PortMiami Weather Delays Hit Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Getaway and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth

October 28, 2026 — Gale-force winds at PortMiami held three cruise ships offshore for most of Tuesday morning, October 27, so Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Getaway and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth docked roughly six to seven hours late. A fourth ship, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 1, skipped Miami altogether.

What happened

Rough weather that built late on Monday, October 26 kept the ships from entering port at their normal early-morning times on Tuesday. They waited offshore until it was safe to dock.

Cunard: Queen Elizabeth

Guests boarding Queen Elizabeth were told to arrive at the terminal seven hours later than the time on their boarding pass, and that check-in would not open any earlier. Disembarkation started at 3 p.m.; the last group was off at about 5:30 p.m.

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Norwegian Cruise Line: Getaway and Joy

• Terminal check-in for Norwegian Joy‘s October 27 departure was pushed to Tuesday afternoon, and guests were asked not to come to the terminal until it was cleared. Cruise Fever reported that the next itinerary, with Turks & Caicos and Great Stirrup Cay, was at risk; final port changes were not published.
• Norwegian Getaway had no new guests boarding because this was its last Miami sailing. The ship now moves to Port Canaveral for sailings through early April 2027.
• Getaway guests were urged to contact their airlines about post-cruise flights. Norwegian adjusted arrangements for guests who booked air through the line.
• Norwegian is offering up to $300 per person toward flight change or cancellation fees not covered by the airline or travel insurance. Receipts are required.

TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 1

Mein Schiff 1, on a 14-night one-way sailing from New York (departed Friday, October 23) to La Romana, Dominican Republic, was due in Miami from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. After calling at Port Canaveral on Monday, it skipped Miami and spent Tuesday at sea. Ship tracking suggests an early arrival in San Juan on Thursday, October 29 instead of Friday, October 30; TUI has not published a revised schedule (TBA).

What’s next at PortMiami

A National Weather Service gale warning for the Miami area ran until 8 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, with gusts up to 35 knots and seas of 9 to 14 feet. Coastal flood warnings were posted along Florida’s east coast. No cruise ships were scheduled at PortMiami on Wednesday; ships from Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Virgin Voyages and Holland America are due in the following days.

What it means for airline travelers

• Don’t book early-afternoon flights out of Miami on a weather day. These ships docked around 1 p.m. and Queen Elizabeth’s last guests were off around 5:30 p.m. A late-evening flight, or the next morning, is the safer choice while gale warnings are up.
• Flying standby home? List on later flights too and check loads at Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) — displaced cruise passengers will be competing for the same seats.
• Norwegian guests: keep every receipt for change or cancellation fees; Norwegian’s offer covers up to $300 per person not reimbursed elsewhere.
• Norwegian Getaway is now based at Port Canaveral through early April 2027. The nearest big airport is Orlando (MCO), about an hour’s drive — fly into MCO rather than MIA if you’re booked on Getaway this winter.
• Arriving in Miami for embarkation? Watch for revised check-in times from your line, and fly in the day before — especially if you’re on standby.
• No change to travel-industry or interline rates was mentioned.

Sources

• Cruise Hive — Three Cruise Ships Reach Miami Six Hours Late as Rough Weather Hits Florida
• Cruise Fever — Florida Cruise Delays: Rough Seas Disrupt Schedules for at Least 8 Ships