Hurricane Matthew Forces Cruise Lines to Change Caribbean Itineraries

Hurricane Matthew, currently a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, has forced at least two cruise lines (Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean) to make changes to cruise itineraries in the Caribbean.

So far, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have made changes to itineraries.  Cruise Fever will continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew and will have all itinerary changes as they are announced.  So far, the changes have been as follows:

Carnival Cruise Line has made changes to itineraries for Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Splendor.  Carnival Sunshine’s calls in Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk have been canceled and replaced with stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.  The cruise ship is scheduled to leave Miami, Florida on Saturday for a five night cruise.

Carnival Splendor will sail a reverse itinerary and will now stop in Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and then Cozumel. This six night cruise leaves from Miami, Florida on Sunday.

Royal Caribbean made two changes this week due to the storm.  Allure of the Seas switched stops in St. Thomas and St. Maarten for Labadee and Falmouth.  Adventure of the Seas bypassed St. Lucia and Barbados for St. Maarten, St. Croix, and St. Thomas.

It is extremely rare that cruise lines will cancel a cruise due to a hurricane or tropical storm. To keep the ships out of harms way for the passengers and crew members, itineraries are often swapped (Eastern Caribbean instead of Western Caribbean etc).