Guests aboard the Carnival Magic will not embark on the six-day Bermuda cruise they were anticipating this week, instead the ship will call on three destinations in the Bahamas.
This is due to the track and intensity of Hurricane Franklin, which is currently in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas, is moving north and is expected to be heading for Bermuda within the next two to three days.
Carnival magic does not visit Bermuda
Carnival Magic of which is currently home port Norfolk, Va, will not be visiting Bermuda this week as planned. Instead, the ship will embark on a six-day Bahamas cruise, departing Virginia on Sunday, August 27, 2023.
This complete change in route is due to the continued presence of today’s Hurricane Franklin, which is currently about 620 miles (998 kilometers) east of Nassau and moving north-northwest at a speed of 8 miles per hour (13 kilometers per hour).
“Our fleet operations center is actively monitoring Hurricane Franklin, which is now in the Atlantic.” The email notification to guests is. “Due to the expected direction of the storm, we have had to change the itinerary for your cruise. Unfortunately we cannot visit Bermuda.”
Carnival Magic, Norfolk, Virginia (Photo credit: Nauticus)
After a day at sea, the ship will visit Carnival Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas. Half Moon Cayon Tuesday followed by Nassau on Wednesday and Free port on Thursday before another day at sea brings the ship back to Norfolk on Saturday 2 September.
Carnival Magic was scheduled for an extended two-day visit to Bermuda, from 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 29 to 4 p.m. Thursday, August 31.
On Tuesday afternoon, however, Hurricane Franklin — which will then likely be a severe Category 3 or possibly even Category 4 storm — will make its closest approach to Bermuda before sweeping east and around the island.
Because of the route, it’s possible that Bermuda could experience longer-lasting effects from the storm from Tuesday noon into early Thursday, right when Carnival Magic was supposed to be in port.
“We looked forward to delivering the itinerary you expected and share your disappointment at this change due to the weather.” The email is “We trust you understand that this decision was made with everyone’s safety in mind.”
Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin/Shutterstock
The 128,000 gross ton Dream class carnival magic offers itineraries to Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas from Norfolk. In late October, the ship will be relocated to Miami to offer a mix of Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean cruises.
Due to the dramatic itinerary change, Carnival Cruise Line is providing an onboard credit of $200 per stateroom. All pre-booked Bermuda shore excursions are also automatically refunded to guests’ Sail & Sign accounts.
New excursion options for Bahamas ports of call can be purchased on board at Carnival Hub app Or visit the Shore Excursion Desk on Deck 3, on the port side of the Magic Lobby directly in front of the Showtime Theater.
Tracking Hurricane Franklin
Hurricane Franklin has already impacted several ports of call and cruise routes, beginning with the Closure of Amber Cove and Taino Bay in the Dominican Republic last week when the then tropical storm passed over Hispaniola – which it did impacted the previous Carnival Magic cruise by diverting the ship from its Eastern Caribbean route to three calls in the Bahamas.
Now, Hurricane Franklin has maximum sustained wind speeds of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), making it a strong Category 1 storm. It is expected to continue strengthening as it moves north across the warm waters of the Atlantic towards Bermuda.
Hurricane Franklin
The storm is expected to develop into a severe Category 3 or 4 storm as early as Monday morning and begin a gradual easterly curve on Tuesday.
If the storm starts turning earlier or turns more strongly than expected, the impact on Bermuda could be much more severe, or the storm could turn more slowly and move closer to Newfoundland.
Also Read: More Hurricanes and Storms Could Affect Cruises in 2023
All guests traveling during the June 1 through November 30 hurricane season should educate themselves about storm systems and remain in close contact with their cruise line about possible itinerary changes, delays or other changes as their departure date approaches.
It’s also important to remain flexible about voyage expectations and remember that the safety of the ship, guests and crew must always come first when a cruise line needs to make such drastic changes.
