Hurricane Erin Causes Second Change for Royal Caribbean Ship

It isn’t over yet! Hurricane Erin still isn’t done wreaking havoc for itineraries operated by Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.

The current voyage, which was a 5-night sailing to Bermuda that embarked on August 16, had to instead sail to Canada at the last minute to avoid the Category 2 hurricane.

But the next sailing that embarks tomorrow, August 21, 2025, will still not be able to visit Bermuda because of unsafe conditions.

“While the storm is not expected to directly impact our location, its projected path will pass near our itinerary, generating significantly larger waves ahead of its track,”  Royal Caribbean updated the up to 4,960 booked guests.

“To ensure safe navigation and to provide a more comfortable experience for everyone on board, we’ll now enjoy a Sea Day instead of visiting Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda,” the letter continued.

The sailing in question is a 9-night voyage based out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey, that was supposed to visit Bermuda and the Eastern Caribbean.

King’s Wharf, Bermuda, which is now scrapped, would have been the first call of the trip on August 23.

To help make up for the necessary change, the call on Philipsburg, St. Maarten, on August 25 has been extended from a half day to a full day.

“We’ll now arrive in Philipsburg, St. Maarten at 10:00 AM instead of 2:00 PM, and depart at 7:00 PM instead of 8:00 PM,” Royal Caribbean confirmed.

The next call on San Juan, Puerto Rico, that is planned for August 26 is so far unaffected.

Labadee, Haiti, which was originally the final stop on the itinerary, will also be skipped as Royal Caribbean has temporarily paused sailing to their private destination until November due to unrest.

Hurricane Erin Arrives on East Coast

Although Erin won’t make landfill, simply passing by the US East Coast is enough to bring dangerous weather conditions to the states that border the Atlantic Ocean.

As of the National Hurricane Center’s (NOAA) evening update on August 20, 2025, Erin was about 245 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with sustained winds of 110 miles per hour – keeping the hurricane at the top of the Category 2 classification.

North Carolina is currently under a state of emergency until the storm passes, while portions of the Outer Banks have been evacuated in anticipation of deadly storm surges and waves that could reach over 20 feet tall.

Hurricane Erin, Advisory 39

“Storm surge flooding and tropical storm conditions are expected in the North Carolina Outer Banks through Thursday,” reads NOAA’s latest advisory.

“The storm surge will be accompanied by large waves, leading to significant beach erosion and overwash, making some roads impassable.” 

As the week goes on, Erin will continue to run parallel to the East Coast. She will pass by Virginia next on August 21, before heading in the direction of New York and the New England region.

“Tropical storm conditions are expected on Thursday along the Virginia coast,” NOAA advised.

“Wind gusts to tropical storm force are likely along portions of the remainder of the US Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts Thursday through early Friday.”

Although Erin has technically already passed Bermuda, which is around 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, this location is still at risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Catie Kovelman

Catie is an award-winning journalist and researcher. By day, she helps market new movies and TV shows as a senior research manager. But by night, she loves writing cruise news. In addition to Cruise Hive, Catie has contributed to a variety of newspapers, magazines, and other online publications, such as The Plaid Horse, Unwritten, YourTango, Fangirl Nation Magazine, Chapman Magazine, the Orange County Register, and Voice of OC.