Update:
We just received official word that Liberty of the Seas will be sailing to Miami until it’s deemed safe to return to Galveston.
Hey there. We’re confirmed to arrive in Miami on Tuesday, and return to Galveston for a Friday arrival, when forecasts have improved.
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) August 27, 2017
Original story:
If you’ve been following our live updates on Hurricane Harvey and cruise ships trying to reach the Port of Galveston, then you know it’s been a difficult situation.
The storm has caused massive flooding, shut airports, roadways, and drenched the Galveston/Houston area.
Royal Caribbean had announced earlier that Liberty of the Seas was still going to try and dock Sunday afternoon and leave for its next cruise on Monday (August 28). That’s just a one day delay caused by a historic hurricane.
However, to us that sounded too optimistic. The area is experiencing a massive natural disaster and port officials were quoted as saying the Port of Galveston would not be open until Tuesday at the earliest.
Now there are rumors that Liberty of the Seas will be headed to Miami to resupply before returning all the way to Galveston. Here are several tweets about the topic:
We’re hearing #LibertyoftheSeas is going to head to Miami instead. Arrive Tuesday, re-provision, and return to Galveston on Friday.
— Royal Caribbean Blog (@theRCLblog) August 27, 2017
#libertyoftheseas Just heard from friends on Liberty of the Seas that they are headed to Miami to re-provision and head back on Friday 9/1).
— Susan Stanley (@lsu198) August 27, 2017
We’re hearing #LibertyoftheSeas is going to head to Miami instead. Arrive Tuesday, re-provision, and return to Galveston on Friday.
— Ilker Sevki Inan (@Sevki77) August 27, 2017
It’s important to note that at this time there has been no official word from Royal Caribbean (Update: See the tweet at the top of this story for Royal Caribbean’s confirmation). Meanwhile, the ship appears to be sitting just offshore of Galveston at this time.
CruiseCritic has seemingly confirmed the change of plans, stating the following:
“After waiting outside of Galveston all morning, Liberty of the Seas is now headed to Miami where it will debark passengers Tuesday or Wednesday. We are waiting word from Royal Caribbean about how the line will assist travelers in getting home, though a spokesperson said in an email to Cruise Critic, “We are doing all we can to help guests adjust their travel arrangements and appreciate their patience during a stressful time.”
“The August 27 departure of Liberty is canceled. Booked passengers will have their fares fully refunded and will receive a future cruise credit. Liberty of the Seas plans to return to Galveston on Friday, if conditions permit.”
We will update as we hear more.
