As she sadly typically does, Mom Nature has compelled one other cruise ship to change its itinerary.
MSC Meraviglia, which is concurrently working a 7-night and 18-night Bahamas crusing that embarked from New York on January 5, 2025, has needed to alter course attributable to poor climate situations.
The flagship of MSC’s Meraviglia-class vessels referred to as on Port Canaveral, Florida, as deliberate on January 7, 2025 – which was the primary cease on the itinerary.
However whereas passengers anticipated to be crusing again to sea round 9 p.m. EST, the climate led to a change of plans that saved the 171,598-gross ton ship in port in a single day.
Present visitors even have reported that the decision on Ocean Cay scheduled for January 9 – which is MSC’s non-public island vacation spot and marine reserve within the Bahamas – may also should be skipped.
“We’re on the MSC Meraviglia and so they introduced that we’re staying in a single day in Port Canaveral and skipping Ocean Cay…This is because of climate,” one of many present visitors posted on Reddit on January 7.
“Itinerary modified attributable to climate. No Ocean Cay. Extra Port Canaveral,” one other passenger confirmed on Fb.
However between Port Canaveral and Ocean Cay, there’s one other port name scheduled. The 5,714-guest ship is anticipated in Nassau, Bahamas, on January 8 – and it’s thus far unclear if the shock in a single day in Orlando will affect her go to.
That stated, cruise monitoring information exhibits that the MSC ship isn’t attributable to arrive in Nassau till 1 p.m. native time. Due to its shut proximity to Florida, it’s fairly potential that the ship might nonetheless arrive within the capital of the Bahamas on time in the event that they depart from Orlando early sufficient within the morning.
This case remains to be creating and MSC Cruises has not launched any statements relating to the matter as of the time of publication.
Ought to Unhealthy Climate Result in Compensation?
One query on many visitors’ minds was if they might be compensated by MSC for the missed name on MSC Ocean Cay – which many noticed because the spotlight of their trip.
Nevertheless, frequent cruisers know that security is all the time the highest precedence – and the cruise traces have the suitable to alter the itinerary at any time for a large number of causes. Because of this compensation is unlikely on this case.
“MSC cannot management the climate…So far as compensation, don’t get your hopes up. It’s not their fault, and so they make very certain that missed ports can occur,” one individual wrote in response to a query about potential compensation.
“I’m actually on the identical journey…and we’re so bummed that they’re skipping ocean cay…that was gonna be the spotlight of the journey…however I suppose they gained’t refund something apart from the excursions,” one other present passenger wrote.
Former visitors who had skilled comparable circumstances stated they solely obtained a refund for the port charges and cancelled excursions.
Learn Additionally: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Unhealthy Climate
At the moment, Port Canaveral is underneath a Hazardous Climate Outlook advisory by the Nationwide Climate Service that claims the world is impacted by winds of as much as 20 knots, seas as much as 6 to eight ft tall, and probably life-threatening rip currents.
“A average threat of life-threatening rip currents, along with a robust, southward-flowing longshore present, exists in any respect central Florida Atlantic seashores…Poor to hazardous boating situations proceed, with northwest winds 15 to twenty knots and seas as much as 6 to eight ft within the Gulf Stream,” reads the advisory, partially.
Whereas cruise ships are geared up to deal with tough seas, it’s merely safer to keep away from them – if solely to assist preserve passengers snug. Some visitors have already shared that the voyage to Port Canaveral was disagreeable.
“What a tough journey tonight. Couldn’t get pleasure from gala night time and my lobster dinner. Movement illness, my son and I. Even with Dramamine,” one visitor wrote.
That stated, it’s additionally potential that the situations are additionally poor in Ocean Cay. In response to early experiences from present passengers and cruise monitoring information, MSC Divina can be turning its January 7 name on Ocean Cay into an surprising in a single day name attributable to excessive winds.
