Putting passenger and crew safety first is always paramount in the cruise industry. When situations arise that could compromise safety, cruise lines must make changes.
Sometimes, passengers get advance notice of the changes but in many cases, the changes must be made at the last minute. This is most often the case with weather-related itinerary changes.
Related: Hurricane forces Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC itinerary changes
This week, passengers currently sailing on one Disney Cruise Line ship and those booked on an upcoming Disney cruise both saw their cruise itineraries changed due to two very different, unexpected situations.
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Disney Fantasy ship skips Grand Cayman due to Tropical Storm Helene
Due to Tropical Storm Helene, passengers aboard the Disney Fantasy ship did not get to visit Grand Cayman as planned on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Instead, the ship is spending the day at sea before sailing to Falmouth, Jamaica for its next port stop on its 7-night Western Caribbean cruise itinerary.
The Port Authority of the Cayman Islands announced that the port would be closed Tuesday, Sept. 24 due to the inclement weather caused by Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, now Tropical Storm Helene.
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Helene to a tropical storm at 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Helene is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico and become a hurricane Wednesday before making landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday night.
Passengers sailing on Disney Cruise Line ships in the Bahamas, the Disney Wish and the Disney Magic, did not experience storm-related cruise itinerary changes.
Related: Disney Cruise Line improves painful port process for passengers
Disney Wonder’s Pacific cruise itinerary changed due to unrest
Due to recent riots and rising tension in the French territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, Disney Cruise Line has decided that its Disney Wonder ship will skip an upcoming scheduled port stop in the territory’s capital city of Nouméa.
The Disney Wonder was scheduled to visit Nouméa on Oct. 15. Instead the ship will spend an additional day at sea on its Pacific cruise journey from Honolulu, Hawaii to Sydney, Australia.
The U.S. Department of State lists New Caledonia as a Travel Advisory Level 3, recommending that U.S. citizens reconsider travel to New Caledonia due to civil unrest and crime following riots related to electoral reform in May 2024.
A unique Pacific cruise port, Nouméa enchants travelers with a mix of idyllic Pacific island scenery and European influence. New Caledonia is known for the world’s largest lagoon and second largest barrier reef.
