Tropical Storm Ernesto gains speed and reroutes two cruise ships

Here we go again…it’s that time of year when ships play dodge-ball with the weather. With hurricane season almost in full swing (August and September are the peak months for hurricane activity, it’s time for me to don my weather-gal hat and keep you informed as to updates, changes and cancellations. Keep in mind it is a very rare occasion that a cruise line with totally cancel a sailing. The ship can outrun or at least dodge almost any impending storm.

Here are the latest updates. And a few days east of Ernesto, Tropical Storm Florence is gaining speed in the Atlantic.

At this time, Royal Caribbean’s only alert is for two typhoons, Damrey and Saola, in the Pacific. Carnival and Disney have announced the two itinerary changes for their ships that sailed today; the Carnival Triumph from Galveston and the Disney Fantasy from Port Canaveral.

Carnival Triumph departed today from Galveston and is doing a reverse itinerary:

Sunday at Sea
Monday: Cozumel
Tuesday: Progresso
Wednesday at Sea
Thursday back to Galveston.
More updates posted as they come in. Carnival Dream is pending.

Disney Fantasy departed from Port Canaveral today and will flip to an eastern Caribbean itinerary rather that the scheduled western Caribbean.

Sunday at Sea
Monday at Sea
Tuesday: St. Maarten
Wednesday: St. Thomas/St. John USVI
Thursday at Sea
Friday: Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas
Saturday: Port Canaveral

At this time, Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to become a category 1 hurricane on Monday. Judging by the current five-day forecast, he’s tracking south of Cozumel and Cancun, right across the  Bay of Campeche. I’ll post more updates as they become available.