A powerful nor’easter is hitting New Jersey on Sunday that’s caused one Royal Caribbean cruise ship to stay in port overnight.Passengers on Symphony of the Seas have posted on social media they will not be able to depart as scheduled today.Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships operate out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey, which is located in Bayonne Harbor in Lower New York Harbor.”It is now official, staying in port overnight per a ship announcement,” one person posted on Facebook on Sunday afternoon. “Leaving dock briefly to make room for a container ship but then returning to the dock.”The storm was moving up the east coast of the United States, bringing bands of heavy rain and fierce winds. The region is forecasted to experience sustained winds of 15-25MPH with 35-50MPH gusts.An email sent to passengers on Thursday said Symphony would only set sail if it’s safe to do so, “Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we have been closely monitoring a developing coastal low-pressure system forecast to impact the port of Cape Liberty beginning on Sunday. “Due to the deteriorating weather conditions, we will continue to monitor the ocean storm system and only depart once we deem it is safe to do so.”Symphony will remain in portBecause of the storm conditions, it appears Symphony will not depart to start the sailing until at least tomorrow.Guests on the ship claim there was an announcement onboard that the ship will not leave today.”They just announced it- not leaving today!”This is likely due to the fact the Port of New York and New Jersey is temporarily closed to all incoming and outgoing vessels. Royal Caribbean moved up boarding times because of the stormBefore the storm hit, the plan was speed up embarkation due to the arrival of the storm.Guests booked on the October 12 sailing received emails on Thursday advising them that their check-in times would be much earlier.”To ensure a smooth boarding process, please arrive two (2) hours earlier than your pre-selected arrival window!””All guests should be checked-in and onboard by 12:30 PM.”That’s quite early, as usually check-in times don’t begin until around 11am and end at 3pm.Instead, boarding began as early as 8:30am. That’s usually a time when passengers from the previous sailing are still onboard.No updated itinerary yetRoyal Caribbean has not announced any itinerary changes yet to the sailing.The original plan was for Symphony of the Seas to sail a 7-night Bahamas and Perfect Day cruise. The ship is scheduled to have stops at Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and Perfect Day at CocoCay; before returning to Cape Liberty on October 19, 2025.Cruisers on Facebook shared their understanding of the developing situation, but expect there to be changes.
- “This should be a interesting route change with the ship not leaving until Tuesday.”
- “It is not uncommon to skip or change ports. Unfortunately, it happens often.”
- “Regardless of when we leave tomorrow or Tuesday, the itinerary will have to change. There is just not enough time to complete the current itinerary.”
High winds and coastal flooding are possibleThe storm has forced New Jersey to declare a state of emergency.The storm is expected to impact New York Harbor from Sunday afternoon until about 8pm on Monday.From Sunday afternoon through Monday evening, rounds of heavy rain and wind will pivot through the region. In between the rounds will be some lulls in activity. The heaviest bout of rain is anticipated to arrive late Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning. The storm is especially strong along the coast, with less impact inland.Winds are also likely to be highest in the early hours of Monday morning. After stalling along the Jersey Shore for most of Monday, the low will slowly move to the east by Monday night. Lingering showers could last into early Tuesday, though.
Appeared first on: Royalcaribbeanblog.com
