Flight, Cruise & Waiver Updates

Hurricane Melissa, the most recent and strongest storm of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season, is on monitor to hit Jamaica on Monday as a Category 5 storm.

As of 5 a.m. EST on Tuesday morning, the middle of Melissa was within the northwestern Caribbean Sea, nearly immediately south of the western finish of Jamaica. The storm was transferring towards the north-northeast at simply 5 mph, however that can change sooner or later right now because the NHC expects Melissa to show towards the northeast and decide up velocity.

The heart of the storm is anticipated to maneuver over Jamaica right now, throughout southeastern Cuba tomorrow morning, after which throughout the southeastern or central Bahamas in a while Wednesday.

Currently, Melissa is a Category 5 storm, producing sustained winds of close to 175 mph with even larger gusts. The NHC expects some fluctuations in depth right now earlier than it makes landfall on Jamaica, however it ought to nonetheless be an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it hits the island after which at the least hurricane energy when it hits the Bahamas tomorrow.

Jamaica Airports Closed

Ahead of Melissa’s arrival on Monday, the federal government of Jamaica issued a travel warning for all these coming into the island.

“All persons are urged to take the necessary precautions to ensure safety during this time,” it stated.

Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) has been closed since Oct. 25, and Jamaica’s different airport, together with Sangster International Airport (SIA), closed its doorways earlier within the week. All flights at each these airports can be closed at the least by Tuesday, and presumably longer relying on the influence Melissa has on Jamaica.

All vacationers are being informed to register with their embassy for country-specific steerage, and to test with their airline and lodge or resort if they’re scheduled to journey to Jamaica within the close to future.

Hurricane Melissa Flight Impact 

Airlines began issuing waivers for these flying in, out, or by the Caribbean final week. A variety of these waivers have been prolonged as Melissa hovered within the Caribbean Sea over teh weekend. 

American Airlines has a waiver out for journey by October. 29 by eight airports: Boscobel, Jamaica (OCJ), George Town, Bahamas (GGT), Holguin, Cuba (HOG), Kingston, Jamaica (KIN), Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ), Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (PLS), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (SCU), and South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands (XSC).

American’s waiver is for journey scheduled by October. 29 and permits flyers to rebook for brand new journey by Nov. 1. 

JetBlue has a waiver out for flights by each Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ). That waiver runs by Friday, Oct. 31, and permits flyers to rebook their flights for journey by Nov. 8 with out penalty.

JetBlue has a separate waiver out for journey by Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) that runs by the top of October. 30. Flyers can rebook their flights for journey by Nov. 5. 

Southwest has a waiver out for Montego Bay (MBJ) by Oct. 30. Travelers can rebook or journey standby inside 14 days of the unique ticket with out penalty.

United Airlines has a waiver out for flights by Montego Bay (MBJ) and Providenciales (PLS) for journey by Oct. 29. Travelers can change their flight to a brand new one by Nov. 5 with out penalty.

United has a separate waiver out for Bermuda, BM, GB (BDA) for journey beginning on Oct. 30 by Nov. 2. United is permitting vacationers to vary to a brand new flight by Nov. 9. 

Cruise Line Changes Due to Melissa

Carnival Cruise Line is altering itineraries on a lot of ships, together with Celebration, Dream, Liberty, Sunrise, and Vista. Those modifications embrace:

• Celebration skipping Grand Turk and Amber Cove and heading to Cozumel as a substitute.
• Dream skipping Montego Bay.
• Liberty skipping Montego Bay and Grand Cayman and going to Mahogany Bay and Belize as a substitute.
• Sunrise skipping Grand Turk and going to Nassau.
• Vista skipping Amber Cove and going to Nassau.

Celebrity Cruises is transferring Celebrity Beyond on an Oct. 26 crusing out of Miami from the Eastern Caribbean to the Western Caribbean. That ship won’t name on Costa Maya, Belize City, and Roatan.

Disney Cruise Line is rerouting Disney Treasure on a Halloween crusing out of Port Canaveral to Cozumel as a substitute of Tortola, and St. Thomas. The ship will even go to Castaway Cay a second time in the course of the crusing.

Disney can also be making a change to Disney Wish’s four-night Halloween itinerary, visiting Castaway Cay on Oct. 28 and Nassau on Oct. 29 as a substitute of the opposite approach round.

Royal Caribbean is transferring Icon of the Seas, which is within the Caribbean on an Oct. 25, seven-night crusing from Miami, to the Western Caribbean from the Eastern Caribbean. That ship will name on Cozumel and Roatan as a substitute of St. Maarten and St. Thomas. It will nonetheless head to Perfect Day at CocoCay, although it would now achieve this on Friday at 7 a.m.

Royal can also be altering the present Freedom of the Seas’ crusing, skipping Grand Turk and changing it with a name at Puerto Plata.