Port Security Goofs Again
Heart Medication Not Cruise Ship Bomb
Carnival Celebration - August 25, 2007
Cruises being delayed, and passengers forced to disembark the ship is becoming a regular problem as police and port security identify bomb threats that are really nothing more than harmless products.
This last round was at the Carnival Cruise Line Terminal in the Port Of Jacksonville, Florida,
Cruiseline: Carnival Cruise Lines
Ship: Celebration
Built: 1987
Refurbished: 2000
Registry: Panama
Size: 48,000 Gross Tons
Length: 733 feet
Passengers: 1,486
Crew: 670
Caribbean Webcams > Here
when the 1700 passengers of the Carnival Cruise Lines were disembarked after a dog alerted for a bomb during a routine inspection.
Security workers with bomb-sniffing dogs detected something suspicious in one of the bags during the pre-boarding screening process about 12:45pm.
The terminal was evacuated and all bags were checked by hand. Seven hours later, it was determined that the alerted object was actually heart medication.
The all clear was given at the Jacksonville Port Authority Cruise Terminal at 6:15 p.m. Some of the passengers had lined parts of nearby Heckscher Drive waiting to board the Celebration Carnival Cruise Ship.
Some passengers were taken to buses to get out of the heat, and the American Red Cross of Northeast Florida brought food and drinks, Jacksonville Port Authority spokeswoman Nancy Rubin said.
Carnival Cruise Lines gave passengers a $15 shipboard credit for the hassel.
