Due to the path of Hurricane Matthew, Port Canaveral was evacuated at noon on Wednesday, October 5, 2016. As the storm moves further up the coastline and away from the area, Port Canaveral posted an update on their website:
As Port Canaveral continues to experience impacts from Hurricane Matthew, officials are preparing to assess facilities and survey the harbor to determine when it is safe to re-open and resume normal business operations.
An update from Disney Cruise Line regarding the October 1 and October 8 sailings on the Disney Fantasy:
The October 8 sailing of the Disney Fantasy is being altered to a 6-night western Caribbean cruise departing on Sunday, October 9, from Port Canaveral. This sailing will include stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay. Guests who remain on the revised itinerary will receive a pro-rated refund equal to the amount of one-night of their cruise fare and an onboard credit. Guests who would like to rebook a future sailing at a discount OR cancel their sailing for a full refund are invited to call us at 1-866-325-3905 or 407-566-7032 on Saturday, October 8.
The October 1 sailing of the Disney Fantasy is being extended by one day given the uncertainty around the impact Hurricane Matthew will have on Port Canaveral. We are planning to disembark in Port Canaveral on Sunday, October 9. We are working with the guests onboard to assist them with their travel arrangements.
Disney Cruise Line also updated guests on the October 3 Disney Dream sailing that was due to return to Port Canaveral on Friday, October 7. An excerpt from a letter given to guests onboard said:
Assuming we are able to sail into Port Canaveral on Saturday, guests who want to disembark will be able to do so as long as it is safe. However, we will also allow guests to remain onboard until Sunday given the limited availability of hotel accommodations in Central Florida.
If we are unable to enter Port Canaveral on Saturday, we will plan to do so on Sunday. If Port Canaveral is still not open on Sunday, we will make every effort to disembark at an alternate Florida port and provide complimentary transportation back to Port Canaveral.
The October 7 sailing on the Disney Dream (a 3-night Bahamian itinerary out of Port Canaveral) has been cancelled due to the path of the storm. Refunds will be issued and guests will receive a 20% discount on a future cruise.
The Disney Magic was also scheduled to sail from the Port of New York on a 8-night Bahamian sailing on Friday, October 7, but the itinerary has changed. The ship will now sail to Canada instead of to the Bahamas. The new itinerary will be:
- October 7 – New York
- October 8 – Day at Sea
- October 9 – Day at Sea
- October 10 – Sydney, Nova Scotia
- October 11 – Day at Sea
- October 12 – Halifax, Nova Scotia
- October 13 – Saint John, New Brunswick
- October 14 – Day at Sea
- October 15 – New York
Guests who remain on this sailing will have a $100 credit per person added to their stateroom account. If anyone is not able to remain on the sailing, they can get a 20% discount on a future cruise before the end of 2017. If they cancel, they will get a full refund.
Guests can contact Disney Cruise Line at 1-866-325-3905 when they reopen on Saturday.
