Updates at the bottom 10/8 4:01 p.m.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald usually starts his work day with a jovial post — unless that's not appropriate.
With Hurricane Milton looming across Florida and tens of thousands of the brand's passengers not knowing what might happen with their cruises, he took a different tone as he started work on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
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"There is only one place to start with today and that of course is Hurricane Milton," he wrote. "I know usually I start the day with a dollop of silliness but that seems futile as so many of you are worried about your homes, your family, and friends, and some of course, are concerned if their cruise will be as scheduled."
Heald promised to do everything he could to keep his followers up to date.
"Let me start by saying that we are going to keep you informed; that goes without saying," he said. "We will wait until the storm passes through or close to our home ports and wait on the Port Authorities and United States Coast Guard to say the port is open."
Safety will be behind all decisions.
"The Captains on all the ships that possibly may have some changes will be making constant announcements and letters will be delivered to every cabin," Heald said. "From the Mother Ship we have our Chief Communications Officer Chris and his team making sure you stay informed as I promise will I."
Heald also shared the latest report from Carnival's consulting meteorologist, Amy Sweezey.
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Carnival's meteorologist shares latest info
Transcript:
Hi everybody, this is meteorologist Amy Sweezey. Wanted to give you a quick update with Carnival Cruise Line and Hurricane Milton. First of all, for those of you who are in the state of Florida, like me, and you are in the path of the storm, please make sure that you're taking the necessary precautions. Safety, of course, is key for us at Carnival, and that is why Captains across the fleet are keeping in close contact with our FleetOperations Center in Miami, and they're making adjustments as needed based on the storm's path and forecast.
We will, of course, always stay a safe distance from any storm.
Now, already several ships and home ports have been notified and are being monitored very closely. It is possible that more itineraries could be adjusted. Given the projected path, Carnival Paradise was informed that it is likely to have a longer voyage than just the four days. That was when people embarked on the ship. They were told that information, and that's because in Tampa the port will likely be closed at some point, and Paradise is trying to get back to Tampa on Thursday.
Even after the storm passes, the thing is, the port can't just immediately reopen. There has to be an assessment. They have to look everything over. The Coast Guard does an assessment of the entire channel that feeds into the port, and so [is] trying to decide the timing and gauge the timing and know how long that's going to take.
It really just kind of depends on what happens. So all around the state, we are watching it very closely. That's why it's a very good idea for you to stay informed.
You can do that in a couple of ways. First of all, keep an eye on your email, opt into text alerts when you check in, or you can sign up for them on your phone. There is more specific information too on carnival.com. Just go to the website and go to the top. There's a banner that says Hurricane Milton updates. You can click on that and get very specific information for your cruise in the coming week.
Now I know this has been a very busy stretch. We of course are through the peak of the season, but we're just slowly heading down past the peak and into the end of the season, which happens on November 30. So know that the Carnival team is committed to keeping everyone safe on every voyage.
Carnival's Heald urges strength
"I know many of you on land and in the path of the storm are concerned and scared even. I know some are still reeling from Helene," he wrote. "[Please] let me know how you are doing now, how the weather is where you live, and let me know you are OK."
Carnival's full list of changes:
HOMEPORT WATCH & ITINERARY CHANGES
JACKSONVILLE – The port is currently open but is expected to close as the storm approaches.
- Carnival Elation 10/05/2024 – The ship is now sailing on a 5-day voyage. The return to Jacksonville may be affected by the storm.
- Carnival Elation 10/10/2024 – Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation from us on operational plans for your cruise. To stay up to date, please sign up for text alerts by texting CCL1 to CRUISE (278473).
TAMPA – The port is currently open but is expected to close as the storm approaches.
- Carnival Paradise 10/06/2024 – The ship is now sailing on a 4-day voyage. The return to Tampa may be affected by the storm. The ship will visit Costa Maya (instead of Cozumel) tomorrow, October 8 (from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
- Carnival Paradise 10/10/2024 – Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation from us on operational plans for your cruise. To stay up to date, please sign up for text alerts by texting CCL2 to CRUISE (278473).
MIAMI – The port is currently open but will likely close as storm conditions are expected to impact PortMiami.
- Carnival Sunrise 10/05/2024 – The ship is now sailing on a 5-day voyage. The return to Miami may be affected by the storm.
- Carnival Sunrise 10/10/2024 – Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you have received confirmation from us on operational plans for your cruise. To stay up to date, please sign up for text alerts by texting CCL3 to CRUISE (278473).
ITINERARY CHANGES (WITHOUT HOMEPORT IMPACT)
- Carnival Dream 10/05/2024 - The ship is now sailing on an 8-day voyage. It is visiting Key West today, October 7, but will depart a bit earlier than planned, during daylight hours at 5 p.m. (CT), ship time. No further changes currently.
- Carnival Pride 10/06/2024 – The ship is now sailing on a 7-day voyage. Forecasts for the storm show it moving in a generally northeasterly direction, across Florida and into the Atlantic, possibly impacting conditions in Bermuda later this week. Given this track, we have modified our itinerary to visit Bermuda.
Update 10/8 4:01 p.m.
Heald posted the following update on his Facebook page.
HURRICANE MILTON UPDATE
Guests on Carnival Paradise and Carnival Elation I would like to share the latest information from our Chief Communications Officer Chris and his team on the text alert but I wanted to make sure you saw this.
Carnival Paradise 10/10/2024
Carnival Paradise 10/10/2024: Our Fleet Operations Center continues to monitor Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico. Given the storm’s current track, the Port of Tampa is now closed, and we will not be able to operate your cruise as scheduled on Thursday, October 10. We will be back in touch with more information later today. Thank you for your understanding.
Carnival Elation 10/10/2024
Carnival Elation 10/10/2024: Our Fleet Operations Center continues to monitor Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico. Given the storm’s current track, the Port of Jacksonville will be closing, and we will not be able to operate your cruise as scheduled on Thursday, October 10. We will be back in touch with more information later today. Thank you for your understanding.
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