Sept. 20, 2004 While Tropical Storm Jeanne is just a memory in the Virgin Islands, the storm's passage through the Caribbean is still causing problems for St. Thomas. The storm continues to churn east of the Bahamas.
Shipping lanes are disrupted, which means that three cruise ships scheduled to call in St. Thomas this week won't arrive.
The West Indian Co. said in a news release that the Carnival Glory and Caribbean Princess will head to the Western Caribbean instead of this region. They were due Tuesday. The Century will arrive on Tuesday as scheduled.
The Carnival Miracle cancelled its scheduled Wednesday visit, but the Mariner of the Seas and the Disney Magic will arrive as scheduled.
There are no more cancellations for the rest of the week.
The Explorer of the Seas will visit Thursday, the Carnival Legend on Friday, and the Adventure of the Seas and Golden Princess on Saturday.
Edward Thomas, who serves as WICO's chief executive officer, was off-island and could not be reached for comment.
Trudie Prior, who manages Coral World Marine Park in St. Thomas, said this hurricane season is taking a toll.
She said a thousand fewer cruise-ship passengers visited Coral World this September than last September.
"This has been the worst September from a business standpoint," she said.
She said that last week, two ships arrived on Sept. 16 despite Tropical Storm Jeanne's passage, but flooding kept them from visiting the marine park.
Prior said she fears vacationers will be reluctant to visit in future Augusts and Septembers because they will remember this hurricane season.
"But I wouldn't trade these business losses for a hurricane," she said.
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