The Barefoot Brief: October 3, 2025

Nearly 100 Sick on Serenade of the Seas — Norovirus Outbreak Hits Cruise

Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas rolled into Miami after a 13‑night voyage where 94 passengers and 4 crew members reported symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. WKMG+2CDC+2
The line instituted deep cleaning protocols, isolated affected folks, and collected stool samples. Not the kind of group photo anyone wants. The CDC now lists this as one of the 2025 outbreaks under its Vessel Sanitation Program.

Norwegian Cancels 55+ Sailings in Massive Redeployment Shake‑Up

In a bold course correction, Norwegian Cruise Line has axed over 55 sailings across its fleet as part of a sweeping redeployment plan.
Ships like Norwegian Gem and Dawn will swap homeports (Tampa, Jacksonville etc.), and itineraries will be altered to focus more on the Caribbean and Great Stirrup Cay (which itself is getting a pricey upgrade). Impacted guests are being offered full refunds and future cruise credits.

Storm‑Driven Itinerary Overhaul: Norwegian Aqua & Escape Diverted from Bermuda

Weather won this round. Due to Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto projections, Norwegian Aqua’s current voyage will skip Bermuda and head to Maine, Boston, and New Brunswick instead.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Escape’s Caribbean route is ditched mid-sail — she'll hit Boston, Portland, Eastport, and maybe Bermuda later. No advance app notices for many passengers; some only found out when boarding. Rough start to a cruise.

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas Reroutes to Western Caribbean to Dodge Storm

Star of the Seas ditched its planned Eastern Caribbean route (with stops like Perfect Day at CocoCay) and moved westward — think Costa Maya, Roatán, and Cozumel — thanks to a looming tropical disturbance.
Its debut visit to St. Kitts is postponed (boo), and guests are being told “safety first.” The line’s meteorologists and captains clearly had a mutiny against bad weather.

Carnival Alters Itineraries Amid Atlantic Storm Pressure

Carnival is already responding to the tropical churn: Carnival Venezia has canceled a Sunday port call, and other ships are seeing schedule tweaks.
No full-blown chaos yet, but in hurricane season the “minor adjustments” can spiral quickly. Keep eyes peeled for more moves.

Medical Evacuation at Sea: 2 Passengers + 1 Crew Flown Off Carnival Adventure

Rescue teams swooped in off the coast of Moreton Bay (Australia) to medevac three individuals — two guests and one crew — from Carnival Adventure.
No details yet on severity or cause, but those emergency helicopters never mean “everything’s peachy.”

That’s your Barefoot Brief for October 3, 2025 — stormy seas, sick ships, and big line moves.

Anchors down till next week,
— Barefoot and Booked