October 26, 2026 — Royal Caribbean International has swapped both Bahamas stops on today’s Utopia of the Seas sailing from Port Canaveral for a single call in Cozumel, Mexico, because of a gale-force weather system over the Bahamas. Guests were told by email the day before boarding.
The change
Utopia of the Seas departs Port Canaveral, Florida, at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 26, with 5,668 guests, and still returns on Friday, October 30, at about 7 a.m. Forecasts call for near-gale to gale-force winds over the Bahamas from October 25 through October 27, seas of 9 to 14 feet, heavy rain and king-tide coastal flooding, with marine hazards possibly lasting into Wednesday.
| Day | Original plan | Revised plan |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Oct 27 | Nassau, Bahamas (9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) | Sea day |
| Wed, Oct 28 | Sea day | Cozumel, Mexico (10 a.m.–3 p.m.) |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Perfect Day at CocoCay (7 a.m.–5 p.m.) | Sea day |
Shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean for Nassau or CocoCay are cancelled automatically and refunded to guests’ SeaPass accounts. No other compensation has been reported. The change comes days after the line moved Harmony of the Seas‘ Nassau call and sent Independence of the Seas to Canada instead of Bermuda because of weather.
What it means for airline travelers
- Embarkation and return times are unchanged, so your flights to Orlando (MCO) and home on Friday, October 30, are not affected by the reroute itself.
- The same weather system is over the Bahamas through Tuesday, with hazards possibly into Wednesday. If you are flying standby to Florida for any Bahamas sailing this week, go a day early and watch for further itinerary emails before you leave home.
- Cozumel is a Mexican port: carry the travel document your booking requires, and check that any independent tour you booked for Nassau or CocoCay is cancelled — only excursions bought through Royal Caribbean are refunded automatically.
- No change to travel-industry or interline rates was mentioned.
Sources
- Cruise Hive — Utopia of the Seas Swaps Bahamas for Mexico Hours Before Sailing
- TravelPulse — Wild Weather Impacting Cruises From Bahamas to Europe
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