Hurricane Melissa is impacting cruise ships that were scheduled to sail to destinations in the Eastern and Central Caribbean this week.
After intensifying and making landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the hurricane led to the cancellation of scheduled visits to destinations in the region.
Royal Caribbean had to reroute the Icon of the Seas, which was initially scheduled to offer a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean after departing from Miami on Oct. 25, 2025.
The 2023-built ship is now sailing to the Western Caribbean, replacing visits to St. Maarten and St. Thomas with stops in Mexico and Honduras.
“Our Captain, along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, has been tracking Tropical Storm Melissa that is expected to move through the area of our sailing,” the company said in a letter sent to guests onboard.
According to the statement, the decision to switch the itinerary was made to safely avoid the impacts of the then-developing storm.
Other Royal Caribbean ships affected by Melissa include the Harmony of the Seas, the Rhapsody of the Seas, the Freedom of the Seas and the Odyssey of the Seas.
Celebrity Cruises also rerouted the Celebrity Beyond’s current cruise, which is now sailing to the Western Caribbean, to avoid the storm path.
The MSC World America saw a similar change, replacing destinations in the Eastern Caribbean with ports in Mexico and Honduras.
Guests also reported itinerary changes for two Disney ships, including the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure.
While the first advanced its visit to Castaway Cay, the latter is now operating an adjusted itinerary in the Western Caribbean.
Cruise Industry News, five Carnival Cruise Line ships cancelled visits to destinations in Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk due to the storm.
Other ships reportedly affected include the Regal Princess, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander and the Norwegian Joy.