Hurricane season cruise veterans - got a question.

[ehfl]

I've been on 2 hurricane cruises. Both with excellant results. On the 1st was with Disney. Upon departure the captain announced that because we couldn't go to the Bahamas we would just cruise around and everyone would get I believe was a 100.00 OBC. After about an hour he announced that the Hurricane had shifted and said we were now going to Cozumel. The 3 day cruise ended up being a 7 day cruise. Of course 2 cruises after ours got cancelled. But. We never sailed into rough seas and we had a great time. Other than the 1st ever cruise and the Alaskan cruise and the Hawaiian cruise, this one was the best.

 

Wow....a 7 day cruise for the price of a 3 day one, plus an OBC...very nice!

[niecyd]

I think your years are a little off. Hurricane Frances was in September 2004.

 

We drove through it to get to Port Canaveral only to find that Port Canaveral was closed and that the Mariner would be sailing out of Miami 2 days later. We ended up racing to Miami and had a great 5 night cruise and a free weeklong cruise 5 months later.

 

Duke95 - I concur. See my comments #18.

[DarthGrady]

We're sailing on the FOS Sept. 5, Western Carribean. 30th anniversary - woohoo!

 

We've sailed Disney and NCL, but this is our first RCCL cruise. And, yeah, we're well aware of what time of year we're headed out. I know that if we can board the ship, we'll go somewhere. And that's fine. We're up for some adventure, and we are the very soul of flexibility.

 

I'm just wondering about anyone's first-hand experiences of being routed to another port, missing some ports entirely, etc. How'd it go? Do share, and be kind to the first-time poster!

 

We were on Carnival Inspiration back in 2008 and cruise through the outskirts of Hurricane Gustav. Aside from a very rough ride we also missed our call on Grand Cayman.

 

They were very good about letting us know what was going on. The Captain announced the day before that we would have to miss it due to the high seas. We all got the port fees refunded (about $25 per person).

 

There was some grumbling among a few of the passengers, I would assume mostly from new folks not familiar with the ins and outs of cruising. I was just happy when the seas calmed down. We were in the very front cabin on Empress Deck, so it was almost like being on a roller coaster.

[Sirknight]

We usually cruise in the falll-When Hurricane Jeanne hit several years ago, we were driving INTO FL as the entire state (or so it seemed) was leaving :) The cruise was delayed a day, we were bussed from Port Canaveral to Ft. Lauderdale, given a $250/cabin OBC, and half-off another cruise! The others who were sailing with us couldn't get a flight in to Orlando:(

but had insurance so they sailed with us the following May!

A bit of advice--get the insurance, be flexible, and have a good sense of humor! Hurricane season cruising can be fun!

[masonpips]

We went from Eastern to Western a few years ago on our first day at sea thanks to a pesky storm. They made an announcement about mid-day and the ship made a long slow turn sharply to the right. We were a little bummed as Eastern is our favorite but the trip was fantastic, the weather was better (than it would have been heading South/East) and everything ended up being fine.

 

We were also on board one year when there was a threat to Florida and the captain said "we might spend an extra day out here". That would have been OK too! LOL

 

You're right, as long as you can board and get out of there, you'll go somewhere and it will be a great trip!

[SailBolt]

Did the Mariner in Sept of '05.

Many storms in FLA that year and we were concerned we might be affected. We were. Our embarkation from Canaveral was uneventful, but the mainland was pounded while we were cruising. We were forced (FORCED, I say) to spend two extra days on the cruise ship and had no choice but to enjoy those extra FREE days!!! (Sorry if my tale of woe causes anyone any distress)

The ship was generous and allowed anyone free Internet to change flights, notify family or work, etc.

We did have to return to Miami, but RC provided buses back to Port Canaveral.

Somehow, we were not permanently scarred by this experience.

We are booked for the Liberty for the 19th of next month, God forbid we have to have 2 extra days tacked onto that...

[DarthGrady]

Did the Mariner in Sept of '05.

Many storms in FLA that year and we were concerned we might be affected. We were. Our embarkation from Canaveral was uneventful, but the mainland was pounded while we were cruising. We were forced (FORCED, I say) to spend two extra days on the cruise ship and had no choice but to enjoy those extra FREE days!!! (Sorry if my tale of woe causes anyone any distress)

The ship was generous and allowed anyone free Internet to change flights, notify family or work, etc.

We did have to return to Miami, but RC provided buses back to Port Canaveral.

Somehow, we were not permanently scarred by this experience.

We are booked for the Liberty for the 19th of next month, God forbid we have to have 2 extra days tacked onto that...

 

You poor, poor people! I have heard a lot of sad stories in my time, but that is just the worst..........:rolleyes:

[Tony1865]

Anyone else? Class? Class? Bueller?

[Duke95]

Did the Mariner in Sept of '05.

 

You sure you didn't do it in Sept. of '04?

 

You were on the ship just prior to us getting on our abbreviated voyage.

[LovesAllTravel]

Late October 2008-Mariner OTS (Eastern) was diverted to Western Caribbean due to Hurricane Omar forming near San Juan. Our ports of St Thomas and St Maarten were closed. Captain kept us very informed throughout our sea day, with updates on the change of itinerary, and when we would soon see calmer seas. The seas were very rough that sea day. Once the ship turned (made a hard right) just below Cuba, the seas calmed immensely and all was well.

 

After all that--the Mariner OTS is still my favorite ship and the cruise itself is one of my favorites, diverted itinerary and all!

 

The only bad thing (if there is a bad thing, on a cruise) -- we had just gone thru Hurricane Ike (Galveston/Houston) the month before, and had no power for two weeks, so we were so much looking forward to the Eastern Caribbean ports. Had we known we were going to the Western Caribbean, we could've sailed from Galveston (or Houston, for that matter, because the Galveston port was still closed to ship traffic).

 

So, you just have to be flexible, go with the flow, and not be too disappointed to miss a port or two. Trust me, its far better than sailing in 20-25' ft seas!

[mlk58]

We're doing Eastern Caribbean on Oasis in October of next year, and my attitude is I'm going for the ship experience, and the ports are just a bonus. If we miss any ports, it'll just be more time to enjoy the magnificent ship!

[jackdiamond]

There is a belief that Big Daddy will be visiting within the next two 2 weeks. Its path is somewhat uncertain, either the east coast of the U.S., or out to sea.

[orville99]

Two experiences - both in August: a three night DCL when Fay came through that shifted our departure from PC to FLL, and a 7-day DCL the following year that turned our Eastern into a Western because of Bill, but we stiil cruise every August, because we love the Caribbean this time of year. Our FOS last week had gorgeous weather all week.

[V8cruiser]

we were on the FOS for western carrib in Nov 2009. didnt miss any ports, but on the way home we had to outrun hurricane Ida I think it was. we were in the theater, lower levels, and when the ship would come down off the wave, it felt and sounded like we were crashing onto smaller ships! it would bounce me out of my seat and forget about putting your drink on the table! this was my first cruise and it was a rodeo ride! I slept so well with that crazy rocking! would do it again....AND WILL!!

[jillyfish]

Ok I have one...........

 

We were on the Caribbean Princess in Sept 2004. Hurricane Jeanne was headed toward Florida from the East. Therefore, our Eastern Caribbean itinerary turned into a Western Caribbean itinerary. All was calm in the Western Caribbean. However, just a week or two before, there had been a hurricane that devastated Grand Cayman, therefore we were not allowed to disembark. We did stop to unload relief supplies. Next stop, Jamaica, No thank you, we will pass and stay on the ship. Last stop, Cozumel, which we did get off at. No word of hurricane Jeanne during this whole time, we had thought it was long gone. But when we woke up a morning(or two?) before we were to disembark in Fort Lauderdale, the seas were VERY rough. I think it was about noon that day before they finally told us hurricane Jeanne had done a loop and was just now headed for Fort Lauderdale and they were going to get us in a day early to beat her. I was frantic. Our flight would not leave until two days after our normal disembarkation day. We would have to sit in Fort Lauderdale while a hurricane came in?!?!?! :eek: An hour or two later, they announce Port Everglades was closed and we would have to stay out at sea. We were granted a certain amount of free internet and phone, but you could not get a phone line out and this was before cell phones were being used much on cruise ships. Our families back home we upset not knowing where we were or what was going on. Ok, to wrap up my long story. Our 7 day cruise ended up being 10 days with us getting off the ship just once. :eek: We were totally bored with the ship by the time we got off and have since learned to be sure and pack games etc 'just in case' We got off the ship the day our flight was originally scheduled for and luckily the time was late enough we made it.

 

We have not sailed during hurricane season since. For a couple of reasons. Our son was just 3 at them time. It is different when you have children with you. And I want to go were I have planned to go. But, this is not to say we won't some day book during hurricane season again. We do have a lot of memories from that trip.

[ccruisequeen]

Last year, we were on a Hurricane Cruise on Carnival Splendor-- we missed a port or 2, but were compensated w/$100 OBC & %10 discount on future cruise. We'd already booked on Paradise, so used the credit for an upgrade on that cruise & paid a lot less. Captain let us know what was happening & managed to avoid rough waters.

[Tony1865]

There is a belief that Big Daddy will be visiting within the next two 2 weeks. Its path is somewhat uncertain, either the east coast of the U.S., or out to sea.

 

Yep, I've heard the same thing. I follow Dr. Jeff Masters at www.wunderground.com - he's generally spot-on when it comes to tropical weather. That's what he's saying, too.

 

But, as long as we can get on the ship, we'll mix it up with whatever comes our way.

[cruisegal415]

We've lived in South Florida for over 30 years, so are very familiar with and used to hurricane season. When we were planning a cruise 5 years ago, we deliberately went in early July because, traditionally, the hurricanes don't form until mid-late August through September. That was the year we had like 7 storms.

 

Our cruise was from July 7-17th, 2005. It was supposed to be Eastern Caribbean, Mariner OTS out of Port Canaveral. On July 4th, Hurricane Cindy formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The next day, 5 days before we were to depart, Hurricane Dennis (Cat 4) formed in the Caribbean, ultimately hitting Haiti, Cuba and the Florida Panhandle. We started to get worried and called RCL and asked what happens if a hurricane hits. We were assured, as long as the ship left port, we would be able to out-run or avoid any storms.

 

We departed July 10th out of Port Canaveral. Hurricane Emily started as a tropical depression that day, and formed into a hurricane the next day, ultimately becoming a Cat 5 storm. Our itinerary was supposed to be Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Martin. We made it to Nassau, but then the captain told us that due to Emily, we would have to change our itinerary. He said we would be staying about two-three days ahead of the hurricane. Living in South Florida for as long as we have, we know that the weather ahead of a hurricane is the nicest, best weather ever, so we were not concerned about storm conditions. Also, we knew that they can track the storm very well, and there is sufficient time to change direction if the hurricane does, also. After Nassau, instead of St. Thomas and St. Martin, we headed to Cozumel, and ended up in Labadee. From the reports we had seen, it appears we were about 2 - 3 days ahead of the storm the whole time.

 

It was disappointing in that we had my mother with us, who was very much looking forward to shopping in St. Thomas and St. Martin. If we had wanted the western route, we would have chosen the Western route, but we were just as relieved to be ahead of the storm. The weather the whole trip was just lovely. Hard to believe a hurricane was churning out there. Looking at the maps and seeing the hurricane and seeing where we were was more scary than actually being on the ship in the ocean with a hurricane bearing down on us!

 

Emily eventually became a Cat 5 storm, passing through Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Ironically enough, as we entered back into Port Canaveral on July 17th, Emily was passing through the Cayman Islands, and the next day, hit Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen. The itinerary for the trip leaving the 17th was the Western Caribbean, so I assume they actually went to the Eastern Caribbean. The storm never came to the Virgin Islands, so I guess we could have gone there, but I'm sure the captain knew what he was doing when he re-routed us. I recall reading that due to Emily, Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen were unavailable for a while due to storm damage.

 

We didn't receive any OBC or anything, but we were told ahead of time that the itinerary could change depending on the weather, so we didn't really expect anything.

 

Later that year, in October, our community was hit quite hard with Hurricane Wilma, and of course, Katrina had hit New Orleans and the western portion of Florida the month before.

 

We jokingly said we should have been on the cruise in October, since we would have avoided the hurricane, this was the first time in the 30 years that I have lived here that we were directly hit. Portions of Miami were hit in 1992 with Andrew, but the Fort Lauderdale area had avoided a direct hit for many many years. It definitely would have been safer being on a cruise ship avoiding it than here. Our schools were closed for two weeks and many people didn't have power for 5 - 7 days.

 

All in all, aside from having the itinerary changed, sailing in hurricane season was no big deal. If you are set on an itinerary, that may not work out for you, but they are good at out-running the storms, and from previous posters, you may even get extra days out of it!

[cruiseNYNJ]

I cruised on 1/3/2010 on Norwegian's Gem and we missed Puerto Rico because of engine trouble. It was not able to be fixed at sea therefore, we could not gain enough speed to make it to the port in time. We were offered $150 onboard credit.

[Seadiva2]

There is a belief that Big Daddy will be visiting within the next two 2 weeks. Its path is somewhat uncertain, either the east coast of the U.S., or out to sea.

 

This makes me nervous as I have a cruise booked for Sept 5th. I never cruise this time of year however, our friends invited us to join them. Hopefully all the storms will go to a different area and not affect any of us cruising.:)

[jackdiamond]

This makes me nervous as I have a cruise booked for Sept 5th. I never cruise this time of year however, our friends invited us to join them. Hopefully all the storms will go to a different area and not affect any of us cruising.:)

As you are now aware, it has become hurricane Danielle, and it will probably become a cat. 3. However, I believe that it will remain in the Atlantic, and maybe only affect Bermuda. Earl which will follow may become more interesting.

[teddie]

Our hurricane experience only served to reinforce my smug attitude with respect to packing early:

 

Our Enchantment cruise was due to sail on September 20th 2003 out of Ft Lauderdale. We booked air to leave from Newark airport early on the 19th, with plans to stay at the Marriott Marina for the one night pre-cruise.

 

Well, Hurricane Isabel was headed to the NY/NJ area. It was nearing midnight of the 17th, and I was being my usual pre-cruise -compulsive self, so I decided to check my flight arrangements for the millionth or so time.....I am soooo glad that I am like this because I came to discover that in anticipation of the impending storm, the airline CANCELED our departing flight out of Newark, and rescheduled us so that we arrived an hour AFTER the ship sailed!!!! :(

 

I immediately called Continental, and the ONLY flight they could put us on was due to take off in SIX hours!! Here it is, MIDNIGHT, and I managed to book an additional pre-cruise night and rearrange the limo pick-up in order to make a 6:00 AM flight the next morning. There was no room availability to add on to our Marriott stay, and so I had to arrange a second hotel for the unexpected early arrival. Didn't have to worry about laundry, cleaners, or toiletries, though---I was so excited about cruising that I was fully packed, and had been for several days. :)

 

We made the flight, and had a great cruise in the sunny Caribbean, while Hurricane Isabel hit New Jersey.

[teddie]

Here's my SECOND storm story:

 

October 30th 2005 cruise on the Explorer of the Seas, sailing from Cape Liberte to Bermuda. These five-day runs include a full sea day, followed by two days docked in Bermuda, and another full sea day, arriving back at the home port the next morning.

 

On the second port day, we were out at St Georges (the town farthest from the Dockyards in Bermuda), when one of the pink Bermuda buses pulled up to us to inquire if we were Explorer passengers. When we answered in the affirmative, we were told to climb on board, because the Explorer was going to be leaving port 2 hours earlier than scheduled in order to beat an incoming storm. The bus made several stops making the same inquiry to other groups of alarmed tourists along the way.

 

Now, under the best of circumstances, those dang pink buses are good for a hair-raising ride along the many hair-pin turns along the narrow roads of Bermuda. Combine this with a bus-driver in a hurry, a load of tourists white-knuckling the potential of missing the boat, and a huge flatbed piled with timbers blocking the way---well, you get the idea.

 

When we got to the Dockyards, the skies were rainy and darkening, and once everyone was finally on board, the Captain announced that the Bermudian authorities would not permit us to sail until the following morning. We were in for an unplanned additional 12 hours of cruising. Yeah!!

 

So, we were given a second night in Bermuda, arriving back in NJ nearly 12 hours late. Didn't mind a bit, although I'm sure that the pax waiting to depart on the next cruise minded alot!!

[jlsmith24]

We were on the Voyager in 2005 and Hurricane Dennis was following us. We had beautiful weather the entire time, but there was a night or 2 where we could definitely feel somewhat rough seas. Our last scheduled port was Freeport, Bahamas and the captain cancelled it because of high winds in Freeport. Not sure if it was related to the hurricane or not, and we definitely didn't mind having an extra sea day.

 

The announcement happened during breakfast and there was a group of people sitting near us that were very angry about the news and talking about heading down to guest relations to get a partial refund because they were now missing one of the ports! When we happened to walk past the guest relations desk later in the day, there were people there requesting refunds for the missed port - and they were not the same people sitting near us during breakfast! Apparently, a lot of people thought they should get a partial refund. Guest Relations did not agree!

[Tony1865]

Aren't the cruise lines required to refund port fees if you miss a port?