(This story was updated to add new information.)
The world's second-busiest cruise port remained open days before landfall from the Category 5 Hurricane Milton .
Port Canaveral was open Monday, Oct. 7, a day after Milton outgrew tropical storm strength to become a hurricane. Five cruise ships at the port on Monday left the Space Coast of Florida (home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, about an hour away from Orlando theme parks), and several were scheduled to return to port later this week. Projected landfall for Hurricane Milton was the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 9, on the west coast of Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
On Tuesday, Port Canaveral was under Coast Guard-designated "Condition Yankee." Officials said the port likely would close as Hurricane Milton approaches Brevard County. Any closure would halt all cruise and cargo traffic.
"Condition Yankee" means sustained tropical storm-force winds are predicted within 24 hours.
"Port Canaveral is open, and conducting limited port operations, and preparing for the closure of waterside and vessel shoreside port operations," the port said in a statement.
There was no indication about the time frame for closing of the port, but that could come by Wednesday.
How will that affect cruise ship vacations for Disney Cruise Line , Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line passengers at Port Canaveral, Florida?
Below are real-time rain radars and weather embeds for Florida to track the path of Hurricane Milton along with information about Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line ships at Port Canaveral .
What time is landfall in Florida? Here's when Hurricane Milton is supposed to hit land, experts say
Yes, Hurricane Milton will impact Florida. Parts of the state already were experiencing rain, thunderstorms and flash flooding days ahead of landfall. Many counties were listed in a state of emergency, with the potential for tropical tornadoes.
Expect life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Panhandle and Florida's Gulf Coast and West Coast.
Don't focus on the center of the storm. Impacts from Hurricane Milton will be felt hundreds of miles away, especially on the north and east sides.
The graphic above from the National Hurricane Center shows coastal watches and warnings along with the forecast cone for the center of Hurricane Milton. The graphic will automatically update with each advisory from the hurricane center.
➤ Weather alerts via text : Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location
Milton was forecast to become a large hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Earlier tropical weather advisories had forecast landfall for Wednesday evening or early Thursday, but the forecast is regularly changing on the timing.
A look back: Hurricane Milton strengthened into a hurricane Oct. 6, then upgraded to a Category 5 a day later, before being downgraded to a Category 4 storm Tuesday, Oct. 8. Landfall will be Wednesday or Thursday, Oct. 9 or 10, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Refundable airfare? For Florida flights impacted by Hurricane Milton, what do if flight is delayed, canceled
Weather radar: Will we get showers, thunderstorms, rain in Florida today?
Shown is the National Weather Service radar for the Southeast United States, which shows conditions in real-time. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.
Where is Hurricane Milton? What is the track, path of Milton in Florida?
Shown is the seven-day graphical tropical weather outlook from the National Hurricane Center in Miami . The above graphic will automatically update with each advisory from the hurricane center.
Will Port Canaveral near Orlando, Florida, close for Hurricane Milton?
Port Canaveral would likely close later in the week as Hurricane Milton approaches Brevard County. Any closure would halt all cruise and cargo traffic.
When the storm passes, Coast Guard and port officials would inspect the port channel to assure it is safe for ship passage, and clear of debris and shoaling.
What ships sailed out of Port Canaveral and are scheduled to return during Hurricane Milton, before and after landfall in Florida?
Five cruise ships were at Port Canaveral on Monday, Oct. 7 ― the cruise ships also left Monday:
Carnival Glory, Disney Wish and Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas left Port Canaveral on Monday and were scheduled to come back to Port Canaveral on Friday, Oct. 11.
Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas left Port Canaveral on Saturday, Oct. 5, and is scheduled to return there Friday, Oct. 11.
Carnival Freedom also left Port Canaveral on Monday and is set to return to Port Canaveral on Saturday, Oct. 12.
In addition, Mein Schiff 1 was in port on Monday for a port-of-call stop.
No ships plan to come in on Tuesday, Oct. 8, or Wednesday, Oct. 9.
MSC Seashore was scheduled to come back Thursday, but with the Hurricane Milton landfall projected for Wednesday, Oct. 9, that likely would affect its return to Port Canaveral.
Ships scheduled to return Friday also may be affected. They are Carnival Glory, Disney Wish, Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas and Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas.
Cruise lines will contact passengers with updates.
Port Canaveral is the second-busiest port in the world, behind PortMiami. It was the busiest port in the world in 2022 for one year before PortMiami retook the lead, after the COVID pandemic.
There were no cruise ships in port Tuesday morning, and the three cargo vessels there were scheduled to sail out later Tuesday.
Port Canaveral has set up a special status hotline at 321-394-3411 for general updates about the port's status.
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Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com , on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How Hurricane Milton affects Disney, Royal Caribbean, Carnival cruises at Port Canaveral
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