As Winter Storm Fern makes her way through the continental US, Royal Caribbean has made the decision to bring Harmony of the Seas home to Galveston a day early to finish her January 18 departure on January 24 instead of January 25.

Guests onboard the Oasis-class ship have been notified of the change and what their options are for debarkation.

“In order to give you the best chance at a safe and uninterrupted journey home by avoiding the winter weather impacts to local infrastructure and transportation, we have decided to arrive in Galveston one (1) day earlier than originally scheduled,” the letter shared on Facebook explained.

According to the National Weather Service, those expected impacts include rain and thunderstorms in Galveston, with possible freezing rain and mixed precipitation throughout much of Texas.

Extreme cold and wind chills under 20 degrees Fahrenheit may also cause freezing on the bridges leading from Port of Galveston to the Texas mainland, which could potentially strand cruise travelers.

This change does mean the ship has also skipped her last planned port call on the 7-night sailing, which was to have been a visit to Cozumel, Mexico on Friday, January 23. Satellite tracking confirms that instead, Harmony of the Seas is on her way back to Texas at her top speed of 22 knots (25 miles per hour).

The ship should be alongside the pier in Galveston at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday morning, nearly a full day ahead of what was to have been a Sunday morning arrival.

Guests can choose to depart the ship as soon as it is cleared for debarkation on Saturday if they want to make their way home right away, but they are not being forced off the vessel earlier.

“Not to worry, if you’re unable to make accommodation to depart the ship on Saturday, or if you would prefer to keep the vacation going and remain onboard, we’re more than happy to have you stay with us until Sunday morning,” the letter said.

If guests do want to stay onboard Harmony of the Seas, they will need to notify their stateroom attendant or the Guest Services desk portside on Deck 5 by noon on Friday.

Guests who do stay onboard will still need to debark the ship with their travel documents on Saturday, but they will be able to reboard the ship as soon as debarkation is completed. This is a similar procedure to back-to-back sailings, and guests can leave their luggage onboard.

Anyone staying onboard Harmony of the Seas should also note that the retail shops and casino must be closed while the ship is docked, in accordance with local regulations.

Compensation Offered

Because this is a relatively drastic change to what was to have been a weeklong cruise, guests onboard Harmony of the Seas are being offered some compensation for the disruption.

First, all pre-paid shore tours booked through Royal Caribbean for the now-cancelled visit to Cozumel are automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.

Second, all guests are receiving a one-day prorated refund of their cruise fare. This refund will be posted as onboard credit, and any remaining refundable credits at the end of the cruise will be returned to the card on file after guests depart the ship.

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To be clear, this one-day refund is for all of the up to 6,780 guests onboard Harmony of the Seas, regardless of whether or not they choose to stay on the ship until Sunday morning.

Furthermore, all guests will receive their full loyalty points for the 7-night cruise, even if they disembark on Saturday.

Parking Facilities Prepared

Multiple parking facilities and shuttle transportation companies that work with cruise guests at Port of Galveston are prepared for Harmony of the Seas‘ early return.

“We’re monitoring the situation closely and will have our team and shuttles ready to keep everything running smoothly for our EZ Cruise guests. As always, our goal is to make your return just as easy as your departure,” EZ Cruise Parking confirmed.

“Lighthouse parking is fully aware of Royal Caribbean Harmony Of The Seas coming into port a day earlier than scheduled due to weather conditions Saturday 01/24/2026,” Lighthouse Cruise Parking also posted.

“We will have a greeter at our designated spot and will be operating shuttle buses from 11:30am-2:00pm for our customers that decide they will be disembarking from the ship.”

Both parking facilities are located close to the port, south of Harborside Drive and just over a mile from Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Terminal 10.

Next Cruise Not Impacted

Because guests can remain onboard Harmony of the Seas until the originally scheduled debarkation on Sunday, the next sailing will not be departing early.

The ship’s next cruise is another 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary with visits planned for Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Guests booked on the January 25 departure will be alerted if there are any adjustments to their sailing, but there are no confirmed changes at this time.

Royal Caribbean Ship Races Back Home as Winter Storm Forces Early Return