While Hurricane Helene's likely path will have it travel up Florida's West Coast, it's still having an impact on operations at Port Canaveral which is on the state's East Coast.
The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) has set Port Condition "Yahnkee" for Port Canaveral. Its website explained what that means.
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"Sustained gale-force winds are predicted within 24 hours. Port Canaveral is open and conducting limited Port operations and preparing for the closure of waterside and vessel shoreside Port operations. Vessel owners and operators should take immediate decisive action to comply with Port orders to ensure the safety of their vessels, crews and/or facilities," it posted on its website.
The website also had a notification for cruisers both arriving and leaving on Friday, Sept. 27.
"Because of the effects of Hurricane Helene, we are anticipating cruise vessels scheduled to arrive at Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 27 will be delayed. These delays will likely impact guest embarkation times for outbound sailings," it shared. "All cruise guests planning to sail from Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 27 or Saturday, Sept. 28 are advised to contact their cruise lines to confirm their embarkation and ship’s departure time."
Image source: Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean sends a notification
Royal Caribbean has already sent notice to passengers on the Sept. 27 sailing of Utopia of the Seas that their boarding time has been pushed back.
Dear Guest,
We’re looking forward to welcoming you onboard Utopia of the Seas! Before you make your way to terminal, we have an important boarding day update to share with you.Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we’ve been monitoring some adverse weather in and around Port Canaveral due to Hurricane Helene. Due to Port Canaveral's planned closure, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning and as a result, our boarding on September 27th will also be adjusted.
Kindly note that the terminal will be closed until 2:30 PM. To ensure a smooth boarding process, all guests should plan on arriving at your new arrival time as listed below. All guests must be checked in and onboard by 5:30 PM and we'll now set sail at 6:00 PM.6
This situation remains fluid, and our new boarding times depend on the port reopening. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon!
Sincerely,
Royal Caribbean International
Essentially, all guests have been asked to push their arrival time back 3 hours.
The Port Canaveral website shows similar delayed arrivals for Disney Wish, MSC Seashore, Carnival Glory, and Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas.
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It currently does not show any delays on arrivals on Sept. 28, but the situation remains fluid depending upon the weather.
Not every cruise line has notified its passengers about the changes. It remains possible that the storm could change path or have less of an impact on Port Canaveral than expected and that the arrival and departure times listed on the port's website could change.
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