Hurricane Ernesto Impacts All Cruise Ships: What You Need to Know

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The Atlantic hurricane season is moving into its most intense phase, and as of 11 a.m. AST on August 14, 2024, Tropical Storm Ernesto has been upgraded to a hurricane. It now boasts maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

Originating as a low-pressure system over the tropical Atlantic Ocean last weekend, Ernesto quickly evolved through the stages of a tropical system. By the start of August 12, it had developed into a tropical depression, gaining strength and structure rapidly.

By the following day, Ernesto reached tropical storm status, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to the eastern Caribbean.

However, cruise lines scheduled to head to the islands in the wake of its path kept tabs on the weather patterns and quickly altered itineraries. Here’s a look at which ships have been affected by Hurricane Ernesto.

Carnival Cruise Line proactively adjusted the itineraries of two of its ships as Ernesto approached. For the Carnival Pride, which departed from Baltimore, Maryland, on August 11 with more than 2,000 passengers on a 7-night sailing, moved up its only scheduled call.

Initially meant to dock at Kings Wharf in Bermuda at 8 a.m. on August 14, the ship arrived at 5 p.m. on August 13. The change allows passengers as much time on the island as possible as the ship will now depart a day early, on August 15.

Rough Seas on a Cruise Ship – How They Handle it

With the impending arrival of Ernesto in Puerto Rico on August 14, Carnival Magic, which embarked on a 7-night journey on August 11 with capacity for 3,690 passengers, omitted its San Juan stop.

The ship, a 130,000-gross-ton vessel, adjusted its schedule by advancing its visits to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and the Turks & Caicos. It also included an additional stop at Nassau, Bahamas, on August 16 to compensate for the change.

As of the latest report, the ship was at Grand Turk with an urgent call for passengers to reboard earlier than planned due to the deteriorating weather conditions caused by Ernesto.

From Miami, the approximately 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway set sail on a 7-night Caribbean cruise, initially planned to visit several islands in the path of the storm, such as St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The 146,600-gross-ton ship rehauled its itinerary and headed west. Currently enjoying a day at Norwegian Cruise Line’s private destination, Harvest Caye in Belize, the vessel visited Roatan, Honduras, and will continue to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, before returning home on August 18.

The 77,104-gross-ton Norwegian Sky also transitioned to a western route from its Miami homeport. Its 9-day Eastern Caribbean route, which launched August 12 with up to 2,004 guests, changed to the same calls, but with two extra days is also visiting Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas has become the latest ship in the fleet to change itinerary due to Hurricane Ernesto. The ship’s August 15 sailing out of Cape Liberty in New Jersey has canceled its port visit to Bermuda. Instead, the vessel will be sailing to Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos islands. The full details are right here.

The world’s largest cruise ship, the 248,663-gross-ton Icon of the Seas, also swapped the eastern Caribbean for the west for its roundtrip voyage from Miami. Departing on August 10, the ship cancelled its calls to St. Kitts and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The passenger ship, harbored currently in Costa Maya and having a capacity of 5,610 people, has already made stops in Cozumel and Roatan. Its journey will culminate after a 10-hour stay at Royal Caribbean’s exclusive island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, before it heads back on August 17.

In the meantime, Symphony of the Seas, which embarked from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, on August 9, altered its itinerary to include a repeat visit to Nassau on August 15, foregoing its originally planned stop at Puerto Plata.

This 228,081-gross-ton vessel, which can carry up to 5,518 passengers, has also visited Perfect Day at CocoCay, Port Canaveral in Florida, and made its first stop in Nassau on August 12.

Rhapsody of the Seas, weighing 78,491 gross tons and based in San Juan, set sail on August 11, just before a storm. It revised its route to begin in Barbados, then proceeded to St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, planning to return to its home port on August 18, accommodating over 2,400 guests.

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