Royal Caribbean Adjusts Itineraries Due to Hurricane Rafael – Cruise Industry News

Royal Caribbean International is adjusting the itineraries of four of its ships in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Rafael.

After departing from Tampa on Nov. 2, the Radiance of the Seas is one of the ships that saw significant itinerary changes.

According to a statement sent to guests onboard the ship, the vessel will now cruise to the Western Caribbean instead of the Bahamas.

“Along with our Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer, we’ve been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing storm system forecasted to bring increasingly strong winds across the area, impacting our planned ports and potentially making them unsafe to visit,” the letter said.

The Radiance of the Seas was initially set to sail to Freeport, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Nassau, and Bimini as part of a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas.

“As a result, we’ll be unable to visit the planned ports of call on our itinerary. To provide you with the most enjoyable sailing experience, we’ll now visit some of our popular Western Caribbean destinations,” Royal Caribbean continued.

Before returning to Tampa as scheduled on Nov. 9, the Radiance of the Seas is now scheduled to visit Cozumel, Roatán, Belize City and Costa Maya.

“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 we are faster and can move out of the way of any inclement weather,” the company added.

Offering a nine-night cruise from Baltimore, the Vision of the Seas also had its itinerary adjusted to avoid Rafael.

Instead of sailing to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, the ship is now scheduled to make a longer visit to King’s Wharf in Bermuda.

Other vessels affected by the storm include the Freedom of the Seas, which is swapping port days on its six-night cruise to the Western Caribbean and the Brilliance of the Seas.

Sailing from New Orleans, the ship is also changing port days as part of a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.