Irma update: Royal Caribbean, Carnival to resume cruises from Florida on Tuesday

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Cruise giants Royal Caribbean and Carnival plan to resume sailings out of Florida on Tuesday after a four-day hiatus caused by Hurricane Irma. 

With Irma safely to the north, Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas and three Carnival ships — Carnival Glory, Carnival Vista and Carnival Victory — will depart Miami late in the day on shortened voyages to either The Bahamas or the Western Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas — at 226,963 tons, the world’s largest cruise ship — and Carnival’s Carnival Conquest will depart Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on shortened voyages to the Western Caribbean. 

The departures are contingent on the Port of Miami and Port Everglades reopening by Tuesday. Both currently are closed to shipping but expected to reopen soon. Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale were spared the worst of Irma’s damaging winds as the storm roared ashore along the western edge of Florida.  

In a statement on its website, Carnival said passengers for Tuesday’s sailings shouldn’t proceed to the pier until the line has confirmed its arrival and check-in times on the website.

More:Irma affecting cruise ships based as far away as Maryland, Texas | Complete list of canceled, delayed sailings from Florida 

The ships departing from Florida on Tuesday are likely to sail far from full as many out-of-town passengers will be unable to make it to the vessels. While some flights into Florida were expected to resume by Monday afternoon, air travel into the state is likely to be snarled for several days. 

Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have been allowing customers on Tuesday’s trips to cancel without penalty. Both lines are giving customers who cancel a full refund in the form of a future cruise credit. 

Royal Caribbean has said customers who go ahead with the Harmony sailing will get a 50% refund as well as 50% future cruise credit. Customers who go ahead with the Enchantment sailing will get a 25% refund and a 25% future cruise credit.

The Harmony sailing originally was scheduled to depart on Saturday and has been shortened by three days. The Enchantment sailing originally was scheduled to depart Monday and has been shortened by one day.

All four of the Carnival sailings originally were scheduled to depart Friday or Saturday and have been shortened by three to four days. 

Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment sailing originally was scheduled to visit Key West Fla., which was hit hard Sunday by Irma. While the call at Key West has been canceled for passengers, Royal Caribbean on Sunday said the ship likely will make a humanitarian stop at the port to drop supplies needed for a mounting relief effort. Passengers will remain on board during the operation. The ship then will continue on to The Bahamas. 

More:Royal Caribbean expands commitment to Irma relief efforts | Cruise lines to evacuate Irma-ravaged St. Thomas 

Royal Caribbean has devoted two ships this week full-time to Irma relief efforts. The line’s 2,350-passenger Majesty of the Seas is heading to St. Thomas and St. Martin to drop supplies and help evacuate stranded travelers. The 1,840-passenger Empress of the Seas is standing by to assist Floridians on the West Coast of the state once the impact of the storm is better known. 

In addition to Tuesday’s departures, Royal Caribbean and Carnival are planning four more sailings out of Florida ports on Wednesday — all shortened versions of voyages that had been scheduled to begin between Saturday and Monday. They include sailings of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and the Carnival Magic out of Port Canaveral, Fla.; a sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas out of Port Everglades and a sailing of Carnival Sensation out of Miami. As with Tuesday’s voyages, passengers can cancel for a full refund in the form of a future cruise credit.

Wednesday also will bring a long-scheduled departure of Holland America’s Maasdam from Port Everglades.