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Tropical Storm Ernesto forces cruise itinerary changes in the Caribbean

Several cruise lines have adjusted their itineraries due to Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was impacting the northern Caribbean with heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas as it approached Puerto Rico on Tuesday evening, August 13.

As of 8:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, both CCL-Carnival and RCI-Royal Caribbean reported changes to avoid the storm.

Carnival Pride , sailing from Baltimore to Bermuda, advanced her visit by a day, now arriving on Tuesday and departing on Thursday.

Carnival Magic , on an Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami Florida , canceled the stop in San Juan Puerto Rico on Wednesday, replacing it with a visit to Nassau Bahamas on Friday.

Additionally, Carnival is closely monitoring the itineraries of Carnival Freedom and Mardi Gras for possible adjustments.

Royal Caribbean also made modifications. Icon of the Seas switched to a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, now visiting Cozumel Mexico ; Roatan Honduras ; and Costa Maya Mexico , instead of its planned Eastern Caribbean route.

Rhapsody of the Seas reordered her ports of call, visiting Bridgetown Barbados on Tuesday; Castries St Lucia on Wednesday; St John’s Antigua on Thursday; Phillipsburg St. Maarten on Friday; and St. Croix USV I on Saturday.

Symphony of the Seas will now stop in Nassau  instead of Puerto Plata, Dominicana .

Meanwhile, Holland America and Princess Cruises have no ships currently operating in the Caribbean.

Virgin Voyages confirmed that its Valiant Lady is the only ship in the Caribbean and remains unaffected by the storm.

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Storm Ernesto: Nearly a dozen cruise ships forced to change course ahead of freak weather

Nearly a dozen cruise lines announced that they have changed itineraries in order to avoid a tropical storm in the caribbean..

Nearly a dozen cruise lines have announced changes to their itineraries or port date to steer clear of Hurricane Ernesto.

The tropical storm in the northern Caribbean has left nearly half of Puerto Ricans without power.

As of Wednesday, Carnival, Celebrity and Norwegian cruise lines confirmed it would be rerouting ships to avoid the storm.

• World's largest cruise ship forced off course by deadly Hurricane Beryl
• Hurricane Beryl forcing major cruise line to change itineraries - listed

Hurricane season spans from June through November.

Earlier this year, Hurricane Beryl also forced several cruise lines to reroute their ships.

All of the cruise lines who have made adjustments for Hurricane Ernesto

1. Carnival Pride

Carnival announced on its website that Carnival Pride will be departing from Bermuda a day earlier than scheduled.

2. Carnival Magic

Instead of its original itinerary to sock at San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, an Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami will visit Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday.

3. Carnival Freedom

While changes have not been announced, the Carnival Freedom ship is “being closely monitored for potential changes, but no changes have been at this time.”

4. Mardi Gras

While changes have not been announced, the Mardi Gras ship is “being closely monitored for potential changes, but no changes have been at this time.”

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5. Icon of the Seas

The ship will now go on its seven-night Eastern Caribbean tour instead of Western Caribbean tour, which stops at Cozumel, Mexico ; Roatan, Honduras; and Costa Maya, Mexico .

6. Rhapsody of the Seas

The ship changed its itinerary and is now slated to visit Bridgetown, Barbados, on Tuesday; Castries, St. Lucia, on Wednesday; St. John’s, Antigua, on Thursday; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten, on Friday; and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, on Saturday.

7. Symphony of the Seas

The ship will not visit Nassau, Bahamas, instead of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

8. Norwegian Breakaway

Its Eastern Caribbean voyage slated to leave Aug. 11 has been changed to a Western Caribbean itinerary.

It will now visit Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico ; and Norwegian’s private resort-style destination, Harvest Caye, Belize.

9. Norwegian Sky

Similarly, its Aug. 12 Eastern Caribbean ship will now stop at its Western Caribbean destinations, including George Town, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica."

10. Norwegian Joy

Lastly, the Aug. 11 ship will sail to Bermuda on Tuesday, a day earlier than planned. It will dock for two days before departing on Friday.

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Tropical Storm Ernesto Disrupts Cruise Ships

Tropical Storm Ernesto's path through the Atlantic has disrupted two Carnival cruise ships planning to sail in the storm's track.

Ernesto became a tropical storm on Monday after moving quickly through the Caribbean, and meteorologists expect it to evolve into a hurricane later this week, given the storm is continuing to gain strength. Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. As of Tuesday afternoon, the storm's maximum sustained winds were measured at 60 miles per hour.

Ernesto's path has caused Carnival to modify two of its cruise ships' paths to avoid encountering the storm. Plans for Carnival Pride and Carnival Magic were both altered to account for the storm.

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Reached for comment, a Carnival spokesperson directed Newsweek to its most recent update on its website.

"Carnival Pride is sailing a Bermuda cruise from Baltimore. The ship's two-day visit to Bermuda will now arrive Tuesday, Aug. 13 and depart Thursday, Aug. 15, one day earlier than scheduled," the update said.

"Carnival Magic is sailing an Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami and has cancelled a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Aug. 14. A visit to Nassau, Bahamas was added on Friday, Aug. 16."

Guest and crew safety remains a top priority for Carnival, the update said, and the cruise line's Fleet Operations Center in Miami will continue to monitor the storm and consider guidance from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the U.S. Coast Guard and local port authorities.

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Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue in the Leeward Islands on Tuesday and will affect the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Tuesday night, according to a recent NHC forecast.

"Hurricane conditions are also possible on the Virgin Islands, Culebra, and Vieques this evening and tonight," the Tuesday morning forecast said. "Heavy rainfall may result in locally considerable flash flooding and mudslides in areas of the Leeward Islands through today, and over the Virgin Islands into Puerto Rico by later today through Wednesday. Ernesto is likely to bring impacts to Bermuda later this week."

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Ernesto is not expected to directly affect the U.S. But NHC Director Michael Brennan warned earlier this week that the storm could "create dangerous surf and rip current conditions across much of the western Atlantic basin, especially along the U.S. East Coast beginning from Friday into this weekend."

NHC hurricane hunters have learned that the storm was still strengthening as of Tuesday afternoon, the NHC posted on X (formerly Twitter ). The biggest threat remains flooding and mudslides from heavy rain, the post said.

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More Cruise Ship Changes Ahead of Hurricane Ernesto

Image: NOAA

Several cruise ships have had to alter course thanks to the development of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which is expected to hit hurricane status later this week as it nears Bermuda.

The storm, which as of 5am (AST) this morning was about 10 miles southeast of Guadeloupe and 350 miles away from San Juan, will pass directly across several of the Leeward Islands. Current maximum sustained winds are holding at about 40 miles per hour and tropical storm warnings are in effect for St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St. Martin/Maarten, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Pride is sailing a Bermuda cruise that departed from Baltimore on Sunday. Its two-day visit to Bermuda will now arrive today, Aug. 13 and depart Thursday, Aug. 15, one day earlier than scheduled.

Carnival Magic, which is sailing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, has canceled its planned visit to San Juan tomorrow, Aug. 14. A visit to Nassau has been added for Friday, Aug. 16.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Breakaway’s Eastern Caribbean sailing, which departed Miami on Aug. 11, has been changed to a Western Caribbean sailing and is now visiting Roatan, Costa May, Cozumel, and Harvest Caye.

Norwegian Sky’s Eastern Caribbean, which departed Miami on Aug. 12, also switched to a Western Caribbean itinerary and is visiting Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Harvest Caye, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios.

Norwegian Joy’s Bermuda sailing, which departed from New York City on Aug. 11, has also been adjusted and arrived into Bermuda yesterday (Aug. 13), one day early. The ship will stay overnight at the Royal Naval Dockyard for two days, and will depart on Aug. 16.

Royal Caribbean International

Icon of the Seas, which departed PortMiami on Aug. 10, has switched from an Eastern Caribbean itinerary to Western Caribbean. Instead of visiting St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay, with three sea days, the ship will now visit Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya, as well as stopping at Perfect Day, leaving room for only two sea days.

Rhapsody of the Seas, which departed San Juan on Saturday, has swapped the order of its ports of all. The sea day, which was supposed to be the last day of the cruise, was moved to yesterday. The ship will still visit Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Croix, just in a different order.

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Tropical Storm Ernesto Alters Carnival Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line had made a couple of changes to cruises due to Tropical Storm Ernesto that is in the Eastern Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Ernesto currently has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and is moving WNW at 18 mph.  The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane tomorrow. The latest information on the storm can be seen on the National Hurricane Center’s website .

Carnival Cruise Line has made changes to cruise itineraries on two of their ships. They are currently monitoring the storm from their Fleet Operations Center in Miami, Florida.

The cruise line said that the changes were made for the safety of guests and crew onboard the ships.

Carnival Pride arrived in Bermuda this morning but will now leave a day early since the island is in the storm’s current projected path. The ship arrived in Bermuda a day early and will leave a day early on Thursday.

Carnival Magic is currently on a seven night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami. The port stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico has been cancelled and a port stop in Nassau, Bahamas has been added for Friday.

Read More: What Happens When There is a Hurricane During My Cruise

Carnival said that they will continue to watch the storm and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities.

Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30. It is rare that cruises get canceled due to storms. Cruise lines will adjust itineraries to keep guests and crew members safe.

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Carnival cruise ship battered by waves in storm off Charleston

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: May 29, 2023 / 4:16 PM EDT / CBS News

A storm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, battered a Carnival cruise ship for hours late Friday night before it docked, leaving passengers terrified.

Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunshine described shattered glass, water pouring into rooms and hallways, the ship pitching about and a lack of communication from cruise staff. Some passengers and crew members needed "minor assistance" from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News. "Guests on board the ship were safe," the spokesman added. 

Carnival Sunshine, which was headed from the Bahamas to South Carolina, arrived in Charleston behind schedule, according to the spokesman. Some crew cabins needed to be temporarily taken out of service because of water damage. The ship's next voyage, on which it has since embarked, was also delayed.

The National Hurricane Center on Friday warned of a non-tropical area of low pressure off Florida that was set to move northward and inland over the Carolinas during the weekend. Forecasters said there would be gusty winds, dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the U.S.'s southeastern coast through Sunday.

Passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking. She said that the only time passengers heard from the captain was in the afternoon, when he told them he had an experienced crew and would do everything he could to minimize discomfort as the ship encountered the storm. 

"They said it will get worse as we get closer to the storm," she tweeted. "@CarnivalCruise  is doing an EXCELLENT job!"

She tweeted again on Saturday afternoon, describing " 14 hours of high winds, rain and massive waves ." 

"We were surrounded by lightning and the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two," Tutrone tweeted.

Several passengers, including Brenda Goodwin Sherbert, posted on social media about broken glass on the ship . They also wrote about water coming in through balcony doors.

"We had a 40 foot wave hit our side of the ship,.. we almost fell out the bed.. things were crashing all around us and the carpet on my side of the bed was soaked bc water came in thru our balcony door," Goodwin Sherbert wrote.

Passenger Reid Overcash, who was on the cruise with his wife, said televisions on the ship displayed a message during the storm: "Public address announcement please standby." 

He said it was when winds had reached between 70-90 mph and the ship was tilting left that he truly feared for his life.

"Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come and rescue us with winds over 40 knots," Overcash said.

The trip marked Overcash's seventh cruise. He said he's not going to let the frightening experience stop him from going on more cruises in the future. 

"It's just one of them unlucky experiences that occurs once in a while," he said.

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Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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Cruising during hurricane season: What to know — and should you go?

Veteran cruisers know that fall is a great time to snag a deal on a cruise to the Caribbean or Bahamas. But the deals come with a big caveat: Fall is hurricane season in these regions, and there's a chance a hurricane or tropical storm could disrupt your sailing.

During most years, at least a few fall cruises are affected by storms. In some years, dozens of voyages are affected.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Still, even during peak hurricane season weeks (more on that below), most sailings in the Caribbean and the Bahamas are completed without a hitch. Here's what you need to know before committing to cruising during hurricane season in these regions.

When is hurricane season for cruises?

In theory, a hurricane or tropical storm can develop in the Atlantic at any time. Still, the vast majority of such storms — about 97%, according to the National Hurricane Center — occur between June 1 and Nov. 30 of any given year. This is the period known as hurricane season in the Atlantic, and it typically brings about 14 named tropical storms, half of which become hurricanes.

Within this time frame, the peak period for tropical storms in the Atlantic, by far, is the weeks between mid-August and mid-October. This is the key "iffy zone," as I like to call it, for cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas , as well as sailings out of eastern U.S. ports to Bermuda and New England.

Still, even during peak weeks for hurricane formation, the odds of your cruise being affected by a hurricane are relatively small. A glance at any cruise booking site will show hundreds of sailings departing for the Caribbean and the Bahamas each year during cruise hurricane season. In most years, though, only a small portion of these are affected by tropical storms.

Even during the busiest of hurricane seasons, there will be many weeks without a single tropical storm in the Caribbean or Bahamas. When a large storm does swirl through the Caribbean or Bahamas, it'll likely only affect a small portion of the region and, thus, only a small number of cruise ships.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Caribbean is enormous in comparison to the size of a typical hurricane. The distance between Belize, on the western end of the Caribbean Sea, and the easternmost Leeward Islands is nearly 2,000 miles. The hurricane-force winds of a typical small hurricane, by contrast, extend just 25 miles out from its center. The hurricane-force winds from a large hurricane might extend as far as 150 miles from its center.

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

Even a giant hurricane that is bearing down on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands (a common port on Eastern Caribbean sailings), for instance, is likely to have little or no impact on a Western Caribbean or Southern Caribbean sailing happening at that time.

Trying to predict where tropical storms will hit in any given year is a fool's game. But if you're playing the odds, one area that is known for seeing fewer storms on average is the southern part of the Caribbean. The southerly islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (common stops on Southern Caribbean itineraries), in particular, are far south of the typical hurricane track and experience few fall storms.

How many hurricanes are expected in 2024?

For the 2024 hurricane season specifically, the U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an above-normal year with 17 to 25 named storms, of which eight to 13 would become hurricanes.

Of those, four to seven could become major hurricanes, according to the forecast.

The agency cited several factors that tend to favor tropical storm formation, including near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, the development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific, and reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear.

NOAA's prediction was released on May 23.

In April, another major hurricane forecasting group at Colorado State University also predicted a year with many hurricanes. Its forecast calls for an "extremely active" year with 23 named storms for the season as a whole, of which 11 would become hurricanes.

Of those, five could become major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph or more, according to the Colorado State University forecast.

The Colorado State team also cited warm ocean temperatures as a factor for the elevated forecast.

Your hurricane season cruise itinerary could change

When a tropical storm does appear in one part of the Caribbean or Bahamas, the standard response from cruise lines is to reroute ships in that area to other parts of the Caribbean or Bahamas that are well clear of the storm. This can mean a last-minute change to your cruise itinerary.

Depending on the forecasted track of the storm, the change could be relatively minor — a port stop being pushed back by a day, for instance, or one port being swapped for another port. It could also be far more significant.

To avoid storms, cruise lines will sometimes completely rework an itinerary. A ship on an Eastern Caribbean sailing to such stops as St. Thomas and St. Kitts might reroute to such Western Caribbean ports as Cozumel, Mexico, and Falmouth, Jamaica.

In some cases, a storm will cause a port to be dropped from an itinerary with no new port added as a replacement. Occasionally, you'll see cruises shortened or extended by a day or two or even three.

The latter situation can occur when a storm is forecast to pass between a ship and its home port around the time the vessel is scheduled to be heading home. The ship either will return to the home port early to arrive before the storm or stay out at sea for extra days to wait for the storm to pass.

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In rare cases when a home port closes due to a storm, ships have been known to sail to an alternative port to drop off passengers. In such situations, the vessels sometimes will depart on their next cruise from the alternative port. Cruises are canceled occasionally when a home port experiences extended disruptions related to storms, but this is relatively rare.

You aren't entitled to compensation for itinerary changes

Cruise lines aren't obligated to offer you compensation if they change an itinerary due to weather. The fine print in cruise contracts allows them to make such changes when they see fit. However, that doesn't mean they never offer compensation.

In the case of a port swap — when one port is substituted for another — there typically isn't any compensation offered. When a port is missed without a substitute, though, there's a chance you might be offered an onboard credit as compensation. Just don't count on it. Lines will also refund the cost of any prepaid shore excursions scheduled for the missed port and the portion of port taxes and fees you paid in advance that are associated with that port.

In the case of a shortened voyage, lines will typically offer a prorated refund for the lost days. On the flip side, when cruises are extended, lines generally won't charge passengers anything more for the extra days — at least for room, board and entertainment. Passengers typically will still have to pay for onboard extras such as drinks and spa treatments.

When cruises are shortened or extended due to weather, cruise lines will often aid passengers who need to change post-cruise travel plans. They might offer free phone calls from the ship or free internet access to make it easier for passengers to contact airlines and hotels to make changes.

You won't get a refund if you cancel a cruise to avoid a storm

As a rule, cruise lines don't offer refunds to passengers who cancel a voyage on short notice, even if there's a big storm brewing in the area where the cruise is scheduled to take place.

If you see there's a hurricane churning toward the Caribbean a few days before your departure, you can't call your cruise line, cancel the trip and expect to get your money back.

From the cruise line's point of view, the cruise will go on — it just might be adjusted a bit. (Or not, depending on how the storm tracks over the coming days.) As far as the line sees it, you're still about to get what you paid for: a wonderful cruise vacation.

That said, there are exceptions to the rule. When a line knows in advance that a storm will cause a significant alteration to a voyage (for instance, lost days due to a delayed departure), it sometimes will allow passengers to cancel for a refund or credit toward a future cruise.

This happened in 2017 when some lines delayed departures out of Florida as Hurricane Irma approached. The lines that delayed departures allowed passengers to cancel for a refund in the form of a cruise credit. Alternatively, passengers could proceed with the shortened trips and receive a prorated refund for the missed days.

Related: The best time to cruise to the Bahamas

When a line cancels a departure outright, it's sometimes the case that it will offer passengers both a refund for the trip and a future cruise credit they can apply to their next sailing. This sort of response was on display in 2017 as Irma's approach prompted some lines to cancel itineraries altogether.

One problem that cruisers encounter in these (relatively rare) situations where a cruise line cancels a sailing due to a storm is that the cancellation usually comes at the last minute. That could leave you in limbo in the days leading up to your cruise, wondering whether your cruise is on or not. If a hurricane is headed for your departure port, you might have to decide whether to travel to the departure port (and possibly into a dangerous storm) or stay home and risk losing all the money you paid for the sailing.

Each line approaches compensation issues differently, and some are historically more generous than others in offering compensation when storm-related disruptions occur. The responses from lines can also vary depending on the circumstances surrounding any given storm.

To avoid remorse, my advice is to go into any hurricane-season booking assuming you will not be compensated for storm-caused itinerary changes and not be able to get a refund if you cancel the trip at the last minute.

The risk of the above is one reason you will generally get a cruise during hurricane season at a lower price than you would during other seasons.

Build wiggle room into your hurricane season travel schedule

If you're booking a cruise during hurricane season, keep in mind that tropical weather can affect not only cruise ships but airplanes, too.

If you're flying to your cruise departure point, build in plenty of wiggle room in case air travel is affected by a big storm and flights are delayed. Your flight could be delayed by a storm that is far away from the destination where you are flying. During hurricane season, tropical storms moving through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast of the U.S. can sometimes snarl air traffic across a wide swath of North America.

At TPG , we always suggest that cruisers head to their departure ports at least a full day in advance of their sailings just to be safe, and this is doubly important during hurricane season. You don't want a delayed flight to be the reason you miss your cruise .

Travel insurance is key for fall cruises

It's always a good idea to book flights and cruises with a card that provides travel protections — and this is especially important during hurricane season.

Some cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , will reimburse you for at least some of the costs of trip delays, cancellations and interruptions related to severe weather if you have booked the trip on the card. The travel protection benefits provided by such cards may also reimburse you for expenses when your baggage is lost or delayed.

Just be warned that these benefits often come with a lot of fine print that can make it tough to collect in some circumstances.

You can also buy separate travel insurance just for the single trip that will provide reimbursement if you experience trip delays, cancellations or interruptions. These plans include a lot of fine print that limits the circumstances where they are valid, and they vary widely in what they offer.

While travel insurance policies often will cover the cost of changing a flight or pre-cruise hotel reservation if a storm delays your cruise departure, they generally don't offer compensation in the case that a cruise line changes the ports on your cruise due to a storm. Travel insurance policies also won't help if you cancel a cruise to avoid a storm — unless you've bought a pricey "cancel for any reason" policy.

Also note that to make any claim under a travel insurance policy related to a cruise marred by a hurricane or tropical storm, you have to have bought the policy before the storm formed and was officially named.

Related: The 5 best cruise travel insurance plans

You may experience rough seas

Cruise lines will reroute ships by hundreds of miles to avoid tropical storms and hurricanes. That doesn't mean you can always expect smooth sailing during hurricane season.

If a big storm is present in the Caribbean or Bahamas, there's a chance you'll feel some motion on your vessel, even if it's far from the center of the storm. Swells from big storms can travel thousands of miles.

If you're particularly prone to seasickness , hurricane season might not be the best time for you to cruise. But don't panic. Cruise ships are built with sophisticated stabilizers that tamp down the effects of waves. As ships have gotten bigger, on average, they've also become more stable. It takes a lot to move a giant vessel like Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas — at 236,857 tons, it's one of the world's largest cruise ships.

Any rough seas you may experience due to a nearby storm are likely to be temporary. Many cruise ships operating in the Caribbean can sail at speeds of up to 22 knots, or about 25 mph. That means they can move as much as 300 miles in one day. You can be somewhere stormy and rough one day only to find yourself in sunny and clear conditions a day later.

Just as airline pilots maneuver to avoid turbulence , cruise ship captains and their headquarters-based overseers are keenly aware of passenger safety and comfort. They aren't shy about making a call to reposition a vessel to calmer seas.

Be careful booking shore excursions during hurricane season

Not all cruisers book shore tours through their cruise line. Some book excursions through alternative tour companies such as Viator or PortSide Tours. If you go this route for a hurricane-season cruise, be sure to check cancellation policies before prepaying for excursions.

While cruise lines will automatically refund you for prepaid shore excursions you've booked directly with them in the case of a canceled port call, it isn't a given that an outside tour company will do the same. Some will, for sure, but others require a nonrefundable deposit that may be hard to get back, even in the case of a storm-caused itinerary change. (Note: Travel insurance policies sometimes cover the cost of lost nonrefundable deposits.)

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Bottom line

Cruises that take place in the Caribbean and the Bahamas during the height of hurricane season can be an incredible deal, and many are completed with nary a problem. However, before booking one, you want to be sure you're OK with the idea that your itinerary could change on short notice or be disrupted in some other way. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

If you're booking a cruise to the Caribbean or Bahamas to see a specific destination — St. Kitts, for instance, or the British Virgin Islands — a hurricane-season cruise may not be for you. However, if you're flexible and want a fun and inexpensive getaway at sea, there's no reason to fear a fall sailing.

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Tropical Storm Debby Keeps Tampa-based Cruise Ship at Sea

Doug Parker

• August 3, 2024

Margaritaville at Sea extended the Margaritaville at Sea Islander’s current cruise by one day due to Tropical Storm Debby in the Gulf of Mexico. Early Saturday evening, the storm went from a tropical depression to a named tropical storm.

Margaritaville Island Remains at Sea

The ship, which left Tampa on July 30 for a four-night Caribbean cruise, was initially scheduled to return on Sunday, August 4. However, Port Tampa Bay announced Saturday afternoon that it would stop cruise operations on August 4 because of the storm, extending the cruise by a day.

The cruise began in Tampa on July 30 and had scheduled stops in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico.

Cruise Passenger Compensation

Margaritaville at Sea is offering various compensations to passengers affected by the changes:

• Onboard Credit: Each cabin will receive a $100 onboard credit usable for purchases and services on the ship.
• Refunds for Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses: Passengers will be refunded for any differences in taxes, fees, and port expenses due to itinerary changes.
• Reimbursement for Pre-paid Excursions: Full refunds will be given for pre-paid excursions to Key West, including any pre-booked tours or activities.
• Pro-rated Refunds for Packages: Packages priced by the number of sailing days, such as beverages, Wi-Fi, and gratuities, will be pro-rated and refunded.
• Option to Reschedule: Guests can reschedule their cruise without any change fees, using the amount paid for the current cruise as future cruise credit.

Two Royal Caribbean ships, Enchantment of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas made it out ahead of the storm on Saturday afternoon.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be very active. The agency anticipates between 17 and 25 storms this year, with 8 to 13 expected to become hurricanes.

Buying travel insurance is essential when cruising during hurricane season. It provides coverage for trip cancellations, interruptions, and delays caused by severe weather. Trip insurance can also cover unexpected expenses like additional accommodation, meals, and transportation if your itinerary changes due to a storm.

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Are any itineraries being affected by a tropical storm or hurricane?

For the latest information on itinerary changes and weather impacts on ports, please visit our  Travel Updates page . We will also contact you or your Travel Advisors as soon as possible, should your itinerary be impacted.

Please know that the safety and comfort of our guests are always our highest priority and we are committed to keeping you informed.

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