Royal Caribbean changed a Caribbean itinerary in an effort to avoid the strengthening tropical storm system in the Atlantic Ocean.
Guests sailing aboard Star of the Seas' September 28, 2025, cruise were notified that they'd no longer be heading to the Eastern Caribbean.
Instead, the 7-night Caribbean cruise will visit the Western Caribbean, calling at Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.
"Our Captain, along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Zetzer, has been monitoring the expected development of a tropical storm near the northwest Bahamas and a hurricane in the Atlantic," reads the email.
"We have decided to change our itinerary to safely avoid the storm and large seas on our eastern route. As a result, we will now sail a Western Caribbean itinerary..."
This sudden change means that guests won't visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's award-winning private island in The Bahamas. Moreover, Star's inaugural visit to St. Kitts has been postponed.
Star of the Seas will now call at St. Kitts for the very first time on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2025 — assuming that there aren't any future storm systems that further derail the plans.
Although disappointing, Royal Caribbean emphasized that the safety and comfort of its guests and crew remain the company’s top priority.
"We're terribly sorry for this last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority," the email continues.
"Please remember, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather."
This is the first storm-related itinerary change for Royal Caribbean's newest Icon Class ship. She entered service for the cruise line in Aug. 2025.
Read more: Cruising in hurricane season: What you need to know
Not a tropical storm yet
Although the strengthening disturbance isn't a tropical storm yet, the National Hurricane Center predicts that it has an 80% to 90% chance of developing by late Friday, Sept. 26, or over the weekend.
The path of possible Tropical Storm Imelda prompted Royal Caribbean, as well as Disney Cruise Line, to reroute ships to ensure that all guests and crew members remain safe.
According to the National Hurricane Center's 8:00 a.m. EDT report on Friday, Sept. 26, an area of low pressure will likely form along the wave by tonight as it moves near the southeast Bahamas.
The low is expected to develop into a tropical storm when it's in the vicinity of the central and northwest Bahamas over the weekend.
Even if the storm doesn't strengthen, it will bring heavy rains and gusty winds to places like Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic, eastern Cuba, and The Bahamas.
