Will You Cruise During Hurricane Season?
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If your cruise experience a change of ports whereby one port gets switched for another, there wouldn’t be any kind of reimbursement or compensation. Although a cruise can be affected by a hurricane and need to make changes, the weather outside of those storms is often nice, hot and sunny. Now those are amazing places, and people book Canada/New England cruises all the time, but, if you were planning on Bermuda beaches, and end up at Peggy’s Cove…. Itineraries most affected by hurricanes are Caribbean itineraries, Bahamas and Bermuda cruises. Obviously if you are cruising to Alaska, the Mediterranean or somewhere else, this will not be an issue for you.
Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America
Passengers at the Brooklyn terminal, in particular, were not permitted to even try to turn on their cars and were required to get the cars towed out of the parking lots. Ready to experience all the adventure, entertainment, dining, nightlife and more on your next vacation (rain or shine)? Even if the conditions do happen to get choppy, every Royal Caribbean ship has features and capabilities to help things go as smoothly as possible so that you’ll hardly notice.
Is it safe to cruise during hurricane season?
In the Western Caribbean (including the Riviera Maya in Mexico), storms are more frequent from mid-September into early November. If you see there's a hurricane churning toward the Caribbean a few days before your departure, you can't call your cruise line, cancel the trip and expect to get your money back. In some cases, a storm will cause a port to be dropped from an itinerary with no new port added as a replacement.
Can I cancel my cruise if a storm threatens my sailing?
Since many people don’t realize it’s possible to cruise during hurricane season safely, fewer people book cruises during peak hurricane months. Cruise fares are often lower during this time as Caribbean hurricane season occurs just after the peak summer travel season ends. While it's very rare for a cruise line to cancel a sailing, they always reserve the right to make changes. (This is true no matter when or where you cruise.) As a result, it's a good idea to purchase suitable travel insurance if you plan to travel this time of year.
Can cruise ships go around hurricanes?
Depending on the forecasted track of the storm, the change could be relatively minor — a port stop being pushed back by a day, for instance, or one port being swapped for another port. So while you aren’t likely to encounter any wild weather yourself, your trip would still be impacted. That’s to say nothing of a storm simply passing near a port, causing the cruise line to divert around it. The good news is that no, your ship in all likelihood won’t be anywhere near a hurricane during your cruise. The good news is that the chances are high that a hurricane won’t impact you while on a cruise. Of course, you can still cruise to The Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Western Caribbean.
In the event of a hurricane, we are proud to partner with local organizations to offer support, rebuild communities and provide food and water to those who need it most. It is also important to note that storms can affect other areas of the Caribbean, such as the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao), the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Unlike every other cruise line, Royal Caribbean has its own Chief Meteorologist who not only provides each ship and the cruise line important guidance on the weather, but he also shares insight with guests. In the case of the Disney Wish, that ship went out to sea further east in The Bahamas to avoid even the furthest aspects of the storm. For Ms. Grundig, safety was the most important thing, "It wasn't unexpected so I was just glad to be safe after the initial panic of moving my flight, which was fairly easy." That isn't to say they've never done it, but time and time again, we see ships getting re-routed and extended instead.
Considering a hurricane season cruise to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexican Riviera or even Canada and New England? Whether you want to know when the hurricane season is in the Caribbean or how cruises can be affected by these storms, we have the facts you need for your next cruise. 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. Cruises that take place in the Caribbean and the Bahamas during the height of hurricane season can be an incredible deal, and many are completed with nary a problem.
Tips for Cruising During Hurricane Season
Even the 7-night cruises are cheaper, starting at $559 for a sailing that visits Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Mahogany Bay. Additionally, hurricanes also impact the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean side of Mexico, and Central America, potentially affecting popular ports like Cozumel and Roatán, Honduras. The west coast can see some storms in Mexico and Hawaii, but these are much less common. You may have noticed, that cruises are generally much cheaper during hurricane season.
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. Mr. Van Fleet posts daily video updates, explaining what the latest forecasts indicate, and he shares what he thinks is possible. He also talks about various ships, and demonstrates where the ship is located, what to expect, and most importantly, how they are keeping safely away from the hurricane. "They offered phones for people who needed to make calls and they provided free internet for people to make changes to flights/arrangements." As you might imagine, having a cruise extended means logistical changes to get home.
Sometimes, a Bermuda cruise can turn into one to the Bahamas, or you might be forced to return to your embarkation port a day earlier than scheduled. Any modifications made are done to keep everyone -- both crew and passengers -- safe. Count On The Cruise Line To Do The Right Thing, At The Right TimeWe have yet to see a cruise line not make accommodations for weather-related events to the best of their ability. Cruise lines commonly run itineraries backwards, shuffle ports or spend an extra day at sea, away from harm. However they go about dealing with each individual situation, cruise lines want us to feel confident that their reaction to a weather-related event will be appropriate.
When cruises are shortened or extended due to weather, cruise lines will often aid passengers who need to change post-cruise travel plans. They might offer free phone calls from the ship or free internet access to make it easier for passengers to contact airlines and hotels to make changes. Within this time frame, the peak period for tropical storms in the Atlantic, by far, is the weeks between mid-August and mid-October.
Direct hits on cruise ports are common in places like The Bahamas and Mexico. Meanwhile, departure ports from Galveston to Miami can also be right in the path of incoming storms. But say there is a storm in the area that you plan to cruise, wouldn’t that be a big danger? First, know that a cruise ship would not purposefully go into the path of a hurricane if it can be avoided.
If a storm or hurricane is approaching, the cruise line may alter the itinerary or even cancel the cruise altogether. In this case, passengers will typically be notified as soon as possible and given the option to reschedule or receive a refund. While he may not know more than anyone else as to what the storm will do, his many years of experience as a meteorologist in Florida gives him insight into the nuances of tropical storms that can put many minds at ease.
"Near-normal" hurricane season predicted for 2023: What that means for cruise ships - Royal Caribbean Blog
"Near-normal" hurricane season predicted for 2023: What that means for cruise ships.
Posted: Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Some areas are more prone to hurricanes than others, so do your research and select a destination that is less likely to be affected. If a hurricane is forecasted to affect your itinerary, the cruise line will typically make necessary changes to the route to avoid the storm. This may include changing ports of call, altering the duration of the trip, or canceling the cruise altogether. If your cruise is extended or shortened, expect extra onboard credit and any unlimited packages purchased to be honored for the extra days. This includes drink packages, dining packages, internet plans and more.
Sometimes hurricane-related problems don't have anything to do with the ship and everything to do with conditions at the port of embarkation. During most years, at least a few fall cruises are affected by storms. He uses a Relief Band, which is a wristband that sends an electric current to his median nerve to prevent nausea. He also doubles up when the seas are really rough and use transdermal patches. These are what I use for my kids if they start experiencing symptoms of motion sickness. An archipelago consisting of 700 islands, spread out over 100,000 square miles of sea, the weather varies between Bahamian islands.
It does not necessarily make them unsafe to travel to, but there are some precautions to consider. Taking a cruise during hurricane season (June 1-November 30) is similar to those other destinations. But, the likelihood of feeling any kind of effects from a storm is slim to none. With relatively affordable prices from cruise lines year-round, some cruisers find even more savings during the hurricane season.
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