Aug 17, 2008 12:08 am US/Eastern
Travelers Prepared To Deal With Fay
Port Everglades (CBS4) ―
While residents and tourists in the Keys are packing their bags and putting up their shutters, travelers across South Florida are doing everything they can to make sure they don't get stuck in the storm.
Workers at Port Everglades are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Fay. Right now, there are no changes to cruise itineraries, and cruise ships are ready to leave as scheduled on Sunday, but any changes in the storm could cause similar changes for vacationers.
Saturday was leisurely for most boaters on the canals and out on the ocean. One group of boaters is preparing for a trip to the Bahamas, well aware that they might encounter rough seas between here and there. The operator of a snorkeling vessel, getting ready to take some passengers to a reef off of Fort Lauderdale, says they're keeping a close eye on Fay's path.
"No worries yet. We're watching the National Hurricane Center, watching the predicted path of the storm. It's still too early to tell," says boater Mark Brettin, "If it does get too windy we'll stop running the vessel, we'll stop running the trips… but we're not too worried."
"We'll secure the boat down really well; we might move it," Brettin says, if Fay comes, "We'll line it up with some tires around the boat, and just tie it down really good."
It's a different story for other travelers. Flights have not been affected in or out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. But some flights to Haiti from Miami were canceled, and some passengers returning to Miami Saturday have some stories to tell. Cruise passenger Darlene Joseph described her harrowing flight, "It's very scary. We didn't know until we got to the airport. We thought it was just regular winds but the pilot was telling us the winds were 20 to 25 knots, you know, almost hurricane conditions. When they told us they canceled the flight, most everybody was happy."
The cruise ship industry is watching what happens with Fay. Royal Caribbean says none of their cruises have been affected so far. Carnival says they've only had to alter one port of call, and that's for a ship already at sea. Imagination will travel first to Jamaica and then the Cayman Islands. All cruise employees are advising passengers to stay in touch with their cruise lines just in case any changes are made.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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