Do you check the forecast seasonal weather conditions before making a cruise booking?

Yet another hurricane, Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 Hurricane, is currently heading for the Caribbean islands.

This is not totally surprising as it is the Hurricane Season in the Caribbean. I am wondering whether passengers, who cruise during this season, know that this is the hurricane season.

I didn't use to check as thoroughly as I do now. I learnt that October is too late to cruise in the Mediterranean. We got held hostage on a big ferry for 24 hours as the seas were too rough to cruise to Crete. When we got to the south of Crete (ferry 24 hours later, plus bus), we were greeted with only ducks paddling in the puddles and everything shut for the winter.

When my girlfriend did a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in October, she said it was too cold to enjoy the roof top deck for viewing the beautiful river scenery.

Yes. I think you must always check the seasonal forecasts and then plan accordingly.

eg Alaska season ...for the first sailings of the season , some bays are still iced in and the ships have to miss them and then if you leave it too late in the season , the ice and snow has melted......

I do, just to get an idea of what to wear and if it's particularly bad (e.g. rain every day, or cyclone season).

As for the Med though, I did a sailing there in Dec/Jan and loved it. Weather was mostly low 20s, all the sights were open and crowds were low.

More or less, we have enough experience now to know what is more probable to an area and book accordingly.

Yes. I think you must always check the seasonal forecasts and then plan accordingly.

eg Alaska season ...for the first sailings of the season , some bays are still iced in and the ships have to miss them and then if you leave it too late in the season , the ice and snow has melted......

I was surprised how short the summer season was in Alaska. August was beautiful summer weather, but by the time we left mid September, after the last cruise ship, it actually snowed. And yes, it was all slushy so our hire car was filthy. We met Germans in a motorhome who were going home early because they didn't have warm enough clothes.

As the old man in the Orkney Islands said "there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing".