Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph, making it one of the strongest hurricanes on Atlantic record and the costliest in the island's history, with losses estimated above USD 12 billion. The next day, it struck Cuba as a Category 3, prompting at least ten cruise ships to alter their itineraries.
Contents
- Hurricane Melissa's path
- Why Melissa was an outlier storm
- The immediate impact on Caribbean boating
- What the 2025 season had already signaled
- What changes for anyone planning a Caribbean trip
- FAQ
Hurricane Melissa's Path
According to the consolidated storm-track record on Wikipedia, Melissa made its first landfall on October 28, 2025, at 17:25 UTC, near New Hope, in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica.
| Date | Location | Category | Sustained winds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2025, 17:25 UTC | New Hope, Westmoreland, Jamaica | 5 | 185 mph |
| Oct 29-30, 2025 | Chivirico, Cuba, with the eye passing over Long Island, Bahamas | 3 | — |
The Category 5 landfall in Jamaica ranks among the strongest on Atlantic record, and losses on the island are estimated above USD 12 billion — the costliest hurricane in the country's history.
Why Melissa Was an Outlier Storm
Sustained winds of 185 mph put Melissa at the top of the Saffir-Simpson scale, the most severe rating an Atlantic hurricane can reach. The combination of that wind speed at landfall in Jamaica and an estimated loss figure above USD 12 billion, according to the source consulted, is what makes this storm exceptional even within a hurricane season that, historically, tends to bring its most severe events between August and October.
The sources available as of this article's publication do not include an official death toll or a recovery timeline for Jamaica's port and tourism infrastructure — information this article does not estimate, in keeping with the principle of stating plainly what has not been disclosed rather than guessing.
The Immediate Impact on Caribbean Boating
Cruise Blog reported that at least ten cruise ships, from lines including Royal Caribbean, Disney and Celebrity, altered their itineraries to avoid Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman as Melissa and its remnants moved through the region. That same caution typically extends to recreational boating and yacht charter in the Caribbean: when a route large cruise ships consider risky enough to redraw, smaller vessels tend to give the same area an even wider berth.
The sources available for this article do not include specifics on how individual charter operators in the region responded — only the confirmed fact of the cruise-line reroutes. Any routing decision during or after a Category 5 hurricane should always follow official guidance from local maritime and weather authorities, never a remote estimate.
What the 2025 Season Had Already Signaled
Melissa's overall risk was not a surprise, even if its specific intensity could not have been predicted months in advance. Back in May, Voguer covered NOAA's forecast for the 2025 hurricane season, which put the odds of an above-normal season at 60%, with 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 hurricanes, and 3 to 5 rated as major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Melissa, striking Jamaica at Category 5 in late October — within the official season window of June 1 through November 30 — is the event that most closely matches the most severe scenario described in that forecast.
What Changes for Anyone Planning a Caribbean Trip
For anyone organizing a boat trip or cruise in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, the responsible approach is to follow bulletins directly from local maritime and weather authorities before confirming any itinerary near Jamaica, eastern Cuba or the Bahamas — the extent of the damage and the pace of recovery for ports and marinas in the affected area were not covered by any source available for this article as of publication. While the Caribbean processes Melissa's impact, the Mediterranean has already closed its summer charter season, which saw its July-August peak without weather events of this scale — a reminder that hurricane seasonality is a variable specific to the Atlantic and Caribbean calendar, not the Mediterranean's.
The same week Melissa moved through the Caribbean also saw the superyacht building industry post growth numbers — Ferretti Group's nine-month results and Sanlorenzo's first-half results — a contrast that illustrates how the high-end yacht industry runs on two parallel calendars: one of production and sales, and one dictated by weather, which determines when and where recreational boating and charter can operate safely.
FAQ
When did Hurricane Melissa make landfall in Jamaica? On October 28, 2025, at 17:25 UTC, near New Hope in Westmoreland Parish, as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph — one of the strongest hurricanes on Atlantic record.
How much damage did Hurricane Melissa cause in Jamaica? Losses are estimated above USD 12 billion, according to the source consulted, making Melissa the costliest hurricane in the country's history. Available sources do not include an official death toll as of this article's publication.
Did the hurricane hit other countries too? Yes. The next day, October 29, Melissa made landfall near Chivirico, Cuba, already weakened to Category 3, with its eye passing over Long Island in the Bahamas between October 29 and 30.
How did the hurricane affect Caribbean cruises? At least ten cruise ships, from lines including Royal Caribbean, Disney and Celebrity, altered their itineraries to avoid Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman while the storm and its remnants crossed the region.
Was the 2025 hurricane season already expected to be intense? Yes. NOAA's May forecast put the odds of an above-normal season at 60%, with 13 to 19 named storms and 3 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Melissa, at Category 5, represents the most severe scenario within that predicted range.
Is it safe to go boating in the Caribbean right now? This article does not have information, from the sources available, on the current status of ports and marinas in the affected area. The responsible approach is always to check directly with local maritime and weather authorities before any itinerary in the region, rather than relying on a remote estimate.
When does the Atlantic hurricane season end? The official season runs from June 1 through November 30. Melissa made its most severe landfall in late October, still within that window, which underscores the importance of monitoring official bulletins until the season formally closes.
Where can I follow official information about Hurricane Melissa? The sources consulted for this article include the consolidated storm-track record and specialized coverage of the cruise-line reroutes, both cited in this article's external sources. For any navigation decision, guidance from local maritime and weather authorities should always take precedence.
Following the Season with Voguer
Voguer tracks the Atlantic hurricane season and its impact on Caribbean boating throughout 2025. For readers planning the Brazilian coast, outside the hurricane belt, the voguer.com.br marketplace remains open year-round; for international charter in other regions, voguer.yachts lists options outside the Atlantic's most critical window.
