Hurricane Ernesto has affected the itinerary for another Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
With the storm's anticipated path headed for Bermuda, Royal Caribbean has altered the plan for Liberty of the Seas August 15, 2024 cruise.
The original plan was for Liberty to sail a 9 Night Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruise.
Instead, Liberty of the Seas will skip its visit to Bermuda and go west of the storm and south to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.
An email sent to booked passengers explained the change, "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been monitoring the track of Hurricane Ernesto along our intended path.
"In order to stay safe and clear of this hurricane, we will now skip our visit to Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, and travel west of the storm and south to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos. While not the original itinerary planned, we're excited to have an extra day to enjoy Grand Turk with you!"
Any pre-booked shore excursions through the cruise line will be automatically refunded.
The new itinerary includes a visit to Grand Turk twice on consecutive days, followed by the resumption of their original itinerary.
Cruise lines will alter the itinerary of a cruise ship to avoid bad weather, especially tropical storms. Usually an itinerary change similar to what has happened to Liberty of the Seas is all that's needed.
It's rare for a cruise to be cancelled because of a hurricane.
The cruise line apologized for having no choice but to change its original plans, "We're terribly sorry for this last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority. Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather."
Liberty of the Seas is a Freedom Class cruise ship, capable of sailing with up to 4,960 passengers at maximum capacity.
Read more: What I liked (and disliked) about my Liberty of the Seas cruise
Liberty of the Seas is still on schedule to return to Cape Liberty on August 24.
Fourth Royal Caribbean cruise ship affected by Ernesto
Liberty of the Seas is the fourth Royal Caribbean cruise ship to change its itinerary this week.
Icon of the Seas had to swap itineraries, going from an Eastern Caribbean cruise to a Western Caribbean sailing.
Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rhapsody of the Seas reversed its port order to avoid the path of the storm and went to Barbados first.
Symphony of the Seas replaced a port visit to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic with a visit to Nassau, Bahamas.
These changes were made before Ernesto had become a hurricane.
Other cruise lines changed their plans too.
Carnival had to alter the itinerary for Carnival Magic and Carnival Pride, and is monitoring the itineraries for the Carnival Freedom and Mardi Gras.
Norwegian Cruise Line had three ships change plans, including Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Sky, and Norwegian Joy.
Hurricane Ernesto's path
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Ernesto is a Category 1 Hurricane centered about 600 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and is moving north.
The storm moved through Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and it's now past those islands.
While not a threat to the United States mainland, it appears headed straight for Bermuda.
Ernesto is heading north at 13 mph early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the hurricane center said.
Ernesto could become a major hurricane by Friday, which means it would have to reach Category 3 or higher.
The National Hurricane Center that Bermuda will see a "dangerous storm surge" that will produce significant coastal flooding and destructive waves. The island nation will see about half a foot of rain and in some areas, up to a foot, possibly resulting in "considerable life-threatening flash flooding."
