Royal Caribbean Reroutes, CocoCay Closed by Cold Front

Published on Nov 11, 2025, 9:18 am CST

3 min read

Key points

A rare cold front over Florida and the Bahamas produced strong winds and rough seas
Royal Caribbean rerouted at least three ships and reshuffled Bahamas port calls
Perfect Day at CocoCay closed on November 11 due to unsafe docking conditions
NOAA flagged gale force winds north of 29N with rough to very rough seas
Itineraries for Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas were adjusted

Impact

Cruise Itineraries: Expect day swaps, extra sea days, or alternate ports on short Bahamas runs this week
Shore Excursions: Vendor tours at Nassau and CocoCay will auto move or refund per cruise line policies
Flight Connections: Add buffer time for same day cruise embark or disembark plans given weather variability
Cabin Communications: Watch the app and stateroom TV for letters detailing port order changes
Travel Insurance: Review coverage for weather related itinerary changes and missed private island calls

A strong early season cold front swept across Florida and the northwest Bahamas on November 11, driving sustained north winds and steep seas that made exposed piers and tender operations unsafe. Royal Caribbean adjusted multiple Bahamas itineraries and closed its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, for the day to protect passengers and crew. Guests on several four and five night runs saw port orders swapped, extra sea time, or alternate calls.

Royal Caribbean updates

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reported "multiple" ships diverting away from the Bahamas due to the front, and published a guest letter citing adverse conditions at CocoCay on Tuesday. The same update detailed day swaps for Wonder of the Seas, moving CocoCay later in the week once winds abate.

Cruise Hive documented specific changes for Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas sailings that departed November 10, including a Tuesday sea day in place of Nassau or CocoCay, followed by CocoCay or Nassau once conditions improve. Shore excursions booked through the line are being automatically rescheduled.

While Royal Caribbean's general Travel Updates page focuses on broader advisories, onboard communications and third party cruise tracking today point to at least three ships taking weather driven reroutes, with Perfect Day at CocoCay closed for the day due to winds at the pier. Expect additional short notice adjustments if seas remain elevated.

Weather drivers

NOAA's marine forecast describes a strong cold front from roughly 31 north 70 west to 22 north 79 west, with gale force winds north of 29 north and strong northerlies with rough to very rough seas spreading south through Tuesday. Those conditions align with the line's decision to avoid exposed berths and to defer private island calls.

Bahamas meteorology posts also flagged the front's arrival with wind warnings for the Northern and Northwest Bahamas, reinforcing the expectation for choppy nearshore waters and intermittent squalls that disrupt safe tendering and docking.

Analysis

Short Bahamas cruises are highly sensitive to winter pattern cold fronts, which can bring tight pressure gradients, fast building seas, and pier side crosswinds that exceed safe limits for large vessels at private islands. When that happens, cruise lines either swap port days to wait out the worst of it, or cancel the call outright. For travelers, the practical move is to prioritize flexible plans, avoid nonrefundable third party excursions on the first island day, and rely on the cruise line's app for real time changes. Background, Royal Caribbean's policy allows itinerary changes for weather and operational safety, with automatic handling of line booked excursions.

Final thoughts

Royal Caribbean is leaning on port day swaps and a one day closure at Perfect Day at CocoCay to ride out this cold front. If you are sailing a short Bahamas itinerary this week, plan for variability and check the app and cabin messages twice daily.