Just when we thought the hurricane season was coming to an early close, another storm is predicted to become a hurricane by Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
With the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issuing a tropical storm warning for Jamaica and a hurricane warning for the Cayman Islands, MSC Cruises has altered its MSC Seascape route to move the vessel away from the storm and its gale-force winds.
Passengers aboard the 170,412-gross-ton ship who set sail on a 7-night Caribbean voyage from Miami on November 2, 2024, received word their itinerary was changing as they boarded the ship.
The letter informed guests that the calls for the journey’s Falmouth, Jamaica, and George Town, Cayman Islands, were cancelled.
“I have been continuously monitoring the weather forecast for our itinerary and the path of the developing tropical storm in the Central Caribbean, which is projected to impact our itinerary, specifically during the leg between Miami and Falmouth and affecting most probably also Grand Cayman,” wrote MSC Seascape’s Captain Michele Tuvo.
“In order to avoid the forecasted path and the bad weather surrounding it, I have decided to adjust our itinerary,” she continued.
Instead of calling in Falmouth on November 4, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the ship spent the day in Costa Maya, Mexico, arriving at 8 a.m. with a 5 p.m. departure.
In lieu of visiting Grand Cayman on November 5, 2024, MSC Seascape will divert to Roatan, Honduras, where it will call from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The changes, while disappointing, provided passengers more time in the new ports.
Of course, the itinerary changes also forced MSC Cruises to cancel all pre-booked excursions for Falmouth and George Town. The cruise line automatically reimbursed guests who booked through the cruise line, while passengers who booked independent excursions were advised to contact their providers.
All guests aboard the 5,877-passenger vessel were also encouraged to book new tour options in Costa Maya and Roatan.
“We appreciate your understanding and flexibility,” added the captain. “We have had to implement this itinerary change due to reasons that are beyond our control and to ensure your comfort, safety, and wellbeing, which is our number one priority.”
MSC Seascape’s remaining itinerary remains intact, visiting Cozumel in Mexico and MSC Cruises’ private destination, Ocean Cay in the Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to return to PortMiami on November 9.
Late-Season Rafael Forms and Could Intensify
The hurricane season, which runs from April 1 through November 30, was expected to be slowing down, with meteorologists noting the cooling waters on the Gulf Coast.
In fact, meteorologist Craig Setzer said, “We are entering the final days of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season as far as the US is concerned.”
But Setzer also warned that “another named system could form in the next few weeks somewhere in the Atlantic basin.”
Instead, favorable weather conditions in the Caribbean saw the formation of a tropical depression, which quickly escalated. The NHC officially named Tropical Storm Rafael on November 4, 2024, while it was just south of Kingston, Jamaica, with sustained winds of 35 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to reach hurricane strength by Tuesday, November 5, when it reaches the Cayman Islands. Forecasts show Rafael could be a Category 2 hurricane by landfall with wind speeds between 96 and 110 miles per hour.
Although the NHC says it is too soon to know what Rafael could do once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, the storm is expected to bring gale-force winds to the Lower and Mid Florida Keys by November 7 and is on a path towards Louisiana.
