While Hurricane Milton has now been downgraded to a post-tropical-cyclone and moved into the Atlantic, away from the Florida coast, cruise lines have a great deal of aftermath to contend with.
For Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Elation, the ship’s Jacksonville homeport remains closed at this time and the ship will be unable to return as planned on Thursday, October 10, or even Friday, October 11.
The exact reopening time for the north Florida homeport is not yet confirmed, but the ship is expected to be able to return to the cruise terminal on Saturday, October 12.
The continued delay is due to rough seas and strong winds in the Jacksonville area that are impacting how safe the St. Johns River is for the ship to navigate.
This means that Carnival Elation‘s next sailing, originally planned as a 4-night Bahamas voyage departing on Thursday, October 10, cannot operate as scheduled. Rather than cancelling the cruise, Carnival Cruise Line is opting to offer the sailing as a much shorter cruise to nowhere.
“We are now planning to operate his voyage as a 2-day cruise, departing Saturday, October 12. Given the shortened duration, there will be no port visit,”the notification read.
The itinerary was planned to visit Freeport on Friday, October 11 followed by Nassau on Saturday, October 12. Given the distance from Jacksonville to the Bahamas, however – roughly 450 miles – it is not possible for the ship to reach the planned ports on such a severely shortened schedule.
Instead, the ship will depart Jacksonville and spend the time at sea with all the onboard amenities, entertainment, restaurants, and activities operating as normal.
If guests do choose to set sail with the shortened itinerary, they will receive a 50% refund for all pre-paid amenities, including gratuities, drink packages, and Wi-Fi packages. All pre-paid shore tours booked through Carnival Cruise Line will also be fully refunded for both Freeport and Nassau.
Guests will also receive a $100 onboard credit (per stateroom), as well as a 50% refund of their cruise fare. That refund, however, may take up to three weeks to process back to the original form of payment.
Any travelers who prefer not to join the now-shortened cruise to nowhere will receive a full refund for their cruise fare and all pre-purchased items.
To be clear, there is no damage to Carnival Elation and the ship is fully functional. The decision to shorten the next cruise so dramatically is made with respect to port operations and when the Port of Jacksonville can safely reopen and resume full operations.
Carnival Elation Cruise to Nowhere (Photo Credit: SeregaSibTravel)
As of Thursday evening, satellite tracking data showsCarnival Elation enjoying extra time at sea, sailing south of Florida where waters are calmer and not impacted by the storm.
Onboard, guests can continue to enjoy all the ship’s features while the 900 international crew members strive to provide the best possible service despite these exceptionally trying circumstances.
Why Is the Homeport Still Closed?
The Port of Jacksonville is uniquely located on the northeastern Florida coast, but the cruise terminal is actually about 13 miles upriver along the St. Johns River rather than on the coast. This upriver location creates extra challenges for ship navigability.
The entire length of the river leading to the cruise terminal must be inspected for any possible safety hazards following any hurricane or tropical storm that initiates a port closure.
Floating debris, channel shallowing, underwater hazards, and other potential obstacles must be assessed or cleared before a ship can return to the cruise terminal. Furthermore, the terminal itself must be able to operate efficiently with appropriate power and staffing.
The Port of Jacksonville does plan to reopen on Friday morning, October 11, but that is not the time the cruise terminal will be ready to receive guests for embarkation or debarkation processing. That reopening is yet to be determined.
Guests booked on Carnival Elation will want to opt in for text alerts from Carnival Cruise Line to receive the most updated information as soon as it is available.
Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas can’t catch a break.
After departing for a 5-night cruise from Tampa on October 7, 2024, the 73,817-gross-ton ship had to alter its course from Mexico to the Bahamas to avoid what was then-Tropical Storm Milton, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico on October 5.
As Milton gained strength and, at several points, reached Category 5 status, it headed straight for Tampa with a vengeance, forcing Port Tampa Bay to close.
The ship, fearful of damage to the port, made a contingency plan to return its passengers to shore on October 12 from either Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale or PortMiami, bussing guests back to Tampa.
However, now that Milton has passed, Royal Caribbean will instead return to Tampa a day later than expected and has altered the ship’s itinerary yet again by adding an additional day in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 11 and spending another day at sea on October 12.
As a result, Grandeur of the Seas will be delayed in returning to Tampa in time for its upcoming October 12, 2024, sailing. While passengers on the current voyage get an extra day, the following 5-night roundtrip Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, will be cut short a day.
The 2,440-passenger ship will now set sail on Sunday, October 13, 2024, skipping its call in Costa Maya. It will cruise directly to Cozumel as its only port of call before returning to Tampa, as scheduled, on October 17, 2024.
“Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we have been tracking the aftermath of Hurricane Milton’s impact to Port Tampa Bay. As a result, our previous sailing will be delayed,”Royal Caribbean wrote in a letter to passengers.
“We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change caused by the weather,” it continued.
The cruise line also noted its return to port is fluid and that times are not yet finalized, although the letter suggested the ship aims to arrive in Tampa by 7 a.m., and anticipates a 4 p.m. departure.
October 14 and 16 will be days at sea, and October 15th’s call in Cozumel will extend from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., as originally scheduled.
Compensation and Refunds
With the shortened duration, Royal Caribbean is offering refunds to passengers on the affected voyage. Guests will receive a refund equivalent to one day of their cruise fare, credited back as an onboard credit.
Additionally, the cruise line announced passengers will receive a prorated refund for any pre-purchased packages, including beverage plans, dining, VOOM Internet access, and pre-paid gratuities, as a way “to give us another opportunity to make it up to you.”
Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas (Photo Credit: Michael L Brown)
“All Onboard Credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any remaining refundable amounts at the end of our sailing will be refunded to the card on file up to 14 business days from final disembarkation,” wrote Royal Caribbean.
Any excursions booked through the cruise line in Costa Maya will also be refunded. Passengers who booked independent excursions will need to contact their providers to cancel and receive refunds.
As Cozumel’s schedule remains intact, pre-booked excursions remain unchanged.
Guests facing any out-of-pocket expenses, such as hotel expenses needed for the additional day in Tampa, can use the cruise line’s letter for insurance purposes.
As Hurricane Milton sweeps into the Atlantic Ocean after a devastating full day of destruction across the state of Florida, relief has washed over the passengers and crew aboard Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess.
After departing from Southampton, England, on September 23, 2024, on its first transatlantic cruise, the newest – and largest – ship in the Princess Cruises fleet was expected to arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on October 9 after enjoying calls in the Canary Islands.
No one anticipated Milton’s arrival on the same day. On October 8, 2024, the cruise line informed guests that it would not be able to arrive in port, as scheduled.
“As a result of our inability to access the port, the ship now will remain safely at sea well away from the storm. We will continue to monitor the storm’s path closely and ensure that we remain well away from any dangerous weather, prioritizing guests’ safety and comfort,”the cruise line said.
Now, as the skies begin to clear following the fast-moving Category 3 hurricane, Sun Princess has been given the all-clear to make her much-anticipated arrival. The ship will sail into Fort Lauderdale on Friday, October 11, 2024, after 10 full days at sea.
According to the Port Everglades ship schedule, as of publication, Sun Princess is scheduled to arrive at the pilot pick-up point at 3 a.m. This will be welcome news for passengers who did not expect to remain at sea even longer. The ship will then make its way to the terminal for disembarkation.
The 177,882-gross-ton, 4,300-passenger Sun Princess initially debuted as Princess Cruises’ first Sphere-class vessel in Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, on February 29, 2024. After a season in the Mediterranean, Sun Princess has been repositioning to its new homeport in Port Everglades to spend a winter season in the Caribbean.
With her arrival now set, Sun Princess will spend a few days in port for media events to introduce the Carnival Corporation ship to the Americas and then depart on her first voyage from Port Everglades on October 14, 2024.
The sailing will be a 5-night roundtrip voyage to Carnival’s private destination in the Dominican Republic, Amber Cove, and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos.
Sun Princess will offer various Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries through March 2025, including calls in the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. After this, the ship will enjoy a second summer season in Europe.
Port Everglades Is Open
Hurricane Milton, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico on October 5, 2024, beelined toward Florida with peak wind speeds of 180 miles per hour, forcing several Florida-based cruise ships to alter their itineraries to avoid the storm.
Aerial View of Port Everglades (Photo Credit: Todamo)
Ahead of the storm’s landfall on October 9, 2024, Port Tampa Bay, JAXPORT, Port Canaveral, Port Palm Beach, Port Everglades, and PortMiami closed to sea traffic. This shuttered cruises in Florida, forced cancellations, and left some passengers onboard delayed ships like the Sun Princess.
However, the Coast Guard has given Port Everglades the go-ahead to resume operations, and the port is fully operational as of October 10, 2024. The Port of Palm Beach and PortMiami have also been reopened.
JAXPORT in Jacksonville, Port Canaveral near Orlando, and Port Tampa Bay, which lost power, remain closed. These ports are assessing damage from the storm and will reopen when channel surveys are conducted and completed.
The Panama Canal, an engineering masterpiece that connects the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, officially opened its 2024-25 season as it welcomed a Royal Caribbean ship making her transit through the 51-mile waterway.
The 2,140-guest Brilliance of the Seas made a full transit of the Panama Canal on October 7, 2024, about 10 days into her 15-day voyage from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
The ship represents the first of an estimated 225 transits through the canal during the full season, which runs from October to May.
It appears to be an increase compared to 201 transits in the 2023-24 season, although data from the Panama Canal Authority was provided only through July 2024, so that number could be higher when August and September are factored in.
The Authority data shows that during the previous season, 2022-23, there were 210 Panamax and 41 Neopanamax cruise ship transits, for a total of 251.
Panamax ships are vessels with a length of up to 965 feet, a width of 106 feet, and a draft of 39.5 feet. Neopanamax ships are larger, but still meet the size restrictions to transit the canal. They include vessels up to 1,215 feet in length, 168.14 feet in width, and a draft of 50 feet.
In the 2024-25 season, 54 Neopanamax ships are slated to transit, including several Norwegian Cruise Line mega-ships such as the 4,000-guest Norwegian Bliss, the 3,700-guest Norwegian Joy, and the 4,000-guest Norwegian Encore.
Neopanamax ships that will make their inaugural transits include three Princess Cruises’ ships — Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, and Grand Princess, plus Cunard’s Queen Anne, and Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam.
“Crossing from one ocean to the other through a fast and safe route like the Panama Canal is also a great attraction for the cruise industry, because of the wonder that our operation represents,” said Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, administrator of the Panama Canal.
“Last year we served more than 200 cruise ship transits, with tourists from various parts of the world, who included the Canal transit as part of their travel itineraries. We are very excited about the start of this cruise season and the experiences that thousands of tourists will have,” added Vásquez Morales.
Princess Cruises recently confirmed it will deploy three ships on Panama Canal itineraries this season.
In addition to the line’s ships making their inaugural visits, Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess, both with a capacity for 3,080 guests, and the 1,970-guest Coral Princess together will operate 26 departures that include a canal transit.
Full and partial transits are included on the ships’ rosters. A series of 12-day partial transit cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, for example, aboard Emerald Princess are scheduled.
The sailings combine the transit with port calls in destinations such as Bonaire; Curacao; Cartegena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Limon, Costa Rica; Grand Cayman; and Aruba.
Canal Authority Points to Global Growth of Industry
Officials at the Authority are bullish on the future of the Panama Canal and its growing popularity among cruise passengers and cruise lines.
A statement from the Authority notes that in 2025, passenger demand for cruises worldwide is expected to grow by 6.9%, as the global fleet of ships rises to 460 vessels.
Royal Caribbean Ship in the Panama Canal (Photo Courtesy: Panama Port Authority)
“An increase in transits is expected this fiscal year due to the continued demand for vacation experiences, which still shows no signs of slowing down,” said Albano G. Aguilar, market analysis and forecasting specialist at the Panama Canal Authority.
In addition to the large ships that will operate full or partial canal transits this season, many smaller ships will bring guests to the Panama Canal. National Geographic’s 100-guest National Geographic Quest, Windstar Cruises’ 312-guest Star Pride, and Viking’s 930-guest Viking Mars are among them.
Fourteen cruise ships will make their maiden transits through the Panama Canal during the 2024-25 season, including several luxury ships such as Ponant Cruise Line’s 244-guest Le Lyrial, Silversea Cruises’ 728-guest Silver Ray, and Seabourn’s 604-guest Seabourn Encore.
While New Orleans was not directly impacted by Hurricane Milton as it barreled across the Gulf of Mexico, cruise ships homeported there are nonetheless feeling the effects of the massive storm, including Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Valor.
In light of operational changes due to the hurricane, Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed revised embarkation plans for guests booked to sail onboard Carnival Valor’s October 10, 2024 cruise from the Big Easy.
In a notice sent to booked guests on October 9, 2024, the cruise line issued new embarkation times that reflect the late arrival of the ship back to port from her 5-night Western Caribbean cruise that left New Orleans on October 5, 2024.
“Thank you for your patience while waiting for updates about our operational plans for your cruise. The ship will be arriving in New Orleans tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, October 10, and embarkation for your cruise has been revised,” the cruise line’s notice to guests stated.
The 2.980-guest Carnival Valor had been scheduled to return to the port in the morning on October 10, 2024, but instead will arrive in the afternoon. As a result, embarkation times have been pushed back by between four and five hours to enable guests on the ship’s current cruise to debark.
Guests originally scheduled to board Carnival Valor between 10 and 10:30 a.m., for instance, now will board between 3:30 and 4 p.m., while those who planned to board between noon and 12:30 p.m. will now embark between 5:30 and 6 p.m. The delayed embarkation schedule continues through the afternoon, with all guests required to be checked in no later than 6 p.m.
Carnival Cruise Line’s notice to guests also indicates that guests who arrive before their newly scheduled boarding time will not be allowed to embark and will be asked to return at their newly assigned time.
The cruise line is posting a $25 credit to each guest’s onboard account to offset the cost of lunch on embarkation day because, under the original embarkation schedule, all cruisers would have been onboard Carnival Valor in time for lunch.
The cruise ship is returning to New Orleans from her Western Caribbean sailing that was to call at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Due to the hurricane, the ship did not call at Cozumel but instead spent the day at sea.
Carnival Valor in New Orleans (Photo Credit: Ute Sonja Medley)
Carnival Valor’s October 10, 2024 departure, a 3-night Western Caribbean getaway, is due to make one port call, at Cozumel. The ship was originally scheduled to depart New Orleans at 3:30 p.m., but the departure now will be sometime after 6 p.m. The line has not announced the new sail-away time.
Ships Based in Sunshine State Face Multiple Challenges
Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc on the cruise schedules of Florida-based ships with routings in the Gulf of Mexico and the northern reaches of the Caribbean Sea, including the Bahamas. The monster storm slammed virtually the entire state on October 9 and 10, 2024, and made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Sarasota, Florida.
All six of Florida’s cruise ports — in Tampa, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, had closed to all traffic in advance of the hurricane.
Besides Carnival Valor, several Carnival Cruise line ships were affected by the storm.
The 2,124-guest Carnival Paradise, for example, which is based at Port Tampa Bay, was due to return to port on October 10, 2024 following a 3-night Western Caribbean cruise. However, the ship’s next cruise, set to depart on October 10, 2024, was cancelled, since it is unclear when the port will reopen.
Other ships, such as the 2,200-guest Carnival Elation, based in Jacksonville, the 3,000-guest Carnival Glory, homeported in Port Canaveral, and Carnival Sunrise, which sails from Miami and accommodates 3,000 guests, will arrive at their respective ports later than scheduled.
After days of waiting for Hurricane Milton to arrive in Florida, which is still reeling from Hurricane Helene, the severe storm has officially made it to the Sunshine State on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
As the storm drew closer, many of the cruise ports closed to maritime traffic for safety reasons – which will unfortunately prevent several Royal Caribbean ships at sea from returning from their current voyages on time.
This, of course, has a domino effect – and will delay multiple upcoming sailings. So far, Port of Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral, and Jacksonville’s JAXPORT have all shut down.
The Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades, and PortMiami currently remain open – but on a very limited basis for absolutely essential functions and storm preparations (which doesn’t include cruising) and are likely to close completely very soon.
The storm, which was a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 180 mph as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico, was downgraded to a Category 3 storm shortly before reaching Florida’s West Coast.
However, according to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), the storm is still very dangerous and already bringing torrential rains to Tampa Bay and wind gusts to Sarasota – with sustained winds of around 120 mph.
While modern ships are designed to handle rough watersand stormy weather, docking conditions would be unsafe and it’s in the best interest for the safety and comfort of all onboard to wait out at the storm from a safe distance.
Utopia of the Seas was due to disembark from her current 4-night Bahamas sailing in her homeport, Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on Friday, October 11, and set sail on a new 3-night cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and CocoCay, the cruise line’s private island destination.
But as the second busiest cruise port in the world will still be closed, the Oasis-Class vessel’s return has been pushed back to Saturday, October 12.
This means the subsequent sailing will be shortened and the port call on Nassau will be skipped.
“Due to the closure of the Port Canaveral, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning. As a result, our sailing will now take place on Saturday, October 12, 2024, and we’ll have to skip our visit to Nassau, Bahamas,”the cruise line wrote in a letter to impacted guests.
The 5,668-guest ship’s current sailing has also been impacted by the storm already. Not only will cruisers be onboard a day longer than planned, but the order in which they visited the ports of call – CocoCay and Nassau – was reversed to avoid the path of the storm.
Adventure of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas (Photo Credit: Microfile)
Like Utopia of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas is also homeporting in Florida’s Port Canaveraland will have to delay her return from October 11 to October 12.
The Voyager-class vessel is in the middle of a 6-nightEastern Caribbean itinerary, and was due to begin a longer 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise on October 11.
Due to the delayed start, the sailing will skip its first port of call on October 14, 2024, which would have been on Willemstad, Curacao, in exchange for a sea day to help make up lost time.
“We’ve had to shift our boarding day to Saturday, October 12, 2024, departing by 8:00pm. Unfortunately, this means that our itinerary has been revised and we’ll have to skip our visit to Willemstad, Curacao,”the cruise line updated.
However, the other ports of call will remain on the itinerary as planned – including Oranjestad, Aruba; Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Independence of the Seas
The next change coming down the pipeline is for Independence of the Seas, which won’t be able to return to PortMiami as planned on October 10.
This means the Freedom-class cruise ship will now embark on its subsequent sailing – a 4-night cruise to Labadee, Haiti – a day late on October 11.
But because of the delay, it will now no longer be possible to visit Labadee – and the 4,375-passenger ship will call on CocoCay, Bahamas, instead.
“We’ll have to skip our visit to Labadee, Haiti and enjoy a Sea Day instead. To help make up for this last-minute change, we’ve added a stop to Perfect Day at CocoCay on Sunday, October 13th,” Royal Caribbean said.
This change is particularly sad, as the cruise line only recently began sailing back to Labadeeafter a months-long suspension due to unrest in Haiti.
Mariner of the Seas
Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz
Mariner of the Seas isn’t quite as impacted as some of the other ships within Royal Caribbean’s fleet, as the Voyager-class vessel is homeporting out of Galveston, Texas.
However, the 4,000-passenger ship is in the middle of a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise, which brings her closer to Milton and will delay her return to Galveston as she alters course to avoid the storm.
That said, she will still arrive in the Texas port on October 10 as planned – just several hours later than expected.
While this will delay the embarkation process, the ship will still set sail on a 4-night Western Caribbean sailing on October 10 as planned – but with a later departure time. Guests were issued new arrival windows accordingly.
Assuming no further changes are made, there should be no impact on the one and only port call on October 12, which is a visit to Cozumel, Mexico.
According to guests onboard, the ship is skipping its planned call on Labadee for tomorrow, October 10, and expediting its return to Cape Liberty, New Jersey, to avoid Hurricane Milton. However, Royal Caribbean has not yet confirmed these changes publicly.
“Symphony of the Seas has cancelled Labadee for tomorrow. Captain announced they are full speed ahead back to Cape Liberty to get ahead of Milton,”a current passenger shared on Facebook.
Labadee was already a late addition to the itinerary. The cruise was supposed to call on CocoCay and Nassau, but switched to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and Labadee because of Hurricane Milton.
Compensation for Impacted Guests
While Royal Caribbean is not able to control the weather, it understands that these last-minute changes to long-awaited vacations are disappointing.
While compensation is being provided for some, what will be given is dependent on the nature of the change and the specific ship’s situation.
For the delays that remove a day from the cruise on Utopia of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Adventure of the Seas, the family-friendly brandwill prorate the sailing and provide a refund for the missed day in the form of an onboard credit.
They will also refund any pre-paid shore excursions in the same fashion. If any funds are remaining at the end of the sailing, the rest will be refunded to the card on file within 14 business days.
Additionally, Royal Caribbean will reimburse up to $200 for domestic airfare changes and $400 for international changes for change fees for flights and transfers booked outside of Royal Caribbean – at least for the Utopia on the Seas sailing.
Impacted cruisers are advised to check with the cruise line to see what their options are and what compensation will be provided, if any, for their specific situation.
As Hurricane Milton impacts continue across Florida and the Sunshine State’s homeports, MSC Cruises has made the difficult decision to completely cancel the Thursday, October 11, 2024 departure of MSC Seashore.
This cruise was to have been a 3-night itinerary departing from Port Canaveral, but as of Wednesday evening, the port is at Condition Zulu and closed to all marine traffic.
“In consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and Port Authorities, and due to the uncertainty of the reopening of Port Canaveral, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this sailing,”MSC Cruises confirmed in their latest hurricane update.
While the port will be thoroughly assessed as soon as it is safe to do so, the storm’s influence is expected to extend well into Thursday and it is unlikely that Port Canaveral will reopen on that day.
The now-cancelled sailing for the 170,412-gross-ton, Seaside EVO-class ship was to have visited Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. A full refund will be issued to all booked guests – up to 4,540 travelers at double occupancy, or as many as 5,632 guests if the ship has been fully booked.
The ship’s next cruise, a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary to Ocean Cay, Costa Maya, and Cozumel, is planned to depart Port Canaveral on Sunday, October 13, without any changes or disruptions.
In addition to the cancellation for MSC Seashore, MSC Magnifica‘s October 7, 2024 sailing has also been disrupted. The ship is on a 4-night cruise that left PortMiami on Monday and was to have visited Ocean Cay and Nassau.
Instead, the ship was rerouted to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic to steer clear of the hurricane’s influence. MSC Magnifica‘s return to Miami on Friday, October 11 is not expected to be affected and there are no changes for the next sailing’s embarkation time or itinerary at this time.
As storm conditions can change, guests should still remain in contact with MSC Cruises for further updates as they are made available.
Photo Credit: Solarisys / Shutterstock
Other Cruise Cancellations Due to Milton
MSC Cruises is not the only cruise line forced to cancel itineraries due to the storm’s influence. Three other vessels from three other cruise lines have also made the preemptive decision to cancel full sailings due to the timing, location, and impact of Hurricane Milton.
With uncertainty about when homeports may reopen, Carnival Cruise Line has also cancelled the October 10 departure of Carnival Paradise from Port Tampa Bay, a 4-night Western Caribbean itinerary. The unique geography of Tampa Bay and the heavy impact the region is experiencing makes this the most logical and safest decision for the cruise line.
Likewise, Margaritaville at Sea has cancelled the next sailing for their Palm Beach-based ship, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, which was to have left on a 2-night Bahamas getaway to Freeport on Wednesday, October 9.
Many other vessels, including ships from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Princess Cruises, are also experiencing severe itinerary adjustments with port cancellations or time adjustments.
Cruise Hive will continue to provide storm-related updates as they are confirmed, and all cruise travelers should stay in close contact with their respective cruise lines for notifications on delays, itinerary changes, and other adjustments to their upcoming sailings.
With Hurricane Milton now impacting all of the Florida peninsula and many of the Sunshine State’s cruise homeports closed, Carnival Cruise Line is working to keep guests updated on which ships are affected and how their sailings are being adjusted.
Many guests are worried about upcoming sailings, and with ships being forced to return late, following departures are starting to be impacted.
Carnival Paradise, sailing from Port Tampa Bay, will not be returning on October 10 as planned, and her next voyage – a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel – has been cancelled.
It is not known when the ship may be able to return to Tampa, as that area of Florida will be the hardest hit by the storm and the entire port and marine channel must be thoroughly assessed before the cruise terminal can reopen.
Carnival Elation, homeported from Jacksonville, will also not be returning to her homeport as originally scheduled on Thursday, October 10. A post-storm assessment must be completed for the St. Johns River before the cruise ship can safely navigate back to the terminal, and there is no estimate yet on when that may be completed after the storm.
Carnival Glory, currently sailing a 4-night Bahamas itinerary, will not be able to return to Port Canaveral as scheduled on Friday, October 11. At this time, it is estimated that the ship will be able to dock on Saturday, October 12, but there is no confirmed time for docking or debarkation.
Because Carnival Glory‘s next cruise must be shortened from its original 3-night Bahamas visit to Bimini, guests booked on that sailing have the option to cancel for a 100% future cruise credit if preferred. The ship will sail with the shortened itinerary.
Likewise, Carnival Sunrise will not be able to return from her 5-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary to PortMiami as planned on Thursday, October 10. The ship is estimated to return sometime on Friday instead.
Carnival Valor, sailing a 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary from New Orleans, was unable to visit Cozumel as part of her planned schedule, but instead spent the day at sea. The ship will be returning to Port NOLA as planned on Thursday, October 10, but will arrive in the afternoon rather than the morning.
Carnival Pride‘s 7-night sailing to Bermuda was shifted slightly to provide an earlier visit to that tropical destination in order to ensure the ship is well out of the storm’s path. The ship should be returning to Baltimore, Maryland without any delays on Sunday, October 13.
“As the safety of our guests and crew is our priority, we will continue to monitor the storm, factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates as more information becomes available,”the cruise line said in its most recent weather-related update.
Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has also been busy keeping many worried guests updated on Hurricane Milton on his hugely popular Facebook page.
Hurricane Milton Update
Hurricane Milton is close to making official landfall on Florida’s west coast, just south of Tampa Bay. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (mph), making it a Category 3 hurricane.
The wind field has increased significantly and impacts from the storm are being felt from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle. Hurricane-force winds can be felt up to 35 miles from the center of the storm’s eye, while tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 255 miles from the center.
Hurricane Milton, October 9, Advisory 19
For comparison, the Florida peninsula is roughly 150 miles wide at its widest point, and 385 miles long from north-to-south.
As Hurricane Milton makes landfall, the storm is expected to weaken significantly but is likely to remain at official hurricane strength as it crosses the peninsula on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Significant rainfall, localized flooding, and storm surge all remain as ongoing hazards at this time.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone impacted by this severe hurricane, as well as all those at sea waiting to ride out the waves before returning home.
Even though what is now post-tropical cyclone Milton has finished with Florida, the aftermath still heavily impacts the cruise industry, including ports and upcoming cruise ship itineraries.
The following updates are the confirmed changes directly from cruise lines, and include all vessels currently sailing in the Gulf of Mexico and other areas. We are constantly updating this article, so do keep checking back for the latest.
Carnival Cruise Line
With ships based from four Florida homeports as well as Galveston and New Orleans, it is no surprise that itinerary changes impacted several Carnival cruise ships. Upcoming sailings have also got delayed embarkations.
Carnival Paradise
Carnival Paradise is homeported from Tampa currently on a 4-night sailing to Cozumel, Mexico. The visit to Cozumel was not possible, and instead, the ship substituted Costa Maya as an alternative port.
Port Tampa Bay has been closed at Port Condition Zulu since 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8, however, and the ship will be unable to return as planned on October 10 – just when Hurricane Milton is predicted to be impacting Tampa Bay the most.
UPDATE: October 9
The October 10 sailing was to have been another 4-night Cozumel sailing but has now been cancelled, as it is unknown how soon Port Tampa Bay will be able to reopen. This is similar to what happened to the ship’s planned September 26 departure following the extended port closure after Hurricane Helene.
Carnival Elation
Carnival Elation from Port of Jacksonville departed on a 5-night sailing on October 5 with plans to visit Nassau and Princess Cays. Those visits were successful, but due to the storm’s track and development, the ship will be unable to return to Jacksonville as planned.
Carnival Cruise Line has notified booked guests on Carnival Elation‘s October 10 departure that the sailing must be shortened, but without firm detail as to how quite yet as plans are still being finalized.
The October 10 sailing was to have been a 4-night Bahamas sailing visiting Freeport and Nassau, and it is likely that one of those ports will now be dropped. Guests who no longer wish to sail on that shortened itinerary will receive a 100% future cruise credit for another Carnival sailing.
UPDATE: October 10
In Carnival’s latest advisory it has now been confirmed that the October 10 sailing will be departing from Jacksonville on Saturday, October 12 instead. The vessel will sail a 2-day cruise to nowhere, as Cruise Hive detailed here.
Carnival Glory
In Carnival’s October 9 update, it was detailed that Carnival Glory will no longer be returning to Port Canaveral as scheduled on Friday, October 11. The ship is now expected to return home on October 12.
UPDATE: October 10
The following October 11 sailing will now be shortened, but the cruise line has yet to finalize plans. The rough plan is to dock in Port Canaveral on Saturday, October 12.
Carnival Sunrise
Even though PortMiami is further south, there is still an impact. Carnival Sunrise will not be able to return to Miami as scheduled on Thursday, October 11. The plan is for the ship to return a day late on October 12.
UPDATE: October 10
Carnival Sunrise’s October 10 sailing will now set sail on October 11 instead. The ship will operate a 3-day sailing, and the good news is that the ports will remain as originally scheduled.
Carnival Pride
Carnival Pride‘s current 7-night sailing to Bermuda, which departed Cape Liberty, New Jersey on Sunday, October 6, was the first of the cruise line’s ships to change itinerary due to Hurricane Milton.
The ship’s planned visit to King’s Wharf, Bermuda, was moved up a day and shortened by six hours in order to keep the ship clear of expected impacts to the tropical destination. The return to Cape Liberty and the next sailing are not impacted at this time.
Carnival Valor
Carnival Valor’s October 5 Western Caribbean cruise has been impacted. The ship was forced to cancel its call to Cozumel in Mexico on Tuesday, October 8. The ship will arrive in the afternoon in New Orleans on Thursday, October 10.
With the delayed arrival of Carnival Valor on October 10 in New Orleans, the following sailing has revised embarkation times for guests. The cruise line has not detailed any port changes to the itinerary.
UPDATE: October 10
Carnival has already sent out a revised embarkation time, which we’ve detailed here. The cruise line is providing a $25 per person onboard credit to make up for the delay.
Celebrity Reflection departed Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on October 7 for a 4-night sailing, including visits to Key West and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Due to the hurricane’s anticipated path, however, the ship will not visit Key West but instead will spend a longer time in Nassau as a substitute.
The ship’s return to Port Everglades on October 11 is not expected to be impacted, but that may change in the days to come.
That sailing was to have been a 3-night Bahamas “Halloween on the High Seas” itinerary visiting Nassau and Castaway Cay, but will not be possible with delays due to port closure.
In addition to a full refund, all booked guests are also receiving a 20% future cruise discount as a gesture of goodwill.
Margaritaville at Sea
While the kitschy, heavily themed cruise line only offers sailings aboard two ships at this time, both vessels have been impacted by Hurricane Milton.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Based from Port Tampa Bay, Margaritaville at Sea Islandermoved up her departure date from October 8 to October 7 to stay ahead of the storm, giving booked guests the unexpected bonus of an extra day of cruising. However, the ship’s itinerary was adjusted as the original Key West and Cozumel port visits were not possible due to the storm’s position and track.
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is homeported from Port of Palm Beach. Unfortunately, the day before embarkation, it was necessary to cancel the ship’s October 9 sailing, a 2-night Bahamas getaway to Freeport, as the port is unlikely to reopen until October 11.
For now, there are no updates to the 3-night sailing scheduled to depart on October 11, but guests will be notified if that changes.
MSC Cruises
MSC Seashore in Miami, Florida (Photo Credit: Solarisys)
While MSC Cruises only has two ships operating from Florida homeports at this time, both vessels have some impacts due to Hurricane Milton and booked guests should stay informed.
MSC Seashore
MSC Seashore is homeported from Port Canaveral and departed on her current sailing, a 4-night Bahamas itinerary, on October 6, visiting Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve as well as Nassau as planned.
Because the ship is due to return to her homeport on October 10, however, it is likely to be extended and remain at sea due to port closure. The next cruise, a 3-night Bahamas itinerary to, may also be impacted.
UPDATE: October 9
In MSC Cruises’ latest advisory update, it is confirmed that MSC Seashore’s October 10 departure from Port Canaveral is now cancelled. The cruise line is providing further details to booked guests, including a full refund.
MSC Magnifica
Homeported from PortMiami, MSC Magnifica departed on a 4-night Bahamas sailing on October 7, with visits planned to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau. The visit to Nassau was scheduled for October 10, but has been cancelled with Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic added to the itinerary as an alternative.
The ship’s return to Miami on October 11 is not expected to be impacted, nor are there any changes at this time for the following sailing, a 3-night itinerary to Key West and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Booked guests should still stay in close contact, however.
UPDATE: October 10
The October 11 sailing is set to go ahead as scheduled.
Princess Cruises – Sun Princess
Princess Cruises’ newest ship and first in the Sphere class, Sun Princess, is unable to arrive with her planned fanfare at Port Everglades due to Hurricane Milton.
Instead of her planned arrival in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, October 9 to mark the successful completion of her inaugural transatlantic crossing, the ship will remain at sea until the port safely resumes full operations.
While this will extend the current sailing, future sailings will not be impacted as Sun Princess is not welcoming her first Florida-based guests until Monday, October 14, for a 5-night cruise to Puerto Plata and Grand Turk.
UPDATE: October 10
Guests onboard have been given some good news! Now that POer Everglades is back open, the Sun Princess is set to arrive in the early hours of Friday, October 11. Cruise Hive has all the details here.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas in Florida (Photo Credit: Lisa Bronitt)
Several ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet have significant hurricane-related changes at this time, including vessels homeported from PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, Galveston, Port Canaveral, and Cape Liberty.
Adventure of the Seas
Guests on the Adventure of the Seas October 5 sailing out of Port Canaveral have been informed that the ship will no longer be able to return on October 11. The ship will now arrive a day later, on October 12.
As a result, the following October 11 Caribbean sailing has been impacted. The voyage will now not depart until October 12 and the call to Willemstad in Curacao has been cancelled.
Independence of the Seas
With Portmiami closing due to Hurricane Milton, Independence of the Seas’ October 5 sailing will be delayed and will not be able to return until October 11.
With the delayed return of Independence of the Seas, the following October 10 sailing will now be departing on October 11 instead. It also means the planned call to Labadee in Haiti must be canceled. Royal Caribbean has added a call to Perfect Day at CococCay on Sunday, October 13 instead.
Grandeur of the Seas
Sailing from Port Tampa Bay, Grandeur of the Seascompletely altered her 5-night, October 7 departure itinerary to avoid Hurricane Milton. Instead of visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel for the Western Caribbean sailing, the ship is visiting Nassau as the only port destination.
The ship is scheduled to return to Tampa on October 12, but that timing is subject to change based on the port’s closure and eventual reopening plans after safety inspections are completed and operations are restored.
UPDATE: October 9
As Cruise Hive already reported here, Grandeur of the Seas remains at sea, but Royal Caribbean is working on alternative ports for disembarkation in Florida. The cruise line will release a further update to guests once a decision has been made.
Harmony of the Seas
On her 6-night Western Caribbean sailing from Galveston that departed the Lone Star State on October 6, Harmony of the Seas was unable to visit Costa Maya on October 8 as originally planned. The ship will also skip the call to Roatan on October 9.
This leaves just the visit to Cozumel, Mexico on October 10 intact, with the rest of the voyage spent at sea. While it is not ideal to have just a single port of call on a 6-night cruise, Royal Caribbean is providing all guests with a one day refund of their cruise fare as refundable onboard credit for compensation, along with refunds for any pre-paid shore tours booked through the cruise line that are no longer possible.
Icon of the Seas
The largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas will skip her planned October 11 visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, the cruise line’s private island destination in the Bahamas, on her current 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. Instead, the ship will enjoy a day at sea.
This sailing departed PortMiami on October 5, the ship’s first cruise following emergency repairs. At this time, there are no expected changes to her return to Florida on October 12 for the conclusion of the voyage.
Symphony of the Seas
Surprisingly, even ships from homeports well away from the storm also have changes, as is the case with Symphony of the Seas. The ship departed Cape Liberty, New Jersey on October 6 for a 7-night Bahamas cruise.
The ship’s planned visit to Port Canaveral on October 8 has been cancelled, as have the calls to Perfect Day at CocoCay as well as Nassau. Instead, the ship is visiting Puerto Plata as well as Labadee, the cruise line’s private destination in Haiti.
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas is sailing from Port Canaveral straight into her first hurricane season. On her current 4-night Bahamas cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, the ship swapped the days of the port visits to ensure smoother sailing.
It is also likely that the ship’s return to Port Canaveral on October 11 could be delayed, depending on when the port reopens after the storm passes.
UPDATE: October 9
Royal Caribbean has updated guests onboard of a further change to the current October 7 sailing out of Port Canaveral. Utopia of the Seas has cancelled its planned call to Nassau in the Bahamas. Instead, the ship is visiting Labadee on Thursday, October 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Oasis-class cruise ship will now be arriving back at Port Canaveral on October 12 instead of the original date of October 11.
As a result, the following sailing, which was originally scheduled to depart Port Canaveral on October 11, has now been impacted. This sailing will now take place on October 12 instead, and the planned call to Nassau has been cancelled.
Wonder of the Seas
Also sailing from Port Canaveral, Wonder of the Seas departed on October 6 and made her visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay as planned the following day.
To stay away from the storm’s influence, however, the visit to Cozumel on October 9 was cancelled with Falmouth, Jamaica used as an alternative port of call instead. Furthermore, the planned visits to Roatan and Costa Maya are likewise cancelled, replaced with a sea day and a later visit to Cozumel on October 11.
Wonder of the Seas is due back at Port Canaveral at the conclusion of her 7-night sailing on October 13.
