Update: 2:04pm Thu (25) Carnival has altered the itinerary of another ship due to Tropical Storm Isaac. The 2,978-passenger Carnival Liberty is skipping today’s call at Grand Turk and instead will visit Nassau, Bahamas on Friday.

(7:52 am ET) — Tropical Storm Isaac is beginning to impact cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean.

Industry giant Carnival says the 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor, which set sail out of Miami on Saturday, will skip a call in Curacao today to stay ahead of the storm. The ship instead will visit Nassau in the Bahamas on Friday.

Also on an altered course is Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas, which departed from Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. The world’s largest cruise ship has sailed for the Western Caribbean instead of heading to the Eastern Caribbean as planned. It’s visiting Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico instead of St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

Commercial airlines to and from the Cayman Islands have not made any decisions yet to cancel any flights. They are all on the lookout for a change in conditions that would warrant action. British Airways have made no changes so far in their flights to Nassau and Grand Cayman.

AT 500 PM AST…2100 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS

LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.0 NORTH…LONGITUDE 67.1 WEST. ISAAC IS

MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH…26 KM/H…AND THIS

GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.  ON THE

FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF ISAAC WILL APPROACH THE SOUTH COAST

OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TONIGHT…MOVER NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTH

COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI ON FRIDAY…AND APPROACH

SOUTHEASTERN CUBA FRIDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH…65 KM/H…WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS…AND ISAAC COULD BECOME A HURRICANE AS IT NEARS THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI ON FRIDAY.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING

FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ACKLINS…CROOKED

ISLAND…LONG CAY…THE INAGUAS…MAYAGUANA…AND THE RAGGED

ISLANDS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE

CUBAN PROVINCES OF CAMAGUEY…LAS TUNAS…GRANMA…HOLGUIN…

SANTIAGO DE CUBA…AND GUANTANAMO.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…

* SOUTH COAST OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM ISLA SAONA WESTWARD TO THE

HAITI-DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SOUTHERN BORDER

* HAITI

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…

* BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

* PUERTO RICO…VIEQUES…CULEBRA…AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

* NORTH COAST OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM THE HAITI-DOMINICAN

REPUBLIC NORTHERN BORDER EASTWARD TO NORTH OF ISLA SAONA

* SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ACKLINS…CROOKED

ISLAND…LONG CAY…THE INAGUAS…MAYAGUANA…AND THE RAGGED

ISLANDS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR…

* THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF CAMAGUEY…LAS TUNAS…GRANMA…HOLGUIN…

SANTIAGO DE CUBA…AND GUANTANAMO.

The National Hurricane Center says Isaac is likely to strengthen over the next 36 hours, possibly becoming a hurricane.

Go to www.nhc.noaa.gov for the latest information and graphics.

Note: iNews Cayman is regularly updating on our website under “Breaking News” all the latest news we receive from the Cayman Islands government departments  and graphics and NHC discussions.