Port Tampa Bay is now at Condition Yankee. With gale-force winds expected within 24 hours, all cruise ship operations are suspended for Sunday, August 4.
This means that Margaritaville at Sea Islander will be unable to conclude her current sailing on Sunday as originally scheduled, and instead will remain at sea while the storm conditions pass.
Margaritaville at Sea reached out to booked guests to alert them to the change so they have as much time as possible to adjust their travel plans.
“As a result of this temporary closure, your August 4, 2024 sailing aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander will now depart Port Tampa Bay on Monday, August 5, 2024,” the notification confirmed.
The original itinerary was to have been a 5-night cruise leaving on Sunday, August 4 and returning on Friday, August 9, with visits to both Key West and Cozumel. Now, the ship will instead leave on Monday, August 5, but will still return on the Friday. The visit to Key West has been cancelled, but the visit to Cozumel, Mexico remains on Wednesday, August 7 as originally planned.
The cruise line has already cancelled and refunded any pre-paid shore excursions for Key West, which will be posted as onboard credit to guests’ accounts, along with any refunds for taxes, fees, or port expenses.
Similarly, any onboard add-ons for beverages, wi-fi, or gratuities that are priced by the day are being refunded for one day’s value due to the shortening of the cruise.
Guests are also being given a $100 onboard credit (per stateroom) as a courtesy for the shortened sailing. Any travelers who would prefer not to set sail on the shortened sailing may contact the cruise line to rebook without change fees.
The amount they paid for their August 4 cruise will be used as a future cruise credit, though differences in total cruise charges will apply. If the new cruise is less than the August 4 pricing, the difference will become onboard credit to enjoy during the new sailing.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the second ship for the boutique cruise line, having just debuted in mid-June. The 85,619-gross-ton ship is homeported year-round from Port Tampa Bay, offering primarily 4- and 5-night itineraries to Key West, Cozumel, and Progreso, depending on the sailing date and cruise length.
Latest Tropical Storm Debby Update
As of the 8 p.m. update on Saturday, August 3, Tropical Storm Debby is located 100 miles west-southwest of Key West and 270 miles south-southwest of Port Tampa Bay. The storm is moving northwest at 14 miles per hour, and showing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.
Port Tampa Bay stated, “In accordance with the current Port Condition, Port Tampa Bay has secured waterfront facilities and dock areas to remove debris and hazardous materials. The Port Heavy Weather Advisory Group, made up of numerous local maritime entities has made arrangements for vessel traffic, and created queuing for those vessels that were required to depart port ahead of the storm.“
The storm is expected to continue moving northwest and then straight north west of the Florida peninsula through Monday morning, with a projected landfall in the Florida Big Bend area as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday afternoon.
Tropical Storm Debby (Credit: NOAA)
The storm will then curve eastward over the northern part of the state and into southeastern Georgia, before moving back into the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday.
In preparation for the storm’s impact, Carnival Cruise Line has also adjusted the next sailing of Carnival Elation from Jacksonville, which is now shortening her current sailing and moving up departure for her next cruise a day early on Sunday, August 4.
Despite the progress of Tropical Storm Debby, no other cruises from Port Tampa Bay are impacted at this time. This could change, however, as weather conditions continue to evolve.
Read Also: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
“We encourage individuals cruising from Port Tampa Bay to contact the cruise line they are sailing with, should they have questions or concerns about their cruise itinerary,” the port posted. “Any changes to your cruise itinerary, including vessel weather avoidance plans and any port call changes, will be communicated by the cruise line directly.”
Cruise lines always keep safety as the first priority for any schedule changes and will give travelers as much notice as possible for any adjustments.