Royal Caribbean redirected the Independence of the Seas cruise from Bermuda to Saint John, New Brunswick in late October 2026 due to unsafe weather conditions along the U.S. East Coast. The Freedom-class ship was scheduled to depart Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on October 24, 2026, with a planned overnight stay in Bermuda from 9 a.m. on October 26 to 5 p.m. on October 27. Instead, it arrived in Saint John at approximately 10:30 a.m. on October 26 and departed at 2:30 p.m. on October 27.
Earlier, the Oasis of the Seas, which left Cape Liberty on October 18, 2026, for
a seven-night voyage, was rerouted from its original Florida and Bahamas itinerary to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The scheduled port calls at Port Canaveral, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Nassau were cancelled in favour of a single port call in Halifax. Initially, passengers were informed they could not go ashore during the overnight stop, but Royal Caribbean later extended the port stay until 6 p.m. on October 21, allowing shore access.
Weather Conditions Prompting Reroutes
A National Weather Service gale warning forecast wind speeds between 25 and 35 knots, reaching up to 40 knots, and wave heights from 7 to 19 feet in the waters
east of the U.S. coast and near Bermuda for October 24 and 25, 2026. These conditions followed Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine and were cited by Royal Caribbean as the reason for altering ship itineraries to avoid hazardous marine environments.
Compensation and Passenger Notifications
Passengers aboard Independence of the Seas were notified of the itinerary change less than two days before the October 24 departure. Royal Caribbean issued onboard credit compensation calculated per stateroom for this affected sailing. Passengers who had booked shore excursions in Bermuda received automatic cancellations and refunds credited to their onboard accounts. Unused credits would be returned to the guests’ payment cards
after the cruise.
For Oasis of the Seas, passengers received onboard credits ranging from $200 to $600 per guest, depending on accommodation, plus a future cruise credit equal to 50% of the fare paid. These compensation packages were more generous than those for Independence of the Seas, reflecting the more extensive cancellation of original ports.
Other Affected Itineraries
Harmony of the Seas, departing from Port Canaveral on October 24, 2026, altered its itinerary by reordering visits to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay rather than cancelling destinations. Nassau was rescheduled to Sunday, October 25, while Perfect Day at CocoCay moved to Tuesday, October
27. The adjustments aimed to avoid the peak gale conditions forecast in the Bahamas area.
Vision of the Seas replaced its Bermuda port call with Saint John, New Brunswick, after departing Baltimore on October 17, 2026. Passengers on this voyage were not permitted ashore during the Saint John stop.
Passenger Impact and Legal Context
Passengers expecting warm-weather stops in Bermuda and the Bahamas instead faced colder Canadian ports with significantly cooler temperatures, requiring adjustments to clothing and plans. Shore excursions originally booked for cancelled ports were automatically cancelled with refunds issued to onboard accounts. On Harmony of the Seas, the reordering of port visits affected
pre-booked reservations for restaurants, spas, and excursions, which Royal Caribbean attempted to reschedule or refund where rescheduling was impossible.
Royal Caribbean stated that after evaluating all options, the decision to reroute to Saint John was based on safety concerns regarding worsening weather forecasts. The reroutes occurred shortly before departures, limiting passengers’ ability to change travel plans. Industry contracts and regulations legally support such itinerary changes for safety reasons.
Royal Caribbean communicated the itinerary changes and compensation offers directly to passengers via official notifications, as reported by Cruise Mummy. The company emphasized that the alterations were made to avoid marine hazards
forecasted along the eastern United States and Atlantic waters in late October 2026.
