Carnival, Royal Caribbean and more change cruise itineraries amid Hurricane Ernesto
Cruise lines are changing itineraries in an effort to avoid Hurricane Ernesto. The storm brought heavy rain and wind to Puerto Rico Wednesday, leaving close to half the island without power and prompting flash flood warnings. The Virgin Islands also felt the impacts.
Carnival Cruise Line鈥檚 Carnival Pride ship, which for a Bermuda cruise on Sunday, moved its visit to the island up by one day, arriving on Tuesday and leaving on Thursday, the cruise line said.
Carnival Magic skipped a planned stop in San Juan on Wednesday and will make an additional stop in Nassau in the Bahamas on Friday. The ship left on Sunday for an Eastern Caribbean cruise.
鈥淎s the safety of our guests and crew is our priority, we will continue to watch the storm and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, 91影视 Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates as more information becomes available,鈥 the cruise line said in a .
Norwegian Cruise Line rerouted Eastern Caribbean cruises on its and ships to the Western Caribbean, according to a spokesperson. The ships departed from Miami on Monday and Sunday, respectively.
Their new itineraries include Roatan in Honduras, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico and Harvest Caye in Belize (Sky will also stop in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios in Jamaica).
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, which left for a Bermuda cruise from New York on Sunday, arrived at the island on Tuesday, one day ahead of schedule. While the ship will spend two nights at the Royal Naval Dockyard as planned, it will depart Thursday, a day earlier than planned.
鈥淭he safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is a top priority,鈥 a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Royal Caribbean International鈥檚 Rhapsody of the Seas will make planned stops on its Southern Caribbean cruise in a different order, but no ports were canceled, according to a spokesperson for the line鈥檚 parent company, Royal Caribbean Group. The ship on Sunday.
Icon of the Seas, which on Saturday, is sailing a Western Caribbean itinerary rather than an Eastern Caribbean cruise as planned. Stops include Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.聽
Symphony of the Seas, which , for an Eastern Caribbean cruise on Friday, will also visit Nassau rather than Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for 91影视 based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.