Hurricane Beryl Disrupts Multiple Caribbean Cruise Itineraries

After passing through Jamaica on Wednesday, Hurricane Beryl continues to affect the itineraries of cruise ships in the Caribbean.

According to AccuWeather, the tropical storm is currently crossing the region with wind speeds up to 165 mph.

One of the ships recently impacted by Beryl is the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Originally scheduled to offer a cruise to the Western Caribbean, the 2,100-guest vessel is now sailing to the Bahamas after departing from Tampa Bay on July 2.

“Our Captain, engineering team, and crew have been actively monitoring the progress of Hurricane Beryl across the Southern Caribbean and potential impacts to our currently scheduled itinerary,” Margaritaville at Sea said in a statement shared with passengers onboard.

“Due to the storm’s currently projected path, and for the safety and comfort of all our passengers and crew, the destination port for our sailing has changed,” the company added.

Instead of visiting Progreso in Mexico, the Islander is now scheduled to visit Nassau in the Bahamas. A scheduled visit to Key West was also confirmed by the company.

Other ships that recently made changes to their itineraries include Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas.

Sailing from Tampa to Cozumel and Costa Maya, the vessel switched the order of the ports of call in its itinerary.

The Enchanted Princess was also impacted by Beryl, dropping a planned visit to Belize. In addition to a new stop in Nassau, the Princess ship’s itinerary is now set to visit Cozumel one day earlier.

After confirming changes to the itineraries of the Carnival Horizon and the Carnival Liberty, Carnival Cruise Line informed guests that no additional changes to cruises or homeports have been made at this time.

In a statement shared on July 3, the company said its Fleet Operations Center in Miami and onboard teams at sea continue to track Hurricane Beryl for possible impacts to sailing routes.

“The safety of our guests and crew is paramount, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities,” Carnival said.

“Our thoughts are with those who are being impacted by the storm,” the company added, noting that guests will be notified if any additional changes to itineraries are made.

In Jamaica, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has convened several urgent strategy meetings to discuss the impact of the hurricane.

In addition to discussing preparation plans with local authorities and establishments, Bartlett also said he is maintaining contact with cruise lines and airlines.

“I urge all tourism stakeholders to remain vigilant and to follow all safety guidelines to ensure the protection of life and property,” he added.