While most of the nation was distracted by the election, Tropical Storm Rafael grew into Hurricane Rafael.
Carnival Cruise Line's consulting meteorologist, Amy Sweezy, discussed the growing storm on the morning of Nov. 6.
"Hey, it has been a busy hurricane season so far. We are in November. The season, of course, ends officially on November 30th. And because it has been so busy this year, you're probably not surprised to hear that we are monitoring another storm," she said.
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Sweezy outlined the path she expects the hurricane to follow.
"Rafael received a name, and it is forecast to become a hurricane as it makes its way from the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico in the next several days," she wrote. Now, it could be impacting more itineraries than it already has.
"And that is why the Fleet OperationsCenter in Miami and, of course, the entire Carnival team is keeping a very close eye 24-7, watching the weather forecast, keeping updated from the National Hurricane Center, and making sure that you are safe."
Royal Caribbean Meteorologist Craig Setzer has also been following Hurricane Rafael. His comments were more technical.
"Wow, Hurricane Rafael's eye coming into view of Key West radar, which is seeing it 240 miles away at a radar beam altitude of 40,000 feet," he posted on X.
"From the radar (and now recon) perspective, there appears to be a double eyewall structure. Maybe, just maybe if an eyewall replacement cycle can happen as the storm is approaching and making landfall in Cuba, the intensity will drop a bit...let's hope this happens."
Image source: Carnival Corp.
Carnival changes some itineraries
A number of cruise ships have already had their itineraries changed due to Hurricane Rafael. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have moved ports around on multiple ships, but they did not identify those changes publicly.
Sweezy did comment on a change Carnival made.
"Now, out of an abundance of caution, Carnival Horizon's itinerary was already adjusted. They were supposed to go to Jamaica first and then Cozumel, and instead, the ports of call were flip-flopped. So instead, Horizon went to Cozumel first and then is planning to head to Jamaica later this week," she posted.
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The meteorologist also issued a warning for all passengers.
"If you do have a sailing that is coming up in the next several days, make sure you keep a close eye on your emails and those text alerts, just in case there are any changes that affect an upcoming cruise," she added.
"It is way too early to say whether or not this storm will have an impact on home port operations or any kind of upcoming embarkations. So just continue to monitor for forecast updates."
Sweezy also explained how Carnival keeps passengers safe during storm season.
"In the busy season, the captains on our ships, the teams that are on board, the teams that are at the Fleet Operations Center in Miami, they all work very closely together to make sure that the ships are sailing in the safest waters possible," she explained.
"And that's not just during hurricane season. That's actually something that we do year-round."
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Safety is the cruise line's biggest priority.
"Obviously, we want everyone on board to have the best experience possible," Sweezy added. "So to guests, I say again, thank you for your flexibility and also for your understanding.
"As we do get closer to the end of hurricane season, which is just a few weeks away, Carnival will continue to monitor not only Rafael, but anything else that may develop so that you' don't have to worry about it and you can just focus on enjoying your time on board."
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