Just days after Hurricane Helene closed cruise ports and disrupted itineraries across the Sunshine State, Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the western Gulf of Mexico and is poised to cause even more cancellations, closures, and alterations.
Royal Caribbean’s Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer is closely monitoring the storm’s development and how it will likely impact ships in the fleet. At the moment, there are no confirmed changes, and ultimately, the decision for any changes is up to individual ship masters.
“I have spent nearly the entire day working with Captains and teams discussing safely altering itineraries where needed to avoid dangerous weather,” Setzer explained on Saturday, October 5, 2024. “The Captain has the final say, and until he makes the decision, I don’t know anything firm.”
With the storm’s initial track taking it across the entire Florida peninsula, it is likely that ships homeported from at least Port Tampa Bay and Port Canaveral will see significant impacts.
From Port Tampa Bay, Grandeur of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas may all see itinerary adjustments in the next week. Symphony of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas may all have adjustments from Port Canaveral.
Port Tampa Bay has already activated storm operations and the US Coast Guard set Port Condition Whiskey at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. This means there is the possibility of gale force winds (39-46 miles per hour) within 72 hours, but the port remains full open and operational at this time.
“Port Tampa Bay is doing all it can to prepare for Tropical Storm Milton, and to ensure safety of life, protection of the environment, and maritime commerce resiliency,” the port’s online statement read.
While Milton does not have a large wind field this early in its development, if the winds and rains do become more spread or the track shifts further south in the cone of probability, ships homeported from Port Everglades or PortMiami may also be impacted.
This could affect Freedom of the Seas from Port Everglades, or three ships from PortMiami: Allure of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas.
Furthermore, ships sailing from Galveston, Mobile, or New Orleans may also see itinerary changes impacting their sailings, even though the homeports are not likely to be impacted.
While cruise guests will be understandably concerned and eager to learn if there are any changes to their individual sailings, it is still too early for such information to be confirmed. At this time, there is great uncertainty in the storm’s exact track, strength, and impact area.
Travelers with booked cruises over the next week should stay in close contact with Royal Caribbean to ensure they receive emails, text alerts, and other updates about any changes.
“Royal is very proactive with their guest communications, and as soon as a plan is finalized, the message goes out to the guests right away,” Setzer said.
Tropical Storm Milton
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the area of low pressure that has now developed into Tropical Storm Milton is currently centered roughly 385 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, 450 miles south of Galveston, Texas. The storm is moving north-northeast at 3 miles per hour (mph).
Maximum sustained winds are 40 mph with higher gusts. While this is just over the threshold of 39 mph to be an official tropical storm, it is still far lower than the 74 mph necessary for the storm to be classified as a hurricane at this time, though that will change quickly.
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“Milton is forecast to quickly intensify while it moves eastward to northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico and be at or near major hurricane strength when it reaches the west coast of the Florida Peninsula mid week,” said Forecaster Brown during the 5 p.m. storm update.
Milton is predicted to become a hurricane by Sunday night, October 6, and may become a major Category 3 storm before making landfall along the western Florida coast during the middle of the week. At the moment that landfall could be anywhere from the Big Bend area to the Florida Keys.
Cruise travelers with any sailings booked from Florida homeports this week should stay in close communication with their cruise line for further information and updates.
