Cruise Lines Alter Itineraries as Hurricane Melissa Sweeps the Caribbean

Bahar O.

As Category 5 Hurricane Melissa barrels across the Caribbean, major cruise lines have been forced to adjust their itineraries to steer clear of the dangerous storm system.

The hurricane — one of the strongest ever recorded in the region — is currently about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, with sustained winds reaching 160 mph. Its projected path includes Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the Bahamas, prompting several cruise lines to act swiftly.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, has swapped its Eastern Caribbean itinerary for a Western Caribbean route.
Originally scheduled to visit St. Maarten, the ship will now call at Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatán, Honduras.

Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Beyond has joined Royal Caribbean in changing its route from the Eastern to the Western Caribbean.
Instead of visiting the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts, the ship will now call at Costa Maya (Mexico), Belize City (Belize), and Roatán (Honduras).

Although Hurricane Melissa is not expected to reach the U.S. East Coast, its slow movement and immense power pose a serious threat to Caribbean travel and maritime operations in the coming days.