Fog Closes Port Tampa Bay, Delays Arrival of 3 Royal Caribbean Ships – December 6, 2025

Introduction
A dense winter fog blanket over Tampa Bay on the morning of December 6, 2025, forced the temporary closure of Port Tampa Bay, delaying the arrival and turnaround operations of three Royal Caribbean International vessels. The significantly reduced visibility made navigation unsafe, resulting in widespread schedule disruptions for thousands of passengers.

Details of the Incident

Port Closure and Visibility Impact:

• Port Tampa Bay suspended inbound cruise traffic early Saturday due to near-zero visibility caused by thick fog.
• All marine traffic was required to hold offshore until clearance was granted by harbor pilots and port authorities.
• The closure persisted for several hours, with safe navigation conditions not returning until late afternoon.

Affected Royal Caribbean Ships:

• Rhapsody of the Seas — returning from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise; next voyage planned calls at Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Belize.
• Enchantment of the Seas — arriving from a 5-night cruise to Mexican ports; preparing for another 5-night sailing to Costa Maya and Cozumel.
• Grandeur of the Seas — completing a 7-night itinerary; scheduled for another week-long voyage to Cozumel, Belize, Roatán, and Costa Maya.

Extent of Delays:

• All three vessels faced delays of at least eight hours before they could safely dock.
• Rhapsody of the Seas received clearance first, allowing the port to begin phased reopening.
• Cruise terminals remained closed for embarkation until conditions improved, impacting both disembarking passengers and those waiting to begin their vacations.
• Guests originally advised to arrive mid-morning were rescheduled for much later times; some Rhapsody guests were reallocated to arrival windows of 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Communication and Passenger Management:

• Royal Caribbean issued email alerts outlining the situation and confirming that terminals would not open until fog conditions cleared.
• Boarding schedules were adjusted throughout the day, with staggered arrival instructions sent to guests.
• Passengers onboard the delayed ships were kept updated as the vessels waited offshore for visibility to improve.

Operational Context:

• All three ships belong to the Vision Class (73,800–82,900 GT), built in the mid-to-late 1990s.
• Tampa Bay is particularly vulnerable to seasonal fog, which can restrict all commercial and passenger vessel movements when dense patches settle in the channel.
• Port Tampa Bay confirmed that all cruise traffic, regardless of line, was delayed due to the weather event.