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Carnival Cruise Lines shifts itinerary to avoid Hurricane Matthew

Carnival Cruise Line has made changes to several cruise itineraries because of Hurricane Matthew.

Matthew is a powerful Category 4 hurricane nearing Haiti and Jamaica.

Passengers aboard Elation, which departed from Jacksonville at 4 p.m. on Monday, will no longer visit Half Moon Cay or Nassau because of the storm.

Carnival said it is not possible to safely navigate the original itinerary so passengers will instead visit Key West and then Freeport.

The company apologized to passengers in an email sent out around 8 p.m. Sunday.

The email said shore excursions for Half Moon Cay and Nassau and any difference in government fees and taxes would be refunded.

Action News Jax caught up with several passengers Monday.

Rachel Beecham traveled from Kentucky with her husband to take a cruise for their honeymoon.

“I’ve just been looking at the website on Carnival,” said Beecham. “They’ve had the weather alerts and everything.”

Beecham said Carnival’s communication made her feel safe about the cruise.

“I’m not really worried,” she said. “They can take care of it. They can keep us away from it.”

Sharon Moore traveled from Tennessee for the cruise. She said she hasn't planned any excursions yet because of Matthew.

“I just hope it doesn’t rain the whole time,” she said with a laugh.

Itineraries for cruises leaving other cities were also affected by the storm.

Passengers who departed from Charleston on Sunday will visit Conzumel rather than Half Moon Cay and the Bahamas, the cruise line said.

Passengers who left Baltimore on Sunday will visit New York and Saint John, New Brunswick, instead of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

The order of port visits for passengers who left Miami aboard Splendor on Sunday was reversed but not changed.