Several Royal Caribbean ships are now changing itineraries and cancelling ports of call ahead of what will become Tropical Storm (and eventually Hurricane) Helene.
With the storm swirling in the Western Caribbean – one of the most popular regions for cruising – it is no surprise that multiple ships are impacted.
At the moment, itinerary changes are confirmed for Serenade of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Mariner of the Seas. Each ship is changing the current sailing as needed to stay far from the rough weather and provide a safer, more comfortable experience for everyone aboard.
The 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance class Serenade of the Seas is sailing a 5-night itinerary that departed from Port Tampa Bay on Sunday, September 22. The ship was supposed to visit Cozumel and Costa Maya, but instead has converted to a Bahamas itinerary.
She will now visit Nassau on Tuesday, September 24 followed by Grand Bahama on Wednesday before returning to Tampa as planned on Friday.
Wonder of the Seas also set sail on Sunday for a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, but the 235,600-gross-ton, Oasis class ship is now on an Eastern Caribbean route with plans to visit St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
The ship’s call to Perfect Day at CocoCay, a popular destination for all Royal Caribbean cruisers, stayed as planned on Monday, September 23.
Finally, the 139,863-gross-ton, Voyager class Mariner of the Seas is also changing course to avoid the storm. While the ship is still enjoying a Western Caribbean itinerary having departed Galveston on Saturday, September 21, she is skipping the planned visit to Cozumel on Tuesday, September 24, and enjoying a day at sea instead. She was already able to visit Costa Maya on Monday.
These may seem like extensive changes, but safety is always the first consideration, especially when tropical systems are developing.
“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority,” the letter delivered to all guests read. “Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather.”
Any pre-paid shore tours booked through Royal Caribbean for the now-cancelled ports of call will be automatically refunded to guests’ onboard SeaPass accounts, and any remaining funds at the end of the cruise will be returned to the card on file.
In addition to these three Royal Caribbean ships, several Carnival cruise ships as well as MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape have already made similar itinerary changes, and other cruise lines will also make whatever changes they feel are necessary.
Tropical Storm Helene Update
While the developing system is not yet an official tropical storm as of the morning update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), further strengthening is expected and it should be upgraded and named Helene sometime on Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds are currently recorded at 35 miles per hour (mph), just 4 mph below the official threshold for a tropical storm. The center of the area is located 250 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, moving northwest at 9 mph.
The storm is expected to move between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba before turning northeast, with a potential landfall predicted in the “Big Bend” area of Florida.
Read Also: How Does a Cruise Ship Stabilizer Work?
At the time of landfall, the storm may be a major Category 3 or Category 4 storm, but such predictions are difficult to make confidently several days in advance, as landfall will not be until late Thursday.
All cruise travelers should stay in close communication with their cruise line and sign up for text and email alerts as available. This will ensure that booked guests receive updates about itinerary changes or delays as soon as possible.
