Royal Caribbean is changing up the routes for four of its cruise ships because of Hurricane Rafael getting stronger. The ships that will be affected include Radiance of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas.
Radiance of the Seas was on a 7-day trip from Tampa, but now it’s swapping its original stops in Bimini, Freeport, and CocoCay for Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize. Freedom of the Seas, which is on a 6-day journey from Fort Lauderdale, is switching around its stops in Labadee, Haiti, and George Town, Cayman Islands, to steer clear of the storm.
As for Vision of the Seas, it’s currently on a 9-day sailing from Baltimore and is going to stay longer in Bermuda while skipping the Bahamas altogether. Finally, Brilliance of the Seas, leaving from New Orleans, is changing its stop from George Town to Belize City.
Hurricane Rafael is expected to blast western Cuba with winds over 100 mph and may head into the Gulf of Mexico toward the U.S. this weekend, but there’s a chance it might weaken a bit by then. Cruise lines are keeping a close eye on how the storm is developing.