Erika Loses Tropical Storm Status; Cruise Lines Rethinking Changes In Itineraries

Tropical Storm Erika Path Here's the latest satellite look at Tropical Storm Erika over the Caribbean. | NOAA
By  Islands Staff Aug. 30, 2015

Tropical Storm Erika's was downgraded to a tropical depression on Saturday afternoon, so cruise lines are rethinking the changes they previously announced for their itineraries. Cruise guests traveling to Florida on Monday and Tuesday could still see travel delays as the remnants of the storm pass over the state. Flash flooding is possible in several areas of the state.

Here's what we know as of Saturday afternoon.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Royal Caribbean has a page devoted to updates. As of Friday, it read: "Royal Caribbean International continues to closely monitor the path and progress of Tropical Storm Erika to ensure guests enjoy safe and comfortable cruises, and to make certain our ships steer clear of the storm. The safety of our guests and crew is always our foremost concern. ... We encourage guests sailing on Adventures of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, and Freedom of the Seas monitor this website for any additional updates."

CARNIVAL CRUISES
From Carnival: "We're closely monitoring the storm and will adjust our itineraries to keep our guests, crew and the vessel out of harm's way." As of Saturday morning, changes in itineraries were made for:

  • Carnival Conquest's 8-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale (Aug. 23-31) with an extra day in San Juan and a stop in Nassau replacing planned stops in St. Maarten and St. Kitts.
  • On Carnival Ecstasy's 3-day cruise (Aug. 28-31) from Miami, an overnight stay in Nassau will instead depart the port at 5 p.m.
  • On Carnival Valor's Aug. 29-Sept. 5 cruise from Port Canaveral, the original itinerary has been resored.
  • On Carnival Breeze's Aug. 29-Sept. 6 cruise from Miami, the original itinerary has been restored.
  • On Carnival Fascination's Aug. 29-Sept. 3 trip from Jacksonville, Half Moon Cay will be replaced with a day at sea and Freeport will be added to the itinerary (replacing a different day at sea.)

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
NCL has Erika updates on its home page. The latest news: "At Norwegian Cruise Line, the safety and security of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance. The company has been closely monitoring Tropical Storm Erika and will be adjusting itineraries for Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Sky, to ensure our guests have the best vacation experience possible."

DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Disney has a special page for updates, but at this time has made no changes to upcoming trips. "Disney Cruise Line is monitoring the current weather conditions and path of Tropical Storm Erika. At this time, we have made no changes to our itineraries. Should weather conditions change, we can alter the itinerary of our ships to ensure the safety and comfort of our Guests. We will also continue to update this website with any new information as it becomes necessary."

For the latest on Erika, check for updates on Weather.com.

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