Update (9/26/24 @ 7:30 a.m. Central): Tropical Storm Helene has grown to hurricane status with winds of 100 miles per hour and looks to make landfall in the coastal bend of western Florida.
As a result, cruise lines have made several changes:
Carnival Paradise: Will return to Tampa once the port re-opens. Originally scheduled to return Thursday, the cruise line says it tentatively plans to return on Friday, September 27.
Carnival Elation: Originally scheduled to return to Jacksonville on Thursday, the ship is now delayed due to the storm. It is anticipated to return to port on Friday.
Carnival Horizon: A stop on Grand Cayman was cancelled for Wednesday, and a stop on Cozumel was cancelled for Thursday, which was replaced with a call on Amber Cove.
Carnival Breeze: A stop in Cozumel was cancelled for Thursday, September 26. Instead, the ship will visit Progreso.
Serenade of the Seas: Royal Caribbean’s September 27 sailing from Tampa has been delayed. Now the cruise will depart Sunday, September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
MSC Seashore: A user on Reddit reports that the ship is delayed in returning to Port Canaveral on Thursday and is anticipated to return to port on Friday.
Original Article:
Officially the storm isn’t even a hurricane yet, but it is already impacting cruises and more impacts could come very soon.
Tropical Storm Helene, which is currently building strength in the western Caribbean, shows the potential for rapid intensification. At present it is roughly 225 miles southeast of Cozumel with sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm system is tracking northwest and is anticipated to make a turn to pass directly through the Yucatan channel between Mexico and Cuba before heading north to the United States.
The disturbance officially became Tropical Storm Helene this morning, but it’s not anticipated to stop there. Forecast models have the storm strengthening quickly, with some showing a potential Category 3 or even Category 4 storm within 48 hours.
Helene shows all the signs of being a major and disruptive storm with potentially deadly consequences. Anyone in the area should be aware of its impacts. Those impacts will include cruise ship schedules.
Storm Impacts on Cozumel Ports of Call
The storm’s path will take it directly through a popular area for cruise ships, and already we’re seeing some schedules changing with the potential for more adjustments.
Currently it is already impacting Cozumel with strong winds. The current track has it near the port until at least early Wednesday evening before moving out.
According to CruiseMapper.com, the island port was supposed to welcome a total of six ships today. However, none of these ships show as being in port on CruiseMapper nor are they seen on a live webcam of the port. According to Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, the port was closed.
Scheduled Ships Calling on Cozumel Tuesday, September 24:
- Serenade of the Seas
- Mariner of the Seas
- Independent of the Seas
- Valiant Lady (Virgin Voyages)
- Carnival Valor
- Carnival Paradise
With these ships skipping port and the storm only getting closer and stronger, we anticipate ships scheduled for tomorrow will also skip the port. In fact, at least two of the scheduled vessels are shown in positions that would make it impossible for them to reach Cozumel by tomorrow.
Scheduled Ships Calling on Cozumel Wednesday, September 25:
- Wonder of the Seas
- Carnival Breeze
- MSC Seascape
Carnival has officially said it is monitoring Carnival Breeze and Carnival Horizon (scheduled for Cozumel on Thursday) for any potential changes.
By Thursday, the storm should be well clear of Mexico and we would hope future calls on the ports in this area could continue as scheduled.
Storm Impacts on Tampa Departures
The Port of Tampa Bay sits near the potential path of the storm. It’s likely that by Thursday morning the port will start to feel the effects of the storm, with it passing closest sometime around midday Thursday.
That could impact potential departures from the port starting Wednesday into potentially Friday or Saturday depending on the path of the storm and how long the port takes to assess any damage.
In a post from yesterday, the port said the following on its website:
“Port Tampa Bay is working with the National Weather Service, U. S. Coast Guard and state and local partners to monitor the potential impact of the tropical system in the Gulf. At 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, the U.S. Coast Guard set Port Condition X-RAY, meaning the possibility of gale force winds could impact our maritime operations within 48 hours.”
The following ships are scheduled for departure in the coming days and may be impacted, depending on the storm’s path and schedule:
Scheduled Ships Departing Tampa:
- Carnival Paradise (Thursday, September 26)
- Serenade of the Seas (Friday, September 27)
- Grandeur of the Seas (Saturday, September 28)
- Enchantment of the Seas (Saturday, September 28)
At this time, we have heard no official word on changes to these cruises. If you are booked on one of them, then your cruise line will be in contact with any potential updates to schedules.
Given the current projected path, however, we think the potential for change is very possible — especially for cruises departing Thursday and Friday.
