Royal Caribbean changed an itinerary on its newest ship to avoid Tropical Storm Jerry. 

The disturbance developed into a tropical storm on October 7, which prompted Star of the Seas to cancel a scheduled port of call in St. Maarten. Instead, the 248,663 gross-ton ship will remain in San Juan, Puerto Rico, overnight on Oct 8. 

The 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departed on Sunday, Oct. 5, from Port Canaveral, Florida. Thankfully, guests were able to enjoy their visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay on Monday, followed by a day at sea on Tuesday. 

"Due to the expected path of Tropical Storm Jerry, The A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities wishes to inform the public of the following ship cancellation: Star of the Seas. Thursday, October 9th, 2025," the Port St. Maarten Group shared on Facebook. 

A current passenger confirmed the change, saying that the Cruise Director delivered the news via the intercom across the ship and into everyone's cabins. 

"[The] cruise director [spoke] right to our cabin in an announcement. Two days in San Juan instead," Sheri Edmondson-Wood commented on Port St. Maarten Group's post. 

Star of the Seas arrived in Puerto Rico around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8. She will remain there overnight until Oct. 9, giving guests more time to enjoy Puerto Rican cuisine and take advantage of the nightlife. 

Read more: Cruising in hurricane season: What you need to know

A few weeks ago, Star had another Caribbean itinerary changed to avoid a strengthening tropical storm system in the Atlantic Ocean.

Rather than sailing to the Eastern Caribbean, Royal Caribbean's newest ship headed west to steer clear of the storm and rough seas. This meant they did not visit the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas. 

Guests were notified of the itinerary change before embarkation in an email. 

How strong is Tropical Storm Jerry?

As of the National Hurricane Center's (NHC) 11:00 a.m. AST advisory on Oct. 8, Tropical Storm Jerry had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was headed west-northwest at 23 mph. 

Tropical Storm Jerry is the 10th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season and could strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday as it continues to churn over the open ocean. 

Regardless, the storm is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to parts of the northern Leeward Islands, British Virgin Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands, including heavy rainfall from Thursday to Saturday. 

Tropical storm watches have been placed into effect for cruise destinations like St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Antigua, and Anguilla.

As such, more cruise ships will likely begin to adjust their plans, especially those with scheduled visits to the Eastern Caribbean, as Jerry continues on its projected path. 

For example, Oasis of the Seas, an Oasis Class ship currently on a 7-night Caribbean cruise, is expected to call at St. Kitts on Oct. 9. 

Read more: I booked a cruise during hurricane season. Although the itinerary was changed, I had a great time

With two powerful tropical storms in the Atlantic, Royal Caribbean has changed more itineraries.

The stormy weather coincides with the peak of hurricane season, and after Star of the Seas had its itinerary changed last night, three more Royal Caribbean ships have been moved away.

Hurricane Humberto and a tropical wave near Hispaniola are both making their way closer to the Bahamas and into the Atlantic.

Here's a rundown of which ships have had their sailings changed so far.

Symphony of the Seas will go to Canada instead of the Bahamas

Sailing from New York, Symphony of the Seas is changing her itinerary to sail north to Canada.

An email to guests reads, "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we’ve been closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Humberto and another tropical storm forming along our voyage path south. These storms' forecast tracks make it hard to provide you with a safe and comfortable journey toward Florida and areas south. 

"So, after exploring all of our options, we’ve decided to sail to Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia instead. We’ll enjoy an overnight stay in Sydney and a full day to explore Halifax."

The original itinerary was a 7-night voyage to visit Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Given the itinerary has been radically changed (Bahamas to Canada), Royal Caribbean is offering onboard credit as compensation:

• Inside stateroom: $75
• Outside Stateroom: $100
• Balcony Stateroom: $100
• Suites: $250
• 3rd or more guest: $25 per person

Additionally, guests will a Future Cruise Credit worth one day of the cruise fare paid.

Symphony's revised itinerary is now:

• September 28: Cape Liberty, New Jersey
• September 29: Sea Day
• September 30: Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
• October 1: Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
• October 2: Sea Day
• October 3: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• October 4: Sea Day
• October 5: Cape Liberty, New Jersey

Oasis of the Seas swapped CocoCay for Nassau

Instead of visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Oasis of the Seas went to Nassau.

Enchantment of the Seas will avoid The Bahamas

One of Royal Caribbean's smallest ships will bypass the Bahamas.

Enchantment of the Seas is going to Costa Maya and Cozumel instead of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau.

An email sent to guests booked on the cruise read, "To safely avoid the impacts from the developing storm, we'll now sail a Western Caribbean itinerary and will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, instead of our planned Bahamas & Perfect Day itinerary."

Utopia of the Seas will skip Nassau, Bahamas

Utopia of the Seas is departing today from Port Canaveral for a 3-night weekend cruise, but will change where it will sail.

The third biggest cruise ship in the world will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on Saturday instead, and completely bypass Nassau, Bahamas. Instead, it will remain at sea away from the bad weather with a sea day on Sunday.

Royal Caribbean let passengers know in an email that the itinerary change was intended to avoid strong winds and high waves on the sea.

Liberty of the Seas is going north instead of Bermuda

Liberty of the Seas has a sailing that departs on September 27. 

Instead of visiting Bermuda, it will go north and visit St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.

The Freedom Class ship has a gross tonnage of 155,889 and accommodates 3,634 guests at double occupancy.

Freedom of the Seas will avoid the Bahamas and go to Mexico

Freedom of the Seas, another Freedom Class ship, is also pivoting its itinerary to avoid the tropical storm.

Freedom of the Seas will visit Cozumel, Mexico instead of its original plans to go to Grand Turk.

Freedom of the Seas is sailing from Miami, Florida on a 4-night cruise.

Star of the Seas was scheduled on an Eastern Caribbean sailing, but will visit Mexico instead

As we previously reported, Star of the Seas has changed itineraries.

The newest Royal Caribbean ship will go the Western Caribbean now and will drop a planned visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Two storms at once

Hurricane Humberto formed Friday and has maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph. It should become a major hurricane.

It's not expected to be a threat to the mainland United States, but will impact northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda.

As of Saturday morning, disturbance 9 is on the verge of becoming Tropical Depression 9 near the southern Bahamas. And while the disturbance is evolving as expected, models continue to change with the forecast track. 

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer says the track isn't quite clear yet, "the models now keep the storm from making landfall in the Carolinas. It's still going to be a very close call."

He said the combination of two storms is, "going to produce enormous wave energy which will begin affecting much of the western Atlantic coasts later this week."

Royal Caribbean has had six cruise ships, including the Liberty of the Seas, impacted by Hurricane Erin as she continues to barrel across the Atlantic Ocean. 

Passengers aboard the August 21 sailing on Liberty of the Seas were originally scheduled to visit Bermuda. However, because of the storm's projected path, the ship's call at the Royal Naval Dockyard has been cancelled and replaced with another sea day. 

"Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been closely monitoring Hurricane Erin as she continues moving north. While the storm is not expected to directly impact our location, its projected path will pass near our itinerary, generating significantly larger waves ahead of its track," reads an email sent to guests.

"To ensure safe navigation and to provide a more comfortable experience for everyone on board, we'll now enjoy a Sea Day instead of visiting Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda. To help make up for this unexpected change, we'll now arrive in Philipsburg, St. Maarten at 10:00 AM instead of 2:00 PM, and depart at 7:00 PM instead of 8:00 PM."

All pre-paid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean will be automatically refunded as onboard credit to guests' SeaPass accounts. Any remaining amounts at the end of the cruise will be reimbursed to the card on file within 14 business days.

Liberty of the Seas' August 16 cruise was impacted, too. Like the latter sailing, Liberty's scheduled call to Bermuda was cancelled to avoid cruising through the rough Atlantic waters. Instead, the ship headed north to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Read more: Cruising in hurricane season: What you need to know

Other Royal Caribbean cruisers have also faced disappointment from cancelled ports

Vision of the Seas was the first cruise ship to have its itinerary changed because of the massive storm. At the time, it wasn't clear where then-Tropical Storm Erin would go, but it was fairly certain that it would head north. 

As such, guests on the August 14 sailing from Baltimore, Maryland, were informed that instead of calling at the Royal Naval Dockyard, they'd visit Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship was also able to arrive in Nassau, Bahamas, 6 hours earlier than planned.  

Moving on, Symphony of the Seas' August 17 cruise from Cape Bayonne, New Jersey, had its scheduled stop in Nassau on August 20 cancelled. According to Cruise Mapper, the ship is spending another day at sea and closely hugging the Florida coastline. 

(Credit: Cruise Mapper)

Utopia of the Seas faced a similar fate. Utopia was unable to visit Nassau on August 19. And, like Symphony of the Seas, she had an extra day at sea. 

Likewise, Harmony of the Seas could not call at Royal Caribbean's private island on her current 8-night cruise from Texas. Rather than visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay on August 19, the ship spent an extra day at sea. Her next scheduled port is Costa Maya, Mexico, on August 21. 

Finally, Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas returned to Miami, Florida, roughly 12 hours earlier than planned on Friday, August 17. The following cruise that departed on the 18th set sail directly for Nassau, rather than spending the day at sea. 

Read more: Here's What Happens If There's A Hurricane During Your Cruise

Hurricane Erin is the first major cruise disruption of the season

Up until mid-August, the Atlantic hurricane season had been pretty slow. One day, out of curiosity, I asked my boss if he thought the quiet streak would last, to which he replied that August 15 is like a "magic switch." 

As Hurricane Erin continued to gain strength, the storm forced cruise lines to make last-minute adjustments, starting with Vision of the Seas. 

Although Hurricane Erin has moved out of the Caribbean (after days of 130mph winds, torrential rainfall, and tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans without power), her impacts on the East Coast are still being felt.

Read more: With an ‘above normal’ hurricane season forecast, check these 5 things in your travel insurance policy

North Carolina, for example, is bracing for up to 4 feet of life-threatening storm surge along parts of the Outer Banks. 

Moreover, New York City's beaches are closed to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday due to powerful rip currents.

As of 2:00pm EDT on Wednesday, August 20, Hurricane Erin was moving north at 13mph with maximum sustained winds of 110mph, making it a Category 2 storm. 

Hurricane season will begin soon, and experts expect there to be a lot of storms.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, and researches from Colorado State University (CSU) are calling for an "above normal" season.

Tropical storms have the potential to disrupt cruise travel plans, as every year a number of ships get re-routed because of them.

You shouldn't change any of your plans or cancel a cruise.  Rather, it's a good idea to monitor the weather leading up to your vacation and prepare for possible disruptions.

"Above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall"

CSU is forecasting 17 named storms in 2025, with 9 becoming hurricanes. Four of them will be a major hurricane.

The forecast is based on the fact the La Niña conditions that are present now to transition to ENSO neutral conditions in
the next couple of months.

The question is when that will occur, because an earlier transition means more storms.

Another factor are ocean temperatures. While sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic are warmer than normal, they aren't nearly as warm as they were at this time last year.

When you combine warm Atlantic waters and ENSO neutral conditions, it's a combination poised for a "dynamic and thermodynamic environment for hurricane formation and intensification."

"We anticipate an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean."

There's a 26% chance of at least one major hurricane making landfall along the U.S. East Coast (including Florida, but excluding the panhandle).

You can read the full forecast is available on Colorado State University's website. 

What to know about going on a cruise in hurricane season in 2025

Cruising during hurricane season is about having the right expectations, and a plan in place.

Your cruise ship won't sail through a storm, but it might change itineraries.

It's a smart idea to invest in a robust travel insurance plan that covers incidentals in case a named storm impacts your vacation.

Remember, hurricanes disrupt air travel just as much as cruise ship plans.

Purchasing an insurance policy will provide protections and peace of mind should your plans be disrupted because of a tropical disturbance.

An important thing to know about travel insurance is when the policy kicks in.  Most policies do not cover cancelling your cruise because you no longer want to travel because of a hurricane. Travel insurance requires you to physically be unable to travel for it to work.

If you want to be able to change your mind in the days leading up to a cruise, you need a "Cancel for any reason" clause. Otherwise, you'll forfeit the entire cost of the vacation for cancelling if the cruise is still scheduled to sail.

Royal Caribbean very rarely cancels an entire cruise because of a hurricane.

What's more likely is the sailing could be lengthened, shortened, delayed, or re-routed.  But the cruise is very likely to still happen, which means travel insurance won't cover you cancelling because you no longer want to go.

You should also know that cruise ships are able to "outrun" a storm.  The average speed of a hurricane is around 10 knots, but Royal Caribbean ships can reach speeds of 22 knots or higher.  

Plus, storms are forecasted and tracked for many days before they reach the areas ships typically visit.  So there's a lot of advanced warning to prevent a ship from being anywhere near a storm.

Port plans could change, so be flexible

When a tropical storm forms, cruise ship itineraries get moved around.

Royal Caribbean's top priority is the safety of guests, crew, and the ship. So they'll change plans to avoid a hurricane.

As an example, if you're booked on a 7-night eastern Caribbean cruise that visits St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and Puerto Rico, it could be moved to a western Caribbean cruise that visits Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

It's important to book shore excursions that are refundable.

The good news is all Royal Caribbean shore excursions would automatically be refunded if the itinerary changed.  So double check any plans you make with third parties has a clause to allow last-minute cancellations.

In my experience, most tour operators in the Caribbean understand if your ship cancels a visit to the island that you're entitled to a refund. But you'll want to verify the policy.

Cruising in hurricane season could save you a lot of money

The upside to picking a cruise in late summer and early fall in the Caribbean is there are usually low rates and good deals.

For example, a 7-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas in early July is $1,578.96 per person for an inside room.  But the same cruise in early September is just $837.71 for an inside room.

By booking a cruise later in the season, you could save over $700 per person! 

These low cruise fares are a result of the summer vacation season coming to a close, and the higher risk of hurricanes.

Travel plans can change, but it's a great time to sail

Travelers should always be flexible, but this is especially true with hurricane season.

Before you jump on those rates for a September or October cruise, be prepared for changes.

Veteran cruisers that pick to vacation in the summer and autumn understand the risks, but also recognize how safe it is to cruise.

A storm barreling towards Florida means an impact to a land resort.  But a cruise ship can zig zag away from the storm, enjoying much more favorable weather.

Royal Caribbean has changed the itineraries of four cruise ships in preparation for Hurricane Rafael. The intensifying storm is predicted to make landfall later this week as a Category 2.

As of Wednesday morning, Rafael was a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph – just 1 mph away from Category 3 status – and 130 miles from Cuba.

Models currently show Hurricane Rafael hitting Western Cuba later tonight, with high winds of over 100 miles an hour.

The hurricane is expected to continue to move toward the Gulf of Mexico and weaken before reaching the United States on Saturday or Sunday.

So far, four ships in the fleet have been affected by the storm: Radiance of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas.

Radiance of the Seas left the port of Tampa on November 2nd, with a scheduled 7-day cruise visiting Bimini, Freeport, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Passengers onboard received a notice of the change. 

The email read: "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing storm system forecasted to bring increasingly strong winds across the sea, impacting our planned ports and potentially making them unsafe to visit."

To avoid the hurricane's path, the Radiance-Class vessel will steer into the Western Caribbean instead, visiting Mexico and Honduras.

"As a result, we'll be unable to visit the planned ports of call on our itinerary. To provide you with the most enjoyable sailing experience, we'll now visit some of our popular Western Caribbean destinations - Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize and Costa Maya Mexico!"

Radiance of the Seas will return to Tampa on Saturday, November 9th, as scheduled.

Vision of the Seas is also skipping stops in the Bahamas. The Vision-Class vessel sailed out of Baltimore, Maryland on October 31st.

Her 9-day sailing was scheduled to visit Bermuda, Nassau, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Now, Vision of the Seas will remain in Bermuda for longer, avoiding the Bahamas altogether. 

Port Canaveral has always been added to her itinerary as a new port of call.

Freedom of the Seas also changed her itinerary, but the sailing won't change any ports. Instead, two port days will be swapped.

The Freedom-Class vessel departed on a 6-night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, November 3rd. 

The original sailing called for Freedom to visit Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamacia, and Labadee, Haiti.

Freedom will now call upon Labadee first to divert the ship away from Hurricane Rafael, then Falmouth and Grand Cayman.

Brilliance of the Seas left the port of New Orleans on November 2nd, departing on a 7-day sailing.

Her original itinerary included stops at Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Grand Cayman.

The Radiance-Class ship was scheduled to stop in George Town, Cayman Islands today, November 6th, but will now visit Belize City instead.

"We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority," Royal Caribbean said in a letter to guests.

Royal Caribbean's meteorologists are still monitoring the storm

Guest and crew safety are top priority for Royal Caribbean. The cruise line employs a chief meteorologist, Craig Setzer, who monitors hurricanes and other weather events.

Setzer recently posted his own thoughts on Hurricane Rafel to X. 

Read more: "Unforeseen weather events" are top concern for cruise ships, according to Royal Caribbean's meteorologist

On Saturday morning, Setzer wrote: "While uncertainty about exact details remain (how strong, exactly where), combining weather systems over the next several days will impact Florida, The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, & Caymans with exceptionally windy and stormy periods this week."

"The message from the Euro model is for near tropical storm winds (green area) & higher gusts with passing squalls likely." 

"Focus might be on hurricane development potential (which is low at this time), but longer duration tropical storm-like impacts are possible over South Florida/Keys & The Bahamas by early this week, even without a named storm."

Now that the storm has developed into a Hurricane, Setzer has made more updates to his X page.

"Wow," he posted, "Hurricane Rafael's eye coming into view of Key West radar, which is seeing it 240 miles away at a radar beam altitude of 40,000 feet."

"From the radar (and now recon) perspective, there appears to be a double eyewall structure. Maybe, just maybe if an eyewall replacement cycle can happen as the storm is approaching and making landfall in Cuba, the intensity will drop a bit...let's hope this happens."

A new tropical disturbance is brewing, and Royal Caribbean is already moving some of its cruise ships away.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of low pressure in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, but this system has a low chance of developing over the next week.

So far four different ships have had their itineraries changed as a result of the weather.

The November 2nd sailing of Radiance of the Seas was the first ship to have her scheduled itinerary changed.

The ship was scheduled to originally sail through The Bahamas and visit Bimini and Freeport, Bahamas, along with a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Passengers received an email notifying them of the change, "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing storm system forecasted to bring increasingly strong winds across the sea, impacting our planned ports and potentially making them unsafe to visit."

As a result, Radiance will head into the Western Caribbean to avoid the path of the storm.

"As a result, we'll be unable to visit the planned ports of call on our itinerary. To provide you with the most enjoyable sailing experience, we'll now visit some of our popular Western Caribbean destinations - Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize and Costa Maya Mexico!"

Radiance will arrive in Cozumel on Monday and sail her revised itinerary, ending the string of port calls on Thursday before heading back to Tampa for her scheduled return on Saturday.

A second ship will also bypass The Bahamas with Vision of the Seas.

Vision is sailing from Baltimore, Maryland and was scheduled to go to Nassau, Bahamas and CocoCay.

Instead, Vision will spend more time in Bermuda and include a visit to Port Canaveral, Florida.

Freedom of the Seas is also getting a change in her planned schedule.

The scheduled November 3rd sailing will have its itinerary flipped around to keep the ship away from the worst weather. The good news is they'll still be able to visit the same set of ports, just on different days.

Instead of visiting Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Labadee, the new itinerary will be Labadee; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman.

A fourth ship, Brilliance of the Seas is also changing ports of call due to the storm.

The November 2nd sailing from New Orleans originally was scheduled to visit Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Grand Cayman.

Instead, they will drop a visit to Grand Cayman and visit Belize City, Belize instead.

"We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority," Royal Caribbean said in a letter to guests.

Royal Caribbean's forecast

Royal Caribbean employs its own meteorologist, Craig Setzer, and he posted his thoughts on the storm chances on his X/Twitter page on Saturday morning.

"While uncertainty about exact details remain (how strong, exactly where), combining weather systems over the next several days will impact Florida, The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, & Caymans with exceptionally windy and stormy periods this week.

"The message from the Euro model is for near tropical storm winds (green area) & higher gusts with passing squalls likely." 

"Focus might be on hurricane development potential (which is low at this time), but longer duration tropical storm-like impacts are possible over South Florida/Keys & The Bahamas by early this week, even without a named storm."

Brewing storm

While November is the last month of Hurricane Season, it's not over yet.

While it may not become a tropical storm, there's enough rain and wind to make it undesirable for cruise ships. 

The National Hurricane Center is giving this system a slight chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next couple of days.

"Some heavy tropical downpours will affect the northeastern Caribbean islands for the next couple of days as the system tracks to the west," the NHC said. "Next week, it will likely be absorbed by the developing disturbance in the Caribbean."

Another disturbance in the Southwestern Caribbean Sea

A disturbance in the southwestern Caribbean Sea of concern is likely to develop into something.

The NHC expects it to become at least a tropical depression.

As of Saturday morning, the system remained a cluster of disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the southwestern Caribbean Sea. However, the National Hurricane Center expects gradual development over the weekend, with a tropical depression likely to form within the next few days as the system progresses across the central and western Caribbean.

The after effects of Hurricane Milton changing cruise ship itineraries isn't over yet.

While the storm passed through Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, there are still three ships that have yet to return because of the storm.

The hurricane disrupted the original travel plans for many ships, but it had the worst impact on ships sailing from Tampa or Port Canaveral.

Wind gusts recorded near Tampa reached 100 mph.\

Those two ports were directly in the path of Hurricane Milton, and the cleanup and repair process takes time. The U.S. Coast Guard inspects each port after a hurricane, and no ships can go in or out until that process is complete and the waterways deemed safe.

Royal Caribbean said those efforts are, "still evolving" and they're doing their best to keep passengers informed along the way.

The good news is there is a plan in place for each of the ships to return, albeit, a few days late.

Enchantment of the Seas

Royal Caribbean extended Enchantment of the Seas by two additional days, and won't return to Tampa until Monday.

Due to Hurricane Milton's impact to Port Tampa Bay, the ship cannot return until then.

The new plan is for Enchantment of the Seas to make it back on October 12. As a result, the next sailing has been shortened by two days.

The former October 12 sailing will be only 5 nights and visit Cozumel, Mexico and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean described the situation in Tampa as "fluid", "Please know our return to Tampa Bay is fluid, and once our times are finalized, we’ll send an email with updated check-in times."

Royal Caribbean is also working on compensation details to make up for the disappointment, "While these circumstances are beyond our control, we understand that this change impacts your vacation, and we’re truly sorry."

Serenade of the Seas

Another ship based in Tampa, Serenade of the Seas, was supposed to go out on October 11. Instead, she's delayed by two days to October 13.

The revised next sailing will head to the western Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas

Similar to Serenade, Grandeur of the Seas will shift to an October 13 departure as well. She was due into port on October 12 originally.

As a result of the change, Grandeur will skip a visit to Costa Maya, Mexico.

Port Canaveral is back open

While the Port of Tampa is close to re-opening, Port Canaveral is operational again.

As of 11:30am on October 11, the U.S. Coast Guard re-opened the port with no restrictions.

Three different Royal Caribbean ships had to change their schedule because of the storm's impact on Port Canaveral.

Both Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas were due back originally on October 11, but delayed that until October 12.

As a result of that change, Utopia of the Seas dropped its visit to Nassau and will only visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Adventure of the Seas departed on October 12 and removed a scheduled visit to Curacao. 

The new plan is for Adventure to proceed to Oranjestad, Aruba; Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Lastly, Wonder of the Seas did not have to change the day it returned to port, but did adjust its itinerary to avoid the storm.

Wonder of the Seas skipped a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder visited Cozumel and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Hurricane Milton is disrupting the cruise industry beyond changes in ports, as three different Royal Caribbean ships are stuck at sea.

Guests onboard Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, and Adventure of the Seas were all due back into port on Friday, but that is now not possible.

The combination of Hurricane Milton and port closures are why these ships will need to delay their return.

October 10 Update: Independence of the Seas will be delayed by a day returning to port.

Guests booked on the October 10 sailing received a letter that because Port Miami is closed, their departure will be delayed by a day.

Independence will not return to Miami until Friday, October 11.

In addition, their scheduled stop in Labadee has been replaced with Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The Captain of Utopia of the Seas announced to guests because of the hurricane, Utopia will not return on Friday.

Instead, Utopia will head to Royal Caribbean's private destination Labadee on Thursday, with the plan it will return to Port Canaveral on Saturday.

Guests that were booked on Utopia of the Seas for the sailing originally set to depart on October 11 received an update their cruise is delayed until Saturday.

An email sent to guests explained the situation. "Due to the closure of Port Canaveral, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning. As a result, our sailing will now take place on Saturday, October 12, 2024, and we'll have to skip our visit to Nassau, Bahamas."

The cruise terminal in Port Canaveral will be closed until 3pm, and the ship will sail at 7pm.

With one less day, the weekend sailing will only be two nights.  Understandably, that's left some people questioning the point of having the cruise at all.

"2 day cruise sounds like torture, what's the point," posted Ashley Ingram.

Sammie Klopf wrote, "36 hours is just silly they should cancel and refund."

Another person added, "36 hr cruise is ridiculous. [Obviously] the weather can’t be helped but it seems like [Royal Caribbean] just doesn’t want to refund anyone. What a waste."

Adventure of the Seas is also getting extended by a day.

Royal Caribbean will bring Adventure of the Seas back to Port Canaveral on Saturday, October 12 at 2:30pm.

The impact to the next sailing that was originally scheduled for October 11 is a change in itinerary, along with the shortened sailing.

"Due to the closure of the Port Canaveral, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning. As a result, our sailing will now take place on Saturday, October 12, 2024, and we'll have to skip our visit to Willemstad, Curacao," a letter to guests booked on the cruise said.

While Utopia and Adventure are trying to return to Port Canaveral, Grandeur of the Seas is in an even more precarious position as the Port of Tampa Bay is unlikely to re-open soon due to being in the path of Hurricane Milton.

Royal Caribbean is working on contingency plans if the cruise ship cannot return to Tampa. 

“Due to the predicted impact of the hurricane to Port Tampa Bay, our Port Logistics team has secured a couple of backup plans for safety and to ensure that we are prepared,” said in a communication to guests on Grandeur of the Seas.

“Should Tampa not be available, we are currently evaluating Port Canaveral and Port Everglades as potential options for debarkation and transportation home."

Port Everglades is located in Fort Lauderdale on the east coast of Florida, and far enough away from the worst aspects of the hurricane.

The distance between Port Everglades and Tampa is about 262 miles by car.

Port Canaveral is also on the east coast of Florida, but closer to Tampa, at only 127 miles away by car.

No decision has been made yet, but guests are being given an hour of complimentary internet access as well as a survey to help firm up travel plans.

“A final decision will be made on the status of the ports post-storm. We are committed to keeping you posted every step of the way. Hopefully, everything remains the same."

Hurricane Milton is a major hurricane

Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 130 mph that is set to cross the Florida Peninsula.

Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late tonight or early Thursday morning, with devastating impacts from storm surge, flooding rain, possible tornadoes and damaging winds.

The National Hurricane Center said in a special advisory "Milton's exact landfall location is not possible to predict even at this time, particularly if the hurricane wobbles during the day and into this evening."

When the storm crosses Florida on Thursday, it should remain a hurricane.

Hurricane Milton's wrath has changed so many cruise ship itineraries, even as the storm approaches landfall in Florida.

Cruise ships have been altering their plans for a few days now, but because of the storm's enormous size and changing forecasts, more changes are still occurring.

Forecasters say Hurricane Milton will make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm.

The storm is expected to cross central Florida while heading toward the Atlantic Ocean. 

Royal Caribbean already modified the itineraries for 8 of its cruise ships, and one ship has had to change their plans twice to avoid the hurricane.

Harmony of the Seas, which is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, departed Galveston, Texas on October 6 and had to skip a port call in Honduras. They replaced it with a stop in Costa Maya, Mexico.

Yesterday, passengers were informed that plan had to change again because the widening storm meant a visit to Costa Maya would be impossible.

"To maintain a safe distance from the storm, and its widespread impacts, we've decided to adjust our heading and find smoother seas before resuming our original course towards Cozumel, Mexico," a letter distributed to passengers read.

Instead, Harmony will skip Costa Maya and remain at sea. That means just one port visit in total for the entire cruise.

Royal Caribbean will do everything it can to avoid the impact of a tropical system to their passengers, crew, and ship.

While under no obligation to do so, Royal Caribbean also provided passengers extra onboard credit worth one day's value of their original cruise fare price.

Harmony's change is emblematic of what's happening to many other ships as they change course to avoid Hurricane Milton.

More ships avoiding Hurricane Milton

Even the world's biggest cruise ship has had to change its plans because of the storm. Here's what's changed so far:

Icon of the Seas will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island on Friday and instead stay out to sea.

However, Icon will stay docked in port longer in St. Thomas and St. Kitts until sunset.

Adventure of the Seas originally was to spend Wednesday at Sea and visit CocoCay on Thursday. Instead, the ship will visit Turks & Caicos on Wednesday and have a sea day on Thursday.

Mariner of the Seas dropped a visit to Cozumel, Mexico on Tuesday and remained at sea instead.

Symphony of the Seas re-arranged their itinerary. It was supposed to visit Port Canaveral, Florida, Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Insted, Symphony will go to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Wonder of the Seas skipped a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder will visit Cozumel on Day 6 and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Utopia of the Seas swapped it's schedule to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on Tuesday and then wait to visit Nassau until Thursday.

Grandeur of the Seas went from a cruise to Mexico to a cruise that just visited The Bahamas. Instead of visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel, the ship is visiting Nassau as the only port destination.

Independence of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Cozumel and instead go to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

More changes possible after the storm passes

Even as Hurricane Milton is on the brink of making landfall and cruise ships are well out of the path, there are question marks that remain for what will happen in the coming days.

The hurricane will cut across Central Florida, and that means its rain and winds will affect four of the major cruise ports in Florida in one way or another: Tampa, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) and PortMiami.

The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for managing access to any cruise port in Florida, and they control if ships of any size can enter the port. This depends on the weather conditions.

Once the storm passes and a port is closed, the Coast Guard will conduct an inspection of the waters to verify it's safe to reopen to ships. That could take a few hours or days, depending on the damage.

Port Tampa Bay and Port Canaveral are already closed, and that has a potential impact to a few ships.

Adventure of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas are both scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Friday to conclude a sailing and start the next one. No word yet on any changes to either ship's plans.

Guests on Adventure of the Seas received a letter in their cabins the ship will have a slightly delayed scheduled arrival of 8AM on Friday (delayed from 6AM) into Port Canaveral.

We were suppose to have a sea day on Wednesday and be at CocoCay on Thursday, but that's been cancelled with a new stop at Turks & Caicos on Wednesday (tomorrow) and a sea day on Thursday with a slightly delayed scheduled arrival of 8AM on Friday (delayed from 6AM) into Port Canaveral (assuming the port is open). 

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) and PortMiami remain open for the time being.

Royal Caribbean is making changes to avoid Hurricane Milton.

UPDATED: October 08, 2024 9:40 AM

The storm is a massive hurricane, expected to reach Category 5 before making landfall in Florida midweek.

In anticipation of the storm, Royal Caribbean has changed the itineraries for eight ships so far to avoid the storm.

The world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island because of the major hurricane.

"In order to steer clear of any adverse weather, we'll need to skip our visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, and enjoy a Sea Day instead."

The ship was scheduled to go to CocoCay on Friday.

To make up for the change, Icon of the Seas will stay docked in port longer in St. Thomas and St. Kitts until sunset.

Mariner of the Seas is also skipping a port day.

Because Cozumel, Mexico is closed to sea traffic, Mariner of the Seas will remain at sea and enjoy a sea day.

Mariner was sailing from Galveston, Texas on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise.

Harmony of the Seas, which will leave Galveston, Texas on Sunday, will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and visit Costa Maya, Mexico on Wednesday.

In addition, Harmony will enjoy a Sea Day on Day 3, and depart Cozumel, Mexico, at 5:00 PM on Day 5.

Symphony of the Seas is departing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey on Sunday and will now skip a scheduled visit to Port Canaveral, Florida and replace it with a sea day.

Symphony has also decided to skip visits to Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay and head to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Another megaship, Wonder of the Seas, had made changes to avoid the widespread effects of Milton.

Wonder will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder will visit Cozumel on Day 6 and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Utopia of the Seas has re-ordered its itinerary due to the storm.

Utopia will swap the days the ship will visit Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay. They will visit CocoCay on Tuesday and then wait to visit Nassau until Thursday.

One of Royal Caribbean's ships sailing from Tampa, Florida is completely changing its itinerary.

Grandeur of the Seas was originally scheduled to offer a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, she will sail to The Bahamas and visit Nassau on Day 4.  

Independence of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Cozumel and instead go to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

"We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority. Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather," the cruise line said in a statement.

What about other ships?

If you have a cruise on another ship this coming week, expect updates if the occur to be communicated by the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean advised passengers with cruises in the projected path of the storm to keep an eye on their emails.

Given the uncertainty of where exactly the storm will hit, the precise strength, and path, other changes will take a little longer to come to fruition, especially cruises that depart or return to Florida mid-week.

Royal Caribbean employs its own meteorologist to help track storms.

Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer works with cruise ship Captains to determine the best plan when a tropical storm hits.

Milton expected to be a major hurricane

Forecasters believe Milton will wallop the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane.

As of Monday morning, Milton is about 735 miles southwest of Tampa with winds now sustained at 150 mph with a forward motion to the east-southeast at 8 mph.

Most cruises depart on weekends, and the storm should be impacting Florida between Wednesday and Thursday.

The storm is forecast to possibly reach Category 5 before making landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday afternoon.

Models are not in agreement yet which part of Florida will be directly in the path of the storm. But it appears all but certain to be a problem for Central Florida.

Mr. Setzer wrote on X/Twitter, "The cone represents where the center is expected to track 2/3’s of the time.  Because the system is still coming together there may be some larger track shifts, especially at days 4 and 5.  It’s not impossible but also lot highly likely."

That's part of why Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines may take time to determine further changes to itineraries.