Flights cancelled, cruises changed ahead of Hurricane Lee
Hurricane Lee is expected to land in Canada this weekend while also bringing tropical storm conditions and flooding to parts of New England. Some flights and cruises in these areas are already affected Friday as the storm barrels up the Atlantic coast.
According to FlightAware, 23 flights at Boston's Logan International Airport were cancelled as of Friday afternoon, as were 15 flights at Nantucket Airport and seven at Martha's Vineyard Airport. Cape Air, which flies short flights to several Massachusetts airports and in the Caribbean, had cancelled 37 flights by Friday afternoon, according to FlightAware, which tracks aviation.
Lee brought tropical storm conditions to Bermuda on Thursday, and several airlines have offered waivers to travellers flying in and out of the island nation. American and Delta Airlines have offered to waive change fees for flyers travelling to or from Bermuda on Sept. 14 and 15.
American, Delta and United Airlines have offered waivers for flyers travelling to or from several airports in cities that are expected to be affected, including Bangor, Maine and Boston. The travel days expected to be most involved in these areas are Sept. 16 or 17.
Those travelling to New England or Canada on these airlines can check if their change fee has been waived on their websites.
Flights are not the only mode of transportation being affected by the storm. Royal Caribbean altered the itineraries of four cruise ships ahead of the hurricane, including one scheduled to dock at a port in St. Maarten on Thursday but did not due to the storm, according to the group that runs the port.
Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas ship was supposed to visit Halifax, Canada, on Sept. 16 but will spend the day in Manhattan after leaving Cape Liberty in New Jersey on Friday, according to Travel Market Report, which monitors travel trends.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has also cancelled the planned stops of its Norwegian Escape ship. After leaving Boston on Tuesday, the boat docked in Eastport, Main, instead of Portland. It was supposed to go to Halifax, Canada, but instead will head to New York on Sept. 17, where it will finish out the remaining two days of the cruise.
Prince Cruise Lines has also diverted ships away from Halifax. Instead of stopping in the Canadian city on Thursday, the Emerald Princess left Saint John, Newfoundland and went straight to its homeport in Brooklyn, New York. It arrived one day earlier than expected, on Friday, a representative for the cruise line told CBS News via email.
The Caribbean Princess ship will dock in Boston on Friday to brace for the storm. The rest of the itinerary for the 10-day cruise may also change due to weather. "We sincerely apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience these unexpected changes cause our guests, but greatly appreciate their patience and understanding as we prioritise everyone's safety," the representative said.
American Cruise Lines, which has several small ships in Portland, Bangor and New Bedford, Massachusetts, has docked all of its ships in the region ahead of the storm, a representative for the cruise line told CBS News via email. "Further itinerary adjustments will be made, as necessary, according to the weather," the representative said.
CBS News has contacted these and other cruise lines for more information and is awaiting a response.
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