Pool water sloshed across decks and some Bahamas stops got shuffled as big swells hit Florida cruises this week. Here’s which ships were affected and what’s next.
If your cruise out of Port Canaveral felt more like a carnival ride this week, you weren’t imagining it.
Strong onshore winds and king tides churned up the Atlantic along Florida’s east coast, and ships sailing between Central Florida and the Bahamas felt every bit of it. FOX 35 Orlando reported on Wednesday, Oct. 28, that pool water spilled across open decks, water reached balconies far above the waterline and crews set out sickness bags in stairwells.
One passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas told the station he watched the pool turn into its own little ocean.
“That’s when I saw the tidal waves occurring inside the pool and the water being drained without anybody draining it,” said Matthew Gillespie. “We started swaying back and forth.”
“I’m on the 14th floor and I was getting wet out on my balcony,” Gillespie told FOX 35.
Here’s FOX 35’s report, with video from on board:
What caused the rough seas off Florida this week?
It wasn’t a hurricane. Meteorologists pinned it on a combo of king tides, which are the highest tides of the year, and gusty northeast winds pushing water toward shore.
“It’s a combination of king tides and strong winds pushing water toward shore,” Candace Campos, chief meteorologist at News 6 in Orlando, said on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The beaches took a beating too. WFTV reported surf of 6 to 10 feet along Volusia County on Monday, and Brevard County closed its beach access points on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Offshore, Cruise Fever said a strong coastal storm system sat off Florida and the Bahamas, with gale-force winds in the mix.
Which cruise ships changed their itineraries?
Cruise Fever counted at least eight ships with delays or changes around Florida as of Tuesday. Here’s what we could confirm:
Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean, Port Canaveral): flipped the order of its stops on its Oct. 24 to 29 sailing, visiting Nassau on Sunday, Oct. 25, and Perfect Day at CocoCay on Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to Cruise Hive.
Star of the Seas (Royal Caribbean, Port Canaveral): skipped CocoCay on Monday, Oct. 26, because of wind gusts up to 35 mph and spent the day at sea, per Cruise Fever. Guests got their excursion money back as onboard credit.
Utopia of the Seas (Royal Caribbean, Port Canaveral): Cruise Fever reported that the ship’s Oct. 26 sailing dropped Nassau and CocoCay and headed to Cozumel, Mexico, instead. Royal Caribbean hadn’t commented to FOX 35 by its deadline.
MSC Seashore (MSC, Port Canaveral): adjusted one port visit, FOX 35 said. The station didn’t name the port.
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise (Port of Palm Beach): couldn’t get back on time because of high surf, which turned a four-night trip into five, according to Cruise Fever. Guests were offered a $50 future cruise credit or a free rebooking.
Royal Caribbean also sent two ships from New Jersey north instead, Cruise Fever reported. Oasis of the Seas went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Independence of the Seas went to Saint John, New Brunswick.
Were Disney Cruise Line ships affected?
We didn’t find any reports of Disney Cruise Line changes from this week’s weather. None of the Florida stories we checked mentioned a Disney ship, and we didn’t see any Disney itinerary notices as of Wednesday night.
Headed to Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay this weekend? Keep an eye on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app and your email anyway.
When will the seas calm down?
Relief is on the way, slowly. “Our east coast beaches continue to be battered with strong wind gusts and coastal flooding thanks to King Tides,” News 6 meteorologist Jordan Patrick said Wednesday evening.
Expect beach gusts in the low 30s at times on Thursday, Oct. 29, plus more flooding around high tide. The king tides and onshore winds should start to ease Friday, with calmer winds Saturday.
What should you do if you’re sailing soon?
Gillespie’s advice was simple. “Be precautionary because these seas can hit you pretty rough,” he told FOX 35.
A few practical moves help:
Pack motion sickness meds or bands before you board.
Book excursions through the cruise line, since skipped-port refunds usually go back automatically.
Turn on alerts in your cruise line’s app. Itinerary changes show up there first.
Royal Caribbean told Harmony guests in an email that “being onboard is one of the safest places to be,” Cruise Hive reported. Big ships are built for this stuff, even if your stomach isn’t.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
FOX 35 Orlando (Oct. 28), Matthew Gillespie’s account, ship details and video
Cruise Fever (Oct. 27), the list of affected ships and itinerary changes
Cruise Hive (Oct. 24), Harmony of the Seas port swap and guest email
News 6 WKMG (Oct. 27 and Oct. 28), king tide explanation and forecast
WFTV (Oct. 26), surf heights and Brevard beach closures
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