Luxury Cruising Editorial

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica with destructive force, cruise lines across the Caribbean are rerouting ships and cancelling port calls to keep passengers and crew safe – while officials brace for what could be the strongest storm in the island’s history.

The Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds of more than 175 mph, is bringing catastrophic winds, torrential rain, and dangerous storm surges.

Jamaica’s government has declared a national state of emergency and mobilised resources as towns along the southern and eastern coasts prepare for impact.

Cruise Lines Divert as Safety Precaution

While the humanitarian focus remains firmly on Jamaica and its people, the storm’s wide reach has also forced cruise lines to alter itineraries across the region.

Ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line have each announced course changes to avoid the storm’s path.

Carnival confirmed adjustments to at least five vessels – Liberty, Celebration, Dream, Sunrise, and Vista – rerouting them away from Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean. Montego Bay, one of the country’s most popular cruise ports, has been removed from several itineraries as the hurricane approaches.

“Safety is our priority, and we continue to track conditions carefully, factoring in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard, and local port authorities,” Carnival said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, and Celebrity Beyond have each swapped their Eastern Caribbean routes for Western ones, calling at destinations such as Cozumel, Roatán, and Belize instead of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, or the Dominican Republic.

Royal Caribbean Group described the decision as a precautionary measure, with Chief Executive Jason Liberty emphasising that guest and crew safety “always comes first.”

Disney Cruise Line has also made significant changes. Disney Treasure will now sail to Cozumel and spend two days at the company’s private island, Castaway Cay, while Disney Wish has rearranged its Bahamian port visits to avoid deteriorating conditions later in the week.

Jamaica and Neighbouring Islands Brace for Impact

Forecasters warn that Melissa could bring up to 40 inches of rainfall in parts of Jamaica, raising the risk of flash flooding and landslides.

Neighbouring regions – including the Turks and Caicos, eastern Cuba, and the Bahamas – are also under hurricane warnings as the storm is expected to track northeast later in the week.

Airports across Jamaica have suspended operations, and ships already at sea are steering well clear of the island and surrounding waters.

Cruise lines have stressed that itinerary adjustments are minor compared to the potential devastation ashore. In recent years, many have joined humanitarian relief efforts following major storms, and they are expected to assist again once port conditions allow.

Looking Ahead

Meteorologists say Hurricane Melissa could be one of the most powerful storms to strike the Caribbean in decades.

Beyond the immediate threat, the storm is likely to disrupt tourism across the region, affecting not just cruise schedules but also hotels, flights, and local businesses that rely heavily on visitor spending.

For now, the focus remains on the safety of island residents and travellers alike.

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A search is underway after a crew member went overboard from Viking Star while the ship was sailing in the southern Aegean Sea on Monday, 27th October 2025.

The incident occurred at 11:31 am local time, when the crew member was seen entering the water as the 47,800-gross-ton ship travelled between Crete and Sicily during a seven-night Mediterranean voyage.

“The ship’s emergency response was immediately activated, and an extensive search operation was launched, in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard,” Viking Cruises said in a statement.

Photos taken from nearby show a smoke flare deployed into the sea to mark the location of the incident, alongside several life rings tossed overboard to aid in the search.

Ship Released from Search

Marine tracking data indicates that Viking Star circled the search area for several hours before being released from the operation at approximately 6:00 pm local time.

“The Italian Coast Guard has jurisdiction over the operation and is continuing the search. At 6:00 pm local time, the Italian Coast Guard released the ship from the search efforts; it will now proceed on its journey,” the cruise line confirmed.

It is standard protocol for a cruise ship to assist in an initial overboard search until local rescue authorities take over. Specially equipped vessels and aircraft are typically better suited to prolonged search operations.

Viking Star’s next port of call was Messina, Sicily, where she arrived on Tuesday, 28th October. The itinerary will then continue to Naples on 29th October and Civitavecchia (Rome) on 30th October for disembarkation.

According to the ship’s manifest, Viking Star is carrying 925 guests and 471 crew members. She can accommodate up to 930 passengers depending on occupancy.

“We are deeply saddened by what has occurred. Our thoughts are with the family of our crew member, and we will continue to support them during this difficult time,” Viking added.

A Difficult Week for the Cruise Industry

This latest tragedy follows a series of distressing incidents across multiple cruise lines in recent days.

On Sunday, 26th October, a crew member aboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia died following an onboard accident while the ship was en route from Southampton to Tenerife. The line has not released further details but confirmed that the individual’s family and colleagues are being supported.

Less than a week earlier, on 21st October, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel conducted a 10-hour search near the Azores after a person went overboard during a repositioning voyage from Barcelona to Miami. The search was ultimately unsuccessful.

Overboard and onboard fatalities are extremely rare, but each case prompts detailed investigations to ensure safety procedures are properly followed.

Viking Star continues to operate in the Mediterranean year-round, visiting ports in Greece, Italy, Spain, and Croatia as part of her regular itineraries.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica with destructive force, cruise lines across the Caribbean are rerouting ships and cancelling port calls to keep passengers and crew safe – while officials…

A crew member has died following an accident onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia, the cruise line has confirmed. The incident occurred on Sunday, 26th October 2025, while the ship was sailing…

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Royal Caribbean Group has announced a major update to its loyalty programmes that will soon allow passengers to earn and apply points interchangeably across its three cruise brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.

The new initiative, called Points Choice, was unveiled by Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty during the company’s latest earnings call and will launch in early 2026.

The change means that for the first time, guests will be able to decide where to allocate the loyalty points they earn – regardless of which cruise line they sail with.

Loyalty Points Across All Three Brands

“Building on the success of status match, I’m excited to announce Points Choice, the next evolution in how guests earn and apply loyalty points across our family of brands beginning in early 2026,” said Liberty.

Until now, points earned under Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity’s Captain’s Club, and Silversea’s Venetian Society were kept separate, even though passengers could already match their tier status between the brands.

Under the new system, passengers who sail with any Royal Caribbean Group line can choose which programme their points contribute to.

For example, a Royal Caribbean guest sailing on Celebrity Cruises for the first time will be able to apply the points from that voyage to either the Crown & Anchor Society or Captain’s Club – whichever programme they prefer.

However, points already earned will not be transferable between brands. Points Choice will only apply to cruises departing after the official launch date in 2026.

All three loyalty schemes will retain their current benefits, and the existing Status Match programme will remain unchanged, meaning members will still enjoy tier-matching across all three cruise lines.

Strengthening Loyalty Across Brands

Liberty said the new initiative reflects Royal Caribbean Group’s goal of deepening customer loyalty and encouraging repeat business across its portfolio.

“This initiative further strengthens the overall value of our loyalty proposition, deepening engagement across our portfolio and reinforcing our commitment to putting the guests at the centre of our orbit as our ecosystem expands,” he explained.

He added that the change creates “a virtuous cycle of demand, value and advocacy… one that drives both short-term performance and enduring growth.”

Long-Term Strategy for a Unified Loyalty Platform

Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley had previously hinted that the company was working on improving cross-brand loyalty benefits.

Speaking earlier in 2025, Bayley said: “You’ll see over the coming months and year or two that things will continue to improve in terms of accessibility, simplicity, making it easier to sail between the brands, get offers, this type of thing.”

He added that the long-term goal was to create “a one platform database of our loyalty members for Royal Caribbean Group,” suggesting that Points Choice may be the first step toward a fully integrated loyalty ecosystem across the company’s brands.

More details – including the precise exchange rates, eligibility, and programme rules – will be announced closer to the official rollout in 2026.

Related Posts

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

A search is underway after a crew member went overboard from Viking Star while the ship was sailing in the southern Aegean Sea on Monday, 27th October 2025. The incident…

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica with destructive force, cruise lines across the Caribbean are rerouting ships and cancelling port calls to keep passengers and crew safe – while officials…

A crew member has died following an accident onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia, the cruise line has confirmed. The incident occurred on Sunday, 26th October 2025, while the ship was sailing…

A new cruise designed specifically for Muslim travellers is set to make history when it departs from Port Klang, Malaysia, on 29th November 2025. The ship, named M/V Piano Land…

Royal Caribbean Group has announced plans to open the Royal Beach Club Santorini in summer 2026, marking a major expansion of the company’s growing portfolio of exclusive land-based destinations.

Set to welcome guests from both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, the new beach club will combine the iconic volcanic scenery of Santorini with the cruise company’s signature hospitality and service.

Guests visiting the island will be able to enjoy what Royal Caribbean calls the “Ultimate Santorini Day” – combining time at the new beach club with tours of the island’s most famous spots.

That’ll include the whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches of Oia, and the bustling cafés, boutiques, and galleries of Fira.

“A Bold Step Forward”

“Expanding our Royal Beach Club Collection to include Santorini – one of the world’s most popular and beautiful locations – is a bold step forward in growing our vacation portfolio from two to eight by 2028,”

“We’re thrilled to connect guests with Santorini’s gems – from its iconic villages to the Aegean Sea’s famous beach club culture – creating a balanced, authentic island experience.”

Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, added: “Santorini is an incredible destination that our guests love to explore, and with this new beach club, we are able to bring the best of what the island has to offer with the signature service Royal Caribbean is known for.”

Spreading Out the Crowds

One of the new destination’s key goals is to help reduce congestion on the island – an issue that has long been a concern for Santorini locals and visitors alike.

Royal Caribbean Group says the Royal Beach Club Santorini will introduce a new system to better distribute passengers across the island by offering three starting locations for excursions, allowing guests to explore without adding to bottlenecks in popular tourist areas.

The move comes as part of the company’s wider effort to support sustainable tourism while creating what it calls “authentic, balanced island experiences.”

Expanding Royal Caribbean Group’s Destination Portfolio

The Santorini project follows the December 2025 debut of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in The Bahamas – the first in the line’s new beach club collection.

It also joins a growing list of Royal Caribbean Group’s land-based destinations, including:

• Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas)
• Labadee (Haiti)
• The Cormorant at 55 South (Chile, 2026)
• Royal Beach Club Cozumel (Mexico, 2026)
• Perfect Day Mexico (2027)
• Royal Beach Club Lelepa (Vanuatu, 2028)

By 2028, the company expects to grow its shore-based portfolio from two to eight destinations worldwide.

The opening of Royal Beach Club Santorini is set to further cement Royal Caribbean Group’s presence in Greece, a country that continues to rank among the most in-demand destinations in Europe for cruise travellers.

Related Posts

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Royal Caribbean Group has announced a major update to its loyalty programmes that will soon allow passengers to earn and apply points interchangeably across its three cruise brands – Royal…

A search is underway after a crew member went overboard from Viking Star while the ship was sailing in the southern Aegean Sea on Monday, 27th October 2025. The incident…

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica with destructive force, cruise lines across the Caribbean are rerouting ships and cancelling port calls to keep passengers and crew safe – while officials…

A crew member has died following an accident onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia, the cruise line has confirmed. The incident occurred on Sunday, 26th October 2025, while the ship was sailing…