A powerful nor’easter affecting the US East Coast has caused widespread disruption to cruise operations, with ships arriving hours late, departures being postponed and multiple itineraries being shortened or rerouted.
The severe weather has now affected sailings operated by Virgin Voyages, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, with disruption stretching from Norfolk and Baltimore north through New York and New Jersey.
Among the latest ships impacted are Valiant Lady, Oasis of the Seas, Carnival Pride, Norwegian Escape, Independence of the Seas and Carnival Sunshine.
In several cases, the disruption is also carrying over from one cruise to the next. Ships returning late because of rough conditions are subsequently unable to embark passengers or depart on their following voyages at the originally scheduled times.
Weekend Departures Face Major Disruption
Virgin Voyages has made substantial changes involving Valiant Lady and her 27th September departure from New York.
The ship is now expected to dock at approximately 4:00pm following her previous cruise, with disembarkation not beginning until at least 5:00pm.
That delay has forced Virgin Voyages to push embarkation for the next sailing deep into the evening. Guests are being offered embarkation times between 8:00pm and midnight on 27th September, with a second embarkation window between 7:00am and 10:00am on 28th September.
Valiant Lady is then expected to leave New York at noon on 28th September.
The late departure has also resulted in a significant itinerary change. The revised cruise will now include just one day in Bermuda, with Valiant Lady scheduled to visit from 9:00am until 4:00pm.
Guests booked on the affected sailing are being offered $200 in non-refundable Sailor Loot, Virgin Voyages’ name for onboard credit, together with $200 in Future Cruise Credit.
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas has also been caught up in the storm.
The ship’s 20th September cruise is returning to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey significantly later than planned, with an expected arrival at approximately 4:00pm on Sunday, 27th September. Disembarkation is expected to begin at around 4:30pm.
Royal Caribbean informed passengers:
“As announced by our Captain, due to unfavorable weather conditions in and around the New York area and port operations, we’ll be delayed arriving to Cape Liberty, New Jersey. We’ll now be arriving tomorrow, Sunday, September 27, at approximately 4:00 PM. The debarkation process will begin at 4:30 PM,”
The delay is having an immediate effect on Oasis of the Seas’ next cruise, also scheduled to begin on 27th September.
Embarkation for the new sailing is now due to start at 8:00pm.
Royal Caribbean has also changed the itinerary. A scheduled visit to Port Canaveral, Florida on 29th September has been cancelled and replaced with a day at sea.
Oasis of the Seas will instead arrive in Nassau earlier on 30th September, with the ship now scheduled to be alongside from 7:30am until 5:30pm.
Another Royal Caribbean ship, Independence of the Seas, has been unable to leave Cape Liberty as scheduled on 26th September.
Rather than attempting to depart during the deteriorating conditions, the ship is remaining in New Jersey overnight and is now expected to begin the voyage on 27th September.
That delay has also affected its Bermuda itinerary. Independence of the Seas will no longer make the planned overnight visit to Bermuda, instead spending a single day there on Tuesday, 29th September.
Norwegian Escape is facing similar disruption in New York.
After cruise operations were halted because of the storm, the ship’s 26th September departure was delayed. Norwegian Escape is remaining alongside overnight and is now expected to depart New York at 10:00am on Sunday, 27th September.
It is the second consecutive Norwegian Escape voyage to be affected by the nor’easter.
Further south, Carnival Sunshine has been forced to stay farther out at sea in an effort to avoid the worst conditions.
The ship had been due to return to Norfolk, Virginia ahead of its next departure on 27th September. Its diversion into calmer waters means it will no longer reach Norfolk in time.
As a result, the next Carnival Sunshine cruise has been pushed back by a full day and is now expected to leave Norfolk on 28th September.
The voyage will operate as a five-night cruise, while a scheduled visit to Bimini on 29th September has been cancelled.
Nassau remains on the itinerary for 30th September, although the port times have changed. Carnival Sunshine is now scheduled to visit from 1:00pm until 9:00pm.
Carnival Pride is also returning late to Baltimore ahead of its scheduled 27th September cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line has advised passengers that the ship will arrive back at its homeport later in the afternoon than originally planned, requiring changes to embarkation arrangements for the next sailing.
Earlier Cruises Also Forced To Change Plans
The latest weekend disruption follows several days of itinerary alterations as cruise lines attempted to position ships away from the worst of the nor’easter.
Norwegian Escape had departed New York on 19th September for a seven-night Canada and New England cruise, but the latter part of the voyage was altered as forecasts worsened.
Its scheduled visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia on 24th September had originally been due to run from 9:00am until 10:00pm. Norwegian Cruise Line instead shortened the call so the ship could leave the area earlier.
Passengers were told:
“Due to forecasted weather conditions associated with a developing nor’easter expected to impact the northeastern United States and Canadian Atlantic coast, Norwegian Escape will depart Halifax earlier than originally scheduled today,”
The notification continued:
“Based on the latest forecasts and to allow the ship to safely navigate the region ahead of the storm’s expected strongest conditions, this adjustment is necessary to support our planned arrival into New York City.”
Norwegian Escape subsequently reached New York ahead of its originally scheduled Saturday morning arrival and remained alongside overnight.
Carnival Venezia has also experienced disruption across consecutive cruises.
The ship left New York on 20th September for a four-night Bermuda cruise, but passengers were subsequently told that its time in Bermuda would be reduced and the return route altered.
The captain also reduced the ship’s speed while returning towards New York to improve comfort in the deteriorating conditions.
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald addressed the disruption on 24th September.
“I must say thank you to the guests on board now who have a delayed debarkation in New York this morning because the Captain slowed the ship to make it more comfortable for them in the bad weather,”
The late arrival then affected Carnival Venezia’s next five-night Bermuda cruise, which had been scheduled to begin on 24th September.
The itinerary was originally due to include an overnight stay in Bermuda, with arrival at 9:00am on 26th September.
Under the revised schedule, Carnival Venezia was instead due to arrive at 9:00am on 27th September, a full day later than initially planned.
Royal Caribbean made an even more substantial alteration to Vision of the Seas.
The ship had been scheduled to depart Baltimore on 24th September for a nine-night Canada and New England itinerary. Rather than sailing north towards the storm, Royal Caribbean replaced the itinerary with a voyage south to Florida and the Bahamas.
Vision of the Seas remained in Baltimore overnight before its revised departure.
The replacement itinerary included visits to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Grand Bahama Island, with the ship still scheduled to return to Baltimore on 3rd October.
Embarkation had also been delayed, with the Baltimore cruise terminal not opening until 4:30pm on 24th September.
Passengers who had boarded were unable to leave the ship again despite Vision of the Seas remaining in Baltimore overnight.
Royal Caribbean told guests:
“Going ashore will not be permissible per the CBP [US Customs and Border Protection],”
The growing number of changes demonstrates the knock-on effect severe weather can have on cruise schedules. A ship that slows down or diverts to avoid rough seas may arrive at its homeport hours later than planned, which in turn delays disembarkation, embarkation and the departure of its next cruise.
In some cases, those delays leave insufficient time to complete the originally advertised itinerary, forcing cruise lines to cancel ports, shorten visits or remove overnight stays.
With conditions affecting a broad stretch of the US East Coast, passengers departing from ports including New York, Cape Liberty, Baltimore and Norfolk should continue checking communications from their cruise line for the latest information.
Further changes may be made at short notice as ships and shoreside operations teams respond to weather and port conditions.
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