Hurricane Beryl, an unusually powerful early-season storm, is significantly impacting shipping and cruise operations in the Caribbean region. Here are the key effects:
1. Cruise itinerary changes: Several major cruise lines have been forced to alter their routes to avoid the hurricane's path. For example:
- Norwegian Jade changed its itinerary from Falmouth, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel to San Juan, Tortola, and Puerto Plata[2].
- Celebrity Beyond adjusted its route, swapping the order of Aruba and Bonaire[2].
- Harmony of the Seas removed Roatan from its itinerary and rearranged other port calls[2].
- Icon of the Seas reportedly changed its schedule from St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and CocoCay to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and CocoCay[2].
2. Stock market impact: The hurricane has negatively affected cruise line stocks. Shares of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian Cruise Line all fell on Monday, with Royal Caribbean dropping over 1.5%, Carnival falling nearly 5%, and Norwegian Cruise Line decreasing by about 5%[1].