Norwegian Cruise Ship Alters Course in Response to Looming Tropical Storm

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Just a few days after the dissipation of Tropical Storm Debby, which affected several cruise itineraries, another tropical storm is forming.

The Norwegian Breakaway from Norwegian Cruise Line is altering its planned route to evade this upcoming bad weather. Originally scheduled for an Eastern Caribbean journey, the ship will now head to the Western Caribbean.

Passengers were informed about this crucial itinerary adjustment upon boarding, which will modify each scheduled port visit on the 7-night cruise.

“To circumvent the developing tropical cyclone and forecasted inclement weather, we have made the decision to take a safer, alternative route,” the letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained. “While we share your disappointment, these modifications were made with great consideration as your safety, and that of our crew, is always our number one priority.”

The ship was still able to depart from Miami on Sunday, August 11 as scheduled, spending Monday, August 12 at sea, aligning with the initial plans. However, the vessel is now navigating westward instead of eastward, leading to the cancellation of stops at Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay.

Instead, Norwegian Breakaway is set to dock at Roatan, Honduras on Tuesday, August 13, then at Harvest Caye in Belize on Wednesday, followed by Costa Maya on Thursday, and Cozumel on Friday. The revised itinerary incorporates a day at sea on Saturday, August 17, before returning to Miami on Sunday, August 18.

This adjustment ensures that the 145,655-gross-ton vessel remains distant from the tropical storm, facilitating a more serene and pleasant voyage for all guests.

NCL has informed guests that all pre-booked shore tours arranged through the cruise line for the now-cancelled ports of call are being automatically refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. Tours for the new destinations can be booked by visiting the Shore Excursions desk portside on Deck 6 in the ship’s atrium.

If guests have arranged independent tours not through Norwegian Cruise Line, they will need to contact their individual tour operators for cancellations and refunds if possible. Those terms and conditions will be up to individual operators.

Norwegian Breakaway can welcome 3,963 guests and is also home to more than 1,600 international crew members.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five – forecast to become Hurricane Ernesto by mid-week – is currently located 775 miles east of Barbados, moving west-northwest at 21 miles per hour.

Current winds are at a steady 30 miles per hour with higher gusts, and forecasts predict the system will escalate to a tropical depression and transition into a tropical storm by late Monday, August 12.

Forecasters predict the storm will approach closest to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands by Wednesday, August 14, coinciding with what was originally a scheduled port of call for the cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway. The ship has been rerouted to Belize, situated over 1,500 miles west, on that date instead.

Forecasting the trajectory of tropical systems days in advance always involves significant uncertainty, however, the eastern Caribbean appears to be the most threatened by this evolving storm.

Tropical storm watches have already been issued for several renowned islands, including St. Martin, Antigua, and Barbuda, with more watches and warnings expected to be announced soon.

At this time, no impact is expected on mainland US or US homeports, though ships departing from those homeports may experience route adjustments and itinerary changes.

Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise

The storm is expected to turn north well before reaching the Bahamas, which puts it on track to severely impact Bermuda, likely next weekend.

Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas as well as Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Gem may have their upcoming Bermuda cruises impacted, and booked guests should stay alert to possible changes.

Likewise, any cruise travelers with Eastern Caribbean itineraries this week may see changes as cruise lines work to avoid the storm system. Sailing during hurricane season is always a risk, but cruise lines take safety very seriously and will make all necessary changes to keep ships well away from rough weather.

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