Beryl Storm Hits Caribbean Region, Cruise Ship Delays Shipping To Change Route

JAKARTA - A number of shipping companies changed routes to delay their ship trips in the Caribbean region, when Hurricane Beryl hit the area.

Royal Caribbean has changed the route of its five cruise ships, namely Celebrity Beyond, Icon of the Seas (the world's largest cruise ship), Grandeur of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas.

Several ships, such as the Grandeur of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, have changed their days of stopping at Cozumel Harbor, on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, in an effort to avoid a storm path that is expected to enter the region.

Others have delayed or replaced visits to places such as Kralendijk, Bonaire and Roatan, Honduras, with stops at Oranjestad, Aruba, and Bahamas.

"The safety of guests, crew, and the people we visit are our top priority. Together with our Meteorological Chief, we are closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Beryl, and making adjustments to some of our Caribbean voyages for the comfort and safety of our guests and crew," Royal Caribbean Group spokesman said in a statement to CNN., as reported July 3.

"Guests and travel advisers will be notified directly of any necessary changes," he continued.

Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line said on Tuesday it was changing the original track of their two active voyages, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Liberty.

The Carnival Horizon, which was originally scheduled to dock in the Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands on July 3, canceled the visit. Travel scheduled for Cozumel, Mexico, on July 4 was also replaced with a visit to the Bahamas on July 5.

Meanwhile, Carnival Liberty moved its visit schedule to Cozumel on July 5 to Tuesday, as the cruise tried to avoid the storm route which is expected to enter the area.

"The safety of our guests and crew is the most important thing, and we continue to monitor weather forecasts and consider directions from the National Storm Center, US Coast Guard, and local port authorities to provide the latest information to our guests as further information is available," Carnival said in a statement.

The Norwegian Cruise Line has also changed routes for their two voyages, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Breakaway, by canceling visits to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, levies, as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, both on the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Badai Beryl is a tropical cyclone that has been sweeping a number of areas since earlier this week, from Venezuelan Jamaica to around the Caribbean Islands.