Storm Austen Cruise Disruption: Arvia, Iona and Two MSC Ships Change Plans at Southampton
Cruises and Ambassador guests this weekend, and what to do if you're sailing next
By The Walking Cruiser
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the UK season, has already reshuffled at least five cruise itineraries before it's even properly arrived. Three ships have been rushed into Southampton a day or more early, P&O's Iona has lost her last port, and Ambassador's Ambition has abandoned northern Norway altogether. If you're disembarking or boarding in Southampton this weekend, your timings may not be what's on your booking.
Key Facts
Ships affected: P&O Cruises' Arvia and Iona, MSC Preziosa, MSC Virtuosa, and Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition.
Early arrivals: Arvia, MSC Preziosa and MSC Virtuosa were scheduled into Southampton on the evening of Thursday 22 October, instead of Friday 23 October (or Saturday 24 October for Virtuosa).
Earlier departure: MSC Preziosa now leaves Southampton at 6pm on Friday 23 October, not 8pm. Guests were told to be at the City Cruise Terminal by 2pm.
Cancelled port: Iona skipped Bilbao (Getxo) on 22 October and is sheltering near Brixham before returning to Southampton on Saturday morning as planned.
Weather: The Met Office has an Amber wind warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of west Devon on Friday morning, with gusts of 60 to 70mph. Southampton sits inside the wider Yellow warning.
Three ships into Southampton a day early
So, here's the headline for anyone ending a cruise this weekend. According to Cruise Hive, which checked the Associated British Ports schedule, Arvia and MSC Virtuosa were due alongside at around 7pm on Thursday 22 October, with MSC Preziosa following at roughly 9:30pm. Those times are always subject to pilots, port traffic and the weather itself.
Originally, Arvia and Preziosa weren't due in until Friday morning. Virtuosa wasn't due until Saturday. That's a full day, or in Virtuosa's case nearly two, chopped off the end of the trip.
Here's what each ship was doing:
Arvia (5,282 guests) was finishing a 13-night Mediterranean round trip that left Southampton on 10 October. Her next sailing is a 14-night transatlantic from Southampton to Barbados.
MSC Preziosa (3,959 guests) was completing a Northern Europe sailing, one with several embarkation points including Southampton.
MSC Virtuosa was on a short five-night Northern Europe trip that left Southampton on 19 October.
The logic is simple enough. A ship tied up in port before the worst of the wind arrives is far easier to manage than one trying to berth in 60mph gusts on Friday morning. Get the ships in, get them settled, and turnaround day can happen with the storm passing overhead rather than mid-approach.
But it does mean guests on board found themselves back in Southampton a night early. Whether they stayed on the ship overnight or left early isn't something the cruise lines have publicly spelled out, so if you were on one of these sailings, check what your line has told you directly.
MSC Preziosa's next sailing leaves two hours early
Now, this is the bit that matters if you're boarding rather than leaving. MSC has told guests booked on MSC Preziosa's next sailing that the ship will sail at 6pm on Friday 23 October instead of 8pm. To make that work, MSC wants everyone at the City Cruise Terminal by 2pm at the latest.
Two hours doesn't sound like much. But with a Yellow wind warning across southern England, possible rail and road disruption, and plenty of people driving down to Southampton on a Friday, that 2pm deadline could catch a few people out.
Arvia's transatlantic and Virtuosa's next Northern Europe sailing had no confirmed itinerary changes at the time of writing. That could change depending on how the storm tracks.
Iona loses Getxo after already losing Le Havre
Iona's guests are having a properly unlucky week. Their seven-night sailing left Southampton on 17 October, and it had already skipped Le Havre on 18 October because of civil unrest in France, with the Vigo and A Coruña calls adjusted as a result.
Then Storm Austen took the last port too. The captain told guests in a letter on 21 October that the Bilbao (Getxo) call on Thursday was cancelled and the ship would head back towards the UK. As Cruise Hive reported, the plan is to get through the Bay of Biscay, then wait in calmer water off Brixham in Devon before carrying on to Southampton.
There's no suggestion Iona will actually call at Brixham. It's simply a sheltered spot to ride out Friday's worst conditions. Her Southampton arrival, scheduled for 6:15am on Saturday 24 October, hasn't changed.
Guests on board have described a lumpy Biscay crossing, with some staying in their cabins. If you've crossed Biscay in autumn, you'll know the feeling. If you haven't, it's a reminder to pack seasickness tablets for any late-season sailing from Southampton, whatever the brochure photos look like.
Ambassador's Ambition swaps the Northern Lights for the fjords
The other UK-based ship caught up in this is Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition. She's on a 17-night "Land of Northern Lights" voyage that left Bristol on 16 October, and the whole point of that trip is getting far enough north to give guests a shot at the aurora.
Well, that shot has just got a lot smaller. Ambassador said Storms Austen and Boelo were forecast to bring winds of up to 70 knots and swells of up to seven metres between the UK and Norway next week. Rather than risk being caught in the far north with that between the ship and home, the line has moved her south.
Ambition still calls at Alta on Friday 23 October. After that, the northern stops, including Hammerfest, Narvik and Bodo, have gone. Instead, she'll call at:
Andalsnes on Monday 26 October
Molde on Tuesday 27 October
Alesund on Wednesday 28 October (her second visit this trip)
Bergen on Thursday 29 October
Stavanger on Friday 30 October
Her return to Bristol on Monday 2 November is unchanged. Ambition's next Northern Lights itinerary isn't until her 8 March 2027 departure.
Honestly, those replacement ports are lovely. Andalsnes and Alesund are two of my favourite fjord stops. But if you booked specifically to chase the aurora, it's a big change to the trip you paid for, and it's fair to feel disappointed even while agreeing it's the right call.
What Storm Austen means if you're cruising from the UK this weekend
So what should you actually do? A few practical points:
Check your cruise line's app and email before you travel. Times are moving at short notice. MSC's 2pm Preziosa check-in deadline is the clearest example.
Leave early for Southampton. The Met Office says winds should ease through Friday afternoon and evening, but road and rail disruption often lags behind the weather.
Don't assume compensation. None of the cruise lines involved have publicly announced onboard credit or refunds for these changes. Weather diversions are generally treated as outside the line's control, though it's always worth asking guest services about unused port fees and pre-booked excursions.
Watch for Storm Boelo. The Met Office has flagged another deep area of low pressure bringing strong winds to northern parts of the UK this weekend, and Ambassador has already named Boelo in its decision. Late-October sailings to Norway, Scotland and Ireland are the ones to keep an eye on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cruise ships were affected by Storm Austen?
P&O Cruises' Arvia and Iona, MSC Preziosa, MSC Virtuosa and Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition all changed plans. Arvia, Preziosa and Virtuosa arrived in Southampton early, Iona cancelled her Bilbao (Getxo) call, and Ambition swapped her northern Norway ports for fjord ports further south.
Is my cruise from Southampton cancelled because of Storm Austen?
No cancellations of departing sailings had been announced at the time of writing. MSC Preziosa's Friday 23 October departure was brought forward to 6pm, with check-in closing at 2pm. Arvia's transatlantic and Virtuosa's next sailing had no confirmed changes, but check your cruise line's app on the day.
Will I get compensation if my cruise port is cancelled due to a storm?
Not automatically. Cruise line contracts usually let them change itineraries for weather without compensation, and none of the lines involved here have announced goodwill payments. You can usually get refunds for excursions booked through the cruise line, and some lines refund port taxes for missed calls, so ask guest services.
When will Storm Austen be over?
The Met Office expects the strongest winds on Friday 23 October, with an Amber warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of west Devon from 3am to 10am. Winds should gradually ease through Friday afternoon and evening, though another low is forecast to bring strong winds to northern parts of the UK over the weekend.
Is Southampton in the Storm Austen Amber warning?
No. Southampton is inside the wider Yellow wind warning, not the Amber zone, which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of west Devon. Port operations can still be affected in Yellow conditions, which is why ships were brought in early.
Final thoughts
So, nobody's been hurt, every ship is safe, and the lines have done exactly what you'd want them to do: move early, keep ships out of the worst of it, and accept a few annoyed passengers as the price. That's the right trade.
But if you're one of the Iona guests who lost two ports in a week, or you booked Ambition for the Northern Lights and got Bergen instead, you're allowed to be gutted about it. Autumn cruising from the UK is brilliant value, and this is the flip side of it.
Are you on one of these ships, or sailing from Southampton this weekend? Tell me how it's going in the comments, and subscribe to The Walking Cruiser on YouTube for more cruise news and honest ship reviews.
