Travel in Florida comes to a near halt as Ian makes landfall. Here’s what to know

Hurricane Ian has caused Florida’s bustling travel industry to come to a near standstill.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled, theme parks closed their gates, ports shut down and several cruises are canceled, as Floridians braced for Hurricane Ian after it made landfall around Fort Myers on Wednesday.

With South Florida outside the cone of concern, Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport remain open but are experiencing hundreds of flight cancellations. On Wednesday afternoon, MIA reported 491 — 242 arrivals and 249 departures — canceled flights from other parts of the state, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, which was battered by Hurricane Ian on Tuesday. As of 2:30 p.m., FLL reported 180 canceled flights — 89 arrivals and 91 departures.

As the hurricane travels north, it will start affecting flights throughout the South. MIA and FLL say to expect disruptions through the weekend.

Airport officials encourage travelers to check their flight status before going to the airport and say that in the case of a cancellation, it’s easier and less stressful to stay home and rebook your travel plans by phone or online.

Airports have shut down entirely in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Sarasota and St. Pete-Clearwater.

Dozens of cruises have had to reroute to avoid the storm, and some are extending their time at sea while they wait for home ports to reopen. Sea ports have shut down to maritime traffic in Tampa, Jacksonville and Port Canaveral.

Carnival Cruise Line has canceled three voyages — the Carnival Paradise cruise leaving Tampa on Sept. 29, the Carnival Elation leaving Jacksonville on Sept. 29, and the Carnival Liberty leaving Port Canaveral on Sept. 30. Customers will receive a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit.

Orlando’s famous theme parks are shut down. Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld will be closed until the storm passes.

This update corrects the number of canceled arrivals and departures at MIA.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Travel in Florida comes to a near halt as Ian makes landfall. Here’s what to know."

Anna Jean Kaiser

Miami Herald

305-376-2239

Anna covers South Florida’s tourism industry for the business desk, including cruises, hotels, airlines, ports and the hospitality workforce. Previously, she was a foreign correspondent based in Brazil. She has an M.A. from Columbia Journalism School and a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz.