Tips for cruising during hurricane season

When you got that great rate on the Caribbean cruise for September it may not have occurred to you that hurricane season is the reason.  Maybe it did but you were willing to roll the dice...back then.  Well here we are, it's hurricane season and it's almost time for your much anticipated cruise.  You log in to the internet and the weather people are absolutely giddy; there is a storm in the Atlantic...show time!  Depending on your past experience with hurricanes (or lack of ) your reaction will range anywhere between "hmm..." to "we're all going to die."  Before you panic or brush it off completely there are a few things to consider when cruising during hurricane season and weather affects your trip.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Insurance can be a big help if your cruise is affected by a hurricane.  I am going to assume you have it so be sure and understand your coverage completely.  Not all policies are alike and they may each have different stipulations which could reduce reimbursements or cause claims to be denied altogether.  If you are unsure of coverage, call the insurance provider directly so you have a clear understanding of your insurance policy.

Media Hype:

Hurricane Matthew gearing up!

By now we are all aware of how the media can sensationalize topics so keep that in mind.  Your professional travel adviser and/or the cruise line will notify you directly if something is going to affect your trip. You probably won't find out anything from a click-bait post on Facebook or from Aunt Jenny's neighbor who took a cruise in 1982 so don't waste your time.

Even the trusted sources can bend the truth a little.  Prior to Hurricane Irma I received a phone call from my Mother who lives out of state.  She was concerned because a popular weather station was broadcasting from my beach and it already looked horrible outside. I had to inform her that things were fine with only a few stray clouds in the sky.  Luckily I had just driven past the weather guys that were broadcasting from between two buildings that always create a wind tunnel effect even on sunny days so I was able to explain that worry away for her. 

Stick to trusted sources of information when monitoring tropical weather that could affect your cruise. Use your best judgement and heed the advice of officials in your area and those you are traveling to when it comes to your safety and well-being.

Patience:

Being patient is a given when it comes to travel.  Patience is mandatory when it comes to cruising during hurricane season.  The cruise lines can't control Mother Nature and their primary goal is the safety of the passengers and crew.  They have a huge responsibility considering that most cruise ships hold between 2,000 to 3,000 passengers.

Cruise lines do not want bad press or a bad reputation so they typically do everything in their power to keep things running smoothly. Once on board, if your cruise is affected by a hurricane, getting angry with cruise line personnel, your travel adviser and your fellow travelers is not going to remedy the situation.

Remember that YOU chose to cruise during this time of year and everyone around you has had their plans turned upside down as well.  As my father used to say, "It is what it is."

Flexibility:

I get it, you had your heart set on zip-lining in Roatan, Honduras but your itinerary has been altered due to weather.   This is just what happens when you cruise, especially during hurricane season. Depending on conditions and the availability of space in other ports you may get an extra day (or more) at sea; maybe you will get to visit an alternate port. 

Opted out of Belize City for a spa day!

For those that only have more sea days to look forward to please be aware that cruise lines must request space in each port and the local Port Authority has the ability to decline the request based on many reasons.  Before you blame the cruise line keep in mind that the local Port Authority has probably declined the request leaving you out at sea.  For this reason, I like to recommend the larger mega-ships for my clients during hurricane season.  Many of these ships are destinations themselves.

If you get to visit an alternate port then consider yourself lucky.  New adventures await!  Your cruise line will probably send out notice of shore excursions available in the new port and give lots of information so that you have a great time.  You've already been to the port a thousand times?  No problem, hit the spa or the pool deck.  We recently did this when our cruise was diverted to Belize City.  We have visited many times but most passengers were so excited about the new stop they couldn't wait to get off and we practically had the ship to ourselves!

Another issue that can come up is that your cruise could be shortened or extended due to conditions in the port you are departing from or returning to.  Give yourself enough scheduling flexibility especially post-cruise just in case you are delayed returning to port or if your cruise departs a few days later than scheduled.

Preparation:

If a storm has affected your port of departure, you may not return to things as you left them.   We live in Florida so we drive to the cruise ports and we usually try to park on higher decks in parking garages.  If a storm comes through while we are gone, storm surge can come up high and we would rather have our cars on the upper decks than down in the storm surge.

This is rare but it can and has happened...you return to a different port.  If your original port has experienced a storm during your trip and is too damaged or won't be accessible for a long period of time your ship may be forced to return to a different port and possibly a different state.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!  Before you leave make sure that your loved ones have your ship information.  You don't want Grandma worrying about you when she sees something on the news about a Carnival ship and you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise.  We like to use WhatsApp to stay in touch with people back home and always get the internet packages on the ship.

There are so many more things that we could discuss about cruising during hurricane season but I wanted to address these because I often hear the most complaints due to people not considering some of these factors.  Hundreds of cruises go out every hurricane season and are never affected but if yours happens to be the one that is, you may be glad you took a minute to read over this.  If you would like assistance in planning your first or 100th cruise vacation let me know and I will be happy to put something fantastic together for you.  Please visit my website at www.paradisetravepro.com for contact information.