Nor'easter Cruise Disruptions: Which Ships Are Affected (Vision of the Seas, Carnival Venezia and More)
Updated: 3 hours ago
Vision of the Seas swaps Canada for the Bahamas, Carnival Venezia loses its Bermuda overnight, and more East Coast sailings are on watch this weekend
So, it isn't a hurricane causing the chaos on the US East Coast this week. It's a nor'easter, and it has already rewritten two cruises completely and left several more ships on a watch list for the weekend. If you're sailing from Baltimore, New York, New Jersey or Boston in the next few days, this is the one to keep an eye on.
Key Facts
Vision of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) has scrapped its 9 night Canada and New England cruise from Baltimore on 24 September. It now sails to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport instead.
Vision of the Seas stays overnight in Baltimore and sails at 3pm on Friday 25 September. Guests can't go ashore once aboard.
Carnival Venezia left Bermuda early on its 20 September sailing and got back to New York late on 24 September.
Venezia's next 5 night Bermuda cruise boarded around three hours late and has lost its overnight. It's now one day in King's Wharf, 9am to 4pm on 27 September.
Other ships on the watch list (no confirmed changes as of Thursday night): Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Escape, Independence of the Seas, Queen Mary 2, Valiant Lady, Viking Mars and Crystal Symphony.
The storm is bringing coastal flooding, gusty winds and 10 to 15 foot waves from North Carolina up into New England.
What's actually happening with this storm?
A nor'easter is a coastal storm that spins up off the Mid-Atlantic and tracks north along the coast. Unlike a hurricane, it doesn't get a name, and it doesn't get anywhere near the same attention. But for a cruise ship, rough seas are rough seas.
According to Cruise Fever's round-up (also syndicated on Yahoo Travel), by Thursday afternoon the storm was already pushing coastal flooding and big surf along a long stretch of the seaboard, from North Carolina through New Jersey and into New England. The seas are expected to stay lumpy for a while yet.
Now, here's the irony. Hurricane season runs until 30 November, and the Caribbean has been fairly quiet. So the ships that have been hit this week aren't the ones heading south. They're the ones heading north to Canada and out to Bermuda.
Vision of the Seas: from fall foliage to palm trees
This is the big one. Vision of the Seas was due to leave Baltimore on Thursday 24 September on a 9 night Canada and New England cruise, calling at Boston, Portland, Saint John and Halifax. None of those ports are happening now.
Royal Caribbean emailed booked guests to say it had to swap the whole thing for a Caribbean itinerary. In the words of that letter, reported by Royal Caribbean Blog, the line said "we must change our itinerary to ensure a safe and comfortable experience." The ship is now heading south to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport on Grand Bahama.
It didn't stop there. The previous sailing was late getting back into Baltimore because of the weather, arriving around 2pm instead of first thing in the morning. That pushed everything back for the new guests:
The terminal didn't open for check-in until 4:30pm, with arrival windows moved back by roughly five hours.
The latest arrival time was 6:30pm, with everyone on board by 7pm.
The ship then stays overnight in Baltimore and sails at 3pm on Friday 25 September.
As Cruise Hive reported, once guests are on board they can't go back ashore in Baltimore, because of US Customs and Border Protection rules. The shops and the casino also have to stay shut while the ship is alongside, although dining, bars and entertainment carry on as normal.
Any shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean for the Canada and New England ports are being refunded as onboard credit. As of Thursday, there was no word of any extra compensation on top of that.
Well, if you packed for 12 degrees and falling leaves, you now need a swimsuit. That's the practical headache for a lot of these guests.
Carnival Venezia: Bermuda cut short, twice
Carnival Venezia has been dealing with this storm for most of the week.
On her 4 night Bermuda cruise that left New York on Sunday 20 September, the captain put letters in cabins on the Monday to say the ship would leave the island early. Guests had to be back on board by 2:30pm rather than the original 5pm departure. The trip back to New York was a rough one too, with passengers reporting broken dishes in the dining room and plenty of seasickness as the ship slowed down and changed course to find calmer water.
She finally got into New York around 10am on Thursday 24 September, later than planned. And that knocked on to the next cruise.
Guests on the 24 September sailing, a 5 night Bermuda trip, had their terminal arrival times pushed back by about three hours, with the ship expected to sail around 6pm. The bigger loss is Bermuda itself. The planned overnight at King's Wharf is gone. Venezia now calls on Sunday 27 September only, from 9am to 4pm.
For a Bermuda cruise, that overnight is a big part of what you're paying for. It's the evening in Hamilton, the second beach day, the relaxed pace. Losing it turns a five night Bermuda holiday into something much closer to a long weekend at sea with a day ashore.
Carnival hasn't said whether the return to New York on Tuesday 29 September will be affected.
Which other cruise ships could be affected?
This is where you need to pay attention if you're booked for this weekend. As of late Thursday, these ships had no confirmed changes, but were flagged by Cruise Fever as ones to watch:
Norwegian Breakaway and other Boston departures this weekend, where port times or calls could shift.
Norwegian Escape, Independence of the Seas, Queen Mary 2, Valiant Lady, Viking Mars and Crystal Symphony, all on Canada and New England or Bermuda itineraries out of New York and Cape Liberty.
Cruise lines tend to hold off on changes until the last sensible moment, because the forecast can shift. So some of these may sail exactly as planned. Others could get a letter on Friday or Saturday. Honestly, nobody knows yet, and anyone telling you otherwise is guessing.
Sailing soon? Read these next
So what does this mean for you?
If you're booked on an East Coast cruise in the next week, here's what I'd do.
Check the app and your email every few hours. That's where the changes land first. Royal Caribbean and Carnival both contacted guests by email and cabin letter before posting anything publicly.
Pack for both. If you're on a Canada and New England trip, throw some summer clothes in the case. A layer for the cold and a swimsuit for the Bahamas costs you nothing.
Don't cancel independent tours too early, but know the rules. If you've booked excursions directly with local operators in Halifax or Bermuda, check their cancellation terms now. Cruise line excursions are refunded automatically when a port is dropped. Your own bookings aren't.
Know what you're owed. Cruise contracts give the lines the right to change itineraries for weather, and a missed port usually means you get the port taxes and fees back, not a fare refund. Vision's guests are getting onboard credit for their excursions. Anything more is at the line's discretion. (I've gone through this in detail in my post on what cruise lines refund when a port is missed.)
Arriving late is a real risk. Both ships pushed back boarding times by hours. If you're driving to Baltimore or Bayonne, or flying into New York the same day, give yourself far more buffer than usual. Flooding and wind can hit roads and flights too.
And one honest point. Being told on the day that your Canada cruise is now a Bahamas cruise is genuinely disappointing. But the alternative is days of heavy seas and ports you can't dock at anyway. A safety call is the right call, even when it isn't the fun one.
FAQ
Which cruise ships are affected by the nor'easter?
As of Thursday 24 September, two ships had confirmed changes: Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which swapped a Canada and New England cruise for the Bahamas, and Carnival Venezia, which cut its Bermuda calls short on two back to back sailings. Several other East Coast ships, including Norwegian Breakaway, Independence of the Seas and Queen Mary 2, were being watched but had no confirmed changes.
Where is Vision of the Seas going instead of Canada?
Vision of the Seas is now sailing from Baltimore to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport on Grand Bahama. The original ports of Boston, Portland, Saint John and Halifax have all been dropped. The ship stayed overnight in Baltimore and departs at 3pm on 25 September.
Will I get a refund if my cruise itinerary changes because of the nor'easter?
Usually not a fare refund. Cruise contracts allow lines to change itineraries for weather, and guests typically get back port taxes and fees for missed ports plus a refund for excursions booked through the cruise line. Royal Caribbean is refunding Vision of the Seas excursions as onboard credit. Any extra compensation is up to the cruise line. Here is what each cruise line refunds when a port is missed.
Is Carnival Venezia still going to Bermuda?
Yes, but for much less time. The 5 night cruise that left New York on 24 September now visits King's Wharf for one day only, from 9am to 4pm on Sunday 27 September, instead of staying overnight. Carnival hasn't said whether the 29 September return to New York will change.
Can I get off the ship if it stays overnight in the homeport?
Not on Vision of the Seas. Once you've boarded in Baltimore, you can't go back ashore, because of US Customs and Border Protection rules. The shops and casino also stay closed while the ship is in port, but restaurants, bars and entertainment are open.
Final thoughts
So, a storm most people outside the East Coast haven't heard of has turned one Canada cruise into a Bahamas cruise and trimmed two Bermuda holidays in a week. And it may not be done yet. If you're sailing this weekend, keep your phone handy and your case packed for both climates.
Are you on one of these ships, or booked on one of the watch list sailings? Drop a comment and tell me what you've heard from your cruise line. I'll keep an eye on it. And if you want more no-nonsense cruise news and ship tours, subscribe to The Walking Cruiser on YouTube.
