Key Aspects:
- Star of the Seas will sail a Western Caribbean itinerary for her September 28 departure instead of the originally planned Eastern Caribbean route.
- The full itinerary change is due to the development of what will likely become Tropical Storm Imelda over the next few days.
- This will also cause the ship to postpone her inaugural visit to St. Kitts, which will now take place as part of her October 19 sailing.
Just a few weeks after joining the fleet, Royal Caribbean’s new Star of the Seas is sailing headfirst into hurricane season with a dramatic itinerary change.
Guests booked on the Sunday, September 28, 2025 departure have now been informed that their 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary has been shifted to a Western Caribbean sailing due to tropical system development.
“Our Captain, along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, has been monitoring the expected development of a tropical storm near the northwest Bahamas and a hurricane in the Atlantic,” the email explained.
“We have decided to change our itinerary to safely avoid the storm and large seas on our eastern route. As a result, we’ll now sail a Western Caribbean itinerary.”
As originally scheduled, Star of the Seas was to have spent Monday at CocoCay, Wednesday at St. Thomas, and Thursday at St. Kitts before returning to Port Canaveral on Sunday, October 5.
Now, the revised itinerary is as follows:
- Sunday, September 28 – Depart Port Canaveral
- Monday – Day at sea
- Tuesday – Costa Maya from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday – Roatan from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday – Cozumel from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday – Day at sea
- Saturday – Day at sea
- Sunday, October 5 – Arrive Port Canaveral
It is interesting that there is no rescheduling of the visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, which is a highlight of almost every Star of the Seas sailing.
Saturday, October 4, would have been the most probable day the ship could be rescheduled for the private destination. On that day, however, Wonder of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas are already booked for CocoCay, which does not leave room for the second Icon-class ship.
Any pre-paid tours booked through Royal Caribbean for the now-cancelled port visits will be automatically refunded to guests. Tours for the new destinations can be booked through the Royal Caribbean app or by visiting the Shore Excursions Desk on Deck 5, portside next to the Pearl.
The tropical system impacting Star of the Seas is still developing just north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is expected to move north across the Bahamas through the weekend.
While not yet even an official tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has an 80-90% expectation of full storm development late Friday, September 26, or over the weekend. If named, the system will become Tropical Storm Imelda.
Inaugural Visit to St. Kitts Postponed
Along with the itinerary change comes a particularly disappointing cancellation for Star of the Seas‘ guests. The ship’s September 28 Eastern Caribbean sailing was to have included the ship’s very first visit to St. Kitts.
Inaugural port visits are always special occasions and often include ceremonies for the ship’s officers as well as welcoming committees on the pier or other festive arrangements for guests to enjoy.
The cruise line informed the St. Kitts Tourism Authority on Thursday, September 25 that the inaugural visit would need to be postponed due to the tropical system.
Now, the ship’s first visit to St. Kitts will be on Tuesday, October 23, 2025, if there is no further interference from Mother Nature. That will be part of the ship’s October 19 departure.
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Star of the Seas does have another Eastern Caribbean sailing before that date, but she does not always visit St. Kitts on each itinerary. Instead, other Eastern Caribbean routes include San Juan and St. Maarten.
Nevertheless, guests onboard are sure to be treated to some inaugural season fun with special retail merchandise and events to commemorate the new ship and just how much of a star she is.
