Hurricane Gonzalo, a category 3 hurricane packing winds of 125 mph, is expected to pass over the tiny island of Bermuda this evening. (Live video at the bottom of this article) After the storm impacted cruises to the Caribbean on five different cruise lines this past week, at least two cruise lines have already planned on altering itineraries away from Bermuda.
The Norwegian Dawn was scheduled to stop in the port of Kings Wharf on Sunday and stay until Tuesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has changed the port of call and the ship will now visit the Bahamas with stops in Nassau and their private island, Great Stirrup Cay.
Royal Caribbean has announced that the Explorer of the Seas will also bypass Bermuda and will sail to Canada. The ship will stop in the ports of Halifax, Nova Scotia on Monday and St. John, New Brunswick on Tuesday before returning to Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey. Each passenger will receive onboard credit for the change. If a passenger chooses not to sail, they will receive a future cruise certificate for 25% of the cruise fare that they paid.
At least 2 other cruise lines (Oceania, and Celebrity) have ships scheduled to stop at ports in Bermuda next week, although none have publicly announced any changes. However, many times they will make changes to itineraries without an announcement. The local authority in Bermuda has asked that tourist not visit the island for the next few days so recovery efforts can get underway.
Cruise Fever will continue to monitor Hurricane Gonzalo and will have all updates as cruise lines move ships away from the powerful storm.
Live Video from the Port of Bermuda Webcam