Severe winter weather is forcing widespread itinerary changes across the cruise industry, with a powerful bomb cyclone forecast to impact the US East Coast and strong gale-force winds sweeping through the Bahamas over the weekend of 31st January and 1st February 2026.
Cruise lines have been adjusting sailings to avoid unsafe docking conditions, heavy seas and potential port closures, affecting ships currently in the Caribbean as well as vessels homeporting along the US East Coast.
Bahamas Itineraries Disrupted By Strong Winds
According to the Bahamas Department of Meteorology, strong to gale-force winds are expected from midday Saturday through early Monday, combined with unusually cool temperatures for the region.
As a result, several popular ports have become unsafe for cruise operations, particularly private islands and exposed harbours.
Royal Caribbean has confirmed itinerary changes for two of its largest ships. Oasis of the Seas has cancelled its scheduled visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay on 31st January.
The private island was due to be the final port call on the ship’s eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise, which departed from Port Everglades on 24th January 2026.
Utopia of the Seas has also cancelled its planned call to Perfect Day at CocoCay on 1st February. In addition, the ship has reduced its time in Nassau on 31st January as the weather system moves through the northern Bahamas.
Margaritaville at Sea has opted to adjust port timing rather than cancel a destination outright. Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, sailing on a three-night getaway cruise from 30th January, will now visit Nassau on 31st January instead of 1st February, allowing the ship to avoid the worst of the forecast winds.
Disney Cruise Line has also revised itineraries across two ships sailing on 30th January. Disney Wish, operating a three-night cruise, will no longer call at Castaway Cay on 1st February and will instead remain in Nassau for an extended stay.
To accommodate port congestion, Disney Dream will skip its planned Nassau call on the same day and spend the time at sea.
East Coast Returns Brought Forward Ahead Of Storm
The approaching bomb cyclone is expected to bring heavy snowfall, high tides and strong winds to large sections of the US East Coast, creating challenging conditions for ships returning to homeports in the north-east.
MSC Cruises guests onboard MSC Meraviglia have reported that the ship is returning to New York earlier than scheduled from its seven-night Bahamas sailing.
Despite the early return, embarkation for the next sailing on 1st February is still expected to proceed as planned. Passengers have been advised to take extra care when travelling to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal due to icy and snowy conditions.
Norwegian Cruise Line has made similar adjustments. Norwegian Breakaway is cutting short its 11-night Caribbean itinerary and will return to Manhattan on 1st February instead of 3rd February. As part of the change, the ship cancelled its scheduled call to St. Thomas on 30th January. The additional time in New York will be treated as an overnight port stay.
Carnival Cruise Line has also taken precautionary action. Carnival Sunshine is returning to Norfolk, Virginia, one day earlier than planned, resulting in the cancellation of its visit to Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The decision was made to ensure a safe arrival ahead of deteriorating weather conditions.
Meanwhile, guests booked on Carnival Pride’s 1st February sailing from Baltimore have been notified that embarkation could be affected by the storm. While no changes have been confirmed, the cruise line is monitoring conditions closely and has encouraged passengers to register for text alerts for the latest updates.
With the storm system still developing, further itinerary changes remain possible, particularly for ships scheduled to dock in the Bahamas or return to northern US ports over the coming days. Cruise lines are continuing to prioritise safety while working to minimise disruption for guests.
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