With wind gusts exceeding 60 mph and swells topping out over 20 feet in height, Norwegian Pearl’s Captain made a swift decision to get out of Bermuda early this week.
Scheduled to visit Bermuda between June 5 and 7, Norwegian Pearl has already set sail again to escape the worst of the storm.
Tropical Storm Alex may only be the first of the hurricane season, but the system has already made quite the impact over the last several days. The center of Alex is currently just Northeast of Bermuda, with the island experiencing heavy rain and gale force to storm force gusts, especially in elevated and exposed areas.
Norwegian Pearl Cuts Bermuda Visit Short
Safety first is what the Captain of Norwegian Pearl and the Miami-based cruise line’s head office will have thought this week as tropical storm Alex set a course directly for the vessel.
Scheduled to visit Bermuda between June 5 and June 7, the stay was cut short as Norwegian Pearl will be spending a day at sea on June 6.
During a public address onboard, the Captain said the following: “This is very important information pertaining to our port stay in Bermuda. Due to the forecasted track and timing of the potential tropic cyclone one in relation to Bermuda.“
“Norwegian Pearl will not be able to remain alongside in Bermuda for Monday, June 6. We were advised from the corporate office in Miami to depart from Bermuda, tomorrow June 5th, at 6 pm and to spend a day at sea on June 6.”
With the possibility of mooring lines breaking, and in the worst-case scenario, the ship going adrift in the port, ships are nearly always requested to leave the port area in case of an approaching storm or hurricane. While built for comfort, cruise ships are also made to weather storms at sea.
Guests will likely still have a chance to enjoy another day in Bermuda as the vessel is scheduled to return to Bermuda on June 7, weather depending:
“We and our corporate office in Miami will be closely monitoring future weather situation to determine if we are able to return safely to the port on June 7, the morning. Ladies and gentlemen safety and security of the guest crew and ship is our ultimate task. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for understanding,” Norwegian Pearl’s Captain continued.
The storm is expected to pass Bermuda entirely by Tuesday and will be heading towards the Irish coast and arriving there by Friday. According to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), the Tropical Storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is moving northeast of Bermuda.
First Storm Causes Several Problems For Cruise Lines
Several cruise lines have been making itinerary changes in recent days due to Tropical Storm Alex. Although the storm was not severe in terms of wind speeds. It deposited large amounts of rain over Florida, Cuba, the Northern Caribbean, and the Bahamas.
To escape the worst of the weather, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas extended a cruise scheduled to disembark on June 4. Guests were forced to spend another day onboard, while the subsequent 7-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise was cut short by a day.
Mariner of the Seas left Bermuda early on June 3, while Harmony of the Seas has also changed its route through The Bahamas to avoid the worst of the storm’s impact. Carnival Sunrise arrived in Miami early Saturday morning to avoid any problems with disembarkation.
