Royal Caribbean has a plan for Irma.

You would have to have been in hibernation to have missed the news that a terrifyingly huge F5 hurricane – one of the biggest ever seen in the Atlantic is currently wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and has its sights set on the Florida coast for the coming days.  With recorded wind speeds of up to 185mph she is one of the strongest hurricanes on record and has already claimed a number of lives although as the storm subsides and the clear up task begins it is thought that the death toll will rise due to the sheer force of the storm and the devastation she has already caused.

The storm has already passed over Puerto Rico, Barbuda, St Maarten and St Barts and is moving towards Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic and Haiti before being expected to arrive in Florida Friday evening. Forecasters are now predicting it could strike the entire Atlantic coast and rage into South Carolina and Georgia, where a mandatory evacuation has been ordered.

If you have been following the media coverage it will come as no surprise that Irma is causing travel chaos for holiday makers and evacuees alike. Roads are congested and flights are being cancelled making it difficult to leave the evacuation zones but one cruise line has come up with a genius plan. Royal Caribbean International are reportedly sailing its Miami based employees and their families out to safety on Enchantment of the Seas tomorrow afternoon and will return when the coast is clear and the port of Miami re-opens.

Enchantment was due to be sailing to the Bahamas over the weekend but she is one of many cruise ships that has been pulled back to safety and itineraries cancelled, MSC, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Lines, Celebrity and Carnival have all cancelled sailings scheduled to be in or around the affected areas and are offering clients the chance to rebook or have a refund.

We have a Hurricane Irma Updates page available for clients who are due to travel over the coming days so you can keep your eye on the cancelled sailings and disrupted itinneraries: http://www.cruise.co.uk/bulletin/hurricane-irma-cruise-line-updates/?affref=isabellel

Hopefully you will have booked your arrangements through an ATOL protected travel agent such as ourselves who will be happy to advise and help if needed, but if you did choose to go it alone and book your cruise and flights separate I’m sorry to say you may well be left out of pocket thanks to Irma.