The after effects of the hurricane season has hurt the 2005 cruise season tremendously. First the damage in the US Gulf region closed the cruise ports of New Orleans, Mobile, and Gulfport. Now Hurricane Wilma has hurt the Western Caribbean and Mexico, closing many of the ports of call.

 Hurricane Wilma has wreaked new havoc for cruise ships sailing from Texas ports, and passengers are likely to feel the effect for some time to come.

For a week, ships dodged Wilma’s wrath as it churned across Mexico’s Yucatan region and raked South Florida, dealing unexpected blows to the two busiest U.S. home ports: Miami and Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale. More than 20 ships were affected.

Key West, a popular port of call that’s on some itineraries from Texas, was closed to tourists for nearly two weeks. It’s now open, and ships are returning. Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas, sailing from Galveston, is again calling at Key West .

The worst and longer-lasting devastation was in Mexico’s popular Maya Riviera. Cruise lines now are dealing day by day with the aftermath. The popular resort of Cancun was severely damaged, but the destruction at the nearby island of Cozumel is a greater impact to cruises. Cozumel is the most popular port in the Caribbean, with an estimated 50 ships calling there regularly. During the winter season, as many as a dozen ships with 30,000 passengers might call at Cozumel in one day.

via The Dallas Morning News