Update (Wednesday, August 30 @ 10:15 A.M. Central):
After rapidly strengthening, Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the gulf coast of Florida this morning. However the impact on the state — and cruises — is far from over. As of now, several ports are closed as they wait for the storm to pass.
Below, we have a number of updates on trips impacted by the weather.
Carnival Sunshine: Carnival says the current sailing from Charleston is sailing its scheduled route. With the port currently closed, the cruise line still hopes to sail the upcoming September 2 cruise as planned.
Carnival Elation: Sailing from Jacksonville, the ship is “currently at sea, a safe distance from the storm.” Carnival says it will return once an assessment is completed. For passengers on the August 31 sailing, they are asked not to go to the cruise terminal until told to do so. Passengers can sign up for text alerts by texting CCL1 to 278473.
Carnival Liberty: Port Canaveral is currently closed, and Carnival Liberty is at sea, away from the storm. It is hoped that the September 1 cruise can sail as planned.
Carnival Paradise: This ship sails from Tampa, where the port is closed at this time. The ship will return once the storm passes and it is cleared to enter. Guests on the August 31 sailing are asked not to go to the port until confirmed by Carnival. Passengers can sign up for text alerts by texting CCL2 to 278473.
Royal Caribbean: The cruise line posted the following message to its guests as of last night:
“Along with our Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer, we’re currently watching the development of multiple weather systems. There are no changes as of now, but we are committed to keeping you informed as the situation evolves. As always, please know that the safety and comfort of our guests are always our highest priority. Please check back for any potential changes.”
Update (Monday, August 28 @ 5:30 P.M. Central):
Tropical Storm Idalia is now near hurricane strength with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour. The storm is expected to pick up speed as it moves north and continue strengthening. Now it is predicted to become a major hurricane before making landfall in Florida.
Carnival has adjusted the schedule of two ships more in response.
Carnival Conquest, which departed today for a four-day cruise, will now visit Bimini on Tuesday, have a day at sea on Wednesday and visit Nassau on Thursday. Originally the ship was slated to visit Key West and Cozumel.
Carnival Valor cancelled a stop in Costa Maya today, but will visit Cozumel tomorrow.
We will continue to watch for more updates.
Original Article:
As the tropics heat up following what’s been a record-hot summer for much of North America, the impact on cruises ramps up as well.
Last week, Hurricane Hilary led to impacts on the West Coast. Now, two storms look to impact cruises in the Caribbean and Atlantic.
Hurricane Franklin currently churns in the Atlantic, north of the Dominican Republic and east of The Bahamas. With maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, Franklin is expected to strengthen, with many storm models pointing to a Category 3 storm with winds of 111-129 miles per hour.
The storm is currently moving northwest, but is expected to turn out toward sea, putting it dangerously close to Bermuda starting Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
Roughly 1,000 miles away between the tip of the Yucatan and Cuba, another storm is brewing.
Tropical Storm Idalia has just been upgraded from a tropical depression, now with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. From there, Idalia is forecasted to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday as it moves moves toward the gulf coast of Florida.
Both storms are in places where they can have an impact on cruise itineraries, and in some cases they already are. Your cruise line will be in touch with the latest updates, but here is what we know as of now.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival has told us they are monitoring both storms and have already made some adjustments to itineraries due to Hurricane Franklin.
Carnival Magic: Originally set to sail from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda on a six-day cruise, Carnival Magic will now instead sail to Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport to steer clear of Hurricane Franklin.
Carnival Legend: Similar to Carnival Magic, Legend was slated to sail from Baltimore on a six-day cruise to Bermuda. Instead, it will now visit Nassau and Freeport.
A Carnival spokesperson also told us “The safety of our guests and crew is our priority, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available.”
Looking at current itineraries and schedules, we think possible impacted ships could include Carnival Vista and Carnival Glory, which are set to sail to the Yucatan near the projected path of Idalia.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean has multiple ships sailing toward the area of Tropical Storm Idalia, including Voyager of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas.
As of now, however, there are no updates to the schedule announced by the cruise line. Itinerary updates can be found here.
Other Cruise Lines (Disney, Virgin, Norwegian)
There are a number of other lines that are either visiting ports that could be impacted by a storm, or the weather is between the ship and a scheduled port.
For instance, Norwegian Pearl’s itinerary calls for it to visit Bermuda, which will likely feel the effects of Hurricane Franklin. Scarlet Lady is scheduled to sail from Miami to Costa Maya, which would put in in the path of Idalia. Disney Fantasy is scheduled to visit Cozumel tomorrow morning according to CruiseMapper.com.
We’ve contacted Norwegian Cruise Line for details of any possible changes and have yet to hear back. Virgin Voyages and Disney Cruise Lines show no itinerary updates as of now.
Again, your cruise line will be in touch if there are any schedule updates. We will continue to check periodically for any announced cruise schedule changes due to the weather.
