Key Aspects:
- Tropical Storm Mario officially formed on the morning of Friday, September 12, 2025.
- With the storm running parallel to Mexico’s Pacific Coast, it will no longer be safe for Ovation of the Seas to visit Cabo San Lucas as planned.
- Instead of spending the night in Cabo San Lucas, guests will enjoy two sea days and an overnight call in Ensenada.
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas has made a last-minute itinerary change due to poor weather brewing in the Pacific Ocean.
Tropical Storm Mario, which officially formed on Friday, September 12, 2025, is expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to Mexico’s Pacific Coast through the weekend – which makes the Quantum-class ship’s planned route unsafe.
The 4,180-guest ship embarked on a 5-night sailing to Mexico from Los Angeles, California, on September 12, 2025, the very same day Mario fully formed.
The only port of call was supposed to be an overnight visit to Cabo San Lucas on September 14 and September 15, which would have been Saturday and Sunday.
But because of the weather, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been re-routed to Ensenada, Mexico. Guests will now get to enjoy two days at sea and two days in the replacement port.
“On Ovation preparing to leave Los Angeles…The captain just came on and due to Tropical Storm Mario forming near Cabo San Lucas, our ship’s itinerary has changed. We have 2 days at sea now and 2 days in Ensenada, Mexico (overnight),” one guest shared on social media.
“Our overnight cruise to Cabo on Ovation just was bumped to Ensenada because there was no chance for tenders with the tropical storm. Entirely understandable but still a massive bummer,” another current guest confirmed.
Cabo is located at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula, and the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) anticipates heavy rain and strong winds in this area as the storm system moves parallel to Mexico’s southwestern Coast through at least Saturday.
Notably, Cabo is also a tender port, and tendering operations are not possible during inclement weather conditions for safety reasons.
Should Cruisers Worry About Tropical Storm Mario?
As of the time of publication, Ovation of the Seas is the only known ship to have had to adjust due to Tropical Storm Mario.
NOAA has described Mario as a “tiny” storm system, with sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.
“Mario is a tiny tropical storm, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) to the north of the center,” reads NOAA’s update from the morning of September 12, 2025.
Though it’s nowhere near as strong as the hurricanes that have impacted cruising in the past, Mario may still bring wind, flash flooding, and up to six inches of rain to parts of Mexico.
A tropical storm watch is currently in effect for parts of the Michoacán state that spans from Lázaro Cárdenas to Punta San Telmo.
“Heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Mario will impact Jalisco and nearby areas into Saturday morning, which could result in flash flooding, particularly in areas of higher terrain,” NOAA advised in the afternoon update on September 12.
“Tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of the coast of Michoacán today while Mario moves roughly parallel to the southwestern coast of Mexico. Gusty winds are possible elsewhere along the coasts of Western Guerrero, Michoacán, and Colima through tonight.“
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
By Sunday or early next week at the latest, Mario is expected to weaken and lose wind intensity – before it can have too much impact on the cruise industry.
It’s also not expected to make landfall, and instead will just be running parallel to Mexico.
While it’s possible that additional ships sailing around Mexico may need to alter course, it seems like it’s a quiet weekend for cruising at potentially impacted cruise ports.
In addition to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Acapulco, Manzanillo, La Paz, and Huatulco are all located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
But per cruise tracking data, none of these ports have scheduled ship calls this weekend and no other vessels aside from Ovation of the Seas are expected to call on Cabo San Lucas until after the weather passes.
