Hurricane Dorian is definitely causing some headaches for Cruise passengers, either from a shortened cruise or even ships that are staying out to sea to avoid home ports being closed. All this is wrecking havoc on everyone wanting to arrive at their home port for the next upcoming cruise.
Hurricane Dorian Current Position
(September 1st 2019 5.00am)
Right now as of 5.00am Hurricane Dorian is located about 70 miles or 110 km east of Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. In relation to Florida, it’s about 255 miles or 410 km east of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Now whilst this is good news for the Cruising community, it’s put the entire Bahamian Island chain at risk. We all know too well the effects previous Hurricanes have done to this part of the world.
The current forecast is still warming of life-threatening storm surge, Hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall. Dorian’s current sustained winds are 150 miles per hour or 240 kilometers per hour. Even typing that last sentence is hard to fathom.
Current United States Mainland Weather
A tropical storm watch is in effect for portions of Florida east coast. Because Dorian’s track has slowed and turned northward storm surge and dangerous winds are likely during the middle part of the coming week.
Coastal Areas of Georgia and the Carolinas also are going to see an increased risk of strong winds and dangerous storm surge. Heavy rain capable of life-threatening flash floods is also possible along the entire coastline from Florida to North Carolina from Monday through Thursday.
Cruise Line Travel Updates
All of the below updates are as current as possible to within minutes of publishing this news article. Of course please contact your cruise line, or refer to their website as updates are happening almost hours at this stage as many factors are affecting the plans of each ship.
Celebrity Cruise (Scheduling Updates)
“We’ll continue to keep a close eye on the weather conditions. If we need to make any changes to your itinerary, we will let you know as soon as we can. Your safety and the safety of our crew is our primary concern”
Celebrity Equinox August 31st, 2019
The Equinox managed to sail off on her current 7-day itinerary with calls of San Juan, St Thomas, and Tortola. However, at this stage, the last stop of Nassau might be affected.
Royal Caribbean (Scheduling Updates)
- We closed CocoCay on Wednesday, August 28th, 2019, and plan to reopen it on Wednesday, September 4th, 2019. Our CocoCay Team is made up of over 400 people, and the majority are locals. So, it’s important that they evacuate to care for their families and secure their homes, as soon as possible.
- Currently, we don’t anticipate changes to any of our itineraries that depart on or after September 6th, 2019. Should anything change, we will contact impacted guests and Travel Partners directly.
Allure of the Seas 8/25/19 Sailing
We’re now extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We’ve added a visit Roatan on 8/31/19 and Costa Maya on 9/01/19. We will then have two sea days before we return to Fort Lauderdale on 09/04/19.
Allure of the Seas 9/01/19 Sailing
We’ve had to shorten this sailing, unfortunately, and will now depart on Wednesday, 9/04/19. The itinerary will remain the same for the days left of the voyage.
Empress of the Seas 8/24/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We have added a visit to Roatan on 8/31/19 and George Town, Grand Cayman on 9/02/19, before returning to Miami on 09/04/19.
Empress of the Seas 9/01/19 Sailing
We’ve had to shorten this sailing, unfortunately, and will now depart on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We will now cruise to Nassau and arrive there on 9/06/19. Our return will be as scheduled.
Harmony of the Seas 8/25/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We’ve added an additional visit to Cozumel on 8/31/19 and will stay there until 9/01/19. We will then have two sea days before we return to Port Canaveral on 09/04/19.
Harmony of the Seas 9/01/19 Sailing
We’ve had to shorten this sailing, unfortunately, and will now depart on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We will now cruise to Labadee and arrive there on 9/06/19. Our return will be as scheduled.
Majesty of the Seas 8/28/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We will overnight in Cozumel on 8/31/19 before returning to Miami on 09/04/19.
Majesty of the Seas 9/02/19 Sailing
We’ve had to shorten this sailing, unfortunately, and will now depart on Wednesday, 9/04/19. The itinerary will remain the same for the days left of the voyage.
Mariner of the Seas 8/30/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We sail to Cozumel on 9/01/19 and Costa Maya on 9/02/19. We’ll then have one more sea day on 9/03/19, before returning to Port Canaveral.
Mariner of the Seas 9/02/19 Sailing
Sailing will depart 9/04/19, instead of 9/02/19
Navigator of the Seas 8/30/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We sail to Costa Maya on 9/01/19 and Cozumel on 9/02/19. We’ll then have one more sea day on 9/03/19, before returning to Miami.
Navigator of the Seas 9/02/19 Sailing
Sailing will depart 9/04/19, instead of 9/02/19
Symphony 8/31/19 Sailing
We’re extending this sailing and will return on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We will no longer sail to Nassau. We will now have a sea day on 9/01/19, then visit Costa Maya on 9/02/19. We’ll then have one more sea day on 9/03/19, before returning to Miami.
Symphony of the Seas 9/03/19 Sailing
We’ve had to shorten this sailing, unfortunately, and will now depart on Wednesday, 9/04/19. We will be removing our sea day and will still be visiting the same ports.
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Norwegian Cruise Line (Scheduling Updates)
“We continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean and are in constant communication with the United States Coast Guard. While it is our every intention to maintain the original itinerary as much as possible, the safety and security of our guests and crew always take precedence”
Norwegian Breakaway – August 25, 2019 Sailing
Due to Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, the United States Coast Guard are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for the storm and have made the final decision to close PortMiami this evening, August 31, 2019. As such, Norwegian Breakaway’s scheduled return on September 1 has been postponed. We are working closely with government and local port authorities to confirm the ship’s anticipated return of September 4.
Norwegian Breakaway – September 1, 2019 Sailing
Due to Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, the United States Coast Guard are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for the storm and have made the final decision to close PortMiami this evening, August 31, 2019. As such, Norwegian Breakaway’s seven-day Western Caribbean cruise will be modified. She will no longer call to Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; nor Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Instead, she will sail a modified four-day itinerary, which will include a sail date of Wednesday, September 4, pending approval by the government and local port authorities. If confirmed, she will spend a day at sea on September 5, call to Cozumel, Mexico on September 6 and remain at sea on September 7 before returning to Miami, Florida on September 8, as planned.
Norwegian Sun – August 29, 2019 Sailing
Norwegian Sun departed from Port Canaveral, Florida on Thursday, August 29, 2019, as scheduled. Her calls to Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay and Freeport, Bahamas have been canceled. The ship spent a day at sea on Friday, August 30, and will now overnight in Cozumel, Mexico on August 31, departing September 1 at 6 p.m. We are in communication with the United States Coast Guard regarding the availability of Port Canaveral for Norwegian Sun’s scheduled arrival on September 2.
Norwegian Sun – September 2, 2019 Sailing
We are closely monitoring the storm and will provide an update by 3 p.m. or sooner Sunday, September 1, 2019.
MSC Cruises (Scheduling Updates)
“As the safety and security of our guests and crew is MSC Cruises’ top priority, we are closely monitoring Hurricane Dorian. For cruise itinerary information on MSC Seaside and MSC Armonia”
MSC Armonia – cruise departed August 26
Those guests who are currently on MSC Armonia will have an extended cruise until Wed., Sept. 4. The extended itinerary includes:
Sat., Aug. 31 – At Sea
Sun., Sept. 1 – Costa Maya, Mexico (8 AM – 6 PM)
Mon., Sept. 2 – Cozumel, Mexico (8 AM – 6 PM)
Tues., Sept. 3 – At Sea
Wed., Sept. 4 – Arrive in Miami
MSC Armonia – cruise departing September 2
MSC Armonia’s itinerary has been changed. Guests scheduled to embark on Sept. 2 will now be offered a 5-day cruise, embarking on Wednesday, September 4. The itinerary will follow as:
Wed., Sept. 4 – Depart Miami
Thurs., Sept. 5 – At Sea
Fri., Sept. 6 – Cozumel, Mexico (8 AM – 6 PM)
Sat., Sept. 7 – Costa Maya, Mexico (7 AM – 4 PM)
Sun., Sept. 8 – At Sea
Mon., Sept. 9 – Arrive in Miami
Guests who were originally booked on the Sept. 2nd MSC Armonia cruise and who choose to take the shortened cruise outlined above will be automatically refunded for 2 days of their cruise. The amount for the two days will be refunded directly to their credit card. Alternatively, guests who are currently booked on the cruise who choose not to sail, are able to cancel and will be refunded the full amount of their cruise fare with no cancellation fees. The full amount will be refunded directly to their credit card and no penalties will apply.
Disney Cruise Line (Scheduling Updates)
“We continue to closely monitor the path and progress of Hurricane Dorian to ensure our guests enjoy safe and comfortable cruises, and to make certain our ships steer clear of the storm. The safety of our guests and crew is always our foremost concern”
Disney Dream – Monday, September 2
Based on our most recent conversations with ports in Florida and to help our Guests better finalize their travel plans, we have decided to turn this cruise into a two-night sailing, with an expected departure from Port Canaveral on Wednesday, September 4, and an expected return to Port Canaveral on Friday, September 6.
At this time, we anticipate Disney Dream will visit Disney Castaway Cay on Thursday, September 5, dependent on whether it is impacted by Hurricane Dorian.
FULL HURRICANE DORIAN COVERAGE:
LIVE Hurricane Dorian Cruise Updates (Royal, NCL, Celebrity, MSC)
Carnival Cruise Line Itinerary Changes Ahead of Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Dorian Begins to Impact Cruise Scheduling
Hurricane Dorian begins to Intensify as it passes by St Thomas
Tropical Storm Dorian Claims it’s first Carnival Ship
