With Hurricane Milton expected to hit Florida in the early morning hours of October 10, ports across the state are taking measures to protect facilities and ships from the storm’s impact.
The latest information below details each port’s status, including closures and affected ships.
Port Tampa Bay
As Tampa is expected to take the initial direct hit from Hurricane Milton, Port Tampa Bay is at Port Condition ZULU as of 8 a.m. October 8, 2024, indicating gale-force winds could impact the port within 12 hours.
All inbound and outbound vessel traffic has been suspended and shipping channels are closed.
Officials at the port said, “Port Tampa Bay is doing all it can to prepare for Hurricane Milton, and to ensure safety of life, protection of the environment, and maritime commerce resiliency.”
“The storm will have an impact to our cruise schedule,” it added. Those impacted include Carnival Cruise Line, Margaritaville at Sea, and Royal Caribbean.
Carnival officially cancelled Carnival Paradise’s October 10 cruise, and passengers currently at sea on a 4-night journey adjusted to visit Costa Maya, Mexico, are unsure if they will be allowed to return to port on that day, as scheduled.
Read Also: List of All Cruise Ships Impacted by Hurricane Milton
Royal Caribbean has two ships sailing 5-night itineraries and are developing contingency plans for their safe return. Serenade of the Seas is expected back on October 11 and Grandeur of the Seas on October 12.
Meanwhile, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, which moved up its departure to October 7, 2024, to avoid the storm, is also set to return on October 12.
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral, which serves as Orlando’s port, is also under ZULU conditions and the port has closed its locks and ceased landside operations.
“Port operations will be re-opened after assessment of the roadways and waterway,” the port announced, indicating that operations will resume based on post-storm evaluations.
Due to the storm, Disney Cruise Line cancelled its October 11, 2024, “Halloween on the High Seas” cruise on Disney Wish.
At-risk is MSC Cruises’ MSC Seashore, which is set to return from a 4-night voyage on October 10, along with its following sailing set to depart the same day.
Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas are also scheduled to return from voyages on October 11 and 13, respectively, and may be impacted.
JAXPORT
In northeast Florida, Jacksonville’s JAXPORT closed at noon on October 9, 2024, and will remain shut through October 10. The port plans to reopen on October 11, pending successful facility assessments.
Cruise passengers will experience delays, particularly those on Carnival Elation, which departed JAXPORT on October 5, 2024, and was expected to return home on October 10.
The ship, in the Bahamas on a 5-night roundtrip voyage, will have to remain at sea until the port reopens, which also affects the following cruise that was set to depart on October 10.
Port of Palm Beach
The Port of Palm Beach, located on the Atlantic coast, entered Port Condition ZULU at 6 p.m. on October 8, 2024, leading to a complete suspension of waterfront operations except for essential preparations.
All vessels greater than 500 gross tons were instructed to depart and the port will remain closed until further notice.
“Ports will remain closed to waterfront activities until the passage of the tropical storm force winds,” the port stated.
The shutdown impacted Margaritaville at Sea Paradise’s cruise schedule, forcing the cancellation of a 2-night getaway to the Bahamas set to depart on October 9. The ship’s October 11 cruise is now in jeopardy.
Port Everglades
Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades remains open for fuel truck deliveries but is under Port Condition YANKEE as of 12:01 a.m. on October 8, 2024. This status, which indicated tropical storm-force winds are expected within 24 hours, restricts all ship traffic and required all in-port vessels to depart.
“Following the storm, the port and its customers will resume full operations as quickly as possible,” the port’s social media update emphasized. Further changes to operations will depend on the storm’s path and intensity.
Ships keeping a close eye on the port include Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Reflection and MSC Cruises’ MSC Magnifica, both set to return from voyages on the 11th.
Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess, making her first transatlantic crossing as the cruise line’s newest ship, is not expected to welcome new guests until October 14 and is remaining at sea until it is safe to arrive.
PortMiami
PortMiami is also operating under Port Condition YANKEE, effective at midnight on October 8, 2024. The Captain of the Port also shut down the PortMiami Tunnel on October 8, 2024, at 8 a.m., meaning the port is currently cut off from Miami proper.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is scheduled to return to port following the storm on October 12.
