Fog halts Galveston Bay ship traffic

A dense fog bank that shrouded the island Thursday snarled vessel traffic into Galveston Bay and stranded cruise ship passengers dreaming of clearer climes in Mexico. With visibility at a quarter-mile, channel pilots declined to guide ships to port, including the Carnival Ecstasy. Norman S. Wright and his wife, Jill Wright, arrived from Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday to learn their departure to Cozumel, Mexico, was delayed by fog. ―We were with a group of 50 people and, luckily, we got a hotel room,‖ Wright said

Wright was under the impression the delay meant the newly renovated Ecstasy, which offers four-day cruises from Galveston, wouldn‘t dock in Mexico. ―We‘re going on a cruise to nowhere,‖ Wright said. ―And we paid $50 for a snorkeling shore excursion.‖  Cruise passengers returned to the Port of Galveston terminal to reclaim their baggage. Linda Crow, of Leander, rode with friend Mary Holley, of Georgetown, more than 200 miles for their first cruise adventure. Crow asked Wright if the cruise line was offering lodging and whether he could recommend a nice hotel. I‘m told we‘re departing at 12:30 p.m. (Friday),‖ Wright said. A message left with a Carnival spokeswoman wasn‘t immediately returned Thursday night. The fog that blanked Galveston was expected to lift possibly as early as 10 p.m. Thursday, meteorologist Charles Roeseler said.