Hurricane Forces Multiple Royal Caribbean Ships to Remain at Sea

As Hurricane Helene closes in on Florida’s Big Bend, where it is expected to make landfall on Thursday, September 26, local cruise ports are preparing to weather the brunt of the storm.

In this case, that means the cruise ports are temporarily closing and delaying the scheduled return of cruise ships until the hurricane has passed. 

Several cruise lines sailing in the Caribbean have already been impacted – including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Margaritaville at Sea, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Virgin Voyages.

Now, more changes are coming down the pipeline for Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, and Adventure of the Seas. 

Port Tampa Bay, where Serenade of the Seas is currently homeporting, closed to cruise traffic by 8 p.m. EST on September 25 to prepare for the storm.  

“At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, the U.S. Coast Guard set Port Condition ZULU, meaning the possibility of gale force winds could impact our maritime operations within 12 hours. Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to our port has ceased,” reads the port’s official website. 

Similarly, Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, which is the shared homeport for Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas, has also closed to cruise traffic until the storm passes through – and anticipates delays for cruises scheduled to embark through the weekend. 

“We are anticipating cruise vessels scheduled to arrive at Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 27 will be delayed…All cruise guests planning to sail from Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 27 or Saturday, Sept. 28 are advised to contact their cruise lines to confirm their embarkation,” Port Canaveral wrote on X. 

The dangerous storm, which is currently listed as a Category 1 hurricane, has had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as it makes its way toward the US Gulf Coast. 

The hurricane is supposed to intensify quickly overnight and become a Category 3 or Category 4 storm by the time it reaches Florida – meaning winds could potentially reach speeds of up to 156 mph and cause catastrophic damage. 

Serenade of the Seas Steers Clear of Hurricane Helene

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance-class cruise ship has already altered its Western Caribbean itinerary to avoid the path of the storm. 

The 5-night sailing, which embarked on September 22, was supposed to call on Cozumel, Mexico, and Costa Maya, Mexico. However, it was re-routed to the Bahamas.

But because of when Hurricane Helene will reach Florida and the related Tampa Bay port closure, it’s not safe for the 2,476-passenger vessel to return to port as scheduled on September 27, 2024. 

Instead, the 90,090-gross-ton will spend an extra two days at sea and is now scheduled to disembark on September 29, 2024, at 7 a.m. local time.

“Due to the planned closure of the Port of Tampa and to stay clear of the hurricane, we’ll have to delay our return to our homeport. We’ll now arrive in Tampa on Sunday, September 29th and enjoy some extra Sea Days along the way,” reads a letter from the cruise line.

Guests are being compensated for the delay via complimentary Wi-Fi, discounted drink packages, extra loyalty points for the two extra nights onboard, and reimbursement for fees incurred by changing airfare. 

The cruise line will compensate up to $200 per person for domestic travel, and $400 for international flights. 

“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority,” continued the letter.

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Of course, delaying the current sailing means that the next voyage – an anticipated 9-day Eastern Caribbean cruise that was due to embark on September 27, 2024 – will also get off to a late start.

The ship won’t embark until September 29, but will still conclude as planned on October 6 to get back on schedule.

The original itinerary called for stops at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Puerto Plata / Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.

However, these ports of call will be entirely replaced. The new itinerary includes visits to Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya, Mexico. 

Other Royal Caribbean Ships Suffer Minor Delays

Utopia of the Seas, which is the newest addition to Royal Caribbean’s fleet, will also be late returning to Port Canaveral. 

The popular terminal is expected to be closed until around 2:30 p.m. EST on Friday, September 27, when the Oasis-class ship is due to return from a 4-night Bahamas sailing. She was originally supposed to arrive at 6:30 a.m. local time.

As a result, embarkation for the next sailing – a 3-day cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay – will also be pushed back.

“Due to port Canaveral’s planned closure, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning and as a result, our boarding on September 7th will also be adjusted,” reads a letter from the cruise line to impacted guests.

The first arrival appointment is now scheduled for 2:30 p.m. instead of 10:30 a.m. – and guests are encouraged not to arrive before their new time slot.

The 236,473-gross ton ship will also set sail at 6 pm instead of 4 pm. The situation remains fluid, but the delayed embarkation is not expected to impact the ports of call. 

Read Also: Cruise Hive Boards: Potential Hurricane Helene

Likewise, Adventure of the Seas will also be impacted by Port Canaveral’s closure.

Just like Utopia of the Seas, the Voyager-class vessel’s return to port will be delayed by at least 7 hours. She is currently in the middle of a 6-night Eastern Caribbean sailing. 

As a result, the cruise line is asking guests not to come to the port until four hours after their selected arrival time to ensure a smooth boarding process, and noted that all guests must be on board before 7:30 p.m. EST. 

As of now, the itinerary for the sailing – which is an 8-Night Eastern Caribbean cruise – remains unaffected.