Cruise lines operating in the Caribbean have had to make significant adjustments to their itineraries in light of Hurricane Ernesto. The Norwegian Breakaway, which set sail from Miami on August 11 for an Eastern Caribbean voyage, had to reroute to the Western Caribbean. This change included stops at Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, and Cozumel in Mexico; as well as the line’s private destination in Belize, Harvest Caye.
The Norwegian Sky’s journey on August 12, originally planned for a 9-day Eastern Caribbean route, was redirected to the Western Caribbean. Additional ports of call for this new itinerary included Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Similarly, the Norwegian Joy’s Bermuda cruise from New York City had to adjust its schedule to arrive one day earlier than planned. Despite this change, passengers still had the opportunity to spend two days at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda before departing on August 16.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas had to modify its itinerary from a 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing to a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary. This included stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, as well as Roatan in Honduras. The Rhapsody of the Seas also made changes to its schedule, reordering its ports of call to accommodate the storm. This revised itinerary featured visits to Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; St. Johns, Antigua; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Symphony of the Seas had to forego its visit to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic on its August 9 sailing and instead arrived in Nassau, Bahamas. The Carnival Pride, sailing from Baltimore to Bermuda, had to change its departure date from August 15 to August 13. Carnival Magic’s Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami was forced to cancel a visit to San Juan on August 14 but added a stop in Nassau as a replacement.
The impact of Hurricane Ernesto on Caribbean cruise itineraries has been significant. Passengers have had to adjust their travel plans and cruise lines have made changes to ensure the safety and comfort of their guests. Despite these disruptions, the cruise industry remains resilient and continues to provide memorable experiences for travelers in the region.