Key Aspects:
- An approaching winter storm will delay Odyssey of the Seas‘ departure from New Jersey on Sunday, February 22.
- All guests must still be onboard as originally scheduled but the ship will remain docked overnight.
- Any itinerary adjustments have not yet been finalized but guests will be notified as soon as plans are confirmed.
There’s nothing like feeling your cruise ship head out to sea to start your vacation and you feel those first waves beneath your feet. For guests boarding Odyssey of the Seas on Sunday, February 22, 2026, however, that feeling will come later than anticipated.
Odyssey of the Seas is homeported from Bayonne, New Jersey (Cape Liberty), and an impending winter storm will hold the ship at her homeport overnight, rather than setting sail on her 7-night Bahamas cruise.
Royal Caribbean has reached out to guests boarding the Quantum-Ultra Class ship to alert them to the situation and what to expect for their Sunday embarkation.
“Due to the winter storm approaching the Bayonne area, we are expecting high winds and rough seas,” the notification explained. “For this reason, we will remain alongside overnight until conditions are safe.”
The past month has been particularly challenging for any cruise ships homeported along the Atlantic coast from Charleston to New York. Cruise Hive has reported on numerous ships delayed by different winter storms.
The Sunday forecast for Bayonne includes morning rain changing to snow and strengthening to blizzard conditions by evening, with winds that may be as high as 25 miles per hour in the evening hours. Gusts may reach 50 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service has a blizzard warning in effect from Sunday at 1 p.m. until Monday at 6 p.m. A total accumulation of 12-18 inches of snow is anticipated, with the strongest winds Sunday evening into Monday afternoon.
At this time, there is no change to the ship’s embarkation timing or process, and guests are still expected to arrive during their arrival time appointments and be onboard before the final boarding time.
“We will be closing the gangways to align with our planned departure time,” the cruise line confirmed.
This means that even though the cruise ship will remain docked overnight, guests who arrive late will not be permitted to board. Odyssey of the Seas can welcome as many as 5,510 guests when fully booked, and all travelers must arrive on time.
The evening’s onboard experience will, by necessity, be adjusted somewhat. Local laws and regulations require that the onboard retail shops and the Royal Casino remain closed until the ship departs.
Will the Itinerary Be Changed?
Guests booked on the cruise are naturally concerned about whether or not their planned itinerary can continue or if there will be any port cancellations or adjustments.
Odyssey of the Seas was expected to visit Port Canaveral on Tuesday, February 24, followed by Perfect Day at CocoCay on Wednesday and Nassau on Thursday before the ship heads back to New Jersey for debarkation on Sunday, March 1.
While there have been no confirmed itinerary changes as yet, the final decision will not be made until the ship’s departure time from New Jersey is confirmed.
“We will share an updated itinerary with you as soon as our departure time from Cape Liberty is finalized,” the cruise line said.
Guests who have had previous sailings delayed by storms in the same way have shared typical changes on Reddit, noting that it’s unlikely the ship will keep all her original port visits.
“We had this in October on Symphony. Ended up leaving Bayonne/Cape Liberty Tuesday around 5 am instead of Sunday,” one guest described. “We ended up skipping Port Canaveral and Nassau but had extra time at CocoCay.”
Royal Caribbean will attempt to preserve as much of the original itinerary as possible, but the safety of the ship, her guests, and her crew are always the first priority.
Guests should travel carefully to the cruise port on Sunday and stay patient with the crew onboard as the final sailing plan is worked out for the best possible cruise vacation in these challenging weather conditions.
