Cruising in Hurricane Season??

[burlybear]

Hi All,

Just off our first cruise on the Dream - and I am planning our next already!! We were looking to possibly do an Eastern or Southern on Carnival in either September or October (cheap season ;) since DH and I aren't tied to any kids schedules at the moment). The only thing making us a bit hesitant is hurricane season. I would be interested in hearing from anybody who has done either of these itineraries in hurricane season. I realize each year will be different and looking at the long range forecast for this year, they are saying it is going to be a very active season, but just in general what have been your experiences? If they cancel a port due to weather, do they still give on board credit?

Thanks in advance!!

[bguppies]

We TRY to cruise every September, for the cheaper rates and probably the least amount of kids on the ship, at any time of the year. (4 already and a fifth coming up this year)

 

As long as you are not at all tied to WHERE the ship winds up going, port-wise, then September/October is a GREAT time to cruise.

 

If you have definite ports that you want to visit on your cruise, then September/October is a horrible time to cruise.

 

WE have been lucky and out of all of our September cruises, the only one that had hurricane issues was our Glory cruise, as Belize and Costa Maya got cancelled, as Costa Maya was destroyed by a direct hit of a category 4 hurricane. (I always forget the names)

 

There was no on board credit, as they just changed the itinerary to start in Key West as one replacement port and then Progresso as the 2nd replacement port.

 

If you are a person who books most of their shore excursions independantly, then you also need to be extremely flexible, as the date you port at a particular stop might change due to a hurricane's path. (our entire Glory cruise was changed due to the two port changes, but luckily, our independant tours had openings on the new days and let us easily change our dates.)

 

Hope that helps with a few of the positives and negatives of cruising during that time.

 

Bill

[sandyshell]

We are planning the same for this fall...sept-oct...prices are not a lot cheaper but a little..our TA told us if a hurricane is a threat they will re-route...or worst case cancel trip..we do not have our heart set on any itinerary so we do not care if they re route...just want to cruise!! How was the DreAM? We really want to do the spa rooms ect but hear it is so crouded and lots of extra costs???

[truchattycathy]

We like to sail in October. I have only missed one port due to a hurricane. The only thing we were credited were the port fees. This last Oct. they shuffled the order of our ports due to a hurricane, and when we were finally scheduled to go to Belize, a hurricane had done too much damage and we ended up going back to Cozumel. I think the later in hurricane season you sail, the better your odds are.

[Rizzorp]

I have been on the Eastern and Western during hurricane season. Had no issues with either cruise other then a change in the arriving and departing time at one port, same amount of time just earlier in the day so we could stay ahead of the storm. But as you said, it changes every year! I have another Eastern 8-day set for this September.

[suezyq50]

We had St. Martin cancelled on ours. The ship tried to anchor, but to much activity going on so left after an hour. We ended up having another sea day.

[imluvncruzn]

We just did our first Fall cruise this past October (we usually cruise in spring or winter months) and the weather was pretty crappy. We only had one really nice day and the others ranged from downright pouring and windy to overcast and cool. Now I know that could've just been bad luck for the week we sailed. But if you do miss a port you only get like $10 or $15 back. They refund your port fees & taxes for that port and that's it.

[imluvncruzn]

We are planning the same for this fall...sept-oct...prices are not a lot cheaper but a little..our TA told us if a hurricane is a threat they will re-route...or worst case cancel trip..we do not have our heart set on any itinerary so we do not care if they re route...just want to cruise!! How was the DreAM? We really want to do the spa rooms ect but hear it is so crouded and lots of extra costs???

 

Hi. We just stayed in a spa balcony room on the Dream last month. The rooms were fantastic and it is a very quiet part of the ship with not a lot of foot traffic. We stayed on the 11th (Panorama Deck). The balconies on this deck are covered where as the spa balconies on 12 (Spa deck) are not, thus no privacy. The spa amenities were great but you have to go at off-peak times or it does get crowded. I found usually late morning (10am), right before dinner (3-5p), or right after dinner (8-10p) it was very quiet in the spa treatment rooms and thelassotherapy(sp?) pool.

[Desiree D]

We cruise the Western Caribbean and always choose October or Nov to cruise. 5 out of our 6 cruises, only once had a "near problem" with missed ports. This past October a hurricane came up and it was announced that we would not be able to go to Grand Cayman or Cozumel as planned, and would be switched instead to Key West. We were then offered a refund on missed port (fees) PLUS an extra 20% off our next cruise, if taken within the next two years. But, the hurricane turned unexpectedly and we were back on course and made all three of our original ports. We got to keep our 20% off letter, even though we were able to get back on course. So far we have been very blessed to cruise (cheap) during hurricane season, but it's always a gamble. There have been many cruisers not so "lucky", with cancelled cruises, missed ports, and bad weather. But we will continue to cruise at this season, as often as finances will allow. It seems such a good deal, and we've always had a wonderful cruise. Good luck to you too!

[afcj1]

I LOVE cruising in Sept/Oct, since the price is right:) As others have mentioned, as long as you're not "attached" to the ports, you'll be fine. I've never missed any, but have been on the tail of a couple storms, so lots of rain. Just made the best of it and still had a great time.

[Cruisin Christi]

My cruise is in Oct. and since I am not attached to ports (and the ship is going to be a destination in itself) I should be just fine. Of course I am hoping for great weather.

[mdrobtx]

No worries. We've cruised and have made 5 OI (on island) trips to the Caribbean in Sept and Oct.

[Cruisin Christi]

No worries. We've cruised and have made 5 OI (on island) trips to the Caribbean in Sept and Oct.

 

Good to know!

[klmorg]

It's a crap shoot, and you just never know. I think we had a pretty active hurricane season last year, but we cruised in early October, sailing just before/after various tropical storms & hurricanes. We did miss a port that time because of the rough seas and being unable to tender safely. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that it was Half Moon Cay. :eek: And the cabana waiting for us had sit empty that day.:(

 

As long as you know that the ships will still sail, but it is possible to miss ports. That can happen all year long, for that matter. You don't typically get any onboard credit for that, unless it's a refund of the port fees.

[cruisecrazy82]

We booked our first October cruise for next year (2012). I think weather is just what it is. I can't control what it's gonna be like, whether it's in December, November, or June. Of course we all hope for the best and want sunshine and clear skies everyday but it's not always the case. Our last cruise the first week of December was beautiful sunny days except for our day in Jamaica, did it ruin our day? No way! Didn't have to worry about losing my sunglasses while climbing the falls!:cool: But I also thought it was quite chilly, although beautiful, during our trip. On our cruise in June I thought it was REALLY hot lol. I aim to try a cruise every month of the year and then figure it out from there:p

 

As for cruising in hurricane season, I'm not worried about it. We get trip insurance and we actually aren't flying next year so no worries about that. I know there is a chance we will miss ports and that does suck, b/c I would really like to go to HMC and Grand Turk, but I knew it was a risk when I decided to book that time of year. Good luck and I hope you have absolutely beautiful weather!!!!!:D:D:D