Florida cruise home ports have started catering for Tropical Storm Fred, who is currently roaming the eastern Caribbean and is a cruising issue over the weekend. The storm is tracked to hit southern parts of Florida as it hits the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Cruise industry prepares for Fred
The cruise industry is just beginning to make a comeback, but hurricane season is gearing up as August and September are usually busy. How this will affect cruises remains to be seen, especially now with only a limited number of ships returning.
However, cruise lines still operate in the Caribbean with thousands of guests on board. There is also the problem with the Florida homeports that are on Fred’s route. including the cruise capital of the world, PortMiami, along with Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and Port of Tampa.
STORM WATCH ALERT: The port’s captain has introduced Hurricane Port Readiness Condition Whiskey for PortMiami, effective today. pic.twitter.com/uPlAO9dgUV
– PortMiami (@PortMiami) August 11, 2021
Ports issued a storm surveillance alert on Wednesday, and the U.S. Coast Guard announced they are in the WHISKEY port condition. This means that preparations for expected high winds and flooding from the tropical storm will be underway within 72 hours. The ports will remain open at this time, including for cruises, but it is recommended that ships over 500 GT begin making plans to leave the port.
If Tropical Storm Fred continues on its current course, the U.S. Coast Guard and ports will issue an x-ray of the port condition at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. This means that hurricane winds are expected within 48 hours, but the ports will remain open. Port Condition YANKEE, the next level, will close all inbound and outbound traffic, including cruise lines.
Also read: How a hurricane could affect your cruise
Fred is expected to hit South Florida this weekend, which is often a busy time for cruise lines. During this time, some ships could be affected, especially those home ports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa. Because cruise companies do not yet operate all ships, Tampa does not currently have any active cruise lines.
Current status of Tropical Storm Fred
Tropical Storm Fred (Image: NOAA)
Fred currently has maximum sustained winds of 35 MPH and is located 275 km southeast of Great Inagua Island, according to the National Hurricane Center (NOOA). The storm has just been downgraded to a tropical depression. However, if it moves away from the Dominican Republic and over warm waters, it is expected to turn into a tropical storm again.
Worth reading: Top 10 Tips to Prevent and Avoid Seasickness on a Cruise
Even if Fred won’t become a hurricane, it will still cause high winds, floods, heavy rains and ocean waves. Cruise ships will undoubtedly monitor the course and development of the storm and adjust the shipping routes accordingly. You can watch the ships that return or leave Flordia on weekends, especially on Saturdays.
