Key Aspects:
- Vision of the Seas will not be visiting Bermuda on her October 17, 2026 sailing due to poor offshore weather, including strong winds.
- Instead, the ship is rerouting to Saint John, New Brunswick, for an overnight call, but guests will not be permitted to disembark the ship in port.
- Royal Caribbean is offering non-refundable credit for the change, with amounts varying depending on the type of stateroom booked.
Any cruiser knows that poor weather can dramatically alter vacation plans, and guests boarding Vision of the Seas in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, October 17, 2026 will not be getting the Bermuda vacation they had hoped. Due to poor weather, the ship is being rerouted to Canada instead, with an extra twist that many will not be happy about.
Royal Caribbean notified guests of the last-minute change late on Friday, October 16, the day before embarkation for the 5-night sailing.
“Along with our meteorology team, we’ve been closely monitoring inclement weather impacting the Bermuda area for our October 17, 2026, Vision of the Seas sailing. The weather’s impact makes it hard to provide you with a safe and comfortable journey to Bermuda,” the email explained.
“So, after exploring all of our options, we’ve decided to sail to St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, for an overnight stay instead.”
Okay, ship happens. This would not be the first cruise to be rerouted to a completely alternative destination during unpredictable fall weather.
In fact, during the strong nor’easter that impacted much of the US Atlantic coast in late September 2026, multiple cruise ships drastically altered their itineraries to avoid the roughest weather or had delays related to the storm.
At that time, the 2,050-guest Vision of the Seas was scheduled for a 9-night Canada and New England itinerary but instead rerouted to Florida and the Bahamas.
Now, however, the reroute to Saint John, New Brunswick comes with an additional restriction for guests on the October 17 sailing.
“Guests will not be able to disembark while in port,” the email notification said.
The updated itinerary shared in the email notification confirms that Saint John will be the only port of call on the 5-night cruise, from 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 19 until 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20.
Since guests cannot go ashore, the sailing is effectively a cruise to nowhere.
Royal Caribbean notes that “our onboard team is ready to make your experience with us an enjoyable one.” It is likely, however, that port restrictions would mean that retail operations and the Casino Royale on Deck 5 will not be available during the overnight visit.
In such situations, cruise lines often arrange additional entertainment, such as extra trivia challenges, more comedy shows, or whatever options they can provide on such short notice.
Compensation Offered
Guests will be receiving onboard credit as compensation for the dramatic change, which Royal Caribbean describes as a “thank you for your continued loyalty and to help make up for the inconvenience.”
The amount of the non-refundable credit varies depending on the type of stateroom guests booked. Both inside and outside staterooms will receive $75 (USD), while balcony staterooms will receive $150. Suites will receive $200.
Credit amounts are per stateroom, not per guest. If a third, fourth, or additional guest is booked in the same stateroom, the credit is raised by $25 per person after the first two guests.
If guests had pre-purchased any shore excursions through Royal Caribbean for the visit to Bermuda, those tours will be automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. Any amount that remains unused at the end of the sailing will be refunded to the credit card associated with the applicable account.
What Bad Weather Is Pending?
The imminent bad weather causing this adjustment for Vision of the Seas is offshore in the mid-Atlantic waters, between 100 and 250 nautical miles offshore, directly on the route to Bermuda.
A storm warning for the strong cold front has been issued by the National Weather Service, noting that winds will begin at 15-25 knots (17-29 miles per hour), then rise to 30-40 knots (35-46 mph) on Saturday and as high as 50 knots (57 mph) on Saturday night. Swells may be as high as 13-22 feet.
The warning continues for several days with winds from 30-45 knots (35-52 mph) as late as Wednesday night and swells from 12-24 feet throughout the warning period.
