Visit our travel agent friends at MEI Travel

Photos: Royal Caribbean provides hurricane relief to people of Caribbean

In:
29 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean has been using its cruise ships to bring much needed aid to the hurricane-ravaged islands of the Caribbean.

Adventure of the Seas returned to Puerto Rico  carrying much needed humanitarian supplies. In addition, the ship has worked with the local government to take evacuees from Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix.

Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas recently dropped off hurricane relief supplies in St. Marteen and St. Thomas after Hurricane Irma. In addition, the company worked with the local government to evacuate residents.

Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas was the first ship to visit Key West after the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma. In addition, to stopping in Key West the ship brought much needed supplies to the area.

Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas recently dropped off hurricane relief supplies in St. Marteen and St. Thomas after Hurricane Irma. In addition, the company worked with the local government to evacuate residents.

Royal Caribbean cancels Enchantment of the Seas due to closure of PortMiami from Hurricane Irma

In:
12 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced it is forced to cancel the September 11th sailing of Enchantment of the Seas due to the continued closure of the port, and the uncertainty as to when normal operations will resume. 

USA Today reports PortMiami is closed to all marine traffic because of vessels that sank in the channel due to Hurricane Irma.

Enchantment of the Seas was scheduled to be a 4-night cruise that departed on September 11th, but Hurricane Irma caused Royal Caribbean to delay her departure a day to September 12th.  With PortMiami remaining closed, the ship cannot conduct its cruise at all and thus, the sailing has been cancelled.

Royal Caribbean cancels Empress of the Seas sailing due to Hurricane Irma

In:
10 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced today it has cancelled the September 13th sailing of Empress of the Seas sailing to Cuba due to Hurricane Irma.

Royal Caribbean decided to cancel this sailing, along with the September 15th Majesty of the Seas sailing, to utilize the ship for humanitarian efforts in areas of the Caribbean with urgent need. Empress of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas are ready to assist Key West and Tampa once the impact of the storm is known.

For both the Empress sailing on 9/13 and the Majesty sailing on 9/15, the cruise fare and fees will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment, and Royal Caribbean is also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

Hurricane Irma is a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The eye of the storm is currently moving through the Keys and is moving northwest at 8 mph. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday.

Royal Caribbean cancels Majesty of the Seas sailing to provide relief efforts to Hurricane Irma victims

In:
09 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced it has cancelled the September 15 sailing of Majesty of the Seas so that the cruise line can utilize the ship for humanitarian efforts in areas of the Caribbean with urgent need.

Hurricane Irma has caused Royal Caribbean to alter and even cancel a number of sailings, including the previous September 11 sailing of Majesty of the Seas.

Guests who were scheduled to sail on Majesty of the Seas on the September 15th sailing will receive a 100% refund of the cruise fare and fees to the original form of payment.  Plus, Royal Caribbean is also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

Hurricane Irma is a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose’s strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

Royal Caribbean delays Oasis of the Seas sailing further due to Hurricane Irma

In:
09 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced today that Oasis of the Seas next sailing will be delayed by one additional day, and will now sail on Wednesday, September 13.

Oasis of the Seas had been scheduled to sail on September 10th, but Hurricane Irma has forced Royal Caribbean to keep the ship at sea to avoid the storm. As a result of the delay, Oasis will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel instead. 

Guests scheduled to sail on the shorted sailing will have an increased refund of 50% of their cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, as well as an additional 50% future cruise credit.

Also due to Hurricane Irma, Royal Caribbean cancelled a chartered sailing of Majesty of the Seas that was scheduled to depart on September 11. Thirty One Gifts has made the decision to cancel this sailing. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Hurricane Irma is a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose's strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

Royal Caribbean delays Enchantment of the Seas departure date and skips St. Maarten for Adventure of the Seas due to Hurricane Irma

In:
07 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced more changes to its scheduled itineraries due to Hurricane Irma.

Adventure of the Seas will depart as planned on Saturday, September 9, but will skip a port stop in St. Maarten due to the damage caused by Hurricane Irma.  Instead, the ship will replace this port with an overnight in Aruba.

The Enchantment of the Seas sailing scheduled for September 11th has been delayed and will now depart on Tuesday, September 12th and will sail a 3-night itinerary to the Bahamas. Given the unpredictability of Irma, Royal Caribbean will advise if there are any changes to the itinerary as soon as they know. Guests opting to sail on Enchantment will receive a refund of 25% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit.

Guests who are unable to travel and need to cancel their cruise can receive a 100% future cruise credit. Pre-booked shore excursions will be refunded to your original form of payment.

Royal Caribbean is still monitoring these sailings, and will provide an update at 6pm EDT:

  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise
  • Majesty of the Seas (charter cruise): September 11 Bahamas cruise

Hurricane Irma is a category 5 storm with sustained winds of 180 mph. Irma passed just north of San Juan, Puerto Rico and is currently located just north of the Dominican moving west at 17 mph. The current forecasts suggest that Hurricane Irma is tracking towards southeast Florida and should arrive Sunday morning, and then proceed to Port Canaveral Monday morning. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailings are canceled:

  • Empress of the Seas: September 9 Cuba cruise
  • Enchantment of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise
  • Majesty of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

Hurricane Irma forces Royal Caribbean to delay ship returns and cancels another sailing

In:
05 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced a new batch of itinerary changes and even a cancellation due to Hurricane Irma.

The September 9th sailing of Empress of the Seas is now cancelled, which joins the September 8th sailings of Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas announced earlier today.

Moreover, Royal Caribbean announced delays for a return for a few other ships.  Oasis of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will be delayed returning to their homeport until the storm passes.

"Due to the unpredictability of the storm, we plan to keep all of our guests currently sailing on these ships safely out of harm’s way, " Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

As a result of the delayed return, the following sailings are being modified:

  • Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will be on Wednesday, 9/13 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Nassau, Bahamas.
  • Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico.
  • Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will now be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 5-night itinerary to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Adventure of the Seas: September 9 Southern Caribbean cruise
  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailing is still being evaluated and Royal Caribbean will provide further details in the 11 AM EDT update:

  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise

Royal Caribbean cancels Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas sailings due to Hurricane Irma

In:
05 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced it has cancelled two sailings due to the forecasted path of Hurricane Irma.

The September 8th sailings of Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas are now cancelled. Royal Caribbean emphasized the decision was made with the safety and comfort of our guests and crew in mind.

Guests scheduled to sail on either sailing will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment, and we are also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days. Guests with questions can call 1-800-256-6649.

Watching Irma

Royal Caribbean provided additional information on other sailings that may be potentially affected by Hurricane Irma.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Adventure of the Seas: September 9 Southern Caribbean cruise 
  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailings are currently being evaluated and we will provide our next update at 6 PM EDT:

  • Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise 
  • Empress of the Seas: September 9 Cuba cruise 
  • Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise
  • Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise

Hurricane Irma is a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds around the center at 180 mph and is currently located about 225 miles east of Antigua. The storm continues its westerly track at 14 mph. While it is difficult to predict the path of the storm outside of 72 hours, it is likely that Irma will impact Florida at some point this weekend. 
 

Royal Caribbean changes Allure of the Seas' itinerary due to Hurricane Irma

In:
01 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced it has changed the scheduled itinerary for Allure of the Seas due to the recently developed Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane Irma is expected to begin a northwest turn just before Saint Maarten on Wednesday, according to Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet.

Given the storm's location and for the comfort and safety of our guests and crew, Royal Caribbean felt it necessary to alter the currently scheduled Eastern Caribbean itinerary for Allure of the Seas September 3 to a Western Caribbean itinerary. The new itinerary is outlined below.

DATEDAYPORTARRIVALDEPARTURE
03-SepSundayFort Lauderdale, Florida 4:30PM
04-SepMondayAt Sea
05-SepTuesdayCozumel, Mexico8:00AM7:00PM
06-SepWednesdayAt Sea
07-SepThursdayFalmouth, Jamaica8:00AM3:00PM
08-SepFridayLabadee, Haiti10:30AM6:30PM
09-SepSaturdayAt Sea
10-SepSundayFort Lauderdale, Florida6:00AM 

Pre-booked shore excursions for our previous ports of call will be cancelled and refunded to the guest’s original form of payment while onboard. Guests will also have the ability to book shore excursions for our new ports of call at the Shore Excursions desk onboard Allure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean noted they do not expect to make any further itinerary changes, but it may happen depending on the path of the storm.

James Van Fleet will continue to offer more frequent updates on his twitter account.

Subscribe to Hurricane Irma