Disney Cruise Line has been forced to adjust the Disney Wonder itinerary after Tropical Storm Pamela became stronger. The storm is forecast to take a turn toward the north and northeast, passing close to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula late Tuesday or early Wednesday at hurricane strength.
The vessel’s stop in Cabo San Lucas has been canceled while the company replaced the popular port with a stop in Ensenada, Mexico. The cruise line sent a letter to guests on board, saying the vessel would be unlikely to be able to sail to Cabo San Lucas on its scheduled call on Wednesday, October 13.
Disney Wonder Itinerary Adjusted
Tropical Storm Pamela has been developing over the last couple of days. In the coming days, the storm is expected to grow further before making landfall near the port of Mazatlan, Mexico, with Cabo San Lucas inside or just north of the storm’s projected path.
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder would have been in the area on Wednesday; the day weather forecasts expect the storm to make landfall. In a letter to guests, the cruise line said the following:
“We have been closely monitoring a tropical depression that is forecasted to become Tropical Storm Pamela by this afternoon. Based on the most recent weather forecast, it is unlikely that we will be able to call on Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Wednesday. Therefore, we have modified your itinerary by replacing Cabo San Lucas with a stop in Ensenada, Mexico.”
Guests will have the opportunity now to enjoy a day in Ensenada, Mexico, located about 1000 miles north of the path of the storm. This ensures guests can still have an enjoyable cruise, despite missing out on Cabo San Lucas.
Guests who had booked tours on the day in port will be happy to note that all pre-arranged tours have already been removed from the onboard accounts, while guests can book tours in Ensenada while they are on board. The itinerary now looks like this:
- Monday, October 11: San Diego, California
- Tuesday, October 12: Day at Sea
- Wednesday, October 13: Ensenada, Mexico
- Thursday, October 14: Day at Sea
- Friday, October 15: San Diego, California
Also Read: Disney Cruise Line Restarts Operations from San Diego, California
Pamela Expected to Become a Hurricane
Tropical Storm Pamela developed off the coast of Mexico earlier this week and is forecasted to reach hurricane strength before it reaches Baja California and Cabo San Lucas and the Sinaloa coastline, which is where the popular cruise port of Mazatlan is, late Tuesday night or early on Wednesday morning.
Although wind speeds haven’t been extreme yet, Pamela currently has maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH and is moving at 12 MPH according to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA). Storm surge, flash floods, and dangerous winds around the impact area are all possible which results in making it impossible for cruise ships to visit the area.
Once Pamela does make landfall, the storm is expected to weaken to a depression quite quickly, reaching the border with Texas on Thursday.
Other cruise ships that are currently in the region include Carnival Panorama and Grand Princess. Carnival Panorama is scheduled to be in Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday, south of the storm’s trajectory.
It is unclear at this point whether the cruise line will change the itinerary for Panorama. Grand Princess will be at sea on Wednesday, making her way back to Los Angeles, and will be well out of the way of the storm.
