Hurricane Debby, which made landfall early Monday on Florida's Gulf Coast and is now making its way up the East Coast, left in its wake altered cruise itineraries over the weekend and could impact sailings in the coming week.
Carnival Cruise Line ships out of Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., have been affected by the storm, and officials are keeping an eye on the Port of Charleston in South Carolina for a cruise returning there later this week.
The Carnival Paradise delayed its return to the Port of Tampa on Monday in light of the storm. The ship was scheduled to depart Monday on a six-day Caribbean cruise but is now expected to leave on Tuesday and shorten the voyage to five days. The line has encouraged embarking guests to sign up for text alerts.
The Carnival Elation had its itinerary from Jacksonville altered, as well. The ship was scheduled to depart Monday but left a day earlier to avoid the storm.
Eyes are now on the Carnival Sunshine, which is expected to arrive at the Port of Charleston on Thursday and depart that same day on a Caribbean cruise that will call at Nassau. Guests have been asked to sign up for text alerts during online check-in and watch for updates.
Canceled calls
MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have maintained their departures thus far but have canceled calls on their itineraries.
MSC Cruises canceled an Aug. 3 visit by the MSC Seashore at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas due to high winds, the line said.
The Norwegian Sky was forced to cancel calls at Key West and the line's Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line canceled a call at Key West by the Norwegian Sky on Aug. 3, remaining at sea instead. The line then canceled the ship's call the following day at its private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas. The Sky visited Nassau in the Bahamas instead.
Royal Caribbean International said its Symphony of the Seas skipped a call at Port Canaveral on Sunday in favor of a sea day. It sailed out of Cape Liberty Bayonne in New Jersey on Friday on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.
Meanwhile, the Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on a five-day Bermuda cruise Saturday, will no longer stay overnight in Bermuda on Monday. It is instead departing Bermuda today.
UPDATE: This report was updated at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 5 to include information on Royal Caribbean International sailings and details on Thursday's scheduled Norwegian Sky cruise from Charleston.