When cruise lines make itinerary changes, they try to keep the adjustments as minimal as possible. But for Scarlet Lady’s December 12, 2026, sailing, the itinerary has been replaced and renamed.

Instead of operating the 5-night Mayan Sol sailing as planned, the Virgin Voyages’ ship will pivot to the 5-night Grand Turk & Bimini Beach Club itinerary.

“We wanted to let you know that your Sailor’s Mayan Sol sailing on December 12, 2026 has been refreshed to feature Grand Turk & The Beach Club at Bimini – one of our highest-rated Caribbean itineraries,” Virgin Voyages said in an update.

“This update replaces their original itinerary with a sailing designed to deliver more effortless island time, featuring Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, alongside our iconic Beach Club at Bimini,” the adults-only brand continued.

For reference, the Beach Club at Bimini is Virgin Voyages’ exclusive resort on Bimini Island for guests 18 and up that launched with the young cruise line in 2021.

What Does the New Itinerary Look Like?

Eliminating the need for extra stress surrounding travel arrangements, embarkation and debarkation will continue as planned in PortMiami on December 12 and December 17. The changes only impact the ports of call on the itinerary.

“While some of the ports of call have changed, their voyage length, ship, and embarkation port remain the same,” Virgin Voyages confirmed.

Read Also: What You Should Know About Cruise Port Cancellations

The original itinerary that guests booked should have called to Costa Maya, Mexico, on December 14 and Bimini, Bahamas, on December 16.

Under the new plan, the call to Bimini, Bahamas, remains the same. However, Costa Maya was replaced by Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, on December 14. The 2,770-guest ship will be in the Eastern Caribbean destination from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. local time.

Why Was the Change Made?

Cruise lines can make itinerary adjustments for a variety of reasons, and Virgin Voyages did not explicitly confirm the reason behind the change.

That said, several ships have already been routed away from Costa Maya due to changes in port availability related to Royal Caribbean’s endeavors. It seems likely that this may be what’s happening here.

Royal Caribbean is currently in the process of transforming Costa Maya into Perfect Day Mexico, with the massive resort expected to open in the fall of 2027.

The cruise line stated that it would keep the port open to all cruise lines when Royal Caribbean officially took possession of the port last summer, but construction may be getting in the way.

“This may be related to the fact that Royal Caribbean is converting the Costa Maya port to their own private resort,” one cruise fan guessed on Reddit.

Most recently, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore had to skip its planned call to Costa Maya on January 21, 2026, for this reason.

Guests Celebrate the News

Rather than reacting with anger or frustration, much of the response to the updated itinerary has been positive. Though it is a matter of personal preference, many view Grand Turk as a better port.

“Costa Maya is a tourist trap port made specifically for cruisers. It’s a C tier port. You just got an A or A-,” one cruiser asserted.

“Honestly – that’s an upgrade. Costa Maya doesn’t have much to do,” another agreed.

With just over 10 months until this cruise embarks, it also would be much too soon for guests to have shore excursions booked, meaning there is no real upheaval to their plans either.

“Shore Things,” as the cruise line calls them, do not go on sale until 135 days before the sailing for RockStar and Mega RockStar suite guests and 120 days in advance for everyone else.

Virgin Voyages Replaces Itinerary For Future Holiday Sailing