Hurricane Erin intensified into a Category 5 storm on August 16, 2025, prompting cruise lines to adjust itineraries across the Caribbean.
With sustained winds reaching 160 mph, the storm surged toward the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, forcing cruise lines to reroute in the interest of passenger and crew safety.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Erin is expected to expand in size over the next several days.
While its center is forecast to remain offshore of the U.S. mainland, dangerous surf, rip currents, and coastal erosion are expected along the East Coast.
Disney Treasure Changes Course
Disney Treasure, which departed Port Canaveral on August 16, replaced its original Eastern Caribbean stops of Tortola and St. Thomas with a Western Caribbean itinerary.
Guests will now visit Cozumel (Mexico), George Town (Grand Cayman), and Falmouth (Jamaica), with the scheduled stop at Castaway Cay still included. Disney Cruise Line alerted guests ahead of departure.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival Adjustments
Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, which left Baltimore on August 14, canceled its overnight in Bermuda.
Instead, the ship will spend August 17 in Port Canaveral, followed by calls in Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
In addition, Freedom of the Seas bypassed Nassau on August 17 and returned to Miami about 12 hours early, arriving on the morning of August 18 instead of later that day.
Carnival Cruise Line Drops Bermuda
Carnival Cruise Line also confirmed adjustments for Carnival Sunshine.
A Carnival spokesperson told Cruise Radio, “The team at our Fleet Operations Center in Miami is working with the captains on our ships to monitor Hurricane Erin.
Due to the storm’s forecasted path, Carnival Sunshine has canceled its Bermuda calls on August 20 and 21.
The ship will instead visit Celebration Key on August 19 and Nassau on August 20 before returning to Norfolk as scheduled on August 23.
The cruise line went on to say, “Safety is our priority, and we will continue to track the storm, factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and local port authorities to provide timely updates.
Guests on upcoming sailings are encouraged to opt in to text alerts during check-in and monitor their email for potential updates from Carnival.”
Other Ships Monitoring Conditions
Norwegian Escape, repositioning from Miami to New York, and Valiant Lady, which swapped Puerto Plata for Cozumel to avoid the storm’s impact, are continuing with their original itineraries.
Cruising during hurricane season, which runs from June through November, always carries a risk of itinerary changes.
Ships are never placed directly in a storm’s path, but diversions, delays, and port cancellations are common.
A travel insurance policy should be on your packing list on every cruise, but especially during hurricane season.
