A powerful winter storm sweeping across much of the United States this weekend has affected cruise operations at several major homeports, prompting itinerary adjustments, early returns and passenger advisories as lines respond to hazardous travel conditions.
RCI-Royal Caribbean’s ship Harmony of the Seas shortened its current Western Caribbean sailing from Galveston, returning to port a day ahead of schedule and cancelling the planned call at Cozumel in Mexico to ensure a safe disembarkation before severe weather impacts the region.
CCL-Carnival Cruise Line has reported weather-related disruptions as well. Carnival Pride, operating from its Baltimore homeport, has been subject to potential delays due to snow and adverse port conditions in the Mid-Atlantic, while other Carnival vessels out of Galveston and Norfolk are being monitored for possible itinerary impacts as the storm progresses.
In the Northeast, MSC Cruises advised guests booked on MSC Meraviglia sailings from New York that heavy snow and freezing conditions could impede passenger access to the Manhattan cruise terminal, potentially delaying embarkation and travel to the port.
Across these affected regions, cruise lines have been issuing alerts urging travellers to monitor official communications and allow additional time for travel to and from terminals. While most scheduled departures remain operational, the ongoing storm demonstrates the reach of winter weather, which continues to disrupt air, road and marine travel even where vessels themselves remain unaffected by snow and ice.
The event, identified as Winter Storm Fern, has prompted significant travel disruption nationwide, with extensive snowfall, icy conditions and strong winds forecast across broad swaths of the United States as the system moves eastward.