Most cruise passengers fly in at least one night before their cruises, which would mean arriving on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for cruises leaving on Wednesday. Oct. 9.
The problem is that by Tuesday night Hurricane Milton will likely have begun pounding the state of Florida.
Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer struggled to find anything positive to say about the growing hurricane.
Related: Carnival and Royal Caribbean share Hurricane Milton updates
"There comes a point when covering a major hurricane event you start looking for good news here or there, anywhere," he wrote on X. "Unfortunately, there is little of it from the Monday morning models. The tracks remain very close to Tampa Bay, just a little slower. Intensity forecasts continue to predict a growing in size major hurricane (category 3-5)."
That could change, he added.
"We have Tuesday to watch for any significant changes, but after that we start to nowcast, predicting where the core will go," he continued.
Image source: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Florida airports set closure dates
Florida has a number of major airports, but the cruise lines are best served by Tampa International (Port Tampa), Orlando International Airport (Port Canaveral), Fort Lauderdale International Airport (Port Everglades), and Miami International (Port Miami). All those airports could be heavily affected by Hurricane Milton.
- Tampa International Aiport will suspend all commercial and cargo operations beginning at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday (Oct. 8) ahead of Hurricane Milton, with the airport remaining closed to the public until it can assess any damage after the storm.
Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport will cease commercial passenger and private operations on Wednesday, Oct. 9, in advance of Hurricane Milton, a move made in coordination with our partners. (The airport won't be closed and will remain open to accept emergency and aid slights as necessary.)
Fort Lauderdale International Airport currently has no plans to close down.
Miami International Airport remains open but told the Miami Herald that it expects flights to be affected beginning on Oct. 8.
All four airports are likely to be heavily affected by Wednesday, Oct. 9, since even areas not directly hit by Hurricane Milton would still feel its effects.
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The Miami-Dade County Area, which is the area expected to be the part of Florida least affected by Hurricane Milton, is already under a State of Local Emergency effective Oct. 6, due to the potential impact of Hurricane Milton.
Likely impacts in Miami-Dade include substantial rain, localized flooding, and the possibility of sustained tropical-storm-force winds starting as early as Tuesday night, according to the county's website.
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