Royal Caribbean Ship Forced to Skip Port Due to High Winds
Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise may have been excited to visit Costa Maya, Mexico, but their visit was cut short due to weather conditions.
The 6,780 passenger Harmony of the Seas was supposed to arrive at this popular tropical destination on April 3, 2025, but instead is having an unplanned day at sea.
When the vessel was only 300 feet off the coast, guests were notified that the ship would be unable to dock and would be heading back out to sea.
Several passengers shared posts online about the port cancellation, one of which included a photo that showed winds being measured at 43 knots.
While the ship’s equipment was reporting gale-force winds, weather reports indicate that the wind speed during the docking attempt should have been around 13 knots.
Still, this would be more than enough to warrant canceling an attempt to get the 226,960 gross-ton vessel to the pier safely.
Ships have tried and failed to dock in Costa Maya while the wind was being measured at just 10 knots — so rather than risk it, the crew decided to head to safer waters.
Another guest shared a video showing just how close Harmony of the Seas came to docking, as it was extremely close to reaching the long pier.
However, this video also showed just how choppy the ocean was as the conditions were not safe for the ship to attempt docking.
This passenger also shared that the cruise line would be refunding them for their port fees, but some cruisers commented that the process can sometimes take months.
“Costa MAYBE strikes again,” one person commented, pointing out that the popular cruising destination has this nickname for a reason.
This region of Mexico frequently experiences high winds which have caused many cruise ships to cancel — so cruisers know this is not always a guaranteed stop.
This ship departed on a round-trip itinerary out of Galveston, Texas on March 30, 2025 — so far just making one stop in Roatan, Honduras.
Now on their unexpected day at sea, Harmony of the Seas is heading towards Cozumel, Mexico, where it will arrive on April 4, 2025, before heading back to Galveston where it will disembark on April 6.
Read Also: Costa Maya, Mexico: What to Do During Your Visit
The only other cruise ship that was supposed to be in Costa Maya that day was MSC Cruises’ MSC Seashore — though based on its current location on radar, it likely also skipped the port.
While guests on the ship may be disappointed that the wind caused this port cancellation, when it comes to windy weather it is always better to be safe than sorry!
The Wind Always Wins
Costa Maya has become one of the most popular ports of call in the Caribbean — but Royal Caribbean is no stranger to itinerary changes due to the weather at this tropical destination.
Wonder of the Seas was forced to skip docking at this port in October of 2024 due to Hurricane Milton, while Harmony of the Seas was also forced to move up its visit to this port during the same week to make sure it avoided being in the path of the storm.
Just one month before that in September, Serenade of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas both had to cancel their visits to Costa Maya, instead visiting the Bahamas due to Hurricane Helene.
Despite the weather causing the occasional cancellation, Royal Caribbean recently announced a $600 million deal with plans to transform Costa Maya into Perfect Day Mexico.
The project is expected to be completed by 2027 and will feature a waterpark, pools, and private beach access.
If you are concerned about missing a stop in Costa Maya, the best thing to do is to book a cruise outside of hurricane season.
Thankfully, port cancellations this early in the year are uncommon as the weather tends to be more tame.
Be flexible with the experience and enjoy whatever your cruise has to offer!