On Wednesday, many cruise ships had to alter their course, since Hurricane Omar has been rapidly heading towards several Caribbean ports.

Consequently, the Carnival Triumph has switched its course and will be now visiting Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, although it had been previously scheduled to stop in St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk. The ship left Miami on Sunday.

The Carnival Glory has also changed its plans and is set to spend the day at sea instead of visiting St. Maarten. Moreover, a visit to the Grand Turk island is due on Thursday, when the ship was supposed to remain at sea.

Furthermore, Mariner of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, has been rerouted so as to stop in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, thus abandoning plans to visit St. Thomas and St. Maarten this week.

Hurricane Omar is the fifteenth tropical storm and seventh hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, which began on May 30, when Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Belize, and is scheduled to end on November 30.

On October 14, a tropical disturbance in the eastern Caribbean Sea developed into Tropical Storm Omar, becoming a category 1 hurricane that same night.

Hurricane Omar is said to be further strengthening as it moves northeast, its maximum sustained winds having almost reached 80 mph.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami has announced that it could develop into a category 2 hurricane, as its winds were likely to surpass the 96 mph velocity. The Center has also issued warnings for the Virgin islands and for Puerto Rico's Vieques and Culebra islands, too.