Cruise ships are making all sorts of changes to avoid the path of Hurricane Helene, including cruises from Tampa.
Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will be delayed returning to port by two days because of the storm.
The ship's Captain made an announcement on Wednesday while the ship was docked in Freeport, Bahamas.
A user on Cruise Critic posted, "The Captain announced a few minutes ago that our cruise will be extended two extra days and will not arrive back in Tampa until Sunday. "
A letter given to guests explains the safety of ship, guests, and crew was taken into account, "Due to the planned closure of the Port of Tampa and to stay clear of the hurricane, we'll have to delay our return to our homeport. We'll now arrive in Tampa on Sunday, September 29th and enjoy some extra Sea Days along the way."
"We're terribly sorry for the 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."
The 90,090 gross-ton, Radiance Class cruise ship is homeported in Tampa, Florida and departed on her current sailing September 22 on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise that was originally supposed to visit Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico.
On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean re-routed the ship to The Bahamas to avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene.
However, the storm's impact on the Port of Tampa Bay has necessitated Royal Caribbean hold the ship's return back.
Helene is a Category 1 hurricane and strengthening as it moves toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. It is expected to hit Florida's Big Bend late tomorrow.
Experts believe Helene will rapidly intensify and become a Category 3 or 4 storm before it makes landfall.
As of 5 p.m. ET today, Hurricane Helene had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving north at 12 mph.
Serenade is not the only ship being held at sea due to the storm.
MSC Seashore won't be able to return to Port Canaveral on Thursday as originally scheduled because of the storm.
That ship will have an extra day added onto their cruise before it can return.
Compensation for the extra days
To make-up for this last-minute change and because Royal Caribbean is extending the sailing by two days, they’ll provide passengers with:
The option to extend your Beverage and VOOM internet packages by two (2) days.
- Drink Package Extension (these prices include 18% gratuity).
- Deluxe Package - $35 per person, per day
- Refreshment Package - $14 per person, per day
- Soda Package – Free extension
Passengers will receive loyalty points for the originally planned number of nights sailed, plus an additional two nights.
If guests purchased your flights through Royal Caribbean, they’ll automatically adjust their flights. If you purchased air independently, please contact your air carrier directly.
Royal Caribbean will cover any air change fee up to $200 USD for domestic travel and $400 USD for international travel, per person.
Guests react to the change
News of Serenade's change spread quickly among cruisers, who took to social media to post their thoughts.
Most were not surprised, but emotions ranged between frustration and understanding.
"This is exactly why I schedule cruises during hurricane season. Sometimes you get extra days. Sometimes it’s reduced with refunds and cruise credits etc. when you live in Florida and have flexibility it’s worth the risk," wrote Judy Desrosiers.
Irene Grackin wrote, "Cruising during peak hurricane season has an inherent risk. Safety first!"
Christa Leonard was upset at the news, because it could impact the itinerary of the next sailing, "the reason we chose this cruise is we honeymooned on St. Thomas 38 years ago and we were so thrilled to celebrate our anniversary there."
Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship will delay boarding
Another change announced late on Wednesday was the delay of Utopia of the Seas.
Guests booked on the weekend cruise will have a delayed boarding on Friday due to the storm. The issue is not just the storm, but Port Canaveral closing temporarily.
Screenshot by Stephanie Bushong
"Due to Port Canaveral's planned closure, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning and as a result, our boarding on September 27th will also be adjusted," the email reads to guests booked on the cruise.
"Kindly note that the terminal will be closed until 2:30pm."
Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to sail a 3-night cruise to The Bahamas that visits Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
