Guests boarding Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas on Friday, February 14, 2025 will need to wait a little longer to start the cruising love on their Valentine’s Day sailing.
Due to heavy fog in the area, the ship has been delayed returning to Port Tampa Bay, and guests have been notified of a delayed embarkation.
Serenade of the Seas is finishing a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise that departed Tampa, Florida on Sunday, February 9 and enjoyed visits to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico.
Now, however, that voyage is slightly longer than expected as the ship is several hours delayed because of fog that makes navigation up Tampa Bay and underneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge more challenging.
Early in the morning at the time Serenade of the Seas would normally be navigating up Tampa Bay, the National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory with estimated visibility in the area at one-quarter mile or less.
Royal Caribbean has notified guests booked on the ship’s next sailing, a 9-night Eastern Caribbean voyage visiting San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Croix, and Amber Cove, about the delay and revised times for their embarkation.
“Serenade of the Seas was delayed arriving into port of Tampa this morning due to fog,” the email explained. “As a result, please arrive approximately four (4) hours later than your selected arrival time.”
For example, if travelers initially had a check-in time scheduled at 11 a.m., their new check-in arrival time is now 3 p.m. Arrival times of 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. are now 3:30 p.m., times of 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. should now arrive at 4 p.m., and guests originally arriving at 1:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. should plan to reach the cruise terminal at 4:30 p.m.
The email notes that the cruise terminal will not be open until 3 p.m., as it is essential to debark guests from the ship and permit them to clear the terminal and parking facilities before incoming guests can be accommodated.
“Arriving at your original time will result in us having to turn you away,” the email emphasized.
All guests must be checked in and onboard Serenade of the Seas no later than 5 p.m. for the ship to depart. Guests are advised to arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. for check-in to ensure adequate time to complete the check-in process and make their way up the gangway.
The 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance class Serenade of the Seas can welcome 2,146 guests at double occupancy or as many as 2,476 travelers if fully booked with all berths filled.
As a holiday sailing for Valentine’s Day and a highly desirable Eastern Caribbean itinerary, the ship is sure to be full for this great cruise.
Cruise Delays Happen – How Are They Handled?
Guests eager to start their Valentine’s Day cruise are sure to be frustrated at the delay, but the weather-related challenges are not something the cruise line can control.
What can be controlled, however, is how passengers are notified of the situation and kept apprised of delays. Some travelers have suggested that Royal Caribbean ought to have reached out earlier with notifications, rather than waiting until just 2-3 hours before embarkation should have begun.
No cruise line controls when Tampa Bay is open or closed due to weather conditions. That decision is made by the US Coast Guard after evaluating conditions and navigability of the channel. Safety is always the primary concern.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
Cruise lines do try to give travelers as much notice as possible about any schedule changes, whether they impact debarkation, embarkation, or the overall itinerary.
At this time, there is no indication that the embarkation and slight departure delay will have any impact on Serenade of the Seas‘ next sailing. Guests will be notified as soon as possible if any changes are necessary.
