Local

Hurricane Matthew prompts changes to Jacksonville cruise itinerary

Carnival 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 is set to depart 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.

Download the Action News Jax News app and First Alert Weather app

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.

A passenger tells Action News Jax she is disappointed about the changes but knows Carnival made them to keep people safe.

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 were reversed, but not changed.

Hurricane Matthew updates: Slow, dangerous storm has islands in path

Hurricane Matthew evening video discussion before FOX30 Action News Jacksonville at 10.

Posted by Garrett Bedenbaugh on Sunday, October 2, 2016