Royal Caribbean Modifies Itineraries in Response to Hurricane Rafael

Royal Caribbean International is making changes to the itineraries of four of its vessels in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Rafael.

One of the ships affected is the Radiance of the Seas, which will no longer be sailing to the Bahamas after departing from Tampa on November 2.

In a communication sent to guests on board, the cruise line announced that the ship’s route has been altered to now include the Western Caribbean.

“We’ve been closely monitoring the weather conditions along our planned route with our Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer as a developing storm system is expected to bring stronger winds, potentially affecting our scheduled ports and making them unsafe,” the message stated.

Originally, the Radiance of the Seas was set to visit Freeport, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Nassau, and Bimini during its week-long cruise to the Bahamas.

“Consequently, we won’t be able to visit the scheduled ports on our itinerary. To enhance your sailing experience, we will be exploring some of the beloved destinations in the Western Caribbean,” Royal Caribbean explained.

Before heading back to Tampa as planned on November 9, the ship will now make stops at Cozumel, Roatán, Belize City, and Costa Maya.

“We sincerely apologize for the abrupt changes due to the weather—your safety remains our utmost priority. Please keep in mind that being on board is one of the safest places to be as we can navigate more swiftly out of any adverse weather conditions,” the company noted.

Additionally, the Vision of the Seas, which is offering a nine-night cruise from Baltimore, has also seen modifications to its itinerary to steer clear of Rafael.

Rather than visiting Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, the ship will now be making a longer stay at King’s Wharf in Bermuda.

Other ships affected by the storm include the Freedom of the Seas, which is altering its port days on its six-night cruise to the Western Caribbean, and the Brilliance of the Seas.

The Brilliance of the Seas, sailing from New Orleans, is also making changes to its port visits during a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.