Less than two weeks after Carnival Paradise was forced to cancel a cruise due to Hurricane Helene, the 71,925 gross registered ton ship has been impacted again. This time, its departure on Thursday, October 10 has been canceled due to the impending approach of catastrophic Hurricane Milton.
"Given the storm’s track, officials in Tampa have advised that the port will close ahead of the storm’s arrival, and we will continue to monitor the situation and provide timely updates as more details become available," reads an update shared to Carnival's website.
"Once the storm passes, officials must conduct a post-storm assessment before the ship can be cleared to safely return to port. The ship’s next cruise, which was scheduled to embark on Thursday, Oct. 10, has been cancelled." reads an update shared on Carnival's website.
Read more: Hurricane Helene's aftermath forced a last minute canceled cruise
Guests booked on the 4-night sailing to Cozumel, Mexico, will receive full refunds.
This second cancellation in such a short span has raised concerns among travelers about the reliability of cruise vacations during hurricane season. Generally, taking a cruise during the Atlantic hurricane season is a risk.
However, many travelers choose to sail during this time, drawn by lower cruise fares. Plus, cruise lines have protocols in place to manage weather-related disruptions. It's not uncommon for itineraries to be adjusted to help keep passengers and crew safe. Canceled sailings because of hurricanes are relatively rare.
That said, itineraries can be altered throughout the year because of other non-weather-related issues. For example, Icon of the Seas recently canceled a sailing due to unplanned maintenance. The 7,600-passenger mega-ship had to remain docked for the work to be completed, resulting in the Sept. 28 voyage not departing as scheduled.
Hard to keep track of Milton-related itinerary changes
Carnival Paradise's Oct. 10 sailing wasn't the first cruise canceled because of Milton's forecast. Disney Cruise Line announced they had decided to cancel a 3-night sailing onboard the Disney Wish from Port Canaveral.
"We have been closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and its projected path, which is expected to move through Central Florida later this week," read an email to confirmed passengers, "Due to the weather conditions most recently forecasted for Port Canaveral and Central Florida and the impact that it might have on port operations, we have made the difficult decision to cancel [the Oct. 11] sailing."
Aside from these cancelations, numerous ships have had ports dropped from their itineraries to steer clear of the storm. Other vessels are delayed returning to their homeports, impacting passengers' travel plans.
Carnival Elation, for example, can't return to Jacksonville, Florida, as scheduled on Thursday, Oct. 10. While the following cruise hasn't been canceled yet, Carnival is hopeful they'll be able to operate a shorter sailing. Their website states they'll update their operational plans once the port has reopened and officials have completed the necessary port-storm assessment.
Similarly, Carnival has advised passengers on Carnival Glory's Oct. 11 cruise that the ship may not be able to return to Port Canaveral on time, given the storm's current track.
"Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation from us on operational plans for your cruise," the website says.
Carnival and Disney ships aren't the only vessels impacted. Earlier this week, the Oct. 4 cruise onboard Margaritaville at Sea's Islander returned to Tampa one day earlier than expected. As such, the following departure left one day sooner with a revised itinerary, replacing the original ports of call in Key West, Florida, and Cozumel, Mexico.
Additionally, Princess Cruises' newest ship, Sun Princess, can't return to Port Everglades as scheduled following a 16-night Transatlantic cruise. Instead of arriving on Oct. 9, the ship will remain at sea until at least Friday, Oct. 11.
At least 8 Royal Caribbean ships have also been impacted, including Icon of the Seas. The world's largest passenger vessel decided to skip a scheduled visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay because of Milton. Now, those onboard the 7-night cruise will have extra time in St. Kitts and St. Thomas.
Milton's path
The National Hurricane Center's 11am EDT update revealed that Milon had maximum sustained winds of 145mph, down from the explosive 180mph winds recorded on Monday. Still, Milton is expected to cause widespread damage along Florida's central West Coast, with some regions advised of storm surge that can reach 12-15 feet.
The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay described Milton as "a historical storm for the west coast of Florida," hinting that it could be the worst hurricane to hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years, CBS News reported.
At the time of writing, Milton is predicted to make landfall over or near Sarasota, Florida, after 2:00am EST, with maximum sustained winds somewhere in the 130-156mph range.
Read more: How cruise lines are preparing for an active hurricane season this year
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.
