Any Hurricane Season cruisers out there?

[Dave85]

We love the low prices from September through mid-November and plan to continue cruising then!

[marimojo]

We have cruised during hurricane season. The worst thing that happened to us was Hurricane Gustav. The ship we were sailing in was 2 or 3 days late getting to Galveston, which meant we had to wait around Galveston for a few days. When the ship finally did come in, we had a cruise to nowhere for 3 days (I think). We were fairly compensated by Carnival. I know that we got 50% off a future cruise, and I believe we had all of our money refunded for the cruise to nowhere - but maybe we just got half refunded - I really don't remember. We did have cruise insurance and that paid for most of our expenses while we waited those couple of days in Galveston. When we took our next cruise, the one 50% off, we got ourselves a very nice suite. We had a great time, waiting in Galveston, taking the cruise to nowhere, and the suite cruise. As long as you have cruise insurance, and go knowing that stuff happens, you should be fine. I felt like Carnival took very good care of us.

[Totalelf]

We have sailed many times in September. We have never been canceled or had to be moved to a different port. Once out of probably five or six cruises, there was a hurricane that was coming up behind us in the southern Caribbean, but was never that close to us. The seas did get a little rough, but we never experienced any change in course or missed any ports.

 

Cruising during hurricane season can save you a lot of money, but it truly a gamble!!!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Forums mobile app

[lady_cruiser]

Our first cruise was September 2005 on the Conquest. We were suppose to leave out of NOLA but Hurricane Katrina destroyed the port. The Conquest then started sailing out of Galveston so instead of cancelling our cruise we decided to keep our booking as is.

 

On what should have been our last sea day the Captain informed us that we would not be able to head home as the Port of Galveston was closed due to Hurricane Rita. If the port couldn't open within two or three days the ship was headed for Miami where everyone would be flown home.

 

Costa Maya opened their port to us for one day at no additional port fees and it was the best port on our itinerary.

 

The next day at sea, beautiful sunny skies with calm seas, Carnival open all the phone lines free of charge so we could call our families, airlines, offices, etc.

 

Tuesday morning we woke up and found ourselves back at the Port of Galveston and the ride home to Louisiana viewing the devastation was horrible. Miles of cars were stranded on the side of the road. Most of them ran out of gas when the gas stations had to close or they had no way to go and slept on the side of the interstate. Thank God that we had came on tour buses so we didn't have to worry; either finding our car had been washed into the Gulf or having no gas stations to fill our cars up for the ride home.

 

The only good thing was that our home here in Louisiana received minimal damage since Hurricane Rita also came through our section of Louisiana.

 

This was our first cruise and we have been cruising ever since.

Edited March 19, 2014 by lady_cruiser

[cage keeper]

Our very first cruise was the beginning of hurricane season but our only issue was a tropical storm. This is one of those times where we benefited from being detoured to another port. We were scheduled for Labadee but instead ended up in San Juan. It was wonderful. I say go for it.

[mwne2nks]

We are cruising in Sept for my DW 's 40th . Usually we go in March, but this time we are on NOS in Sept. 172 Days !

[SJS]

I've also taken the majority of my cruises in September due to low prices, kids back in school and love the hot weather. Once we caught part of a tropical storm and couldn't go out on deck one afternoon and a couple times some port changes. Personally I'd rather take my chances with hurricanes than deal with flight delays/cancellations due to snow storms in the winter and the issue of more flu bugs/germs on board in the winter months too!

[ehfl]

Half the year is hurricane season, so it can hardly be avoided if you cruise frequently. We don't have a problem. The seas are generally calmer, and the rates are often good. The winter months are very windy with heavier seas, and often high prices.

[mommyz]

We love cruising during hurricane season or least used to. We would go early September but unfortunately can't any longer b/c our oldest can't get out of school. We would save a bundle but no doubt buy travel insurance and go with an open mind that you never know what can happen!

 

Seas can be a little rough and ports may change....never bothered us!

[GTO-Girl]

My husband and I sailed on Carnival Dream during hurricane Sandy. Our 7-day turned into an 8-day; the last day sailing in a big circle off the coast of Miami in rough seas because PC had been closed. Our days in port though (eastern Caribbean) were absolutely beautiful. It was a bit of a hassle changing our return flight from sea, but I do give credit to Carnival for doing their best to accommodate everyone. Even though we were rocking and rolling, and blocked from going out onto our balcony, we never got sea sick, and I never felt like we were in danger.

 

Now we're planning our first back-to-back on FOS for September. Our friends who sailed with us think we're nuts.

 

Anyone else out there who enjoys the adventure (and low fares) of cruising during hurricane season?

 

 

Hey Jules.....we were on the infamous Dream cruise with you. Now that was some ride wasn't it?

 

We must both be getting brave because we too have booked a cruise leaving on Aug 31st.....and we have NEVER cruised during this time of year either.

 

Oh well.....I figured if we could ride out Hurricane Sandy, surely we could handle most anything else......LOL

 

Have a great cruise!!!

[jules815]

Hey Jules.....we were on the infamous Dream cruise with you. Now that was some ride wasn't it?

 

We must both be getting brave because we too have booked a cruise leaving on Aug 31st.....and we have NEVER cruised during this time of year either.

 

Oh well.....I figured if we could ride out Hurricane Sandy, surely we could handle most anything else......LOL

 

Have a great cruise!!!

 

That's too funny! Yes, it was quite a ride! What deck were you on? We were in a cove balcony on deck 2, and I think it was on Thursday morning, just before they started making "announcements" that they came by and bolted our doors shut. Did you happen to see the other ships bobbing around out there with us?

 

We feel the same way about sailing that time of year now, too. Plus, we've done most of the eastern and western ports anyway, so a change in itinerary wouldn't be a problem, just more of an adventure. :)

[mister windu]

At risk of jinxing our next trip in early July, we've never cruised when it wasn't hurricane season and never ran into weather problems. Just take deep breath, understand the small risk, insure against it if it really concerns you, and enjoy your cruise!

[bup1224]

My first cruise was last September - no problems at all. Loved it so much that we are rebooked for this September - 185 days to go for us. We always vacation in September somewhere in the Caribbean for our anniversary and have never had a problem. We do purchase travel insurance just in case.

[xray]

We avoid hurricane season because twice we departed just after a hurricane passed over the port. When Katrina hit us we had just got home from a week in Las Vegas. Katrina did major damage to our home, leaving us without power for 4 weeks, interrupting flights into NOLA, Gulfport, Mobile, and Jackson. So just getting home would have been difficult. To put our location in better perspective we live 60 miles from Gulfport and 80 miles from New Orleans. NOW we only sail in Dec.-Mar. We saw the devastation on the Mississippi Coast and in NOLA weeks later and I can't imagine being on a cruiseship with a hurricane going over our home and our town.

 

Please excuse my winded rant.

 

Xray

[time4u2go]

For us the ports are usually the primary attraction of a cruise so we avoid cruising during hurricane season as much as possible in order to maximize the chances that we will actually reach the scheduled ports.

[truffles2]

We sail every Sept. during hurricane season (and other times too) but only one time have we had to divert...because of Isidore. A few years back there was a statement that every year since the Weather Service had kept records, there was an active hurricane in the Atlantic on Sept. 15 or 17 or there abouts (can't remember the exact date). I think that record has been broken now.

[gvlgolflady]

I was on Allure during hurricane Sandy. We were at Labadee when the captain decided that Our stop in Falmouth was cancelled and we went to Cozumel. As we were coming back to Ft. Lauderdale we had some pretty big waves. The captain said they were nothing compared to what Oasis had. I will not cruise again in September or October.

[beerman2]

Carnival triumph 2005 out of Miami missed getting into port by 2 hrs before they closed it.

 

Carnival Destiny 2012 out of Miami cruise left as storm was just coming in. Took 2 tug boats just to get us away from Dock. Missed Key West because of it and just headed to Cozumel.

 

Sailing out of Port Canaveral on RCCL FOS this October.

 

So think about it yes, worry about it No.

[iheartbda]

Just about all our cruises have been in Sept. and Oct. Never, on any of those cruises, did I experience the kind of rough seas that we had on the Granduer two weeks ago.:eek::D

[nascar junkie]

Nowdays with the weird weather patern, who knows. We got chased off South Padre Island in Texas, the 1st part of July one year; not the peak of hurricane season. Anytime you deal with the carribean between july and september, one can pop up anywhere. I deal with tornado season in North Texas in March, April and May but it doesn't stop me going to the NASCAR race or fishing. Most of the Lines do a good job avoiding them.

[tlatrice]

I told my family that under no circumstances would I cruise the Caribbean during summer/hurricane season.

 

1. I live in Houston. I don't want to vacation somewhere even hotter than here. I don't even want to think about what the humidity must be like in the tropics during the summer.

 

2. I don't want to be caught on the seas during a hurricane. In July 2012 I booked my first cruise. Right after I booked my supervisor came back from a cruise. He said they spent days dodging a hurricane, missed 2 ports of call, had rough seas the whole time they were on board. Then the ships wouldn't come into the Gulf because the hurricane was in the Gulf so they dropped them off on the east coast of Florida. He then had to rent a car to drive from Florida to NOLA, with the threat of I-10 being closed down due to the impending storm. From NOLA he had to drop off the rental car and drive his car another 5 hours back to Houston.

 

I told him "you just confirmed that I made the right decision by booking March". LOL!!!

 

No hurricane season cruising for the kid.

[GTO-Girl]

That's too funny! Yes, it was quite a ride! What deck were you on? We were in a cove balcony on deck 2, and I think it was on Thursday morning, just before they started making "announcements" that they came by and bolted our doors shut. Did you happen to see the other ships bobbing around out there with us?

 

We feel the same way about sailing that time of year now, too. Plus, we've done most of the eastern and western ports anyway, so a change in itinerary wouldn't be a problem, just more of an adventure. :)

 

We were also in a cove and once the seas got rough there was the loudest banging coming from our balcony that went on for 24/7 and never stopped. We went to Guest Services several times and begged them to send someone to check it because it sounded like something wasn't bolted down properly.

 

They finally sent the supervisor of maintenance to our room who informed us it was the way the coves were constructed and there was nothing they could do! So we literally did not sleep from time they closed off the balcony until we got back to PC. And that part was brutal!!

 

I swore I wasn't going to cruise again for a long time, but by January I was right back on another ship......LOL

[cruzin lady]

We are going on Navigator Sept 28 and Oct 5. Hoping for the best. We don't sail any time of year without insurance.

[Ocean_Waves]

My husband and I sailed on Carnival Dream during hurricane Sandy. Our 7-day turned into an 8-day; the last day sailing in a big circle off the coast of Miami in rough seas because PC had been closed. Our days in port though (eastern Caribbean) were absolutely beautiful. It was a bit of a hassle changing our return flight from sea, but I do give credit to Carnival for doing their best to accommodate everyone. Even though we were rocking and rolling, and blocked from going out onto our balcony, we never got sea sick, and I never felt like we were in danger.

 

Now we're planning our first back-to-back on FOS for September. Our friends who sailed with us think we're nuts.

 

Anyone else out there who enjoys the adventure (and low fares) of cruising during hurricane season?

 

How do they block you from your balcony? Do they chain the doors shut??

[time4u2go]

How do they block you from your balcony? Do they chain the doors shut??

 

If they had one of Carnival's cove balconies, then those can be locked/blocked (like for rough seas) because they are so close to the water line.