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Hurricane Irma & Maria: Cruise Line Updates

Hurricane Irma & Maria: Cruise Line Updates

A number of cruise lines are having to cancel or reschedule cruises in the Caribbean for the safety of their passengers and staff due to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

With the death toll currently at 8 and winds recorded at up to 185mph, Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean (Category 5) has ripped through the Caribbean, affecting islands such as Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla & Saint-Maarten, with many more islands still at risk.

Update as of 5/10/2017:

Royal Caribbean

Empress of the Seas’ October 7th and 11th cruises to Cuba are no longer modified. Havana welcomed a call from Empress of the Seas on September 20th; the terminal, port and transportation were ready and all tours ran as scheduled.

Royal Caribbean is also continuing to modify some itineraries to incorporate alternative ports to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan:

Adventure of the Seas:

-7/10/17 – St. Croix to Martinique

-14/10/17 – St. Croix to Antigua

-21/10/17 – St. Maarten to St. Kitts

-28/10/17 – St. Maarten to Martinique

Allure of the Seas:

-15/10/17 – St. Maarten & San Juan to Cozumel & Costa Maya

Enchantment of the Seas:

-9/10/17 – Freeport back to Key West

Harmony of the Seas:

-7/10/17– St. Maarten, San Juan & Labadee to Nassau, Cozumel & Costa Maya

-21/10/17 – St. Thomas, San Juan & Labadee to Nassau, Cozumel & Costa Maya

Serenade of the Seas:

-20/10/17 – St. Thomas & St. Maarten to St. Kitts & Antigua

Oasis of the Seas:

-8/10/17 – St. Maarten, San Juan & Labadee to Nassau, Cozumel & Costa Maya

-22/10/17 – St. Maarten & San Juan to Nassau & Falmouth

Carnival

Carnival has modified the following itineraries through the month of October:

-Carnival Magic – October 7th: Departing Port Canaveral on a seven-day cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Roatanand Costa Maya.

-Carnival Vista – October 7th: Departing Miami on an eight-day 8 day cruise to Amber Cove and La Romana, D.R.; Aruba and Curacao.

-Carnival Pride – October 8th: Departing Baltimore on a seven-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

-Carnival Splendor – October 8th: Departing Port Everglades on a six-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove, D.R.

-Carnival Conquest – October 14th: Departing Port Everglades on an eight-day cruise to Amber Cove, D.R., La Romana, D.R., Curacao and Aruba.

-Carnival Glory – October 14th: Departing Miami on a seven-day cruise to Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.

-Carnival Sensation – October 14th: Departing Miami on a five-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

-Carnival Splendor – October 14th: Departing Port Everglades on an eight-day cruise to Princess Cays, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

-Carnival Magic – October 21st: Departing Port Canaveral on a seven-day cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Costa Maya.

-Carnival Vista – October 21st: Departing Miami on an eight-day cruise to Amber Cove, D.R., La Romana, D.R., Aruba and Curacao.

-Carnival Conquest – October 22nd: Departing Port Everglades on a six-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove, D.R.

-Carnival Pride – October 22nd: Departing Baltimore on a seven-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

-Carnival Splendor – October 22nd: Departing Miami on a seven-day cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman.

-Carnival Conquest – October 28th: Departing Port Everglades on an eight-day cruise to Princess Cays, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

-Carnival Sensation – October 28th: Departing Miami on a five-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

-Carnival Glory – October 28th: Departing Miami on a seven-day cruise to Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.

-Carnival Pride – October 29th: Departing Baltimore on a seven-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

Guests will receive a refund on pre-booked shore excursions, taxes, fees and port expenses for canceled destinations to their onboard Sail & Sign account.

Carnival also said that it is working on revisions to the following itineraries, with additional updates to follow shortly:

-Carnival Fascination – October 15th

-Carnival Fascination – October 22nd

-Carnival Fascination – October 29th

 

Disney

Disney has updated a number of sailings on Disney Fantasy to a more westerly route:

-Disney Fantasy – October 7th and October 21st: The new port line-up includes Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Castaway Cay, the Bahamas.

-Disney Fantasy – November 4th: This revised sailing will now visit Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Castaway Cay.

 

MSC

MSC said that it will continue to operate four ships in the Caribbean over the next few months – including MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia and MSC Opera– with the introduction of MSC Seaside in December. The cruise line is working closely with officials in affected areas to continue destination assessments, but in the meantime, it is making the following itinerary updates:

MSC Divina

On the three eastern Caribbean itineraries departing from Miami on October 14th and October 28th and that formerly included Philipsburg (St Maarten) and San Juan (Puerto Rico), MSC Divina will now cruise the following western itinerary:

-Miami/Florida (USA)

-At sea

-Montego Bay (Jamaica)

-George Town (Cayman Islands)

-Costa Maya (Mexico)

-At sea

-Nassau (Bahamas)

-Miami/Florida (USA)

Starting with the itinerary departing from Miami on November 11th, on seven-night eastern Caribbean itineraries, MSC Divina will now call at St John (Antigua and Barbuda), instead of at Philipsburg (St Maarten).

For MSC Divina long cruises departing from Miami in January and February 2018:

  • Departing January 3rd 2018: The ship will call at Oranjestad (Aruba) and Willemstad (Curaçao) instead of at Road Town/Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and Basseterre (St Kitts & Nevis).
  • Departing January 25th 2018: San Juan (Puerto Rico) will replace Philipsburg (St Maarten)
  • Departing February 15th 2018: The ship will call at San Juan (Puerto Rico), Bridgetown (Barbados) and Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe) instead of at Philipsburg (St Maarten), Road Town/Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and St John (Antigua and Barbuda)

MSC Fantasia: November 25th – March 31st 2018

On the MSC Fantasia’s seven-night itineraries from Forte de France (Martinique) and Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), MSC Fantasia will now call at La Romana (Dominican Republic), instead of at Road Town/Tortola (British Virgin Islands), and at Basseterre (St Kitts & Nevis), instead of at Roseau (Dominica), while spending an additional day at sea instead of calling at Philipsburg (St Maarten).

MSC Seaside: December 23rd– March 17th 2018

On MSC Seaside’s eastern Caribbean itineraries departing from Miami, the ship will now call at St John (Antigua and Barbuda), instead of at Philipsburg (St Maarten).

Previously, MSC Cruises had reported that the MSC Opera was able to resume operating regular cruise service out of Havana, Cuba, starting September 16, after the passage of Hurricane Irma.

 

Norwegian Cruise Line

Due to the damage sustained by Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islandsand St. Maarten, Norwegian has altered all of Norwegian Escape’s eastern Caribbean itineraries through the end of the year. The new ports of call are Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, Belize.

The line is also working with local partners to assess any potential damages in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships have otherwise resumed normal operations.

 

Princess

Princess reports that it will have no ships in the Caribbean until Caribbean Princess’ departure from Fort Lauderdale on October 7th. That sailing had previously been modified to replace its October 10th call at St Thomas with a call at San Juan; due to the damage Puerto Rico sustained during Hurricane Maria, that call has now been replaced with a sea day. Guests who booked Princess shore excursions for San Juan will receive a refund to the original form of payment.

Princess Cruises reports that it expects St. Thomas and San Juan in time for the Regal Princess’ December 17th cruise, and that it expects San Juan’s airport to be fully operational by then as well. The line also said that Princess Cays, Grenada, Bonaire, Amber Cove and Curacao are open and accepting cruise calls.

On Crown Princess’ November 8th cruise, the line will replace the planned call at Grand Turk on November 10th with a call at Princess Cays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. November 9th. The ship will be at anchor for this call and a ship-to-shore tender service will be available to go ashore, though wheelchair access may be limited.

The line has also modified a number of sailings on the Regal Princess. The ship’s October 26th Caribbean cruise will replace a call at St Maarten with a call at St Kitts, and will also reschedule the planned Antigua call to October 30th. For the November 5th and 30th departures, the line will replace a call to Dominica with a call to Martinique on the same date. On the ship’s November 19th and 26th, as well as its December 3rd and 10th, departures, the line will replace a call at St. Maarten with a call at Antigua on the same date. For the ship’s December 17th cruise, Princess will replace the St. Maarten call planned for December 22nd with a call to St. Kitts on that same date. For the December 28th cruise, the planned call to Dominica on January 1st 2018, will be replaced with a call to Martinique on the same date.

On Royal Princess’ December 10th and December 30th departures, the line will replace a call at Dominica with a call to Martinique on the same date.

For Pacific Princess’ December 30th Caribbean cruise, the line will replace the planned call to Marigot on December 26th with a call to Guadeloupe (Iles des Saintes) on the same date. The call to Virgin Gorda planned for January 2nd 2018, will be replaced with a call to St. Croix on the same date.

Guests who booked Princess shore excursions to cancelled ports will receive a refund to the original form of payment. Shore excursions for replacement ports will be available within the next two weeks, or may be booked onboard.

None of the cruise line’s western Caribbean or Panama Canal cruises have been changed.

 

We will update this page with the latest itinerary changes as and when they are released. Visit this page again for further details. 

 

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