Key Aspects:
- The recent storm in the Bahamas damaged the pier at CocoCay and only one ship can now dock per day.
- The popular port has two ships scheduled nearly every day, so there could be many disruptions to upcoming sailings.
- No timeline has been given for how long repairs may take or when both sides of the pier will be available.
The severe weather that disrupted cruise operations across the Bahamas last weekend is having an ongoing impact at one of the most popular destinations in the islands: Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Guests on both Freedom of the Seas‘ and Celebrity Reflection‘s current sailings are now learning their visits to CocoCay must be cancelled because the damage limits berth capacity. It’s important to know that both vessels are owned by Royal Caribbean Group, so vessels from both lines can visit the island.
“Due to this past weekend’s winter storm, which included strong winds and heavy seas at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, catwalks fell into the sea on the eastern side of the pier,” the notification letter to guests onboard Freedom of the Seas explained.
“Unfortunately, divers have not been able to locate all of them, which prevents us from safely docking the ship at Perfect Day at CocoCay.”
Freedom of the Seas is currently on a 5-night Bahamas sailing that departed Miami on Monday, February 2. Instead of CocoCay on Tuesday, February 3 as planned, the ship spent the day at sea and a call to Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic has been added to the itinerary.
Similarly, Celebrity Reflection‘s plans to visit CocoCay this week are also disrupted. The ship departed Fort Lauderdale on Monday for a 5-night sailing that was to have visited both CocoCay and Nassau. Now, Celebrity Reflection will go to Freeport instead of CocoCay, though the visit to Nassau should remain the same.
Some Ships Can Still Dock
It should be noted that while the east side of the pier is currently unsafe for docking, ships can still dock comfortably on the west side of the pier.
This means that one ship can still visit CocoCay each day, but on days when two ships are scheduled for the private island, one may have to be diverted to a day at sea or an alternative port.
On Tuesday, February 3, Wonder of the Seas was able to enjoy her planned visit to CocoCay while Freedom of the Seas was at sea instead.
With the popularity of CocoCay on Royal Caribbean Bahamas itineraries, most days do have two vessels scheduled for docking. This means many different ships could have the port cancelled in the days to come until the eastern side of the pier can be reopened.
Which ship will be granted access to CocoCay on any given day will likely depend on the ship’s capacity, which ship was already scheduled to be docking first or on the western side of the pier, and where alternative ports could be added to individual ship itineraries.
In some cases, it may be possible to shift ships to a different day to visit CocoCay. For example, on Thursday, February 12, there are no ships currently scheduled for the island, so one vessel could be accommodated that day if itineraries permit.
No doubt, the cruise line will notify guests will be notified onboard or just prior to their sailing if their visits to CocoCay are impacted.
Read Also: Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay – Full Guide
Naturally, any pre-paid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean (or Celebrity Cruises) for CocoCay will be automatically cancelled and refunded if a ship is unable to visit, as is standard practice for any port visit.
How Long Will Repairs Take?
There has been no timeline announced for how long the repairs may take to reopen both sides of the CocoCay pier.
It is essential to either locate the missing catwalks or else ensure that the entire docking area, including any turning basin space or approach avenues, is clear and safe for ships to maneuver without risk of hitting submerged debris.
The catwalks will also need to be replaced and inspected before the pier can be used for docking again. This could take just a few days, or the disruption could be longer and impact many more ships in both fleets.
