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We made our decision to cruise based on the best information we had at the time we were to depart, and would trust in the cruise line to provide information and changes as needed. We were booked on a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, and the storm would be blocking our way in one way or another. First and foremost, you can expect more questions than answers in the days before a cruise when there's a hurricane.
Preparation Measures for Cruise Ships
As anyone that deals with hurricanes a lot will tell you, the forecasts for tropical storms are quite variable and prone to changes that greatly benefit or penalize your situation. One day it might look like your ship will be clear of any issues, and the next, it looks like you're stuck. Some travel insurance doesn’t cover cruises at all, so the first thing to check is that your policy includes ‘cruise cover’.
You won't get a refund if you cancel a cruise to avoid a storm
If you're booking a cruise to the Caribbean or Bahamas to see a specific destination — St. Kitts, for instance, or the British Virgin Islands — a hurricane-season cruise may not be for you. However, if you're flexible and want a fun and inexpensive getaway at sea, there's no reason to fear a fall sailing. Some book excursions through alternative tour companies such as Viator or PortSide Tours.
How Cruise Lines Handle Storms
Passengers may be allowed to disembark in the port for a period of time, depending on the circumstances and local regulations. However, this is at the discretion of the cruise line and port authorities, as ensuring the safety of individuals remains a top priority. When passengers are permitted to disembark, they may have the option to explore the port or participate in organized activities ashore until it is safe to resume sailing. In the event of an evacuation, passengers and crew are typically instructed to gather at designated assembly areas or embarkation stations.
Key Tips for Hurricane Season Cruises
When a hurricane is in the area, waters can be quite rough even if you're far from the storm. Generally speaking though, usually it's in the winter and early summer when storms are stronger across Northern latitudes, projecting big waves. Although hurricanes will occur outside the official season, 97 percent of storms take place during this six-month window. Within these dates, the peak months for hurricanes in the Eastern Caribbean and along the U.S.
What happens if my flight is canceled and I can't get to the port because of the storm?
Cruise lines aren't obligated to offer you compensation if they change an itinerary due to weather. The fine print in cruise contracts allows them to make such changes when they see fit. Roseboom, who resides in Central Florida, is enjoying the extra day or two of vacation, but is equally worried about his house and friends and family back home in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
So, if bad weather forces you to miss or reroute a flight, miss part of a cruise because of a travel delay or get stuck unexpectedly in a city overnight, you should be covered under a travel insurance plan. Cruise lines will reroute ships by hundreds of miles to avoid tropical storms and hurricanes. That doesn't mean you can always expect smooth sailing during hurricane season. Travel insurance policies also won't help if you cancel a cruise to avoid a storm — unless you've bought a pricey "cancel for any reason" policy. Ships sailing the Caribbean during hurricane season have an out -- they can move. Plus, cruise lines can augment the information they have onboard with forecasts from weather assessment companies.
Is It Safe to Cruise During Hurricane Season? - Fodor's Travel
Is It Safe to Cruise During Hurricane Season?.
Posted: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Beyond a 48 or 72 hour window, tropical storm predictions can vary considerably with many possibilities. With Hurricane Ian, the models were rarely in agreement, and most of the time there were wide arcs of possibilities. Cruises can be expensive and some cheaper travel insurance policies have a relatively low limit on how much will be covered. If cruises are delayed or extended before departure, passengers should be given the option to cancel their cruise. Other times it can mean your cruise with three stops now only has two as a port of call is canceled due to a nearby storm.
Is it Safe to Cruise During Hurricane Season?
While staying at sea and away from the storm is the safest decision, travelers still have a lot of questions, concerns and general curiosity about the change of course. The Points Guy spoke with passengers currently on board Disney Wish to learn what it's like being out at sea for a few extra days during a hurricane. Whatever you decide, you are certainly not going to find yourself sailing right into a major storm, so deciding whether to cruise or not is a matter of comfort and convenience—not safety. And you should be prepared to be flexible in terms of any possible itinerary changes. Storms tend to move at about 8 to 10 knots, while ships can attain speeds of up to 22 knots and beyond.
They work closely with local authorities, meteorological agencies, and industry associations to monitor the situation and make informed decisions. Cruise lines have also invested in advanced technology and weather forecasting systems to enhance preparedness and safety measures. During a hurricane, the cruise line’s shore-side team also plays a crucial role in communication. The team monitors the storm’s progress and works closely with the ship’s captain and crew to make decisions regarding itinerary changes or other necessary measures. As the situation evolves, updates are relayed to the ship for dissemination to passengers, ensuring that they receive the most up-to-date information. In addition to verbal updates, cruise lines leverage technology to keep passengers informed.
If you go this route for a hurricane-season cruise, be sure to check cancellation policies before prepaying for excursions. In some cases, a storm will cause a port to be dropped from an itinerary with no new port added as a replacement. Occasionally, you'll see cruises shortened or extended by a day or two or even three. Trying to predict where tropical storms will hit in any given year is a fool's game.
During my cruise, our ship went around Cuba, and by the time we made our way westward again, the ship stayed far enough away from Hurricane Ian to keep everything quite calm. We rarely felt much motion, and the sea conditions ended up being extremely calm. The most common scenario when there is a hurricane is for the cruise line to change your itinerary to avoid the storm. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Winter storm delays cruise ships impacting over 10000 passengers - Cruise Blog
Winter storm delays cruise ships impacting over 10000 passengers.
Posted: Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Check with your cruise line if you have concerns and to stay up to date on any announcements made by the company. It’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance that covers trip disruption for weather-related changes, so that you are covered for any flight changes or hotel stays should your cruise be changed or delayed. Whether or not to sail on a cruise during hurricane season is a very personal decision.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Caribbean is enormous in comparison to the size of a typical hurricane. The distance between Belize, on the western end of the Caribbean Sea, and the easternmost Leeward Islands is nearly 2,000 miles. The hurricane-force winds of a typical small hurricane, by contrast, extend just 25 miles out from its center. The hurricane-force winds from a large hurricane might extend as far as 150 miles from its center. "Since Disney Cruise Line uses rotational dining, they simply assigned us two more nights of a restaurant. It's really operating like normal in many ways," Meeks said. One of the best parts about taking a cruise vacation is that you can easily head to better weather—think sun, sand and a cocktail in hand.
Booking your Caribbean cruise vacation before peak time, say in June or July or at the end of November, is one way to cruise during hurricane season. While I think most people understand cruise ships don't sail into hurricanes, the most common question I've received during my cruise is something along the lines of, "how bad are the waves?". They sorted everything out for me and gave me a full refund on my hotel and flights as well as my cruise. If I had booked everything myself and my cruise was cancelled but flights weren’t, I would have had to pay for the flights or try to claim on travel insurance.
Many families plan vacations to the Caribbean during the summer and early fall, including booking a cruise. In conclusion, hurricanes are a formidable force of nature, but cruise lines are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and procedures to navigate through these storms. From a financial perspective, hurricanes can result in substantial losses for cruise lines. Itineraries may need to be altered or canceled, leading to potential revenue loss from missed port fees, excursion bookings, and onboard spending. Moreover, emergency measures, such as evacuations or sheltering in port, can incur additional costs for cruise lines, including expenses for fuel, provisions, and logistical arrangements. Effective communication with passengers during hurricanes is paramount for cruise lines.
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