All Cruise Ships Impacted By Powerful Nor’easter

A series of low-pressure systems has combined into a massive nor’easter, prompting multiple cruise ships to adjust departure times, sailing routes, and itineraries involving Canadian Atlantic and eastern US homeports and ports of call to avoid the worst weather and ensure smooth, safe sailing for guests and crew.

As of September 26 at 22:02 PM EST, nine cruise ships currently have confirmed itinerary changes:

Valiant Lady (September 27 Cruise)

Valiant Lady becomes the first ship in the fleet to be impacted by the Nor’easter storm. Virgin Voyages has told guests the ship won’t dock at the end of its September 19 sailing until 4:00 PM in New York and that disembarkation won’t begin until 5:00 PM at the earliest.

This means guests booked on the September 27 sailing will begin embarkation from 8:00 PM to midnight, with further embarkation the following day, September 28, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Valiant Lady plans to depart at noon that day on a revised itinerary, which now includes only one day in Bermuda from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Guests on the September 27 sailing are being offered $200 in non-refundable Sailor Loot (basically onboard credit), along with $200 Future Cruise Credit.

Oasis of the Seas (September 27 Cruise)

Royal Caribbean announced itinerary changes for the Oasis of the Seas September 27 sailing out of Cape Liberty in New Jersey. After the September 20 cruise arrived late due to a nor’easter, guests were informed that embarkation will now begin at 8:00 PM.

It also means the September 27 sailing has an adjusted itinerary, with the originally scheduled call to Port Canaveral, Florida, on September 29 canceled. Oasis of the Seas will instead be sailing a day at sea, and there will be an earlier arrival in Nassau on September 30 at 7:30 AM, with a departure at 5:30 PM.

Oasis of the Seas (September 20 Cruise)

The September 20 sailing for Oasis of the Seas has become another cruise ship impacted by the powerful nor’easter storm on the U.S. East Coast. The cruise line sent a letter to guests on September 26 stating they would return home to New Jersey late:

“As announced by our Captain, due to unfavorable weather conditions in and around the New York area and port operations, we’ll be delayed arriving to Cape Liberty, New Jersey. We’ll now be arriving tomorrow, Sunday, September 27, at approximately 4:00 PM. The debarkation process will begin at 4:30 PM,” the letter stated.

Carnival Pride (September 27 Cruise)

Carnival Cruise Line sent out an advisory to guests booked on Carnival Pride’s September 27 cruises out of Baltimore, Maryland. The ship is arriving back in the homeport much later in the afternoon than originally scheduled. As a result, the cruise line is working on revising embarkation times. Further updates to come.

Norwegian Escape (September 26 Cruise)

With cruise operations being halted in New York due to the nor’easter storm, Norwegian Escape’s September 26 cruise has been delayed. The vessel will remain docked overnight and is now expected to depart Sunday, September 27 at 10:00 AM.

Independence of the Seas (September 26 Cruise)

Independence of the Seas becomes the second Royal Caribbean ship confirmed to have an itinerary change. The ship’s September 26 sailing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, will have an adjusted plan.

Because of the Nor’easter, the vessel has been unable to depart as scheduled and is staying overnight in New Jersey, with a new departure planned for September 27. The ship will also no longer spend a planned overnight in Bermuda and will stay only one day, Tuesday, September 29.

Carnival Sunshine (September 27 Cruise)

Carnival Sunshine has become the latest cruise ship impacted by the huge Nor’easter storm off the US East Coast. Carnival Cruise Line sent out a notice to guests booked on the September 27 sailing out of Norfolk, Virginia.

The vessel has been forced to divert further out to sea to calmer waters away from any nor’easter impact. As a result, Carnival Sunshine won’t be able to arrive back home on time for the September 27 cruise, and it means that the voyage will now be pushed back by one day, with a new departure planned from Norfolk on September 28.

The revised September 27 sailing will be a 5-night itinerary, and the planned call to Bimini on September 29 has been cancelled. The call to Nassau will remain on September 30, but the time has changed to 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Norwegian Escape (September 19 Cruise)

Norwegian Escape departed New York on a 7-night Canada and New England itinerary on Saturday, September 19, 2026, long before the nor’easter was impacting the region. The ship’s last port of call and return to New York, however, has now been adjusted.

The 4,266-guest ship’s original itinerary included a visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, September 24. Because of the rough weather, however, that visit was shortened so the ship could return to New York earlier.

“Due to forecasted weather conditions associated with a developing nor’easter expected to impact the northeastern United States and Canadian Atlantic coast, Norwegian Escape will depart Halifax earlier than originally scheduled today,” guests were informed by letters on Thursday morning.

“Based on the latest forecasts and to allow the ship to safely navigate the region ahead of the storm’s expected strongest conditions, this adjustment is necessary to support our planned arrival into New York City.”

Norwegian Escape departed Halifax several hours early and should arrive in New York late Friday evening, well ahead of the original arrival time of 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. The ship will remain docked through the night and guests will debark as planned on Saturday morning.

Friday was originally planned as a leisurely day at sea as the ship made her way back to the Big Apple. Since Norwegian Escape will not arrive in New York until late, however, the experience for guests onboard will not be much different than a typical sea day, other than a great opportunity to view the nighttime New York City skyline as the ship arrives late Friday evening.

Carnival Venezia (September 20 & 24 Cruises)

Carnival Venezia has also changed her current cruise plans to avoid the worst of the storm’s weather. The 4,090-guest ship departed New York on Sunday, September 20, for a 4-night Bermuda sailing. On the first full day of the cruise, however, guests were informed that the time in Bermuda would be shortened and the ship would change her return route back to New York.

“I must say thank you to the guests on board now who have a delayed debarkation in New York this morning because the Captain slowed the ship to make it more comfortable for them in the bad weather,” Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador John Heald explained in a Facebook post on Thursday morning, September 24.

This also pushed back embarkation for the ship’s next sailing, a 5-night Bermuda itinerary that was to have included an overnight visit. Due to the delayed departure from New York and rerouting to avoid stormy conditions on the way to Bermuda, however, the September 24 cruise will now arrive in Bermuda at 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 27, rather than 9 a.m. on Saturday as originally planned.

Vision of the Seas (September 24 Cruise)

Royal Caribbean’s 2,050-guest Vision of the Seas rerouted completely to avoid the storm. Sailing from Baltimore, the ship was to have departed on Thursday, September 24, 2026 for a 9-night Canada and New England itinerary.

Instead, the ship remained overnight in Baltimore on Thursday and will not depart until 3 p.m. on Friday, September 25. From there, she will be sailing south to spend the time in Florida and the Bahamas, with port visits to Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Grand Bahama Island before returning to Maryland on Saturday, October 3.

Embarkation for the sailing was also delayed and the cruise terminal did not open until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Due to government restrictions, guests were not permitted to debark the ship to enjoy the city once they had embarked.

“Going ashore will not be permissible per the CBP [US Customs and Border Protection],” the cruise line explained in an email notification.

Other Ships to Watch

While only four cruise ships have confirmed itinerary changes at this time, other ships in the Northeast may also see adjustments over the next few days.

This could include Crystal Symphony (Friday), Queen Mary 2 (Saturday), and Valiant Lady (Sunday) in New York.

Silversea’s Silver Wind (Saturday) and Norwegian Breakaway (Sunday) are scheduled for Boston, and Celebrity Silhouette (Sunday) is expected in Portland, Maine.

Norwegian Jewel is scheduled to be in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26 and could be affected depending on how far the storm’s impact may reach.

Any cruise guests sailing in the Northeast over the next few days should stay in close contact with their cruise line for updates and adjustments as any change in plans is confirmed.