As Hurricane Beryl rapidly strengthens and approaches the Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises has made the decision to adjust its itineraries this week. Celebrity Beyond This is to keep the ship out of the reach of the storm. The good news for guests is that they’ll still be able to enjoy all of the ports of call, even if they’re not in the order originally planned.
Edge class 141,420 gross tons Celebrity Beyond is currently sailing the popular ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) route in the Southern Caribbean. The ship departed Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, June 29, 2024 for an eight-night voyage.
After two days at sea, Celebrity Beyond Hurricane Beryl was scheduled to visit Bonaire, the easternmost of the island chain, on Tuesday, July 2, followed by Curacao and Aruba on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Unfortunately, Hurricane Beryl is also scheduled to make its closest approach to Bonaire on Tuesday.
Boarding guests Celebrity Beyond On board the ship, we are notified of a change of course, reversing our original course to get further away from the storm. Visit Aruba First Curacao, then Bonaire.
“Our captain and chief meteorologist Craig Setzer have been closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Beryl.” The letter delivered to guests’ rooms read as follows: “To increase distance, move away from Hurricane Beryl and ensure comfortable sailing conditions, we will swap Kralendijk, Bonaire for Oranjestad, Aruba on July 2nd, and move Kralendijk, Bonaire to July 4th.”
Celebrity Cruises’ prepaid shore excursions in both Bonaire and Aruba will automatically update to the new dates. Port times will remain the same (8am to 9pm in Aruba and 8am to 6pm in Bonaire).
Guests who have made independent tour arrangements must contact their tour operator to make changes, however, Celebrity Cruises provides each Guest with a complimentary phone service to make such changes.
at this point Celebrity Beyond The ship is expected to call at all three ports as scheduled, but the notice also notes that further changes may be necessary.
“The situation remains very fluid and we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.” That’s what the letter said. “Please understand that being on a boat is one of the safest places to avoid inclement weather.”
Celebrity Beyond With a capacity of 3,260 guests in double occupancy and up to 3,937 when all beds are filled, and an international crew of around 1,400 on board, she is dedicated to providing all guests with the ultimate cruise holiday.
How close will the ship get to the hurricane?
Boarding guests Celebrity Beyond They may be concerned that Hurricane Beryl will remain nearby as it moves through the southern Caribbean, rather than leaving the region entirely.
The storm is powerful, currently with maximum sustained winds of approximately 130 mph, making it a major and extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Beryl continues to move west-northwest at 18 mph and may strengthen further.
“Intensity fluctuations are common for major hurricanes in favorable conditions, and Beryl is expected to experience intensity fluctuations over the next day or so.” NHC forecaster Kanjarosi said: Discussion on the latest update.
However, the storm’s overall impacts were fairly small, with hurricane-force winds extending only 30 miles from its entrance and tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 115 miles.
See also: Beryl Force Ocean Icons Change your itinerary
The storm’s track is well north of the ABC Islands, so impacts to the islands are expected to be minimal. In fact, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts only a 5-10% chance of a tropical storm impacting the islands over the next few days, and no watches or warnings have been issued yet. However, this could increase if the storm’s track shifts south.
By Wednesday morning, Hurricane Beryl had passed the ABC Islands and was approaching Jamaica. Celebrity BeyondOther cruise lines may also be adjusting itineraries to Jamaica this week or for Thursday and Friday as the storm passes near Cozumel.
