While being the world’s second-largest cruise ship certainly has its perks, it also comes with some drawbacks – such as not being able to dock when smaller vessels can.
This was the case for Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, which was unable to dock in the port of Nassau, Bahamas, on November 5, 2024, due to heavy winds.
“Just wanted to share a quick update about our stop at Nassau. The port is experiencing some crazy winds, up to 50 knots! Because of this, Utopia of the Seas decided to skip the port,” a current passenger shared on Facebook.
However, other smaller cruise ships, including Liberty of the Seas, were still able to visit Nassau as planned – even with the inclement weather.
“I heard that three smaller ships, including Liberty of the Seas, managed to dock, but honestly, with all port activities cancelled due to the weather, what’s the point? Are we really trying to play heroes here? Safety first, always!,” continued the current guest.
Unfortunately for Utopia of the Seas – which is massive at 236,860-gross tons and 1,188 feet long – docking is a much bigger ordeal than it would be for a smaller ship.
For the sake of comparison, Liberty of the Seas is much smaller at 154,407-gross tons and 1,112 feet long.
Docking in general becomes more dangerous in heavy winds, as there could be unpredictable swells, choppier water in the harbor than normal, and the ship may sway or move more than intended – potentially colliding with other vessels or pier infrastructure.
This risk becomes exponentially greater with larger vessels, where greater mass can equate to more significant damage.
Gloomy Weather Forecast in Nassau
Per cruise tracking data and the local weather forecast, Nassau can expect to experience rain showers through the night of Wednesday, November 6, 2024.
However, the heavy winds that rocked the port when the Oasis-class vessel was supposed to dock at around 9 a.m. local time on November 5 are now being classified as more of a strong breeze – currently at about 24 miles per hour.
Earlier in the day, the gusts were coming in at around 63 miles per hour and were much less manageable.
The current weather in Nassau is not severe, and per the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), it’s not connected to Hurricane Rafael – which is currently just over 400 miles away from Nassau near the Cayman Islands.
With the 4-night itinerary calling for a sea day on November 6, some onboard wondered if the ship might pay a belated visit to Nassau in lieu of a sea day.
“Nassau stop cancelled today due to wind. Not too surprising. It’s been quite breezy. Not sure if they’ll try tomorrow,” another current passenger mused on Facebook.
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Cruise tracking data currently shows the June 2024-launched vessel holding steady off the coast of Nassau, somewhat close to Spanish Wells, Bahamas.
That said, it’s unlikely that the port call will be rescheduled – as Nassau’s three piers have already been reserved by Oasis of the Seas, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Glory, and MSC Meraviglia.
Instead, Utopia of the Seas is likely staying put because she only has to travel about 90 nautical miles from Nassau to reach her final port call of the trip, which is on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas (the cruise line’s private island destination), on November 7.
The current sailing will conclude at Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, the following morning – November 8.
