Cruise ports along the coast of Florida are once again bracing for impact as a massive oncoming storm threatens cruise itineraries.
*Update: A U.S. Coast Guard warning was issued for Port Tampa Bay for 8 PM on Tuesday. Warnings were also issued for PortMiami, Port Everglades, and the Port of Palm Beach at midnight, and Port of Jacksonville at 8 AM on Tuesday.
As Milton becomes a Category 5 hurricane, it’s forecasted to hit the western coast of Florida on Wednesday.
Port Canaveral is expected to close this week as the storm moves closer. This will halt all cruise traffic in and out of the port.
Currently, the Florida cruise port is under “Condition X-Ray” as labeled by the U.S. Coast Guard. This designation means that gale force winds are expected in the next 48 hours.
It also means that commercial vessels over 500 gross tons must prepare to depart the port.
While at this time Port Canaveral is still open, port officials are expecting limited waterside operations and are telling operators to “make necessary plans to safeguard vessels, crews and/or facilities.”
Port Canaveral is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world. Just this morning there were five cruise ships in port: Utopia of the Seas, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Glory, Disney Wish, and Mein Schiff.
Tomorrow, two cruise ships are on schedule to arrive at Port Canaveral as a port of call. MSC Meraviglia and Symphony of the Seas are on the itinerary, but Symphony of the Seas has already seen a change in the schedule and will be skipping the port and instead enjoy a sea day.
Even after the hurricane has passed, the U.S. Coast Guard in addition to port officials will need to inspect the port. Only after debris has been cleared and it’s been deemed safe will ships be able to sail in and out of the port again.
2023 was the busiest year ever for Port Canaveral, as 6.8 million passengers boarded ships in the port.
Cruise passengers that could be impacted by Hurricane Milton should stay in touch with their respective cruise lines. Cruise Fever will keep readers updated with new information as the storm approaches.