With Hurricane Florence headed towards the East Coast, several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line have made changes to cruises and are continuing to monitor the situation as the storm is expected to strengthen.
Hurricane Florence is currently out in the Atlantic Ocean and has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, down from a high of 130 mph. The storm is forecast to regain strength as a major hurricane as it passes south of Bermuda.
Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean have changes to cruise itineraries. Here’s the latest information that has been released by cruise lines:
Norwegian Cruise Line – Norwegian has changed the itinerary on two of their cruise ships. Norwegian Escape was scheduled for a seven night cruise to Bermuda on September 9. The ship will now call on Port Canaveral, Nassau, and the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. Norwegian Escape is currently sailing out of New York City.
Norwegian Dawn will also bypass Bermuda on the September 7 sailing out of Boston and will now sail to Canada and Maine. The new port stops are Halifax, St. John, and Bar Harbor, Maine.
Royal Caribbean has changed the September 8 sailing on Grandeur of the Seas. The ship will no longer visit Bermuda and will now have an overnight stay in Nassau, Bahamas. Royal Caribbean is offering passengers a 50% refundable onboard credit of their cruise fare. They will also receive a 50% credit towards a future cruise booked in the next year. For guests who wish to not sail on the modified itinerary, they will receive a 100% credit towards a future cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line has made one change so far to an itinerary. Carnival Pride will no longer stop in Bermuda but will now have port stops in Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Freeport. As a gesture of goodwill, Carnival will provide a 25% future cruise credit towards passenger’s next Carnival vacation, which must be used to book a cruise on a sailing taking place before March 7, 2020.
Cruise Fever will continue to monitor changes made by cruise lines and will update this article if more changes to cruises are made.
It is rare for a cruise line to cancel a cruise due to a tropical storm or hurricane. Cruise lines will alter the itinerary of a cruise to keep guests and crew away from storms. Read: What happens if there is a hurricane during my cruise?
For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit the National Hurricane Center.
