Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew, currently a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, has forced at least two cruise lines (Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean) to make changes to cruise itineraries in the Caribbean.

This is the time of the year that hurricanes occur in the Caribbeans and nothing we can do about it. A hurricane is a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters.

When a storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, it is called a hurricane. Hurricanes originate in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, the eastern North Pacific Ocean, and, less frequently, the central North Pacific Ocean.Hurricane Matthew is projected to pass over the eastern part of Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas over the next 4-5 days.

The storm is currently located to the south of Jamaica and Haiti and is moving west at 7 mph.Carnival Cruise Line has made changes to itineraries for Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Splendor.  Carnival Sunshine’s calls in Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk have been canceled and replaced with stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.  The cruise ship is scheduled to leave Miami, Florida on Saturday for a five night cruise.Royal Caribbean made two changes this week due to the storm.  Allure of the Seas switched stops in St. Thomas and St. Maarten for Labadee and Falmouth.  Adventure of the Seas bypassed St. Lucia and Barbados for St. Maarten, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. It’s very rarely that a cruise has to be cancelled due to a hurricane, as usually changing course is enough to avoid it, sometimes customers are sharing their fears/concerns over it but no need to panic. That’s why at this time of the year those cruises are fairly cheap in price and you can still enjoy this destination year round!