Storm Damage Forces Ongoing Cancellations At Perfect Day At CocoCay

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Severe weather that swept across the Bahamas last weekend continues to disrupt cruise itineraries, with Royal Caribbean Group confirming that damage at its private island, Perfect Day At CocoCay, is limiting how many ships can safely dock.

Royal Caribbean Ships at CocoCay

Guests sailing this week aboard Freedom of the Seas and Celebrity Reflection have both been informed that their scheduled visits to CocoCay have been cancelled due to safety concerns following the storm.

Although the island is shared by Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, only one vessel per day can currently berth, forcing itinerary changes across both brands.

Pier Damage Prevents Full Operations

According to a letter delivered to guests onboard Freedom of the Seas, strong winds and heavy seas caused significant damage to the eastern side of the island’s pier. Several catwalks were torn loose and fell into the water during the storm, creating a hazard for arriving ships.

The letter explained that divers have so far been unable to locate all of the submerged structures, making it unsafe for vessels to approach or dock on that side of the pier. Until the debris is recovered or the area is declared clear, docking capacity remains restricted.

Freedom of the Seas is currently sailing a five night Bahamas itinerary that departed Miami on Monday, 2nd February. Instead of calling at CocoCay on Tuesday, 3rd February as originally planned, the ship remained at sea and will now make an additional stop at Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic.

Celebrity Reflection has also been affected. The ship departed Fort Lauderdale on the same day for a five night cruise that was scheduled to include both CocoCay and Nassau. While Nassau is still expected to go ahead, CocoCay has been replaced with a visit to Freeport in the Bahamas.

Limited Docking Capacity Continues

While the damage has forced cancellations, CocoCay has not closed completely. Ships are still able to dock on the western side of the pier, allowing one vessel per day to visit the island.

Mariner and Navigator of the Seas at CocoCay

This reduced capacity means that on days when two ships are scheduled, one must either divert to an alternative port or spend the day at sea. That was the case on Tuesday, 3rd February, when Wonder of the Seas was able to proceed with its planned CocoCay call while Freedom of the Seas remained at sea.

Given the popularity of CocoCay across Royal Caribbean Bahamas itineraries, most days typically see two ships scheduled. As a result, further cancellations are likely in the coming days until the eastern side of the pier can safely reopen.

Decisions on which ship retains access to the island are expected to be based on a range of factors, including vessel size, original berthing plans, and how easily alternative ports can be substituted. In some cases, sailings may be adjusted to allow a visit on a different day, particularly when no ships are scheduled, such as Thursday, 12th February.

Guests affected by any changes are being notified either onboard or shortly before sailing. As standard practice, any pre-paid shore excursions for CocoCay booked through Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises will be automatically cancelled and refunded if the visit does not go ahead.

No Repair Timeline Yet

Royal Caribbean has not yet confirmed how long repairs at Perfect Day At CocoCay may take. Before full operations can resume, the missing catwalks must either be recovered or the surrounding waters confirmed clear of debris to ensure safe manoeuvring for ships.

Once the area is deemed safe, replacement catwalks will still need to be installed and inspected before both sides of the pier can reopen. The disruption could be resolved within days, but there is also the possibility that further sailings across both fleets will be impacted if repairs take longer than expected.

Until then, itinerary changes are likely to remain a feature for some Bahamas cruises calling at Royal Caribbean’s flagship private island.

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