As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica, the Marleys’ Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise has been rerouted, Rolling Stone has confirmed.
The five-night event, set to take place Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, was originally slated to set sail from Miami with stops in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. The cruise has since been rerouted, and while it will still take off from Miami, it will no longer visit the Jamaican ports and will instead head to Cozumel, Mexico.
“The Fleet Captain has finished his review, and has determined Cozumel, Mexico as the safest course for the 2025 Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise!” event organizers announced over the weekend on Instagram. In a separate post, organizers stated that many of the scheduled artists and DJs were “unable to get out of Jamaica due to the airports closing,” and that with “very little time, we made our best efforts to bring on new artists so that we can keep the music and vibes alive.” Reps for the event did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
The 10th annual cruise, in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line, currently features a lineup that includes Damian and Stephen Marley, as well as the third generation of Marleys including Yohan, Skip, YG, and Mystic. Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Tarrus Riley, Spice Baby Cham, and more artists are also set to perform. The celebration will also mark the 20th anniversary of Damian’s Grammy-winning record Welcome to Jamrock, which shares the same name as the days-long concert cruise series.
As of Monday, Hurricane Melissa reached a Category 5 with winds of 175 mph. According to The Associated Press, forecasters have warned it could lead to devastating flooding, landslides, and widespread damage to infrastructure in Jamaica. The hurricane is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning in Jamaica.
Three international airports in Jamaica — Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport — have been closed as the country braces for Melissa’s impact, ABC reports. Per the outlet, several cruises in the Caribbean have changed their itineraries due to the approaching hurricane including several Carnival ships, Margaritaville at Sea’s Islander to avoid the storm, and the Disney Treasure and the Disney Wish.
