Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on October 28, 2025 as a Category 5 storm with 185mph sustained winds — one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record — and losses estimated above $12 billion, the costliest hurricane in the island's history. It made a second landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 the next day; at least ten cruise ships rerouted away from Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman.
Contents
- Melissa by the numbers
- The immediate response: cruise lines reroute
- What the 2025 hurricane season already signalled
- What remains unconfirmed about Caribbean charter
- Where interest shifts for 2026
- FAQ
Melissa by the Numbers
Melissa made its first landfall on October 28, 2025, at 17:25 UTC, near New Hope, in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185mph — one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Losses on the island were estimated above $12 billion, making it the costliest hurricane in Jamaica's history. The next day, October 29, Melissa made a second landfall near Chivirico, Cuba, by then a Category 3 storm, with its eye passing over Long Island, Bahamas, between October 29 and 30.
The Immediate Response: Cruise Lines Reroute
The clearest, most verifiable market response of the season comes from the cruise industry: at least ten ships, operated by lines including Royal Caribbean, Disney and Celebrity, altered itineraries that would have called at Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman. Those four destinations overlap significantly with the cruising grounds used by eastern Caribbean yacht charter, which makes the cruise industry's decision a direct proxy for the caution that spread through the region's marine leisure sector at the start of the 2025/26 season.
What the 2025 Hurricane Season Already Signalled
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had published its Atlantic season outlook on May 22, 2025: a 60% chance of an above-normal season, with 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 becoming hurricanes, and 3 to 5 reaching major intensity (Category 3 or higher). Melissa, a Category 5 storm, confirmed the most severe end of that forecast — not every above-normal season produces a storm of this scale, but the May outlook had already flagged elevated risk months before the season opened.
What Remains Unconfirmed About Caribbean Charter
As of this article's publication, no verified public data exists on booking volumes, fleet repositioning or insurance costs specific to Caribbean yacht charter for the 2025/26 season. Available reporting documents the storm itself and the cruise industry's response with precision, but does not extend equivalent figures to the charter brokerage market. This report records that gap rather than estimating an impact no primary source confirms. What can be said with confidence is geographic: operators running itineraries through Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Grand Cayman faced, at minimum, the same rerouting decision that led ten cruise ships to change course.
Where Interest Shifts for 2026
While the Caribbean absorbs Melissa's aftermath, the Mediterranean remains the more established charter alternative for anyone planning a 2026 season — a market this desk has already covered in detail on pricing and berth availability. Whether demand that traditionally looks to the Caribbean during the northern winter shifts further toward a Mediterranean summer is a plausible calendar trend, not a settled data point.
| Date | Event | Verified detail |
|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2025 | NOAA outlook | 60% chance of an above-normal season; 13-19 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes, 3-5 major |
| Oct 28, 2025 | 1st landfall — Jamaica | Category 5, 185mph winds, losses above $12bn |
| Oct 29, 2025 | 2nd landfall — Cuba | Category 3, near Chivirico |
| Oct 29-30, 2025 | Bahamas | Storm's eye passes over Long Island |
| Post-storm | Cruise industry | At least 10 ships reroute away from Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman |
FAQ
What was Hurricane Melissa? A Category 5 hurricane that struck Jamaica on October 28, 2025, with 185mph winds, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, causing losses estimated above $12 billion — the costliest in the country's history. The next day it made a second landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm, with its eye passing over the Bahamas.
When did Melissa hit Jamaica? On October 28, 2025, at 17:25 UTC, near New Hope in Westmoreland Parish. That was the first of two landfalls: the following day, October 29, the storm made a second landfall near Chivirico, Cuba, by then weakened to Category 3.
Which cruise lines rerouted because of Melissa? At least ten ships, from operators including Royal Caribbean, Disney and Celebrity, altered itineraries that would have called at Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman. It is the most concretely documented market response so far to the storm's effect on the region's leisure shipping.
Did Hurricane Melissa affect Caribbean yacht charter? The hardest-hit geography — Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Grand Cayman — overlaps with traditional charter cruising grounds in the region. However, no verified public data exists on booking volumes or fleet repositioning specific to charter yachts for the 2025/26 season; this report does not estimate that figure absent a confirmed source.
Was the 2025 hurricane season already expected to be severe? Yes. On May 22, 2025, NOAA forecast a 60% chance of an above-normal Atlantic season, with 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major storms (Category 3 or higher). Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, materialized the most severe end of that range months after the forecast was issued.
Which Caribbean destinations were avoided after Melissa? Jamaica, St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Cayman were the four destinations the cruise industry formally avoided in at least ten documented itinerary changes. Those same points sit within the common charter route through the eastern Caribbean and around Jamaica.
Does the Mediterranean become more attractive to Caribbean-season charterers for 2026? It is a plausible calendar trend, not a settled figure: the Mediterranean is already the more established charter destination for the northern summer, with pricing and berth-availability coverage for 2026 already published by this desk. No source confirms a specific demand shift from the Caribbean to Europe following Melissa.
Further Reading
This report is part of Voguer News's ongoing coverage of the hurricane season and its effects on the yachting calendar: 2025 Hurricane Season: What NOAA's Forecast Changes for Caribbean Charter, Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica and Reshapes the Caribbean Season, The 2026 Mediterranean Season: Prices, Berths and the Booking Window and The Charter Market in Numbers. For those already looking at the Mediterranean for 2026, see the international fleet at Voguer Yachts; for Brazil's coastline, Voguer lists options by region.
