For the past week, Hurricane Beryl has tormented much of the Caribbean, causing multiple cruise lines to alter course for the safety and comfort of their passengers and crew members.
Now as the dangerous tropical storm makes its way to Texas, Royal Caribbean has had to make alternate arrangements for Mariner of the Seas, which is currently homeporting in Galveston, Texas, to avoid the inclement weather.
The Voyager-class ship was due to disembark a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise on Monday, July 8, 2024 – the same day Beryl is expected to make landfall and re-strengthen from a tropical storm to a hurricane.
To account for the dangerous weather conditions, the 4,000-passenger ship is actually sailing away from Texas, delaying her return until July 9, 2024. As a result, the following itinerary—a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise—will also embark a day late.
“Due to Tropical Storm Beryl, our previous sailing’s return to Galveston has been delayed. As a result, we’ve had to shift our boarding day to Tuesday, July 9,” read a letter from the cruise line to impacted guests.
The domino effect of the delayed embarkation has resulted in a revised itinerary. The cruise will no longer call on Costa Maya, Mexico, on July 10, because there simply isn’t enough time.
However, the call on Cozumel, Mexico, will still go ahead as planned on July 11 – which is lucky considering Cozumel was closed to maritime traffic because of the hurricane as recently as July 5.
“Unfortunately, this means that our itinerary has been revised and we will no longer be able to visit Costa Maya. We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change. We’re continuing to monitor the weather and look forward to welcoming you onboard,” continued the letter.
The cruise line concluded the letter by informing guests that they would be contacted directly regarding compensation for the last-minute inconvenience.
And as of now, the 139,863-gross ton vessel’s future cruises also remain unaffected. The next sailing, which is another 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel, is still scheduled to embark as planned on July 13.
Tropical Storm Beryl Closes In On Texas
The first Hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic Season is quickly closing in on Texas. According to the latest data from the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), the storm is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico, and will hit Texas late Sunday, July 7, 2024, or early Monday, July 8.
The storm, which will arrive somewhere between Corpus Christi and Galveston as a Category 1 Hurricane, is expected to bring potentially life-threatening rainfall, surges, and flooding, with some parts of Texas expecting up to 15 inches of rain in one day.
In response, the Port of Galveston and the U.S. Coast Guard have jointly decided to close the busy port to maritime traffic early on Sunday evening and all day Monday until the storm passes.
The Port of Galveston posted an update to Facebook at 10 a.m. Central Time Sunday morning: “The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended vessel operations and is expected to close the port to vessel traffic at 4 p.m. today in advance of tropical storm conditions. Port Operations – Be prepared to cease all operations later today and vacate the port premises.”
“What can Galveston Harbor expect? Tide surge levels of 4-6 feet above normal along the coast beginning overnight. Heavy rain is expected to arrive later this afternoon,” continued the post. “Expect flooding in and around the port complex late today through Monday.”
Read Also: All Cruise Ship Itinerary Changes Due to Hurricane Beryl
While Hurricane Beryl won’t necessarily reach the strength it had while it terrorized the Caribbean and caused 9 deaths, the storm will most likely be back to hurricane status by the time it reaches Texas.
According to the NOAA, the storm began as a tropical depression on June 28, 2024, but rapidly intensified into a Category 1 hurricane within 24 hours, reaching wind speeds of 75 mph.
By July 2, 2024, Beryl was classified as the first Category 5 hurricane of the year, reaching winds of 165 mph and killing at least 9 as the storm ravaged the caribbean.
Beryl was later downgraded to a tropical storm, but has regained some traction in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to be reclassified as a Category 1 Hurricane before it reaches Texas, meaning winds will likely reach a minimum sustained speed of 75 mph or stronger.
