As Hurricane Earl continues to develop in the Atlantic, cruise lines are watching the storm carefully and adjusting itineraries as necessary to protect their ships, guests and crew members.
The storm is forecast to be a strong Category 2 storm or potentially a Category 3 storm by early Friday morning, when it is closer to Bermuda. Tropical storm warnings are already in effect for the entire island and are likely to be upgraded to hurricane warnings as the storm approaches.
Carnival ship itinerary changed
Carnival Cruise Line has notified passengers on board The magic of carnivals that they will no longer have their planned overnight stay in Bermuda tonight, and will instead depart from King’s Wharf on Wednesday evening.
The magic of carnivals is currently sailing a 5-night round trip from New York, visiting King’s Wharf, Bermuda. The port of call was originally scheduled as an overnight stay from 9am on Wednesday 7 September 2022, and did not depart until 4pm on Thursday 8 September.
Due to the approaching storm, Carnival Cruise Line has notified guests on board that the ship will depart Bermuda earlier, now at 6pm on Wednesday evening and no later than Thursday afternoon.
“We know you were looking forward to spending Thursday in Bermuda and share your disappointment that we will have to leave earlier than planned.” The letter that was handed to the guests was read. “We trust you understand that the decision was made with everyone’s safety in mind.”
Captain Paolo, master of The magic of carnivalshad kept guests informed of the progress of the storm before the official announcement of the rerouting.
The ship’s officers and the cruise line’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami carefully monitor each storm, including intensity, speed and predicted track, and route changes are not made at will.
At all times, the safety of the vessel and all souls on board is the primary consideration for cruise ship operations.
Read more: How a hurricane can affect your cruise
Applicable port charges will be refunded to passengers, as will all pre-purchased shore excursions booked through Carnival Cruise Line that are now unable to take place. No further compensation is offered to guests, as is normal when an itinerary change is weather related.
Hurricane Earl strengthening
As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) upgraded Earl to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (128 kilometers per hour).
Hurricane Earl is currently located approximately 470 miles (756 km) south and slightly west of Bermuda, moving north at 6 miles per hour (9.6 km/h). The forecast track indicates that the storm is likely to make a slight easterly turn as it heads north and pass east of Bermuda.
This puts the island on the weaker side of the storm with a slightly smaller wind field, but while Hurricane Earl is forecast to strengthen into a major Category 3 storm as it nears Bermuda, the impact on the island could still be Important.
Instead of this day at sea
Instead of enjoying Bermuda for the extended visit, passengers on board The magic of carnivals now there will be an extra day at sea. The ship’s cruise director, Ryan Rose, as well as the entertainment team and other entertainment staff will organize additional activities to make the day as enjoyable as possible.
There will likely be additional challenges, live music and other activities on board. The ship’s casino will likely be open, as will the Entertainment Stores, and there may be additional shows, game shows or other options added to the schedule of activities.
Because Hurricane Earl is likely to cause rough seas well away from its predicted path, however, guests are cautioned to use extreme caution when moving around the ship.
“Our highly trained and experienced officers will ensure we stay a safe distance from the storm at all times and will do everything possible to minimize any inconvenience.” – said Captain Paolo. “For everyone’s safety, please take extra precautions when walking around and use handrails when possible.”
The magic of carnivals is a Dream Class ship with many guest favorite features including Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, Alchemy Bar, Play it Again Piano Bar, Guy’s Burger JointCarnival Seaside Theatre, Cloud 9 Spa, two SkyCourse ropes courses and Carnival’s Waterworks, featuring the Drainpipe bowl slide, sprinklers, Twister water slide, 500-gallon bucket and more.
The ship can accommodate 3,690 guests double occupancy, and up to 4,724 passengers when fully booked. A crew of 1,367 international team members are on board to provide excellent service.
There is no change to the ship’s scheduled arrival in New York on Saturday, September 10. The magic of carnivals is scheduled to visit Bermuda again on a 6-night voyage departing New York on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
