As Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm on Sunday, October 26th, with maximum sustained winds reaching 140 mph, multiple cruise lines have proactively altered itineraries to ensure passenger safety.
The storm is projected to strengthen into a Category 5 and is expected to make landfall in Jamaica on Monday night or early Tuesday, bringing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and the potential for catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Haiti and Dominicana.
Margaritaville at Sea's Islander was among the first to adjust its course. The vessel's captain and itinerary planning team assessed the storm's path and weather conditions, leading to a decision to modify the sailing schedule. Scheduled visits to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and George Town, Grand Cayman, were replaced with calls to Belize City on October 22nd, and Isla Roatán, Honduras, on October 23rd.
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas also altered its itinerary for the October 25th sailing. The ship's captain and Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer monitored Tropical Storm Melissa's development and, to avoid the storm's projected path, decided to reroute the vessel from the Eastern Caribbean to the Western Caribbean. The revised itinerary included calls at Cozumel and Roatán, with an earlier arrival at CocoCay on Friday, October 31st.
Disney Cruise Line made adjustments to two of its ships, the Disney Treasure and Disney Wish, in response to the storm. The Disney Treasure, departing Port Canaveral on October 25th, modified its 7-night cruise to visit Cozumel, Mexico, and added an additional day at Castaway Cay, replacing planned stops in Tortola, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay.
Similarly, the Disney Wish's October 27th sailing adjusted its port order, with calls at Castaway Cay on October 28th and Nassau on October 29th.
Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Beyond, scheduled to depart Miami on October 26th, also altered its itinerary. The ship's captain and meteorological team assessed the storm's trajectory and decided to reroute the vessel to the Western Caribbean, replacing planned stops in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts with calls at Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Roatán, Honduras.