As Hurricane Rafael makes its way through the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico, cruise ships are making sure to get out of its way.
Carnival has already released several itinerary changes due to the storm, and now Royal Caribbean is rolling out some initial changes of its own.
The big change so far is for guests currently onboard Harmony of the Seas – which is in the middle of operating a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise based out of Galveston, Texas.
The Oasis-class ship already called on Costa Maya, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, as planned, but will have to skip the final port call of the sailing – which was supposed to be on Cozumel, Mexico, on November 7, 2024 – due to the storm.
“We’ve been monitoring the progress of Hurricane Rafael crossing Cuba today. In order to safely pass in front of the storm, we have decided to skip our visit to Cozumel, Mexico tomorrow and enjoy a Sea Day instead,” the cruise line wrote to current guests in a letter delivered on November 6, 2024.
“This will keep us well in front of the storm and prevent us from being delayed in our return to Galveston,” the letter continued.
The 6,687-guest vessel is expected to return to the Texas port on November 9 and head back out to sea the same day for an 8-night Western Caribbean sailing.
So far, Royal Caribbean has only announced changes for this one itinerary – but it’s very possible that more ships will be impacted in the coming days.
Several other ships in the fleet, including Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas, among others, are currently sailing in or around the impacted region.
When Will The Stormy Weather End?
Cruisers can breathe a sigh of relief, as this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season – which lasts from June 1 to November 30 annually – is almost over.
Thankfully, Hurricane Rafael – which may very well be the final hurricane of the season – is not expected to be as bad as Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton, which battered Florida one after the other.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), Hurricane Rafael is a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of up to 105 mph – and has already been downgraded from a Category 3 storm after making landfall in Cuba on November 6.
For context, Hurricane Milton was classified as a Category 5 at one point, with winds of up to 180 mph. Hurricane Helene wasn’t much better – as the Category 4 storm experienced winds of up to 140 mph.
But while Hurricane Rafael isn’t expected to worsen, it will most likely maintain its intensity over the coming days and can generate rough waters – even at locations a fair distance away from the eye of the storm.
Craig Setzer, Royal Caribbean’s Chief Meteorologist, also confirmed that the storm risk and likelihood for intense weather systems has lessened in a recent update.
“We are entering the final days of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season as far as the US is concerned,” Setzer wrote on X on October 29, 2024.
According to the weather expert, cooling water temperatures lessen the likelihood of a destructive storm forming – but as Hurricane Rafael shows, storm activity in the Caribbean and Bahamas is certainly possible in the final weeks of the season.
