With the cruise lines and the US East Coast still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton is on its way – wreaking more havoc and piling on the itinerary changes.
The storm, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, October 5, 2024, has quickly intensified and gained Hurricane status – and is likely to impact the next sailing onboard Virgin Voyagesโ Valiant Lady.
The 2,770-guest ship is due to embark on a 5-night Mayan Sol cruise later today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, from her homeport: Floridaโs PortMiami.
The itinerary calls for stops at Costa Maya, Mexico, and Bimini Islands, Bahamas, but the adults-only cruise line has advised that this may change.
During todayโs check-in and embarkation process, the cruise line has made guests aware that they are considering changes to the itinerary to avoid the path of the intensifying storm.
โDue to Tropical Storm Milton, which you may have seen, we are reviewing our current planned itinerary to avoid the path. Our experienced crew is closely monitoring the situation and reviewing our options at this time,โ reads a letter given to the passengers.
While the specific changes have not been announced, the cruise line has promised to provide an update from the captain before departing at 6 p.m. EST and assured guests that crew members would be standing by to assist with the impact of any changes – including booked Shore Things.
โWe promise to keep you fully informed, and our Captain will make another announcement prior to sail away about any itinerary changes,โ continued the update.
Modern cruise ships – including Valiant Lady, which launched in 2022 – are well equipped to handle rough seas when necessary.
However, re-routing is often still the safer choice, and leads to a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for the guests and crew members onboard.
When Will Hurricane Milton Really Hit?
As Valiant Lady sails away, Hurricane Milton is still relatively far away.
As of the time of this publication, the weather in Miami is cloudy with low winds and a comfortable 79 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a chance of light showers and/or thunderstorms, which isnโt unusual for Florida.
If cruisers werenโt aware that Milton was coming, they probably wouldnโt know anything was amiss.
However, the storm is on its way and is expected to hit the West Coast of the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, potentially as a Category 3 Hurricane.
As of the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) on the afternoon of Sunday, October 6, Milton had reached maximum sustained winds of 80 mph – which is a significant jump up from the 60 mph winds earlier in the morning.
Depending on the path of the storm and how things change over the coming days, itโs possible that Valiant Ladyโs return to Florida could also be impacted – even though Miami is on the stateโs East Coast and the storm is currently expected to make landfall on the West Coast.
Read Also: Milton Forces Royal Caribbean Ships to Adjust Itineraries
Itโs possible there will be some overlap between the 110,000-gross ton shipโs return on October 11, 2024, and the stormโs mid-week arrival.
While the Port of Miami is currently open for all operations, the port is under an advisory from the US Coast Guard – as is Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach, and Port of Ft. Pierce – with gale force winds expected to arrive in the next 72 hours.
โPortMiami is monitoring Tropical Storm #Milton closely. We ask passengers to please check their respective cruise line schedules for updates. PortMiami operations remain normal,โ the cruise port updated on X on October 6, 2024.
Depending on wind speeds and Miltonโs progression, the Coast Guard may add restrictions or temporarily require the port to cease operations for the safety of all passengers, crew, and vessels.