As passengers boarded Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady in PortMiami on Sunday, Oct. 6 for a 5-night Mayan Sol cruise, it wasn’t clear whether their cruise itinerary would change due to Hurricane Milton.
The adults-only cruise line informed Valiant Lady passengers that the ship’s crew was closely monitoring the situation and reviewing the planned itinerary to avoid the storm’s path. The captain was due to make an announcement prior to sail away about any itinerary changes.
Related: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Celebrity make hurricane changes
The ship’s planned 5-night cruise itinerary includes a stop in Costa Maya, Mexico on Oct. 8 followed by a visit to Virgin Voyages’ private beach club in Bimini, Bahamas on Oct. 10.
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Virgin Voyages had to diver Valiant Lady.
Image source: Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady sails on toward Costa Maya
It appears that Valiant Lady is keeping its course, outrunning Hurricane Milton as it sails toward Costa Maya. According to the ship’s position reported by CruiseMapper on the afternoon of Oct. 7, Valiant Lady was located off the northwest coast of Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico sailing toward the Yucatán Channel on track for Costa Maya.
In a YouTube short posted by @AllAboardWithJoe on Monday morning, the ship can be seen sailing through windy seas on the way. Though windy, conditions appear to be safe enough for passengers to be on deck.
As with any cruise line, safety is top priority for Virgin Voyages and we can be sure the crew is monitoring the weather very closely to ensure passengers and crew are safe as they make their way to calmer seas and Mayan sun.
Related: Royal Caribbean shares forecast for Fort Lauderdale, Miami cruises
Carnival Paradise swaps Cozumel for Costa Maya
Other cruise lines are also making changes to avoid poor weather conditions in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ahead of Valiant Lady, Carnival Paradise and Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas were also heading into the Yucatán Channel on Monday afternoon. Both ships have planned calls in Cozumel on Oct. 8 but Carnival Paradise is swapping Cozumel to head further south for better weather in Costa Maya.
Both ships home port in Tampa, Florida and will likely have their returns delayed as Hurricane Milton forces Port Tampa Bay to close. Carnival Paradise is due to return to Tampa on Oct. 10 and Serenade of the Seas is due back on Oct. 11. Both ships could spend an additional day or two at sea if Port Tampa Bay isn’t able to safely reopen in time.
Port Tampa Bay may be closed for days
Passengers on the next sailings of Carnival Paradise and Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas could also see their cruises shortened or canceled due to the port closure.
Port Tampa Bay officials recommend that travelers with any questions about a specific sailing should contact their cruise line directly as all changes to itineraries will be communicated by the cruise lines.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander, which also home ports in Tampa, moved up its departure to Monday, Oct. 7 from Tuesday, Oct. 8, to outrun Hurricane Milton. The ship will sail an adjusted itinerary from its original 5-night Key West and Cozumel schedule.
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Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas was also leaving Tampa Monday ahead of the storm with plans to sail a revised itinerary. Grandeur will skip its planned visits to Costa Maya and Cozumel and instead sail to the Bahamas with a call to Nassau on Oct. 10.
Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas home ports in Tampa too, but did not have its itinerary altered due to the storm. The ship departed Tampa on Oct. 5 to sail its planned Western Caribbean itinerary.
As of midday Monday Oct. 7, Hurricane Milton is a powerful Category 5 hurricane located about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west-northwest of the Yucatán port city Progreso, Mexico. Milton is expected to make landfall Wednesday on the west coast of Florida bringing major impacts to areas still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
