Updated: October 14, 2014 4:00 p.m.: Hurricane Gonzalo, which formed over the Leeward Islands earlier this week, has already forced at least five cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Disney, Carnival, Princess, Norwegian) to make changes to cruise itineraries.
Hurricane Gonzalo currently has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and is moving northwest at 13 mph as a category 2 hurricane. Tropical storms become hurricanes when maximum sustained winds exceed 74 mph. The storm is currently tracking to move near Bermuda by the end of the week.
Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to make itinerary changes to their cruise ships. The Explorer of the Seas will bypass a stop to the port of St. Maarten on Monday and head straight to San Juan, where the ship will stay overnight. The Jewel of the Seas skipped a stop in St. Maarten on Monday and spent the day at sea. The world’s largest cruise ship, the Allure of the Seas, will no visit Falmouth, Jamaica on Wednesday and Cozumel, Mexico on Friday.
Disney Cruise Line has also made a change to the Disney Magic. The cruise will stop in the same ports but in a rearranged schedule. The order will now be Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, and St. Kitts.
Carnival Cruise Line canceled a port stop in La Romana, Dominican Republic for the Carnival Breeze. The Carnival Liberty and Carnival Conquest will sail Western Caribbean itineraries instead of sailing to the Eastern Caribbean to avoid the storm.
Princess Cruises made a change to the ports of call for the Caribbean Princess. The ship has sailed to the Western Caribbean (originally was scheduled to cruise to the Eastern Caribbean) and will stop in the ports of Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico.
Norwegian Cruise Line also moved a ship from the Eastern Caribbean to Western. The Norwegian Getaway will now stop in the ports of Falmouth, Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico.
Cruise Fever will continue to monitor Hurricane Gonzalo and will have all updates if any other cruise lines made changes to cruise itineraries.
For the latest on Hurricane Gonzalo, visit the National Hurricane Center.
In the Atlantic Ocean, there is another tropical storm that is currently north of Bermuda. However, Tropical Storm Fay is no longer a threat to cruise ships or land.
