It’s not just cruise ships based out of the U.S. east coast dealing with mother nature. Tropical Storm Orlene formed off the Mexican west coast and is now forcing itinerary changes for two Princess cruise ships in the Mexican Riviera out of the U.S. west coast.
Orlene Impacts Princess Itineraires
Cruises out of the U.S. west coast are now being impacted by the recently formed Tropical Storm Orlene in the Pacific, which is expected to become a category 1 Hurricane in the coming hours.
Princess Cruises has confirmed to Cruise Hive that there are itinerary changes for the Sapphire Princess and Royal Princess.
Princess Cruises stated to Cruise Hive: “As the safety of Princess guests and crew remains our highest priority, we have made the necessary decision to modify Sapphire Princess and Royal Princess itineraries to avoid Tropical Storm Orlene.”
There is an itinerary change for the Sapphire Princess 10-night sailing, which departed Los Angeles on September 24. The vessel will no longer be making its scheduled call in Purto Vallarta on October 1. Instead, the Princess cruise ship will remain at sea and call in San Diego on October 3. The ship is still scheduled to arrive back in LA as normal.
The Royal Princess also has an itinerary change due to Orlene in the Mexican Riviera. The ship’s 12-night cruise, which departed San Francisco on September 27, has now dropped a scheduled call in Puerto Vallarta on October and Manzanillo on October 2.
Royal Princess will instead make a call to Mazatlan on October 1 and will remain in port overnight. The ship will then visit Loreto on October 3. The ship is still scheduled to arrive back in California as normal, and there are no other changes to the itinerary.
Orlene in the Mexican Riviera
Orlene will become a category 1 hurricane in the coming hours, and according to the National Hurricane Center’s (NOAA) September 30, 3:00 PM advisory, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 65 MPH. It is moving northwest at a slow 5 MPH.
Orlene is approximately 425 KM southwest of Cabo Corrientes, but is also expected to impact Puerto Vallarta and, more directly, Mazatlan, two hugely popular cruise ports in the Mexican Riviera.
Worth Reading: Further Carnival Cruise Line Itinerary Delays Expected Due to Ian
Other cruise ship impacts may be minimal, with Carnival Panorama’s October 1 sailing from Long Beach, California, set to visit Puerta Vallarta on October 4, which is days after the storm will pass. Celebrity Millennium is scheduled to call in Puerto Vallarta on October 3, which could be another itinerary change in the coming hours.
