Disney Chronicles

Have you ever wondered what happens on cruise ships during Hurricane Season? I though this would be a good topic since just recently actually the 1st day of the actual “season” we got a pretty big tropical storm and it was strong enough to change around quite a few ship itineraries!

Hurricane season is officially from June 1^stto November 30^th, and during those times hurricanes will sometimes cause a little havoc  for cruise ships in the Caribbean and the Bahamas.  So what happens if there is a hurricane or tropical storm during the same dates as your cruise?

First you need to know that cruise lines do everything in their power to make sure the “cruise goes on”.   Only in rare cases will the cruise actually be cancelled by the cruise line.  These ships can travel at speeds over 21 knots so they can usually outrun any hurricanes or tropical depressions and just go around any inclement weather.

You may face some choppy seas

The seas can be rough for anyone who gets sea sick easily, so make sure you carry some Dramamine with you.  The bigger ships will not rock as much, but when you are really close to a big storm you will still feel some movement.  This should not last long though, as the captain will try to get as far away from the storm as quickly as possible.

The seas will not always be rough when you are sailing around a hurricane, however, and it’s definitely not as bad as maybe you have seen in the movies.  If the weather gets too rough the shows will be cancelled, though, and the pools will be emptied.  It’s definitely an adventure cruising in choppy seas, but if you can just hold on you might even get an extra couple days out of your trip.

Your itinerary could change

If the hurricane is going to hit one of the ports you were going to be visiting, there may be a change in plans.  It is best just to have a good attitude about the situation since you really can’t do anything about it anyway.  You might visit a different port or even stay at a port for an extra day while the weather clears.

Do I get a refund?

With most cruise lines you will only get a full refund if the entire cruise is cancelled.  And this is a very rare thing because cruise lines do everything they can to keep out of harm’s way and sail around storms.

However, if you booked a 7 day cruise and there is a hurricane coming in during that same time you might get your trip shortened by a couple days (without compensation).  And at the same time, the people that are on the ship when a storm is coming in might get an extra 2 days on the boat (and they usually only have to pay for 2 days worth of tips).

Be prepared with travel insurance

A hurricane might not affect your trip at all or it might make your cruise miserable.  If you do lose a couple days of your vacation or have your flight cancelled because of the weather and therefore can’t make your cruise you will want to have travel insurance to be compensated.

With cruise travel insurance you can be reimbursed in case the weather or any other unforeseen event messes up your high seas getaway.  I do recommend it!