Ship Switches Call on New Orleans Over Y2K

Carnival is switching the New Year’s Eve call of its Sensation ship from New Orleans to Gulfport, Miss., citing Y2K concerns. Spokesman Tim Gallagher said Sensation is Y2K compliant but that the line has “potential concerns” that other vessels on the busy Mississippi corridor could have problems. The ship, on a cruise from Tampa, Fla., had been scheduled to arrive at 9 a.m. Dec. 31 in New Orleans and depart at 6 p.m. that day for an eight-hour trip down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Instead it will arrive in Gulfport at 7 a.m. and depart at 7 p.m. Guests will be bused to New Orleans for shore excursions.

Amtrak also plans New Year’s Eve schedule changes. As a “precaution” it will halt trains for about 15 minutes to 1 hour starting just before midnight, the Associated Press reported.