Rough Weather Impacts Multiple Cruises for Liberty of the Seas
It’s been rough sailing for Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas for the past few days as strong winds in the Bahamas have impacted multiple cruises.
The most recent impact is to her St. Patrick’s Day departure, a 4-night Bahamas Perfect Day cruise with calls scheduled to both Nassau and CocoCay. The day before embarkation, guests received notification of an itinerary change to ease the rough weather.
“Our captain along with our Chief Meterologist, Craig Setzer, have been monitoring strong winds developing in and around Nassau, Bahamas. As a result, we have rearranged our port order,” the email explained. “We’ll enjoy a Sea Day before we make our way to Nassau, Bahamas.”
Liberty of the Seas was scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale on Monday, March 17 and visit Nassau from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday. A day at sea would follow on Wednesday, and then Thursday, March 20, was to be a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay before the ship returns to Port Everglades on Friday, March 21.
AccuWeather predicts winds of 20 miles per hour in Nassau on Tuesday, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
The ship’s departure on Monday is not impacted by the poor weather, but she will remain leisurely at sea and away from the worst winds with a day at sea on Tuesday. Wednesday, then, will be spent in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
The visit to CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island destination, is unchanged for Thursday. Similarly, there should be no delay to the ship’s return to Fort Lauderdale on Friday.
Any shore excursions for Nassau that guests pre-paid through Royal Caribbean will be automatically rescheduled for the new visit date. If the tours are unable to be rescheduled due to operator availability or other factors, they will be cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.
The onboard credit can be used for souvenirs, photos, drinks, or any other expenses on the ship. Any account credit remaining at the end of the sailing will be returned to the original form of payment.
Guests may be understandably disappointed at the itinerary change, particularly if further changes are necessary and Liberty of the Seas may not be able to visit both Nassau and CocoCay. Safety is always the cruise line’s primary consideration, however.
“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority,” the cruise line said. “Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather.”
Weather-related changes are not uncommon on cruises. These might involve port delays or swapping days in port, or even spending extra days at sea if a swap or alternative port is not possible.
Second Sailing in a Row Impacted
The 155,889-gross-ton, Freedom class Liberty of the Seas is currently homeported from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, offering 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises.
Because the ship’s itineraries are so brief, any strong weather system has the potential to impact more than one sailing, as has been the case with Liberty of the Seas.
In addition to the port day swaps for the March 17 departure, the ship was also forced to cancel her visit to CocoCay on the previous cruise, a 3-night itinerary that left Fort Lauderdale on March 14.
For that weekend getaway, the ship was also scheduled for Nassau along with CocoCay, but high winds meant docking at CocoCay was not possible. Without any day at sea on the original itinerary, simply changing the port day or making other arrangements was not an option.
Read Also: Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay – Full Guide
Missing a private island experience is always disappointing for travelers, and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay is consistently voted as the best private island destination. With a thrilling waterpark, multiple beaches, an adults-only area, nature trails, and much more, CocoCay is a top choice for many cruise guests.
While CocoCay does have a pier, ships must be able to dock safely and the pier must be safe for walking. Very high winds and waves can make it dangerous, and in those situations, it is not possible for a ship to visit.
Rough Weather Impacts Multiple Cruises for Liberty of the Seas