Tropical Storm Franklin affects the Carnival cruise ship’s itinerary

guests on board Carnival celebration They’ll enjoy a modified itinerary this week that will keep them out of the path of Tropical Storm Franklin, which formed in the southern Caribbean Sea and is moving north toward Hispaniola.

Carnival’s flagship will continue to visit all planned ports of call, but in reverse order with port times slightly modified to keep out of inclement weather.

Carnival celebration Change of itinerary

Carnival celebration She set sail for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Sunday, August 20, 2023. However, due to the track of Tropical Storm Franklin, the ship has adjusted course to quickly pass through the forecast path of the storm and is operating more slowly. On the way back to Miami.

“In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center, we continue to monitor Tropical Storm Franklin.” The message to the guests on board began. “Due to the expected path of the storm, we have revised our itinerary in order to stay a safe distance from the storm.”

The original itinerary called for one day at sea before visiting Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and philipsburg On St. Martin for the next three days – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Two days at sea were to follow before the ship returned to Miami on Sunday, August 27.

Instead, the ship reverses the itinerary, first spending two days at sea and then visiting the three planned ports in reverse order: first Philipsburg, then San Juan, then Amber Cove. One day will remain at sea before the ship returns to Miami on time.

It should be noted that times in port have also been slightly revised for two of the destinations, San Juan and Amber Cove. Carnival celebration In Puerto Rico it will be from 7 AM to 4 PM (previously from 10 AM to 7 PM), and in the Dominican Republic from 8 AM to 5 PM (originally from 7 AM to 4 PM).

The ship will be in St. Martin as originally planned from 8 am to 5 pm, but on Wednesday instead of Thursday. All pre-purchased Carnival Beach Tours are automatically adjusted to new dates and times as needed.

“We know this change is affecting your plans and we regret any disappointment this may cause.” You read the letter. “However, we trust you understand that this decision was made with everyone’s safety in mind.”

As the ship sails somewhat closer to the area of ​​effect of the storm and the movement of waves may be felt more than usual, guests on board are advised to use caution when moving around the ship and to use handrails whenever possible.

Dominican Republic closes cruise ports

In anticipation of the arrival of Tropical Storm Franklin and its impact on the island The Dominican Republic has closed both Amber Cove and Taino Bay Cruise ports. The closure came into effect at 2pm local time on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

At the moment, there is no expected time for the ports to reopen. This decision will only be made after the storm has completely passed out of the area and any damage can be assessed and repaired as needed.

For now, both Carnival celebration and MSC Cruises MSC Seascape It was diverted away from the Dominican Republic. The next ship scheduled to arrive on the island is Magic carnivalwhich is set to be at Amber Cove on Thursday, August 24, to follow Horizon Carnival On Friday, August 25th.

Tropical Storm Franklin is expected to pass directly over Hispaniola and the two cruise ports Wednesday afternoon or early evening, August 23. Depending on the storm’s speed, which is currently only 7 mph (11 kph), there could still be plenty of severe weather in the area Magic carnival for the visit scheduled for Thursday, but the storm is expected to be out of the area by Friday.

At this time, there have been no changes to Magic carnivalAny itinerary modifications may be announced soon – The ship is currently sailing on an 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise and departed Norfolk, VA on Saturday, August 19th.

Franklin currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), just above the 39 mph (62 kph) threshold to be officially classified as a tropical storm. The storm is likely to weaken somewhat as it passes over Hispaniola, but is expected to strengthen again as it moves into the northern Caribbean Sea, possibly reaching hurricane strength by the end of the week.

At that time the storm will be well away from most cruise ship traffic and is unlikely to have further impacts on most itineraries.