Key Aspects:
- P&O Cruises’ Arvia and MSC Cruises’ MSC Preziosa and MSC Virtuosa will all arrive in Southampton, UK, earlier than planned due to Storm Austen.
- The three ships will all arrive late Thursday evening, October 22, instead of on Friday and, in the case of MSC Virtuosa, Saturday, as originally planned.
- Alerts have already been issued for the southern UK and coastal areas for strong wind gusts up to 50-70 miles per hour on Friday, October 23.
Thousands of cruise guests on three ships have now had their itineraries altered as they head for Southampton, UK ahead of Storm Austen.
P&O Cruises’ Arvia as well as MSC Cruises’ MSC Preziosa and MSC Virtuosa have all adjusted their routes and arrivals for Southampton to stay ahead of the storm’s worst impact.
The Associated British Ports schedule for Southampton confirms the early arrivals for the three vessels, which are now expected into Southampton late Thursday evening, October 22, 2026. MSC Virtuosa and Arvia will both arrive at approximately 7 p.m., while MSC Preziosa will arrive at approximately 9:30 p.m. Exact times are subject to weather conditions, port traffic, and local pilot availability.
Originally, Arvia and MSC Preziosa were scheduled to arrive on Friday morning, October 23, while MSC Virtuosa was not due into Southampton until Saturday morning, October 24.
The 5,282-guest Arvia is concluding a 13-night Mediterranean sailing that departed Southampton on Saturday, October 10, while the 3,959-guest MSC Preziosa is finishing a Northern Europe route with various departure points, including Southampton. MSC Virtuosa is due to conclude a 5-night Northern Europe sailing that left Southampton on Monday, October 19.
MSC Cruises has also sent an alert to guests booked on MSC Preziosa that the ship will also be departing early, noting that guests must arrive at the City Cruise Terminal no later than 2 p.m. According to the original itinerary, the ship wasn’t planned to depart until 8 p.m., but will now depart at 6 p.m. instead on Friday, October 23.
Guests booked on any of the three ships should stay in close contact with their cruise line for further details as official confirmations are made.
Arvia is set to begin a 14-night transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Barbados, while MSC Preziosa and MSC Virtuosa will both be sailing Northern Europe itineraries. No itinerary changes are yet confirmed for those sailings and any adjustments will depend on the storm’s impact.
Storm Austen Update
The Met Office (the national weather service of the UK) has issued multiple warnings for Friday, October 23 related to Storm Austen.
“Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday. While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England,” said Chris Bulmer, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, on Wednesday.
“Winds gusts could potentially reach 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops.”
Friday is an Amber Warning from 3-10 a.m. with wind gusts expected up to 60-70 miles per hour, while some exposed headlands may experience gusts up to 80 mph. The warning area stretches across the southwestern UK from Hartland to Cornwall to Plymouth.
A Yellow Warning for wind from midnight to 2 p.m. on Friday extends much further across the southern UK, with wind gusts expected to reach 50-60 mph, while coastal areas could see gusts of 70 mph or higher.
The UK is not the only sailing region impacted by severe storms recently.
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas completely altered her October 18 departure from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to sail for Canada instead of Florida and the Bahamas, while Vision of the Seas changed course to Canada instead of Bermuda for her October 17 departure from Baltimore, Maryland. Both ships are avoiding rough weather off the eastern U.S. coast that has become Subtropical Storm Josephine.
Meanwhile, on the Pacific Coast of the U.S., Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady has had four consecutive voyages altered due to tropical weather, including Hurricanes Polo, Rachel, and Trudy, as well as Tropical Storm Simon.
