Kingston, Jamaica experiences the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. Image: Collin Reid/AP

The eighteenth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has caused cruise ship diversions across The Bahamas, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and South Carolina with Hurricane Sandy located approximately 200 kilometres east-south-east of Nassau, The Bahamas at the time of publishing.

The port of Freeport, The Bahamas is closed today and Grand Cayman has been deemed too rough to allow tendering by visiting ships.

Cruise ship itineraries affected include:

Norwegian Pearl

Calling into Costa Maya today instead of Grand Cayman and returning as scheduled into Miami on Saturday.

Norwegian Sky

Spending a day at sea today instead of Great Stirrup Cay, with a delayed return to Miami on Friday 26 October, arriving into port at approximately 9:00.

Embarkation for Norwegian Sky’s three-day cruise departing on 26 October will now commence at 14:00 and the ship will depart at 19:00.

The cruise line has asked that all passengers sailing on this itinerary arrive at Port Miami no earlier than 14:00.

Norwegian Jewel

A scheduled call to Charleston, South Carolina has been cancelled with the ship calling into Norfolk, Virginia on Friday 26 October instead.

She will return to New York as scheduled on Sunday 28 October.

Norwegian Gem

The ship’s call into Samana, Dominican Republic has been cancelled with Norwegian Gem sailing directly to New York instead where she will arrive as scheduled on Monday 29 October.

Carnival Sensation

Sailing on a revised itinerary, Carnival Sensation will now feature a “fun day-at-sea” on Friday 26 October instead of Nassau, The Bahamas and will call into Key West on Saturday 27 October arriving at 7:00 and departing at 14:00.

She will return to Port Canaveral at 7:00 and depart on her next cruise at 16:00.

Carnival Glory

Following a day-at-sea instead of Nassau, The Bahamas, Carnival Glory will spend a second day-at-sea instead of calling into Port Canaveral on 26 October.

Carnival Miracle

The ship will skip Grand Turk for a second “fun day-at-sea” on 26 October after skipping St. Thomas on 25 October.

Carnival Pride

Port Canaveral has been cancelled with a second “fun day-at-sea” planned instead.

Disney Dream

The ship will spend a day-at-sea instead of calling into Nassau, The Bahamas on 26 October, calling into the island on 27 October instead of Castaway Cay.

Disney Fantasy

A day-at-sea will replace a call into Castaway Cay on 26 October.

Royal Caribbean has not altered any future itineraries but has encouraged passengers sailing aboard Majesty of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas to monitor the Royal Caribbean website for updates prior to sailing.

Carnival Cruise Lines senior cruise director John Heald has been updating Carnival passengers via his Facebook page and has asked all future passengers to sign up to text alerts so as to remain as informed as possible about their voyages.

The National Hurricane Centre reported at 1700 EDT that Sandy is sustaining a maximum of 32 kilometres per hour (105 miles per hour) winds and has a hurricane warning in place for; the Ragged Islands, Southeastern Bahamas; the Central Bahamas and the Northwestern Bahamas.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach and Lake Okeechobee at the time of publishing.

It is expected that the centre of Hurricane Sandy will continue moving through the Central Bahamas before heading to the Northwestern Bahamas on Friday 26 October.