Hurricanes Earl and Kay disrupt cruises to Bermuda, Mexican Riviera
A growing Hurricane Earl is forcing some significant changes to Bermuda cruises this week as it barrels toward the island, even as another hurricane in the Pacific threatens to disrupt sailings along the Mexican Riviera.
Among the most notable changes, cruise giant Carnival Cruise Line's 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic departed Bermuda late Wednesday — a day ahead of schedule — to get out of Earl's way. The storm is expected to pass close to Bermuda late Thursday or early Friday.
Carnival Magic was on a six-day cruise to Bermuda out of New York that was supposed to include two days at the destination. But it's now steaming eastward toward calmer waters and will spend the day at sea. The early departure meant that passengers only got about half the time in Bermuda that they were expecting.
Also leaving Bermuda ahead of schedule on Wednesday was Royal Caribbean's 3,344-passenger Mariner of the Seas. The vessel cut a three-day stay at the island destination short by a day and now is heading to Nassau in the Bahamas.
In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled a two-day Bermuda visit scheduled to begin Friday for its 3,963-passenger Norwegian Getaway. The ship, which is on a nine-night sailing out of New York, instead is visiting Nassau and Miami.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Kay — which the National Hurricane Center is calling a "large and dangerous" storm — is starting to affect cruise ships sailing along the Mexican Riviera as it heads northward past Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. The two ports are significant cruise destinations.
Related: Everything to know about cruising during hurricane season
Carnival has already made major changes this week to the Mexican Riviera itinerary of its Long Beach, California-based Carnival Panorama. The 4,008-passenger vessel visited Cabo San Luas and Mazatlan ahead of schedule after departing Long Beach on Saturday, and it skipped a visit to Puerto Vallarta entirely. Instead of visiting Puerto Vallarta, Carnival Panorama now is returning northward to stay out of the storm's way and will make an unscheduled call at Ensenada on Friday.
Other ships scheduled to be sailing in the path of Hurricane Kay in the coming days include Royal Caribbean's 3,807-passenger Navigator of the Seas. The ship left Los Angeles on Wednesday on a five-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera and was scheduled to visit Cabo San Lucas on Friday. But, as of now, it appears to be headed for Ensenada instead, according to ship tracking sites.
Royal Caribbean did not respond to a question from TPG about whether Navigator of the Seas' itinerary will be disrupted.
Wherever Navigator of the Seas goes, it is likely to encounter rough water.
"Kay is a very large tropical cyclone. It is producing an extensive area of high seas, with swells affecting portions of southwestern Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the Baja California peninsula," the National Hurricane Center said Thursday in its latest update on the storm.
As of 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, Kay was about 115 miles northwest of Cabo San Lucas and moving north-northwest at about 15 miles per hour. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.
The NHC expects Kay to travel up the coast of the Mexican Riviera over the next two days.
"Although Kay is likely to weaken before it makes landfall or moves very close to the west-central coast of the Baja peninsula, it is forecast to remain a large and dangerous hurricane through that time," the agency said Thursday.
As of 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, Earl was about 230 miles south of Bermuda and moving north-northeast at about 13 miles per hour. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to strengthen over the next 36 hours and pass southeast of Bermuda by early Friday. While the storm's center is likely to pass about 75 to 100 miles away from Bermuda, the NHC says the island could experience hurricane-force winds if its track shifts west.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.