As Storm Darragh makes its way through the UK, P&O Cruises’ Iona and Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure have made sure to get out of its path.
Both cruise ships arrived in the Southampton Cruise Port on the night of December 6, 2024, to shelter in place until the worst of the weather passes.
Iona, which was already operating a 14-night sailing to Spain and Portugal out of Southampton, was already due to return to the UK port on December 7, 2024, to disembark.
But as the storm intensified, the captain decided it would be best to return to the port early – arriving at around 5 p.m. local time on the evening of December 6, 2024.
Guests were allowed to disembark the 5,200-guest ship and head home early – but many have opted to stay onboard to enjoy the rest of their planned sea day from the port.
“The captain has gone full speed and we are already in the Solent and should dock tonight by 5pm instead of early tomorrow morning. Although we can disembark tonight we are choosing to leave as scheduled in the morning rather than trying to drive home in the dark,” one current passenger wrote.
“So after an absolute amazing cruise, EL CAPITANO decided to put his foot down and get us in to Southampton ahead of the storm so we are safely docked with a nice night on board Iona (safety first),” another current guest shared.
Those that opted to stay onboard are still expected to disembark in the morning as planned, as of the time of this writing.
It’s unclear what impact the storm will have on the embarkation of Iona’s December 7 sailing – which is a 7-night round-trip sailing to Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France – but guests are anticipating delays.
“We are closely monitoring the weather across the UK this weekend. We have many festive activities and entertainment planned and we can’t welcome,” P&O Cruises wrote in a message to guests.
But while the Carnival-owned cruise line has not announced any changes for the upcoming embarkation, many guests took the text as a sign that delays were forthcoming – with some guessing that the 184,089-gross ton vessel wouldn’t set sail until Sunday, December 8.
Spirit of Adventure Seeks Shelter in Southampton, UK
In the case of Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure, the 999-guest cruise ship was never actually supposed to visit Southampton during her current 30-night sailing – which only just embarked from the nearby port of Portsmouth, UK, on December 6, 2024.
However, the 58,250-gross-ton vessel made arrangements to wait out Storm Darragh in Southampton – with cruise tracking data marking her arrival at around 9 p.m. local time.
“Spirit of Adventure seen at Portsmouth today. Adventure departed at 18:00 for Southampton to shelter from the incoming storm,” a guest shared on Facebook, along with a photo of the docked ship.
The Southampton Cruise Port is positioned further inland and is much bigger than Portsmouth, making it a safer option for waiting out the storm.
While Portsmouth is primarily a military port that can also accommodate cruise ships, Southampton has five dedicated cruise ship terminals that can each accommodate at least one full sized cruise ship at any given time.
Once the storm passes, which is expected to happen by the morning of Sunday, December 8, Spirit of Adventure will carry on with her Christmas-themed Caribbean Cruise.
With the first port call (on Tenerife, Canary Islands), not scheduled until December 11, 2024, it’s currently unclear if the storm will lead to an altered itinerary or if the ship will be able to make up time at sea.
How Severe is Storm Darragh?
Beginning on Friday, December 6, and lasting through at least early morning on December 8, Storm Darragh will bring heavy wind and rain to England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and southern parts of Scotland.
Per the Met Office, which is the UK’s national meteorological service, some parts of England are currently under the most severe weather advisory – which is a rarely-issued red alert warning. This means the weather event is likely to occur and have a severe impact.
“A period of extremely strong winds will develop during the early hours of Saturday morning as Storm Darragh moves across the Irish Sea,” reads a recent update from the Met Office.
“Gusts of 90 mph or more are possible over coasts and hills of west and south Wales, as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel with some very large waves on exposed beaches,” continued the update.
The 90 mph winds have the potential to be life-threatening – with residents advised to stay indoors, avoid travelling, prepare for potential power cuts, and secure loose items around their property if they can do so safely.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
That said, conditions at both Southampton and Portsmouth are not expected to be as severe. Both ports are currently under a yellow alert due to high winds – which is two steps down from the red alert issued elsewhere.
Yellow indicates that the weather event has a low likelihood of occurring but could have a medium-level impact – with the Met Office predicting winds of up to 80 mph along the coast.
“Winds will initially be from a southerly direction, but the strongest winds are likely as the low clears away when northerly or northwesterly winds may quite widely gust to around 40-50 mph inland but locally could gust in excess of 60 mph,” the Met Office reported.
“Around coasts, winds may gust to 60-70 mph, perhaps locally nearer 80 mph. The wind may cause disruption to travel, with difficult driving conditions likely,” continued the meteorological agency.
That said, the two cruise ships – and their passengers – should be perfectly safe waiting out the storm in Southampton thanks to its inland location and existing cruise infrastructure.
