October 31st cruise- still hurricane season?

[blaneyliss]

We are looking to go on a cruise for our honeymoon, which will begin on October 30th. We were planning on taking a cruise that begins on the 31st but it seems that the only ones we want to go on are in hurricane alley! How high is the risk that there will be hurricanes this late in October/early November? Should we honeymoon elsewhere? We have never cruised before so we need your help!!!

[kitty9]

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Last year there was a named storm, Otto, on December 2.

[blaneyliss]

would our odds be better taking a western carribean cruise out of new orleans? Or should we be safe and nix the cruise idea altogether?

[DebbieN]

Well, that choice is up to you, however.............don't you think the cruise industry would be non-existent if it was unsafe to cruise during this time?

 

From what I have read on these boards, the ships will reroute if they are sailing in the path of a hurricane. As far as safety, I think your safe.

 

The question I would be posing is............What can we expect the weather to be like during hurricane season? I wouldn't want to spend all that money to be flooded by rain.

 

Maybe read some reviews of others experiences during the month of November, that should give you an idea of what you're in for.

Debbie

[Gabbiegirl]

October 31st is still Hurricane season, BUT it is not the strong part of the season and most -- not all -- storms at this time of year don't go beyond the Tropical Storm strength. I live in Florida so after last year...all bets are off but if I really wanted to cruise in late October I'd go for it, the odds are you'll be fine!

[Cotton]

I wouldn't give it a thought. Really. I live beachfront on the MS Gulf Coast, and have lost 1/3 of my house due to a hurricane.....and I still cruise in September - (historically, the worst months are Aug/Sept.) The last of October, the seas have cooled, and the hurricanes aren't as prevalent. GO...Enjoy your honeymoon.:)

[Bequia]

Its our favorite time of the year to cruise. Ships are usually no where near capacity and prices are at their lowest. Never gave it much of a thought, besides I'd much rather be on a cruise ship during a hurricane then my house.;)

[cpayne]

We sail each year the first week of Nov to celebrate our wedding anniv. Yes, it is still hurricane season and yes, each year we have encountered some form of effects of a storm blowing through. This past Nov instead of a cruise we did a 10 day land vac in St Thomas and still dealt with the effects of a storm brewing through the San Juan area. You'll never be guaranteed to get away from it that time of year whether it be western/eastern/southern itinerary.

 

However, we still continue to sail this time of year. As another previous poster stated it is the cheapest time of year to cruise which helps! Only once have the effects been so bad that it was a disappoint. Typically it just results in an afternoon or a.m. rain shower one or two of the days. You may have one or two evenings of rougher (not rough, but rougher than normal) waters.

 

I would not hesitate if I were you to sail that week. However, just go in to it with open eyes and you won't be disappointed!

[momofmeg]

We are looking to go on a cruise for our honeymoon, which will begin on October 30th. We were planning on taking a cruise that begins on the 31st but it seems that the only ones we want to go on are in hurricane alley! How high is the risk that there will be hurricanes this late in October/early November? Should we honeymoon elsewhere? We have never cruised before so we need your help!!!

 

 

Hurricane season lasts 6 months. It starts June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. So if you are that fearful you only have six months in a year that is "safe" to cruise. With the bad storm we got caught in last April on our Miracle cruise I could not see that is was any "safer" then the one we took on Disney Wonder this past September. (we were "lucky" then- our cruise was right between "Frances" and Jeanne")

 

September is considered the worse month of hurricane season though and that Late in Oct. your cruise is really in Nov. you should be okay.

 

Even if there was a storm-either your cruise would be cancelled and you would receive a full refund plus like 50% off a future booking or your ports would be changed for your safety. You may not be happy with the ports they choose but you will be safe. I did not hear of one person this past fall that died during Jeanne, Frances, Charlie or Ivan on a cruiseship.

[momofmeg]

would our odds be better taking a western carribean cruise out of new orleans? Or should we be safe and nix the cruise idea altogether?

 

"Ivan" was on the gulf coast. Are you really this fearful? I guess you don't live in a big city and drive on a freeway do you? Much better odds of you dying there then on a cruiseship during hurricane season.

[blaneyliss]

Thank you all for your input! I really wasn't worried about the hurricane thing at all until I started reading posts on another message board about how people should be wary that time of year. We have never cruised and my fiance hasn't even seen the ocean so we are very nieve about this sort of thing. I think we'll take the risk and go for it!

[momofmeg]

Are you prone to seasickness? Do you get carsick easily? That could be a hint. Just make sure you take something like bonine. That works for me. Also the newer big mega ships you will not feel movement as much. but I really don't think you have much worries about storms as late in the season you are going.

 

I have taken 9 cruises. Six were in prime hurricane season. I felt as much movement etc. on the 3 cruise not in hurricane season as I did with four of the 6 . The two exceptions were Bermuda which we took with the remains of Floyd (Bermuda is always a more choppy cruise) and our first cruise on Carnival Tropicale. There was a bad storm hitting around New Orleans and parts of Texas- that cruise and although it was not hitting in the gulf where we were- we still felt it.

 

Sometimes I think people post about how bad it is to cruise during hurricane season because they took their first cruise then and because they felt the little bit of movement they thought this was much worse then "normal" waters. You always feel some.

 

Also last year hurricanes messed up a lot of cruises. Cruises got extended to keep people safe and other cruises were shortened and canceled. Also ports got changed.

 

My favorite post of a person all mad at a cruiseline was mad that Disney Wonder a 4 day cruise from Pt. Can. went to Charleston, SC instead of Castaway Key and it rained in Charleston. (Such a shock as a hurricane was going on in the caribbean and it rained in Charleston a coastal town)

 

Their complaint was there was nothing to do but a "flea Market". I thought this was hiliarious. I am sure they were talking about the old Slave Market which is FAR from a flea market. There is where you go to get all kinds of handcrafted items etc. including those world famous gula baskets. The people that make them are descendents of slaves from Africa and the craft has been handed down from parent to child for well over 200 years. Those things go for BIG BUCKS and I have seen shows about them on HGTV and other channels on TV.

 

Also Charleston has a great aquarium and lots of art galleries, the battery, Ft. Sumpter, etc. and all of this is close to the dock. Now I could understand this person's disapointment, most of us could drive to Charleston; and the Bahamas either you fly or take a ship there-but just where did this person think a cruiseship could go in 4 days when it only goes 20 miles an hour-when it is trying to stay our of the path of a hurricane. (They were blaming the cruiseline instead of Mother Nature)

 

So that is your biggest worry. The cruiseline will keep you safe-you just may not get your ports.