Hurricane Humberto Causes Cruise Ships to Alter Course

Five-day forecast for Hurricane Humberto.

PHOTO: Five-day forecast for Hurricane Humberto. (Photo courtesy of National Hurricane Center)Hurricane Humberto, which has developed over the weekend from a Tropical Storm into a full-blown, Category-1 hurricane, is making its way toward Bermuda, forcing cruise lines operating in the region to reroute their ships.

According to CruiseCritic, Humberto has thus far affected two Carnival Cruise Line itineraries that were scheduled to be sailing in Bermuda between Wednesday, September 18, and Friday, September 20.

Carnival Pride, which left Baltimore on September 15, is now spending two days at sea before sailing on to visit Grand Turk and the Dominican Republic’s Amber Cove, rather than Bermuda, as was originally intended.

Carnival Sunrise, departing today from New York City, will stop in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 18 before spending a previously-unscheduled day at sea. Sunrise will then spend a single day in Bermuda on Friday, September 20, by which time the storm is expected to have moved on, before cruising back to New York by September 22.

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas is also scheduled to weigh anchor in Bermuda on September 21, after Humberto is forecast to have already moved away from the island.

While no warnings are currently in effect, the National Hurricane Center anticipates the need to a Tropical Storm Watch for Bermuda later this afternoon, as Humberto continues to gain strength and move east-northeast over the next two days or so.

With sustained wind speeds of 85 mph, the hurricane was this morning sitting about 710 miles outside of Bermuda but is expected to reach the north end of the island by Wednesday night. Humberto is expected to peak as a major hurricane within the next 36-48 hours, with forwarding speed intensifying through Thursday, September 19.

Other effects of the storm include large swells, which will affect portions of the northwestern Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. during the upcoming few days. People in those areas should be aware of dangerous surf conditions and potentially life-threatening rip currents.

Norwegian Dawn overnights in Bermuda due to storm

Norwegian Dawn overnights in Bermuda due to storm

By Gay Nagle Myers
The Norwegian Dawn spent the night on Tuesday in Bermuda due to Tropical Storm Gabrielle. The ship departed mid-morning Wednesday and is expected to arrive on schedule in Boston on Friday morning.

The Norwegian Breakaway is scheduled to arrive at King’s Wharf in Bermuda on Wednesday evening for a two-night stay as scheduled.

JetBlue and US Airways waived change fees for flights to/from Bermuda on Wednesday.

Rain and wind buffeted Bermuda during the storm, but no major damage was reported.
Gabrielle was well out to sea by Wednesday afternoon.

Humberto in the far eastern Atlantic became the eighth named storm of the year and the first hurricane of the season on Wednesday morning.

Humberto poses no threat to land at this stage, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Cruise ships make itinerary changes due to tropical storm

Cruise ships make itinerary changes due to tropical storm

By Gay Nagle Myers
Tropical Storm Chantal has forced three Carnival ships to make itinerary changes as the storm wends its way through the Caribbean.

The Carnival Freedom will skip a call in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Thursday and substitute Cozumel instead.

The Carnival Liberty skipped St. Thomas on Tuesday and called in San Juan, is in Grand Turk on Wednesday and will add a stop in Nassau on Friday.

The Carnival Victory skipped a day at sea on Tuesday and called at Nassau, will be in Grand Turk on Thursday and at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

Chantal was south of Haiti on Wednesday and is expected to dump heavy rains on Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba on Thursday before heading toward the Bahamas and Florida on the weekend.