Tropical Storm ErikaTropical Storm Erika has forced at least one cruise ship sailing in the Eastern Caribbean to change course as it barrels westward toward St. Maarten and other popular ports. Carnival says the Carnival Glory will remain at sea today instead of visiting St. Maarten as originally scheduled. The 2,974-passenger vessel, which departed Port Canaveral, Fla., on Saturday, instead will visit the island of Grand Turk on Thursday before returning to Florida.
More itinerary changes could come over the next few days as the storm moves westward. The National Hurricane Center says some computer models show Erika approaching hurricane strength, although its own forecast call for the "poorly organized" storm to remain relatively weak. As of 11:00 AM AST, Erika was 100 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands and moving westward at about 10 miles per hour. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. Cruise Loggers, are you sailing in the Eastern Caribbean this week? We'd like to hear from you.
