. 

Pritzker also said the owner of Brawner Builders spent the night of the collapse praying their people would be found alive. 

When it became apparent the other six employees were presumed dead, the owner and seniors in the company gathered the families together and spent the morning with them. 

"We will make sure the families are well taken care of," Pritzker said. 

Pritzker said the company is in the process of putting together compensation packages for the families. 

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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: What to do if you booked cruise out of Baltimore

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has crippled transportation around Baltimore and caused people to scramble to find alternatives.

After Tuesday's disaster, drivers have had to find alternate routes to get into Baltimore, and vessel traffic was suspended indefinitely from the Port of Baltimore, causing people who booked cruises to wonder what's next.

What happened to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore?

A major span critical to East Coast shipping collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a large cargo ship.

The  cargo ship Dali  struck the Key bridge around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday after experiencing electrical problems, officials said. The  984-foot ship sailing  under the flag of Singapore was slated to arrive early next month in Sri Lanka, according to MarineTraffic, a global ship tracking service. The bridge then collapsed into the Patapsco River.

Which cruise lines dock at the Port of Baltimore?

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore. Carnival Cruise Line, American Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International have cruises scheduled to leave the port.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: Cargo ship hits bridge in Baltimore, causing collapse. Here's what we know so far

What are cruise lines doing with the Port of Baltimore closed?

Carnival Cruise Line said Tuesday it's temporarily moving Carnival Legend's Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday. Passengers will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change. 

Carnival Pride has a trip scheduled for April 28. The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a release. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.” 

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s  Vision of the Seas  has a roundtrip itinerary scheduled to depart Baltimore on April 12, according to the cruise line’s website. 

 “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” a spokesperson for the line said in an email to USA TODAY. “We are closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

American Cruise Line

American Cruise Lines  has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at present our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian doesn't have a booking out of Baltimore until September on Norwegian Sky . The cruise line is in contact with the port and will contact passengers and travel partners if changes are made.

Alternate driving routes for the Baltimore bridge

Drivers going from Wilmington to Baltimore or Washington should take I-95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or I-895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However, the Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are  some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13 feet and 6 inches high or 8 feet wide may not use the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14 feet and 6 inches high or 11 feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

Anthony DiMattia, Eve Chen and Nathan Diller contributed to this story.

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Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House.

“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April.

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on March 23 , will return to Norfolk instead on April 4. "Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements," a spokesperson said in an email.

The ship's April 4 and 12 cruises will leave from Norfolk, too. "Our guests booked to sail with us will receive compensation due to the necessary adjustments made to their vacations," the spokesperson added. "After returning from the April 12 cruise, Vision will head to the Bahamas for its previously scheduled maintenance."

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel.

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baltimore bridge collapse is already impacting travel: What to know

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Why U.S. Cruises Are Still Stuck in Port

Six months ago, the C.D.C. lifted its “no sail” order for American cruise companies, but they haven’t started sailing — and likely won’t soon. An explainer.

By Ceylan Yeginsu

In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its “no sail” order on U.S. cruise ships and set out a framework that would allow them to start sailing again, bringing relief and hope to a decimated industry — and to many cruise fans.

And then, nothing.

Nearly six months later, cruise lines are still waiting for technical instructions from the agency, which will allow them to prepare their ships for simulation voyages, designed to test whether they can safely sail.

In other parts of the world, the industry is stirring to life. Some cruise lines plan to restart domestic cruises in Europe later this month and voyages around the British Isles are scheduled for June, when lockdown restrictions are expected to be lifted. Royal Caribbean is running cruises to Greece from the Israeli port of Haifa this spring that will require all the crew and passengers on board to be fully vaccinated.

The C.D.C. says its current focus is working with cruise lines to implement the initial phase requirements of testing all crew and setting up onboard labs as part of a step-by-step approach for the return of passenger cruising. The framework includes extensive testing, quarantine measures and social distancing, but the details remain unclear.

“Future orders and technical instructions will address additional activities to help cruise lines prepare for and return to passenger operations in a manner that mitigates Covid-19 risk among passengers, crew members, including simulated voyages, certification for conditional sailing and restricted voyages,” the agency said in a statement.

The halt on sailings, first issued for American cruises on March 14 last year, has ravaged the cruise industry, with companies reporting billions of dollars in losses, causing some of them to downsize their fleets and sell ships for scrap.

Now, with vaccinations underway across the world and infection rates dropping in some regions, cruise companies are scrambling to prepare their ships for a gradual return starting in Europe and Asia. In the United States, cruise fans will likely have to wait at least until the fall.

“We are hopeful for this year,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the cruise news site Cruise Critic . “There have already been some success stories out of Europe where cruise lines have shown that they’ve got great protocols in place, that they are committed to adhering to them, that they can keep passengers in a bubble and that they can do effective testing. We can expect those learnings to help inform cruising in the United States.”

While the timetable remains fluid, here’s what we can expect from cruising over the next few months.

When will I be able to go on a cruise again?

Good question. Most cruise ships remain idled in open waters or in ports across the globe as sailings continue to be postponed or canceled.

In Europe, some of the smaller cruise lines are planning to restart operations later this month. AIDA Cruises has scheduled an excursion around the Canary Islands from March 20 and will be followed by Costa Cruises, which plans to resume Italian sailings on March 27. MSC Cruises is also planning a European voyage in May that will only be open to passengers living in the European Union’s Schengen zone.

Last summer, some cruise companies resumed operations in Europe with strict health and safety protocols but shut them down again in the fall after some ships reported cases of Covid-19 and the region went back into lockdown in response to a resurgence of the virus.

In Britain, domestic cruises could begin from May 17, when lockdowns on the hospitality sector are expected to be eased, the ministry of transport said earlier this month.

Princess , P & O , Cunard and Hurtigruten are among the cruise lines that have announced “staycation sailings” around the British Isles this summer. Some ships will sail around the country’s coastline without calling at any ports, while others will offer shore excursions.

“People are very excited to start cruising again and we are seeing tons of demand right now, particularly in the expedition space,” said John Downey, the president of the Americas for Hurtigruten, a Norwegian line specializing in expedition cruises.

“We will continue to focus on amazing, remote destinations where our guests are more often surrounded by wildlife and nature rather than human populations,” he added. “With stringent health protocols we put in place, we feel very comfortable about the safety of our guests and crew.”

Why is the United States lagging?

Major cruise companies are waiting for the C.D.C. to issue technical requirements to help them prepare their ships for sailings. They must then give the C.D.C. 30 days notice before starting test cruises with volunteer crew and passengers and will have to apply for a conditional sailing certificate 60 days before a planned regular voyage.

“The reality is that there was no way the cruise lines could adhere to the guidelines the C.D.C. set back in October and start sailing again because they provided two-thirds of the pieces for the puzzlesaid Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry analyst and C.E.O. of the site cruiseguy.com , referring to the missing technical details in the conditional sailing order.

“They are waiting for it now and they expect them to update their guidance because it was issued before the vaccines were rolled out and a lot has changed since then,” Mr. Chiron added.

Cruise executives say they expect the C.D.C. to issue the technical requirements soon.

What’s going on with Alaskan cruises?

Little known quirks of maritime law have led some cruise lines that specialize in Alaskan expeditions to cancel all sailings from ports in the Lower 48 states through the end of 2021.

Though they seem like American companies, many of the big cruise lines like Princess and Holland America, are, in fact, foreign-owned. According to United States law, foreign-flagged cruise ships are not permitted to cruise between U.S. ports without first visiting at least one foreign port. So cruises from Western cities like Seattle have typically stopped in Vancouver, Canada, on their way to Alaska.

But in February, Canadian authorities extended their ban on cruising through February 2022, effectively shutting down the Alaskan cruise business until then.

Earlier this month, senators introduced a bill that would waive the requirement that ships stop in a foreign port, but a vote could still be months off.

While Alaska cruises are on hold, cruise companies are pivoting to offer land tours of the state using their lodging and tour networks.

What safety measures will be in place?

With coronavirus measures constantly changing, it is difficult to predict exactly what cruises will look like, especially in the United States.

Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry group that represents most of the largest cruise companies, announced a mandatory set of health protocols that will be implemented as part of a phased-in resumption of operations.

The core elements include:

Testing: 100 percent of passengers and crew will be tested for Covid-19 before embarkation.

Mask-Wearing: All passengers and crew will have to wear masks onboard and during excursions whenever they can’t physically distance.

Distancing: Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions will be required.

Ventilation: Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard must be in place and, where feasible, enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk will be used.

Medical Capability: Each ship must have a plan to manage possible medical needs and must allocate cabins for isolation in case of an outbreak. Advance arrangements must be made with providers of onshore transportation and medical facilities.

Shore Excursion: Operators must set health and safety protocols and make sure passengers comply. Those who don’t will be prohibited from re-boarding.

“Ultimately, our decisions will be informed by our global medical and science experts and the requirements of the places we operate and visit,” said Roger Frizzell, a spokesman for Carnival Corporation. “Our highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit.”

Will vaccinations be required?

Some companies are reluctant to depend on testing alone, after the SeaDream 1, a ship that had aspired to be a model for a safe return to cruising, cut short its Caribbean voyage last year because several passengers tested positive for the coronavirus, despite the fact they’d had a negative test before boarding.

Most major cruise lines have not decided whether they will require vaccinations for future sailings and are waiting for further scientific guidance once inoculation becomes more widespread around the globe.

In Britain, Saga Cruises and P & O said that they would require all guests to be fully vaccinated before boarding their ships throughout 2021. Royal Caribbean announced sailings from Israel to Greece in May, where all crew members and passengers over the age of 16 must be vaccinated.

“It is really exciting to see how quickly and dramatically the science has advanced, even in just a few weeks,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and C.E.O. of the Royal Caribbean Group. “We’ve been getting more and more experience with sailings abroad out of Germany, Singapore, the Canary Islands and Italy and we will continue to learn and adapt as new knowledge and scientific discoveries like the vaccine come to the fore.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a London-based reporter. She joined The Times in 2013, and was previously a correspondent in Turkey covering politics, the migrant crisis, the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

Baltimore cruises to reroute after bridge collapse pauses port traffic

Carnival, royal caribbean will move some operations to norfolk while baltimore recovers from key bridge collapse.

Cruise lines are scrambling to make alternative plans and avoid the Port of Baltimore while officials suspend vessel traffic amid cleanup and rescue efforts around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Three major cruise lines sail from Baltimore, though no ships were in port Tuesday morning. The next cruise was scheduled to depart Sunday, but its operator confirmed late Tuesday afternoon that the voyage would instead head out from Norfolk.

Amira M. Hairston, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore port, said in an email that the status of the upcoming cruise ship schedule is not yet known.

“At this time we do not know how long vessel traffic will be suspended. As soon as that is determined we will provide an update. Until then please keep those involved in your prayers,” Hairston wrote.

Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas left Saturday for a 12-night southern Caribbean cruise with plans to return April 4. The cruise line said in a statement Tuesday that it was “closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

On Thursday, the cruise company said the current sailing would end in Norfolk.

“Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements,” Royal Caribbean said.

Upcoming cruises on April 4 and 12 will sail from Norfolk as well, and passengers will be compensated for the change. The ship was already scheduled for maintenance in the Bahamas after the April 12 cruise.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” the company said.

Carnival Legend set off Sunday for a seven-day Bahamas cruise; the ship was scheduled to return March 31 and depart for its next sailing the same day. Instead of coming back to Baltimore, Carnival said late Tuesday, it will end its trip in Norfolk, and free buses will bring passengers back to Baltimore.

The ship’s next seven-day cruise will leave Norfolk and return to the port. In a news release , Carnival said it would temporarily move Baltimore operations to Norfolk “while Key Bridge rescue and cleanup efforts continue.”

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

Carnival Pride is supposed to start sailing from Baltimore next month, mostly to the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cruise Line does not have cruises scheduled out of the port until later this year. American Cruise Lines, a U.S. river cruise operator, has Chesapeake Bay trips on small vessels scheduled from Baltimore starting in May. The cruise line said it will monitor developments “and make adjustments if needed.”

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it was “deeply saddened” by the bridge collapse and was closely following the situation. “Right now, the most important thing to do is to allow the emergency workers to do their work,” the group wrote in a statement.

This year, 12 ships are scheduled to make a total of 115 calls at the Port of Baltimore, the industry association said. With room for roughly 2,000 or 2,100 passengers at double occupancy, most Baltimore-based ships are much smaller than the record-breaking behemoths that sail from Florida ports.

“Any adjustments to current cruise activity at the port will be announced as soon as available by the individual cruise lines,” CLIA said in its statement.

A news release issued last month by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s office said that more than 444,000 individuals cruised out of the Port of Baltimore last year, the most since 2012. The Maryland Port Administration said in a news release last year that the cruise industry generates nearly 400 jobs and $63 million in revenue every year for local businesses.

The port positions itself as a convenient option for cruising year-round, thanks to its location off Interstate 95 and plentiful parking. More than 40 million people live within a six-hour drive of the city, the port administration says.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.

Cruisers stuck at sea as rough weather closes cruise ports: 'I'm bummed'

Cruisers stuck at sea as weather shuts ports.

Rough seas are impacting cruise ships trying to sail away from danger.  Some cruisers are stuck at sea because it isn’t safe to dock at certain ports. 

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - Rough seas are impacting cruise ships trying to sail away from danger. Some cruisers are stuck at sea because it isn’t safe to dock at certain ports.  

Longtime cruisers didn't think there would be any weather disruptions in December, so they were surprised by the weather system. They are making the most of their vacation, but sailing around in circles isn't what they were hoping for. 

"Instead of walking around on islands and enjoying the nice weather, you’re kind of stuck on a cruise ship out in the water," said Daniel Ruiz who’s on board the Carnival Vista. 

He’s cruised before, and this trip hasn’t been smooth sailing. 

"I’m bummed that we didn’t get to go to Grand Turks," he said. 

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It wasn’t safe for the ship to dock, so Ruiz missed out on his pre-planned ATV excursion. Instead, he’s making the most of what he can on board the ship. 

"Eating – you know. Eating. You can never get away from the eating. There’s always food," Ruiz said chuckling. 

He isn’t alone in that choice. 

"Eat your weight in whatever the heck you can get a hold of. Get the drink package," said Larry and Kristen Cantor, who are first-time cruisers. 

The Cantor family is a little bummed because they had been planning this Christmas cruise for a while. They’re sailing on Allure of the Seas and didn’t make it to Coco Cay because of bad weather.  

"It is kind of a letdown, but that’s life. You got to learn to deal with it," Larry added.  

The howling wind they can hear from their balcony is a constant reminder of how rough conditions are. Some pool decks even had to close on Thursday to make sure passengers stayed on board.  

"When we were up on the top deck where the pools and things are, you could see people looking like they were going to get blown away," Larry concluded. 

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Cruise ship stuck in Spain will resume sailing after Bolivian passengers with visa problems removed

Spain bolivia cruise ship.

MADRID (AP) — A cruise ship stuck in the northeastern Spanish port of Barcelona will be able to resume its route after a group of Bolivian passengers with visa problems were taken off the vessel on Thursday, authorities said.

The Spanish government said in a statement it had reached an agreement with MSC Cruises Company in which 69 Bolivian passengers were removed from the boat and taken to a transit zone in the port, but were not granted permission to enter Spanish territory.

The ship got stranded in Barcelona this week after the Bolivian passengers were not allowed to disembark because they lacked valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area, an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries that Spain is part of.

Barcelona was meant to be the final destination for the Bolivian passengers, but the boat was scheduled to travel onward to other countries.

The cruise company agreed to provide another boat from Livorno, Italy, for the Bolivian passengers later Thursday, the government statement said. It was not clear if that boat would remain in Barcelona until the situation is resolved or take the Bolivian passengers elsewhere.

Under the agreement, MSC Cruises will also provide food and health care for the impacted Bolivians and immigration officials will work to resolve the passengers' visa problems as quickly as possible, it added.

The MSC Armonia, with more than 1,000 passengers reportedly on board, plans to sail to Italy on Thursday, the cruise company said.

Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she had received reports that some of the stranded Bolivians had been duped into obtaining fake visas but had no further information.

“We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers,” she said.

Spain’s national police were looking into the possibility of a fake visa scam, Duarte said.

MSC Cruises said in a statement Wednesday the Bolivian “passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil" but Spanish authorities later said the visas were not valid for entry into the Schengen area.

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Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port after document row

A cruise ship reportedly carrying 1,500 passengers was left stuck in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona due to the visa problems of a group of Bolivian passengers who were due to disembark, officials said on Wednesday.

Authorities say 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to leave the ship because they lack valid documents to enter the European Union ’s border-free Schengen area.

Spanish government officials in the city said they are in contact with Bolivian authorities and the MSC Cruises Company to resolve the situation. The ship had sailed from Brazil to cover a route in the Mediterranean Sea .

Spanish state news agency Efe and other media said that some 1,500 passengers were meanwhile on board the MSC Armony hoping to continue the cruise to Croatia .

A statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the Bolivian Embassy in Spain and the country’s Consulate General in Barcelona “are carrying out the pertinent steps to address this case,” coordinating with Spanish authorities, as well as with the MSC Cruises Company.

MSC Cruises said in a statement the Bolivians included families and children.

It said the “passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil. We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”

The company said the ship remained in port while it works with authorities to facilitate the process.

The Schengen area is an ID-check-free travel zone comprising some 30 European Union countries.

Earlier this week it was confirmed two countries have partially joined Europe ’s ID-check-free travel zone, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union .

After years of negotiations by Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area, there is now free access for travelers arriving by air or sea. Land border checks will remain in place, however, due to opposition primarily from Austria , which has long blocked their bid over illegal migration concerns.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the change as a “huge success for both countries” and a “historic moment” for what is the world’s largest free travel zone.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

At least 5 cruise ships stuck at sea as Hurricane Ian closes Florida ports

Thousands of passengers on cruise ships this week are getting something they probably didn't expect when their cruises began a few days ago: extra days at sea.

The closure of three major Florida cruise ports Tuesday and Wednesday due to the approach of Hurricane Ian — Port Tampa Bay, Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPort) and Port Canaveral — means that at least five Florida-based cruise vessels won't be able to return to their home ports on Thursday as scheduled to disembark the passengers.

Instead, the ships are spending extra time at sea and at cruise destinations in the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

The voyages that are being extended include this week's four-night sailings of Carnival Cruise Line 's 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise and 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation out of Port Tampa Bay and JAXPort, respectively. Both of the sailings, which began on Sunday and had been scheduled to end Thursday morning, are now morphing into cruises that will last at least five nights.

For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Also being extended are sailings out of Port Canaveral operated by Royal Caribbean 's 3,344-passenger Mariner of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line 's 3,967-passenger Norwegian Getaway and MSC Cruises ' 3,502-passenger MSC Divina.

All three of the ships had been due back at Port Canaveral on Thursday morning but will now stay at sea until Friday morning if not longer.

Also likely to remain at sea longer than expected is Disney Cruise Line 's 2,508-passenger, Port Canaveral-based Disney Wish. The line told passengers on the current sailing that the vessel might not return to Port Canaveral early Friday as scheduled and could remain at sea into the weekend.

The delayed returns mean that nearly 20,000 cruisers this week are getting an extension of their vacations — whether they want one or not.

If Port Canaveral doesn't reopen to cruise traffic by Friday, two other ships that are based at the port — Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas and Carnival's Carnival Liberty — could also find themselves stuck at sea for an extra day.

Port Tampa Bay closed to marine traffic, including cruise ships, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday as Hurricane Ian bore down the west coast of Florida, and Port Canaveral closed to marine traffic at 12 a.m. on Wednesday. JAXPort is scheduled to shut down at 12 p.m. on Wednesday.

Related: Cruise lines cancel, delay Florida sailings as Hurricane Ian approaches

All three of the ports are expected to remain closed through at least Friday morning.

In a statement sent to TPG, Carnival said the Tampa-based Carnival Paradise had extended its Tuesday visit to Cozumel, Mexico, into Wednesday — giving passengers an extra day at the port. The timing of the ship's return to Tampa has yet to be set.

Carnival Paradise "is now scheduled to depart from Cozumel on Wednesday," Carnival said in the statement. "The ship will then begin heading back to Tampa, but remaining a safe distance from the storm as the company determines when Carnival Paradise can return to the Port of Tampa after the U.S. Coast Guard assesses conditions."

A new return date for Carnival Elation to Jacksonville also has not yet been set. The ship replaced a scheduled visit to Princess Cay in the Bahamas on Tuesday with a day at sea and will be visiting Freeport in the Bahamas on Wednesday instead of a scheduled sea day.

"It is likely the sailing will be extended until the port [of Jacksonville] reopens after the storm has passed," the line said.

In a statement posted online, Royal Caribbean said it expected Mariner of the Seas to be back in Port Canaveral on Friday, a day later than scheduled.

Related: Don't cruise during hurricane season without reading this

Norwegian and MSC Cruises have not yet said when Norwegian Getaway and MSC Divina might return to Port Canaveral.

As is customary when cruises need to be extended due to inclement weather, none of the passengers on board the vessels will be charged for the extra days they spend on the ships.

Such voyage extensions due to hurricanes and other weather events are relatively rare in the cruise world, though they do happen from time to time.

What's particularly notable about this week's cruise extensions is that they are taking place for ships operating out of multiple Florida ports on both sides of the state — a result of Hurricane Ian's large size and Florida-crossing track.

The extensions have mostly been met with good humor by passengers on the ships, at least judging from their posts on social media. "Oh noooo hurricane Ian is forcing us to stay on our cruise an extra day," one cruiser on a Royal Caribbean ship wrote early Wednesday on Twitter, adding a laughing emoji that suggested she wasn't upset at all.

Passengers on Disney Wish posted video on Twitter of cheers erupting through the ship when they were told they might be getting an extra day or two at sea.

The extended sailings are just the latest in a string of disruptions to cruises this week caused by Hurricane Ian. More than a dozen cruise ships operating in the Caribbean and the Bahamas have had to switch course in recent days to steer clear of the storm as it barreled toward Florida. In many cases, the ships dropped or switched ports as they moved to calmer waters.

Related: See which cruise ships have been affected by Ian

The disruptions come as one of the busier cruise ports in the region that often serves as an alternate stop for cruise ships avoiding hurricanes, Grand Turk, remains closed for now due to damage from Hurricane Fiona .

As of 8 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Ian was about 55 miles west of Naples, Florida, and moving north-northeast at 10 miles per hour. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour.

According to current projections, Ian could be a very powerful Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour as it hits the west coast of Florida Wednesday.

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Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response

The cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.

A cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, causing a near-total collapse of the span and halting vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore.

Six construction workers are believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River below. The bodies of two of the victims have been recovered so far, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.

Latest headlines:

Channel needs to be cleared more in order to recover 4 remaining victims, biden to visit bridge on friday, temporary channel opens, what to know about the collapse.

The container ship Dali struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, partially collapsing the bridge , officials in Maryland said.

A local pilot was at the helm of the ship at the time, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.

The crash appeared to be accidental , not intentional, officials said.

Two construction workers were rescued and six went missing in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, officials said. The bodies of two of the victims were recovered from the water on Wednesday amid ongoing search and recovery efforts, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.

Legal team for ship argues for 'limited liability' in Bridge crash

Lawyers for the Singaporean company that operates the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore say the company should have "limited liability" in the aftermath of the crash, according to court documents filed in federal court on Monday.

"The casualty was not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on the part of Petitioners, the Vessel, or persons or entities for whose petitioners may be responsible," court documents filed in Maryland federal court say. "Alternatively, if any such faults caused or contributed to the Casualty, or to any loss or damage arising out of the casualty, which is denied, such faults were occasioned and occurred without petitioners’ privity or knowledge."

The filing seeks to minimize the financial exposure Grace Ocean Private Limited has over the crash.

It also goes into detail about how much damage the vessel sustained.

Court documents say that the vessel sustained $28 million worth of damage and had $1.7 million worth of cargo on the ship.

-ABC News' Luke Barr

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday gave an update on his four directives in the wake of the bridge collapse.

In order to achieve his first goal -- recovering the four victims who remain missing -- Moore said there needs to be more work done to clear the channel in order to move forward.

A portion of the bridge under the water was described as "chaotic wreckage," Moore said, and the water is "so murky and so filled with debris that divers cannot see any more than a foot or two in front of them."

Every time a diver goes in the water to search for a victim, "they are taking a risk," Moore said.

The governor said he wants the recovery mission to be completed with no casualties. Six people have been killed in the bridge collapse, Moore said, adding, "I refuse to lose any more."

As for another goal -- reopening channel traffic -- the governor described the scale of the project as "enormous."

"Unified Command has scheduled another lift for later today, pending conditions -- specifically pending lightning. And they will be lifting an estimated 350-ton piece from the bridge," Moore said.

A temporary channel opened Monday to help get more vessels in the water around the site of the collapse, he said.

"The temporary channel will be marked with government lights to aid navigation and will have a controlling depth of 11 feet," Moore said.

Crews are also working on creating a second temporary channel that will measure about 15 feet deep, he said. That's expected to open "in the coming days," he said.

After more debris is cleared, crews will also work to open a third alternate channel with a depth expected around 20 to 25 feet, said Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District. No timeline for this channel is known.

President Joe Biden will visit the Baltimore bridge site on Friday, April 5, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Biden will be joined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Jean-Pierre did not have any updates on the cost of rebuilding the bridge, repeatedly pointing back to the $60 million in emergency relief funds approved by the Biden administration to begin the recovery efforts.

"We're going to have continued conversation with the state of Maryland to get a sense of how much this is going to cost, and we have said, we are going to certainly continue to talk to Congress to get some assistance here," she said.

-ABC News' Karen Travers

A temporary channel has opened in the vicinity of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but the channel is limited only to vessels working on the bridge response, the Unified Command said.

The temporary channel is a very small opening, only accessible for small boats, the Unified Command said.

The Unified Command is made up of agencies including the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland State Police.

Temporary channel opens for limited access in Baltimore bridge collapse

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

10 other ships stuck in Port of Baltimore

Ten ships -- not including the Dali -- are stuck inside the Port of Baltimore, according to a new update by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

They are comprised of: three bulk carriers, one vehicle carrier, three logistics naval vessels, two general cargo ships and one oil chemical tanker.

An additional vehicle carrier is in the port but outside the site of the bridge collapse.

This list does not include additional tugboats, sailboats and private yachts that are also in a holding pattern as the Port of Baltimore remains closed.

The port said Tuesday vessel traffic in and out is "suspended until further notice."

-Noah Minnie and Elizabeth Schulze

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Carnival cruise ship rescues 27 cuban migrants on rickety wooden boat bound for the us: report.

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A Carnival Cruise ship veered off course to rescue 27 Cuban migrants who were stranded on a rickety wooden boat in the waters between Florida and the island nation, according to a report.

Carnival Paradise had just set sail from Tampa when it spotted the desperate US-bound migrants about 20 miles off the coast of Cuba,

The ship set a course to intercept their decrepit craft with the high-seas rescue taking place around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Fox News reported .

The cruise ship was bound for Roatan, Honduras when it spotted the Cubans.

All 27 were taken aboard the ship, where they were fed and given medical checkups.

The Carnival crew notified the US Coast Guard and officials in Roatan.

In a statement, Carnival put the number of rescued migrants at 28 and said the ship was still scheduled to arrive in Honduras on Monday but did not provide additional details.

Earlier this month, the US Coast Guard intercepted a ramshackle home-made boat off the Key West shoreline — and shipped all 16 migrants on board back to Cuba, officials said.

The barely-sea-worthy craft — the bow of a small wooden boat with the rest made of foam — was spotted by an eagle-eyed good Samaritan and picked up by the Coast Guard cutter Charles David Jr. on April 7,  according to a press release .

The migrants were taken aboard the cutter and shipped back to Cuba, the Coast Guard said.

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Shipping traffic freezes up in port waters after Baltimore bridge collapse

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What polling can (and can't) tell you

On Nov. 5, election officials across America will count more than 150 million ballots to answer a burning political question: Who will be president of the United States? Until then, the best signals we can get will mostly come from public opinion polls, which will be the fuel of endless debate on who has the lead, Democrat Joe Biden or Republican Donald Trump. But what do polls really tell us? Lik

The U.S. military said on Sunday it had engaged five unmanned drones over the Red Sea that "presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels in the region."

Rhode Island children stranded in Mexico after medical emergency

by LEANNA FAULK, NBC 10 NEWS

(WJAR) — Two Rhode Island children are stranded in Mexico after a medical emergency abroad a cruise ship.

Sarah Martin sent her kids on a spring break cruise vacation with their grandparents, which was smooth sailing until their grandmother had a heart attack.

Now, her kids are stuck in Mexico with no passport, and no way to get to home.

"They were having the time of their lives just having so much fun," said Martin.

The fun stopped when she said their grandmother suffered a heart attack.

According to Martin, she was too critical to return to their original port of Miami.

The family was rushed to a local hospital in Cozumel where their grandmother remains in a medically-induced coma.

"They keep on asking me the same thing, mommy, how am I gonna get back to you? And it's just really sad because I don't have an answer," said Martin.

• MORE NEWS: Riverside business seeks local support amid Washington Bridge traffic

Some cruises that begin and end in the United States do not require guests to have a passport, however they are encouraged.

Now, Martin is begging the US Embassy for a lifeline to allow them to fly home.

"The US Embassy was misinformed on all of the options that we had. Nobody would help me," she said.

Martin said her 8-year-old son is days away from finishing his epilepsy medication.

"I don't want him to you know, join as his grandmother at the hospital," she said.

"I can fall down and crumble when they're not on camera. But when I'm on camera with them. I have a brave face, and I think it's helping them be brave."

An hour after NBC 10 reached out to Carnival Cruise, Martin said the company called her and confirmed they were in contact with the Embassy.

She said they are working to get her kids on a flight home as soon as Tuesday.

New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key Bridge wreckage in Baltimore

BALTIMORE — The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the  Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed  four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city’s port.

The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag, passed through the new 35-foot channel headed for St. John, Canada.

Its voyage marked an important step in the ongoing cleanup and recovery effort as salvage crews have been working around the clock to clear thousands of tons of mangled steel and concrete from the entrance to Baltimore’s harbor.

The ship is one of five stranded vessels expected to pass through the new, temporary channel, including one loaded car carrier. Other ships are scheduled to enter the port, which normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country.

On Thursday morning, the vessel moved through the channel guided by two tug boats, one in front and one behind. It passed in between red and green buoys marking the channel’s boundaries and glided slowly by the wreckage of the bridge and  the grounded Dali, the massive container ship  that caused the collapse when it slammed into one of the bridge’s support columns.

Pieces of the fallen bridge are still blocking other parts of the port’s main channel, which has a controlling depth of 50 feet (15 meters), enough to accommodate some of the largest cargo and cruise ships. Officials have prioritized opening a temporary channel deep enough for large commercial vessels to pass through in hopes of easing the economic impacts of the collapse.

The Balsa 94 is expected to arrive in Canada on Monday.

The Dali lost power and veered off course shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka last month. Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the collapse. Four bodies have been recovered from the underwater wreckage while two remain missing.

The new channel will remain open until Monday or Tuesday. It will close again until roughly May 10 while crews work to remove steel from the Dali and refloat the ship, which will then be guided back into the port, officials said earlier this week.

The 35-foot depth is a substantial increase over the three other temporary channels established in recent weeks. It puts the cleanup effort slightly ahead of schedule, as officials previously said they hoped to open a channel of that depth by the end of April.

The port’s main channel is set to reopen next month after the ship has been removed. That will essentially restore marine traffic to normal.

In a  court filing  Monday, Baltimore’s mayor and city council called for the Dali’s owner and manager to be held fully liable for the bridge collapse, which they said could be devastating for the regional economy. They said  the port , which was established before the nation’s founding, has long been an economic driver for Baltimore and the surrounding area. Losing the bridge itself has also disrupted a major east coast trucking route.

Officials have established a slew of assistance programs for port workers and others whose jobs are suffering as a result of the collapse.

The filing came in response to an earlier petition on behalf of the two companies asking a court to cap their liability under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law — a routine procedure for such cases. A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who’s responsible and how much they owe.

In the meantime, both the  FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board  are conducting probes to determine what caused the ship to lose power and strike the bridge.

The Associated Press