Late August Cruise

[tyeomans]

Hello all! I'm new to this forum, and I'm excited to join! I have a quick question and hope people can ease my mind. As many of you probably already know, meteorologists are expecting this hurricane season to be very active.

 

My family and I are porting out of Galveston on August 26 for a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise. Little did I know that this is in the heart of hurricane season. When I found this out, I've literally made myself sick and worried that our cruise is going to get cancelled. We've been waiting for this cruise for the past year, and I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I know a change of itinerary is possible, and I'm completely okay with that because we would still be on a cruise. I'm just afraid the cruise will be cancelled altogether. Am I overthinking this? What are the chances of a cruise being cancelled?

[yogibear]

Depeng on the way the hurricaine travels, you may not get cancelled but have an altered itinerary. Instead of a Western Caribbean cruise, you may end up with an eastern Caribbean cruise.

 

Cruise lines keep a close watch on the storms.

 

Karen

[FruitStandaficionado]

I can understand your concern. However, after hurricane Katrina, the cruise I was booked on got cancelled because Carnival donated the cruise ship to the cause. When they contacted me about the cancellation, they gave me the option of a full refund or paying additional money to be booked on the cruise that was moved to the same day and port (albeit at twice the cost of the cruise I was originally booked on). While no one held a gun to my head to spend double on the exact same cruise but on a different ship, I booked it but it left such a bad taste in my mouth that I didn't cruise again for years because I felt screwed over in the situation. I'm sharing this with you to point out that Carnival is a typical corporation which means that they only care about revenue and they will see any problem as an opportunity to make more money. It may not be the one you planned or paid for, but you will be given options.

 

NCL Sunward 1974

NCL Starward 1978

Costa Daphne 1982

Carnival Triumph 2001

Carnival Conquests 2005

Carnival Magic 2014

[CRocks]

Have to remember Grand Cayman + Belize (both on most west carib itineraries) are tender ports. If you have any high seas you could miss those ports. Probably OK more often than not, but that's the reason prices are so cheap during hurricane season.

[Jamman54]

The odds of your particular cruise being cancelled due to a major storm are very low. That won't happen unless the storm is predicted to hit your port of embarkation on the day you are supposed to embark. If anything, you may have your itinerary altered so the Captain can keep you in smooth seas and sunny skies. In other words, don't stress out over this. We have taken nearly 50 cruises, the majority being in the "heart" of hurricane season, and we have NEVER had a cancellation or an itinerary change! (knock on wood!). :D

[EBFURR]

Our anniversary in Aug 28 and we have cruised during that week probably 15 times over 20+ years. We have never had a cancellation or even a missed port. Once back in the 90's there were four hurricanes or tropical storms in the Caribbean. The captain said "Don't worry, I will not sail you into a storm." We had beautiful weather all week. We missed Grand Cayman due to a tropical storm several years ago on a June 4 sailing. Strangely, we just sailed on June 4 again and the weather was very stormy due to a tropical depression with high seas and high winds. All the outside areas were closed on the last sea day. We are also sailing on Aug 27 this year out of Galveston on the RCI Liberty of the Seas. Who knows what the weather will be but the cruise lines know how to deal with it and sail around it. Just relax and enjoy the anticipation. We will be right there with you whatever happens.

[Wheels87]

I can understand your concern. However, after hurricane Katrina, the cruise I was booked on got cancelled because Carnival donated the cruise ship to the cause. When they contacted me about the cancellation, they gave me the option of a full refund or paying additional money to be booked on the cruise that was moved to the same day and port (albeit at twice the cost of the cruise I was originally booked on). While no one held a gun to my head to spend double on the exact same cruise but on a different ship, I booked it but it left such a bad taste in my mouth that I didn't cruise again for years because I felt screwed over in the situation. I'm sharing this with you to point out that Carnival is a typical corporation which means that they only care about revenue and they will see any problem as an opportunity to make more money. It may not be the one you planned or paid for, but you will be given options.

 

NCL Sunward 1974

NCL Starward 1978

Costa Daphne 1982

Carnival Triumph 2001

Carnival Conquests 2005

Carnival Magic 2014

 

Based on this reply, I am guessing that you are not from anywhere on the gulf coast which was affected by Katrina. Think about what you said..."However, after hurricane Katrina, the cruise I was booked on got cancelled because Carnival donated the cruise ship to the cause." So, somehow, you are demonizing Carnival for this? Really? Over a thousand people died and you have absolutely no idea the physical and emotional damage which was suffered by the hundreds of thousands of people who had to come back and clean it all up, just to have a place to live. What were they supposed to do, cancel someone else's cruise so you wouldn't be affected? That's ridiculous.

 

Three of their ships were contracted by the US Government to provide housing to refugees. Yes they were compensated for this, but let me ask you this...when was the last time you worked for free for months at a time?

 

Cheers!

[bury me at sea]

Carnival will keep you safe. A hurricane projected to hit your home port area could force them to change plans.

 

A hurricane somewhere out in the Gulf or Caribbean might mean a change in itinerary or a missed port.

 

Watch forecasts the week prior to departure and otherwise don't worry!

 

Happy sailing.

[frayedend]

Based on this reply, I am guessing that you are not from anywhere on the gulf coast which was affected by Katrina. Think about what you said..."However, after hurricane Katrina, the cruise I was booked on got cancelled because Carnival donated the cruise ship to the cause." So, somehow, you are demonizing Carnival for this? Really? Over a thousand people died and you have absolutely no idea the physical and emotional damage which was suffered by the hundreds of thousands of people who had to come back and clean it all up, just to have a place to live. What were they supposed to do, cancel someone else's cruise so you wouldn't be affected? That's ridiculous.

 

Three of their ships were contracted by the US Government to provide housing to refugees. Yes they were compensated for this, but let me ask you this...when was the last time you worked for free for months at a time?

 

Cheers!

 

It's probably less about Carnival's willingness to help Katrina victims than it is about them asking for more money to cruise. If they moved a ship to the port to do the cruise they should have honored the price people already paid.

 

In any case to the OP, don't worry about it. There are some risks but not that likely. August is actually still early for hurricanes. They do happen. I had a delay years ago do to Port Canaveral getting closed to big ships. It was a nightmare. But I have cruised hurricane season almost every time. The prices are great and the weather is usually awesome. Even if you get a hurricane during your cruise chances are it won't affect your itinerary. If it does they may just go to a different port and avoid the storm. Don't stress.

[bnorris10]

Hello all! I'm new to this forum, and I'm excited to join! I have a quick question and hope people can ease my mind. As many of you probably already know, meteorologists are expecting this hurricane season to be very active.

 

My family and I are porting out of Galveston on August 26 for a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise. Little did I know that this is in the heart of hurricane season. When I found this out, I've literally made myself sick and worried that our cruise is going to get cancelled. We've been waiting for this cruise for the past year, and I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I know a change of itinerary is possible, and I'm completely okay with that because we would still be on a cruise. I'm just afraid the cruise will be cancelled altogether. Am I overthinking this? What are the chances of a cruise being cancelled?

 

We travel every year the last week of August/First week of September since our anniversary is September 2nd - We only once had an issue with an actual storm being out there floating around - But trust me when I say this you will be safe - Storms move slow and the captain will do everything to avoid the storm even if it means skipping or changing ports - The only thing that should prevent you from leaving is if the storm is expected to actually hit your port

[A&Jfamily]

I don't think anyone can give you a statistical likelihood. And really what is at issue is your proverbial eggs are all in one basket. So here is my advice:

 

1) Buy trip insurance.

2) Have a plan B. "If this cruise canceled we will take a different vacation in X by buying plane tickets, driving, taking a train etc. and getting a hotel etc."

 

I understand your anxiety completely, but it is the nature of cruising. Even if it isn't a hurricane, the ship's engines could have problems or there could be a fire in the weeks proceeding. Such things have taken ships out of commission in the past and you can read the tales of woe on the thread - but my advice is DON'T. It is possible but not likely anything will go horribly wrong. When you chose a cruise vacation, or even a Caribbean vacation in hurricane season, you just add this to the risk.

 

On our Alaska cruise with our two boys we were flying in the day before, with PLENTY of time to spare. Going through Chicago, the flight was not only delayed, but when they went to leave they discovered an engine problem....and took it apart before my eyes!!! I watched as our connecting flight in Portland to Seattle passed away. So while DH talked to the captain about best options (they decided we would be better waiting on the plane than trying to rebook other flights) I formulated my plan B. If we couldn't get to Seattle by departure Sunday, we were going to fly to Anchorage, rent a car and explore Alaska like Denali and Fairbanks on our own. I was going to Alaska through hell or high water! We had trip insurance and I knew I would be reimbursed. Ultimately it worked out...we got to Portland in time for the very last commuter plane to Seattle after literally sprinting through the airport and boarding as the engines were starting. It was "grab a seat and put on your belt's" and we were rolling before I could get settled.

 

I have been criticized on here by people who say that not everyone can afford to shell out such money and wait for reimbursement. My response is two fold: 1) then perhaps cruising isn't for you if you can't handle the risk and your vacation will be "ruined" if you don't take the cruise - there are many other land based trips to be had without the same level of risk and 2) plan better - have money in reserve BEFORE you cruise and then learn to adapt and come up with a plan B within your budget.

 

The ultimate prayer for travelers: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

[cruisemom67]

We live 30 minutes from Galveston. I have been here for 17 years, and there have been only a few hurricanes that have come this way, and only one was major. Just because this is an "active season" doesn't mean that it WILL be an active season. It also doesn't mean anything will come this way.

 

I have cruised out of Galveston in August several times. One time there was a MAJOR hurricane in the gulf. Our ship cancelled an island because of it. Not a huge deal, but be prepared. There were also more people who got seasick on the cruise, but that lasted about a day.

 

The LAST thing Carnival wants to do is cancel your cruise! They will do everything possible to get your money..I mean get you on the ship (and take your money! LOL). They are also not going to risk (the ship or) your safety.

 

There were some people that cancelled as the ship was getting ready to sail. Carnival did give them a choice as they couldn't guarantee what itinerary they would take. Carnival had to wait and see what direction the storm moved in before deciding which direction they were going in.

 

So... bottom line is, if you are traveling during peak hurricane season, Carnival will keep you safe. Carnival will do everything possible to make your trip happen. But you need to be flexible, and bring Dramamine/Bonine. Trip insurance is a good idea, but if it is cancelled because of a storm, Carnival will reimburse you.

 

Don't stress. The chances of a hurricane hitting this area during the time you are sailing is very low. Happy sailing!

[maryred]

... Am I overthinking this? What are the chances of a cruise being cancelled?

YES you are overthinking this. The only time any cruise line will cancel a cruise due to sever weather is if the ship's home port is directly affected on the day/night of departure by the storm or the cruise port is flooded/damaged from a recent storm.

Even then they may choose to either delay departure by many hours to a day latter or step up the boarding procedure to leave a few hours earlier (if the hurricane will hit overnight or the next day). In extremely rare cases a cruise line might leave from an alternate departure port or leave a day early from it's normal port. This is one of the reasons it is important to sign-up for the travel alerts during the online check-in process (if like at Carnival.com the option is offered).

[tyeomans]

Thank you everybody for your responses! It's calming to read everybody's thoughts on this. I believe the only reason that I'm mainly concerned with all of this is the fact that this cruise is really for my parents. They've never been on a cruise before, and my partner and I purchased it as a family vacation last Christmas to take them on. I just want them to have a great time and wonderful first-time experience!

[MeganGC1983]

We will be on this sailing with you! We've sailed in hurricane season before, no worries. And don't jinx us!! [emoji6][emoji23]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[beachbum6264]

I've cruised 7 times during the last week in August. Never had a cruise cancelled, but have had itineraries changed - a Western turned into an Eastern, an Eastern changed into a Western, and a 7 day turned into a 9 day (Yay us!) because the Port of Tampa was closed due to Hurricane Frances. (we got a 2nd day in Cozumel and an extra day at sea). Take a deep breath and calm down. Heck, I live in Florida and I don't blink twice about booking during hurricane season.

[SC_Floaters]

Sixty Cruises Since 2007...

 

Hurricane season is 1 June to 30 November...

 

23 of those cruises during Hurricane Season... Never had any delay due to storms.

 

Can Not Address Airport Situations as we drive to most east coast/gulfcoast ports.

 

Dennis & Sue

[Boston Mom]

We've cruised many times in late August / early September (my birthday, my husband's birthday, and our anniversary fall in that time period within a few weeks of each other) and we are cruising again this August. In call of those sailings we have never even encountered rough seas, much less a hurricane or anything like that.

[gottaluvcruises12]

We cruise during hurricane season all the time. On our there was a Hurricane literally the week before our cruise. We weren't affected but we were getting notices about alternate ports depending on the track of the hurricane. You will be fine.

[FruitStandaficionado]

Based on this reply, I am guessing that you are not from anywhere on the gulf coast which was affected by Katrina. Think about what you said..."However, after hurricane Katrina, the cruise I was booked on got cancelled because Carnival donated the cruise ship to the cause." So, somehow, you are demonizing Carnival for this? Really? Over a thousand people died and you have absolutely no idea the physical and emotional damage which was suffered by the hundreds of thousands of people who had to come back and clean it all up, just to have a place to live. What were they supposed to do, cancel someone else's cruise so you wouldn't be affected? That's ridiculous.

 

 

 

Three of their ships were contracted by the US Government to provide housing to refugees. Yes they were compensated for this, but let me ask you this...when was the last time you worked for free for months at a time?

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

WOW!

 

I'm at a loss of words for how you came to the conclusion that because the cruise I'd booked got cancelled because the ship was permanently taken out of the lineup for future cruises somehow makes me insensitive to those who directly impacted by hurricane Katrina. I guess you're just looking for drama.

 

Bye Felicia . . .

 

 

NCL Sunward 1974

NCL Starward 1978

Costa Daphne 1982

Carnival Triumph 2001

Carnival Conquests 2005

Carnival Magic 2014

[Aggiebuttercup]

I've lived in Southeast Texas for almost 40 years. We tend to be more at risk of hurricanes starting the first/second week of September. Chances are, unless a hurricane is in the process of trying to hit Louisiana and your flight gets cancelled, your vacation will be fine.

 

Hurricane Ike was the last one to damage Galveston, and the cruise lines made arrangements to temporarily sail from a port in Houston. Some of the cars parked for the cruise were flooded and ruined - but if you aren't driving, that wouldn't affect you.

 

We sailed at the end of July last summer. We were scheduled to visit Belize the day the hurricane hit, so the captain diverted us to the Bahamas. The seas were rougher for one day, but not too bad.

 

I'd second the recommendation for trip insurance and motion sickness remedies, just in case.

 

And the good news for you - most local kids should be in school that week, so the ship may be quieter.

 

[Note that this is one reason that cruises from Galveston tend to be near their cheapest the first and second weeks in September.]

[watermelonqueen99]

We cruised on the Dream August 28th last year, and we got rerouted from an Eastern itinerary to a Western due to a hurricane. We knew about a week or so before that it was going to be a possibility. Very low odds you'll get canceled, but certainly possible you may get rerouted. Make sure you look into other ports you could possibly visit to see what you might like to do. (Example: We were supposed to visit Key West, Freeport, and Nassau, and ended up going to Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya.)

[riclop]

Hello all! I'm new to this forum, and I'm excited to join! I have a quick question and hope people can ease my mind. As many of you probably already know, meteorologists are expecting this hurricane season to be very active.

 

My family and I are porting out of Galveston on August 26 for a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise. Little did I know that this is in the heart of hurricane season. When I found this out, I've literally made myself sick and worried that our cruise is going to get cancelled. We've been waiting for this cruise for the past year, and I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I know a change of itinerary is possible, and I'm completely okay with that because we would still be on a cruise. I'm just afraid the cruise will be cancelled altogether. Am I overthinking this? What are the chances of a cruise being cancelled?

You are going right in the middle of hurricane season, they will not cancel but they can change ports.

[AmberTeka]

Our Anniversary is Sept. 2. So we have sailed on a lot on the last week of August and First of September.

We have 37 cruises. All in the Caribbean, Panama Canal Areas. We have NEVER had a cruise cancelled.

You SAIL out of the way of a Hurricane You are safer on the Ship than on Land.

it is PEOPLE on Land who are danger

It is People who must make airline or train reservations to get to port, and then those flights are cancelled that are endangered. IF we had to fly, which we don't I would buy travel insurance.

 

We live in Florida. We know hurricanes. Most are huge , huge buckets of Rain. Some Like Andrew are deadlier than your worst nightmare. I Will NEVER live in anything but A concrete Block home again. Cover it with Stucco. Brick it up. But underneath.........I love My concrete bunker.

[AmberTeka]

We were on The Glory when Katrina hit. It was a Wednesday if I remember right. At first, it was not much, as few were watching the News that closely. Again, I don't mean people from the Gulf Coast or New Orleans. I mean the majority of guests.

 

Thursday.........it hit

Friday.......people were frantic to contact friends and family in that area

Saturday...........Gloomy day when we hit Canaveral and discovered the damage it had done to the Gulf Coast. Jacksonville was a part of Cities along the coast...........Florida. Alabama,, organized by the Salvation Army and local churches to get supplies into the Mississippi Gulf coast.

 

the Salvation Army chopped through the brush and got Satellite phones in there for people to call out. It was like being nuked. Homes were splinters. People wading in water................IMMEDIATELY FLAGS went up at Churches.

They needed.....canned food with pop tops. Juice boxes. blankets. tents. Plus size clothing. Other sizes. Canned milk. Neosporin. Band Aids. Alcohol. Peroxide......Jugs if Water, Soft drinks with pop tops. Gator aide........................

Then for a month.....Different Churches...........AND THEY ALL WORKED TOGETHER......from the Catholic church to the Baptist church to the Church of GOD......you could ride up and down.......read the flags with lists.......see what they needed.......buy it ..get it over there.......That night a loaded truck would pull out heading for Mississippi.

 

The Salvation army was magnificent . The Churches all along the Gulf Coast were magnificent. ..None of them ever got much credit for what they did.............I think a MOVIE should be made of it. It was that great. I ALWAYS give to the Salvation Army. Politics aside. My Sister was locked down in a Hospital there. She volunteered. A Nurse. and she is the most irritating person I know, but I did not want her harmed. Thank God..........she was not.