Some cruise passengers left unhappy by Katrina charters

The number of cruisers who had their trips cancelled due to Carnival's 3-ship, 6-month charter to FEMA likely numbers around 100,000, so it was inevitable that somebody would be mad about it.

Indeed, due to the fact that the alternate cruises have tended to be more expensive, many of these displaced passengers will have to fork over more dough, even taking into account Carnival's addition of a $100 per person shipboard credit.

Why are replacement cruises more expensive? First, some of the ships offering similar itineraries, like Carnival Conquest, are much newer and feature-filled than the chartered ships. Second, cruise pricing had been gradually increasing over time anyway, so those who booked a year ago would naturally find prices higher when rebooking today on an identical cruise. Third, the removal of the chartered ships' inventory from the marketplace impacts supply and demand.

Galveston County Daily News: Cruisers steaming over higher ship rates