Hurricane Helene, the ninth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, has already caused cruise ships to alter their itineraries. The system will bring life-threatening storm surges, high winds, and heavy rain to parts of the Western Caribbean and Florida, resulting in cruise ships changing course to avoid the worst of the conditions.
Helene is anticipated to make landfall in Florida on Thursday after strengthening over the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the United States this year, following Beryl, Debby, and Francie.
Not only that but if Helene becomes a Category 3 storm, it would be the first major hurricane to make landfall as a Cat. 3 hurricane since Idalia last August.
According to the National Hurricane Center's 11:00am update, the tropical storm was 150 miles west of Grand Cayman and 205 miles south-southeast of the western tip of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 45mph. It's projected to become a major hurricane by 8:00am on Thursday.
The storm's initial path was so uncertain that Tampa General Hospital began erecting a 10-foot-high flood barrier to prepare for potential impacts on Monday, as reported by CNN.
Dustin Pasteur, the vice president of facilities and construction at the hospital said they're continuing to work unless there's "a forecast favorable enough to stop," adding, "[He] just couldn't afford to lose a day waiting."
Even Royal Caribbean's Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer shared his thoughts on the storm's intensity. "I never say 'prepare for a cat 4', just 'prepare for a hurricane' but there is major hurricane possibility," he wrote on X, "...[F]orecasting where a cat 3 or 4 core will go is very difficult, even hours before landfall. So we overprepare for a larger area, because of the high risk vs uncertainty."
Additionally, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 41 counties ahead of the storm's "significant threat."
Update 9/24: Two more ships had their itineraries altered after this article was initially published. Carnival Horizon will no longer be calling at Grand Cayman and Cozumel, and Carnival Breeze is skipping Cozumel on September 25.
Carnival Paradise
Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, confirmed the Fantasy Class Carnival Paradise was diverted to Costa Maya on September 24.
The 5-night Western Caribbean cruise was initially slated to take guests to Roatán and Costa Maya. While they were able to visit Honduras earlier in the week, conditions near Cozumel caused the ship to stay further south.
Carnival Valor
In the same Facebook post, Heald explained that Carnival Valor will spend an extra day at sea instead of visiting Cozumel.
Earlier this month, Valor cruised to nowhere after Hurricane Francine caused the Port of New Orleans to close, keeping the 110,000 gross registered ton (GRT) ship at sea for another day. As a result, the following voyage went on a 3-night cruise to nowhere, rather than calling at Mexico.
Wonder of the Seas
Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas departed Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on September 22, sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
While onboard, guests were alerted they'd no longer be cruising to Mexico and Honduras. Instead, they'll be visiting St. Thomas and St. Maarten, as shared by Royal Caribbean Blog reader David Elliott.
The original itinerary had the 235,600 gross registered ton ship calling at Cozumel on Sept. 25, Roatán on the 26, and Costa Maya on the 27.
Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean
Serenade of the Seas
Serenade of the Seas is no longer headed for the Western Caribbean. Cozumel and Costa Maya have been swapped for Nassau and Grand Bahama Island.
"Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we’ve been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing tropical storm in the Yucatan Channel," read a letter left in passengers' cabins.
"In order to stay safe and well clear of this tropical system, we have decided to head to the Eastern Caribbean instead of Western Caribbean for this sailing."
Mariner of the Seas
Guests onboard Mariner of the Seas' current sailing were able to safely visit Costa Maya, Mexico on Monday, September 23; however, to steer clear of the storm, the scheduled call at Cozumel was canceled.
Reddit user dawson33944 shared a copy of the notice delivered to guests alerting them of the updated itinerary: "In order to stay safe and well clear of this tropical storm, we have decided to skip our visit to Cozumel and enjoy a Sea Day instead."
Mariner of the Seas will return to Galveston, Texas, on Thursday.
Independence of the Seas
Independence of the Seas departed from Miami on September 21 on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise. Due to the storm, it's become a Bahamas-only cruise, though.
Cruise Mapper shows Independence in Nassau on September 24, rather than Cozumel.
MSC Seascape
MSC Seascape departed from Miami, Florida, on Saturday, September 21 on a 7-night cruise to the Caribbean and Bahamas. However, guests were informed that they'd no longer be heading west.
Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico, were swapped for Grand Turk; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; and Nassau.
Passengers will still visit Ocean Cay, the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas, on Friday, September 27.
Valiant Lady
Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady was supposed to visit Cozumel on Tuesday, September 24. According to Cruise Mapper, however, the ship was sailing past the northern coast of Cuba.
Valiant Lady departed from Miami, Florida, on September 22 on a 5-night cruise to Mexico and Bimini. The ship is slated to call at Bimini on Thursday before returning to Florida on Friday.
Disney Fantasy
Scott Sanders (@TheDCLBlog) shared on X that Disney Fantasy is skipping Grand Cayman on Tuesday, September 24.
Cruise Mapper shows the ship sailing further south, closer to Honduras, meaning those onboard will have another magical day at sea en route to Falmouth, Jamaica.
Tips for cruising during hurricane season
While cruise lines won't compensate you for a changed itinerary, travel insurance will help cover other disruptions, like canceled flights. Even if you're cruising outside of hurricane season, insurance provides peace of mind for medical emergencies, luggage mishaps, and travel delays.
In addition to purchasing travel insurance, you will also want to remain flexible. While nobody wants their original itinerary to be changed, you don't want to let a new route ruin your cruise.
There are tons of great excursions available throughout the Caribbean, from zip lining in Jamaica to visiting the famous Maho Beach in St. Maarten. If you get an extra day at sea, take advantage of the ship's activities, shows, and dining options.
Read more: 8 ways to do things differently on your next cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
