Icon of the Seas Rerouted West to Avoid Tropical Storm Melissa

Royal Caribbean International rerouted the October 25, 2025 sailing of Icon of the Seas from an Eastern Caribbean itinerary to a Western Caribbean route as Melissa strengthened in the region, with the change communicated to guests only hours before embarkation in Miami.

In an email to passengers, Royal Caribbean said shipboard leadership and shore-based weather support had been tracking the system. “Our Captain, along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, has been tracking Tropical Storm Melissa,” the message said, adding that the itinerary was changed “to safely avoid the impacts of the developing storm.”

What changed for the October 25 Icon of the Seas cruise

Icon of the Seas was originally scheduled to sail a seven-night cruise from Miami with calls in St. Maarten and St. Thomas, plus a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. For the October 25 departure, the Eastern Caribbean calls were removed and replaced with Western Caribbean ports.

Under the revised plan, the ship will call at Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, while keeping Perfect Day at CocoCay on the schedule.

Updated timing at CocoCay and options for new ports

Royal Caribbean adjusted the timing for its private-island call. Icon of the Seas is now scheduled to arrive at Perfect Day at CocoCay at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, October 31, instead of the previously planned 8:30 a.m. arrival.

With Cozumel and Roatan added to the itinerary, guests were directed to use the Royal Caribbean app to explore and reserve available shore excursions for the new destinations, and the cruise line said passengers can also visit Guest Services onboard for help.

How Royal Caribbean is handling canceled shore excursions

Royal Caribbean is automatically canceling pre-paid shore excursions purchased through the cruise line for the removed calls in St. Maarten and St. Thomas. The cruise line said those amounts are being returned to guests as onboard credit applied to their shipboard accounts.

If any onboard credit remains unused by the end of the voyage, Royal Caribbean indicated the remaining balance will be reimbursed to the card on file.

Why last-minute reroutes can be harder for the largest ships

Icon of the Seas and sister ship Star of the Seas are Icon-class vessels measuring close to 250,000 gross tons, and Royal Caribbean has described the Icon class as the largest cruise ships in the world. Icon of the Seas can carry up to about 7,600 guests, a scale that can add logistical pressure when substitute ports must be able to accommodate the ship and large passenger volumes on short notice.

Royal Caribbean’s change for Icon of the Seas followed a recent precedent within the class: Star of the Seas made a similar switch roughly a month earlier when Tropical Storm Imelda affected planned routes, according to coverage of that earlier disruption.

Melissa’s intensification and Jamaica’s emergency measures

The storm system continued to strengthen after itinerary changes began. Early on October 25, a National Hurricane Center update cited in coverage described Melissa as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, with the center about 160 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west-northwest at roughly one mile per hour.

As the threat grew, Jamaica moved to activate emergency measures ahead of expected landfall. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness declared the entire country a “threatened area” on Friday, October 24. “This declaration empowers the Government to implement precautionary and protective measures to safeguard lives, property, and critical infrastructure,” the Office of the Prime Minister said in its statement.

Holness said the declaration was intended to speed up government action, including shelter readiness and staging supplies and equipment. In subsequent days, Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica, with reports of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and wind damage in Jamaica as well as impacts in Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

Ripple effects across cruise itineraries in the Caribbean

Icon of the Seas was among a growing list of ships that altered routes as ports and cruise lines adjusted to Melissa’s projected track and changing conditions. Coverage of itinerary updates described at least 10 ships across multiple brands revising port calls, swapping Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, or substituting sea days when suitable alternatives were limited.

• Royal Caribbean ships reported as affected included Harmony of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas, in addition to Icon of the Seas.
• Celebrity Beyond replaced planned calls including the Dominican Republic and St. Kitts, shifting to Western Caribbean stops such as Costa Maya, Belize City, and Roatan.
• Disney Treasure revised its Eastern Caribbean itinerary to include Cozumel and an additional day at Castaway Cay, and Disney Wish was also cited in published coverage as adjusting its itinerary.
• MSC World America replaced some Eastern Caribbean calls with visits including Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. In a message to passengers quoted in coverage, MSC said it had “secured alternative destinations.”
• Carnival Celebration shifted west to Cozumel, while Carnival Liberty swapped Montego Bay for Mahogany Bay, Honduras. Carnival Dream also skipped Ocho Rios, with a message shared by Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald quoting Captain Zvonko telling guests the ship would add a sea day because “there is no feasible alternative for a port of call.”

Some voyages also adjusted Bahamas calls as the hurricane progressed, including cancellations at private-island stops on certain itineraries. Icon of the Seas is scheduled to complete its revised seven-night sailing and return to Miami on November 1, 2025, as cruise lines continue monitoring conditions and notifying guests when port cancellations, re-routes, or revised arrival times are confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Icon of the Seas still visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay on the October 25, 2025 cruise?

Yes. Perfect Day at CocoCay remains on the itinerary, with an updated arrival time of 7:00 a.m. on Friday, October 31 (moved from the previously planned 8:30 a.m. arrival).

Which ports replaced St. Maarten and St. Thomas for Icon of the Seas?

For the October 25 departure from Miami, Icon of the Seas replaced the Eastern Caribbean calls with visits to Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras.

What happens to shore excursions booked for the canceled ports?

Royal Caribbean said it is canceling pre-paid shore excursions purchased through the cruise line for the removed calls in St. Maarten and St. Thomas and returning those amounts as onboard credit. Any unused onboard credit at the end of the sailing is to be reimbursed to the card on file.

How did Jamaica respond as Melissa approached and made landfall?

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness declared Jamaica a “threatened area” on October 24 to speed emergency actions. The Office of the Prime Minister said the declaration “empowers the Government to implement precautionary and protective measures to safeguard lives, property, and critical infrastructure,” and Holness cited steps such as shelter readiness and staging supplies and equipment as Melissa later intensified into a Category 5 hurricane and made landfall.

Which cruise lines adjusted itineraries due to Melissa?

Itinerary changes described in published coverage and guest notifications included ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, and other brands as operators worked around port impacts and the storm’s projected track.