Will You Cruise During Hurricane Season?

Table Of Content

• Hurricane Season Cruising: How Safe Are Cruise Ships During Hurricanes?
• How Cruises Navigate the Rough Seas of Hurricane Season
• What happens if there’s a storm during my cruise?
• Travel Insurance
• Riskiest and Safest Times to Cruise the Caribbean
• Are there special offers during hurricane season?
• Key Tips for Hurricane Season Cruises

Additionally, if you need certain items on a daily basis (like medications or diapers for the little ones), make sure to bring a couple days extra supply just in case your sailing ends up being longer than you anticipated. If you've neglected to pre-book insurance, your cruise departs in a week and the weatherman is suddenly reporting on an upcoming storm, don't bother calling up an insurance broker. The best time to sign up is right before or within 24 hours after the final payment due date. That's because you're committed to going on the cruise and can't back out without penalty, but it's early enough that you'll still be covered by the insurance for unforeseen events that crop up at the last minute.

Hurricane Season Cruising: How Safe Are Cruise Ships During Hurricanes?

Your cruise line will be in touch with the latest updates, but here is what we know as of now. After rapidly strengthening, Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the gulf coast of Florida this morning. You may have noticed, that cruises are generally much cheaper during hurricane season. Typically, Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda cruises will be less expensive from September-November. In the recent past, we’ve seen cruises that were supposed to be going to Bermuda, have a itinerary change to avoid a storm.

Watch cruise passengers flee flying lounge chairs, debris as storm hits - CNN

Watch cruise passengers flee flying lounge chairs, debris as storm hits.

Posted: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

How Cruises Navigate the Rough Seas of Hurricane Season

One advantage that cruise ships have in severe weather is that, unlike land destinations, ships are mobile. Just remember, this is not the time to book a vacation if you’re set on visiting one particular port or are planning a cruise destination event. That Western Caribbean cruise you booked may turn into an Eastern Caribbean voyage with entirely different ports of call or more sea days. Booking a cruise during the hurricane season in the Caribbean offers great deals to cruisers.

What happens if there’s a storm during my cruise?

You should always follow cruise safety tips to have the best experience onboard. There may be times when the arrival ports are closed due to the weather or the path toward it being too dangerous for travel. A cruise ship’s speed fluctuates depending on its weight, design and performance. A speedy propulsion system can allow the captain and crew to navigate the vessel away from dangerous waters before reaching those areas. Cruise lines may need to rearrange crew schedules, reposition ships, and reallocate resources to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers and crew.

Travel Insurance

The seas can be rough during hurricane season, so preparing for seasickness on a cruise is important. Bring any necessary medication or remedies, such as ginger or motion sickness bands, and consider booking a cabin in the middle of the ship, where the motion is less noticeable. When planning a cruise during hurricane season, choosing your destination wisely is important. Some areas are more prone to hurricanes than others, so do your research and select a destination that is less likely to be affected. Travel insurance is one of the most important things to consider when booking a cruise during hurricane season. In some cases, the ship may need to reroute to avoid the hurricane entirely, resulting in a change of itinerary.

This allows them to make informed decisions and take necessary actions in a timely manner. Just as airline pilots maneuver to avoid turbulence, cruise ship captains and their headquarters-based overseers are keenly aware of passenger safety and comfort. One problem that cruisers encounter in these (relatively rare) situations where a cruise line cancels a sailing due to a storm is that the cancellation usually comes at the last minute. That could leave you in limbo in the days leading up to your cruise, wondering whether your cruise is on or not. If a hurricane is headed for your departure port, you might have to decide whether to travel to the departure port (and possibly into a dangerous storm) or stay home and risk losing all the money you paid for the sailing.

Are there special offers during hurricane season?

In some cases, itinerary changes may result in missed ports or a shortened duration in certain destinations. In such instances, cruise lines often provide compensation or alternative arrangements to ensure passenger satisfaction. This may include refunds, onboard credits, future cruise discounts, or additional onboard activities and entertainment options to enhance the guest experience during the modified voyage.

Contrary to an island, where if a hurricane is coming, you can’t move off that island. Cruise lines work with meteorologists and have technology to predict storm locations and they do their best to avoid being in a hurricane’s path. "Our cruise ship last night was literally sideways and slung everything in our room breaking, people in the hallways throwing up and sleeping on the stairs," Whited wrote in the post. At that point, the captain "turned the ship from sailing northwest toward Charleston to head north/northeast heading directly into the eye of the storm system," Taylor said. The U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expected to release its official forecast for the number of named storms and hurricanes in 2024 in May.

For example, cruises to Alaska or Europe are less likely to be impacted by hurricanes than cruises to the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico. Leading up to Hurricane Ian, the Florida ports of Key West, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Port Canaveral were shut down, leaving some ships at sea. Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian resulted in hundreds of itinerary changes, and some cancellations as well. Hurricanes can have an impact on a wide range of itineraries across numerous destinations. During Hurricane Fiona in September, for instance, some ships were rerouted away from Puerto Rico, others away from Bermuda, and still others away from Canada. Carnival similarly monitors weather conditions from its fleet operations center, which opened in 2018 at the company’s Miami headquarters and runs 24/7.

Odds are that you’ll be blessed with a few extra days in a fabulous city, such as my Miami hometown. Those of us who’ve had the fortune of living in the sub-tropics, count our blessings. And although there are those rare times when we’re forced to brace for storms and prepare for the unknown, we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s important to review the cruise contract and reservation details carefully to understand the policies and procedures in case of delays or cancellations. By being prepared and informed, passengers can confidently navigate any unexpected situations. Cruise ships have extensive emergency procedures in place in the event of an emergency.

Hurricanes are a fact of life, but they don’t have to ruin someone’s holiday at sea. Cruise ships are well-prepared to deal with these storms and ensure passengers get the most out of their journey, wherever it ends up taking them. Weather monitors are essential technology providing real-time updates regarding outside conditions. The cruise line will delegate bridge officers on deck and in the captain’s quarters to keep tabs on this. Cruise lines closely monitor the storm’s progress and work in coordination with meteorological agencies to assess its projected path and intensity.

Even during the busiest of hurricane seasons, there will be many weeks without a single tropical storm in the Caribbean or Bahamas. When a large storm does swirl through the Caribbean or Bahamas, it'll likely only affect a small portion of the region and, thus, only a small number of cruise ships. Still, even during peak weeks for hurricane formation, the odds of your cruise being affected by a hurricane are relatively small. A glance at any cruise booking site will show hundreds of sailings departing for the Caribbean and the Bahamas each year during cruise hurricane season. In most years, though, only a small portion of these are affected by tropical storms.