Booking Caribbean Cruise During Hurricane Season

[Dennis#1]

We also have been lucky. Lots of cruises during hurricane season, and so far we have had no delays or cancellations. Sure glad we had no cruises planned during Harvey and Irma.

[bingo3]

Nope

[Coralc]

We have booked during hurricane season. We were bitten/inconvenienced/whatever you wish to call it once on a west coast sailing to the Mexican Riviera in October. We flew from San Francisco to Los Angeles to visit Cabo, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. On the 2nd day of the cruise Hurricane Nora took out all 3 ports. The ship sailed back to San Francisco and spent two and a half days docked in SF next to Pier 39.

 

Because of the PVSA, we were unable to disembark the cruise back in SF. It was an odd, sort of alarming cruise, we actually watched security dragging a couple with their suitcases back onboard as they tried to leave, because of the restriction. Shouting, and a physical altercation ensued. Lot's of other stuff, power outages, bad water. (Carnival Jubilee) We made the local bay area news! :D:D

 

After the SF port stop, we sailed back to LA and flew home to SF. :D

 

So, while we sort of avoid cruising during hurricane season; we have many times. It is sort of like gambling. If you know that you have a cruise coming up.... you spend an inordinate amount of time watching the Weather Channel. :p:p

[Morecruisesplz]

Fourteen years booking during season (June-November) and this is first set of cruises impacted. Allure got extended 3 days for free (although drinks, drink packages, specialty restaurants, internet were extra at half price). None of the original ports and twice in Cozumel. Second cruise got shortened to 4 days, 50% back as OBC, 50% back as a future credit. One port overnight, also not original. And only 2058 people onboard. No insurance needed for this kind of problem (although worth getting for medical, delays enroute, flights, hotels). This has been an unusual year for hurricanes - mostly they are not near you even if there is one out there.

I would love to get caught on a ship during a hurricane and receive 3 - 4 extra days for free. We have been to all of the ports so if one is changed or omitted it's no big deal. I just booked a little late this year to grab a next cruise for 50%. So we are on the Adventure in San Juan waiting for the sail away. It's all good!

[time4u2go]

Would you book a cruise during Hurricane season? Clearly many have (including me) and some got caught up by Irma. Luckily I just missed it by a week.

 

So on reflection, anything changed as to when you would book your next cruise?

No.

[hapster85]

The 5 cruises we've taken so far have been either July or October. We have a B2B booked for next July. No worries about hurricanes here.

[LisaLisa87]

We have a Caribbean cruise booked for our anniversary next year in early September. Based on all of the hurricane activity this September, we're considering switching to a Med cruise. Of course, some would consider that more risky...

 

 

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[sun_lovin!1]

I was on the Escape during the hurricane. My b day is the first week in September. Will I cruise for my birthday again? You can bet on it! Would I choose an all inclusive resort for a week's vacation for my b day? No way.

 

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[Dennis#1]

We have a Caribbean cruise booked for our anniversary next year in early September. Based on all of the hurricane activity this September, we're considering switching to a Med cruise. Of course, some would consider that more risky...

 

 

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Definitely worth considering. There are so many great cruise ports in the Med. And you will not have the risk of your cruise being cancelled or delayed by a hurricane.

[ColoradoGurl]

Technically hurricane season is June-November, so I guess technically I have and will cruise hurricane season, if you truly count summer(June, July and early August) as hurricane season. But really I avoid late summer, September & October, because that is when hurricanes get dangerous.

 

I have always avoided those months despite the cheaper cost, and will continue to avoid them. But I will start buying more comprehensive insurance for all my cruises going forward (meaning, I will only buy insurance that includes cancelling for any reason), now that I've seen the problems so many people had this year.

 

 

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[Dennis#1]

We have a Caribbean cruise booked for our anniversary next year in early September. Based on all of the hurricane activity this September, we're considering switching to a Med cruise. Of course, some would consider that more risky...

 

 

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Another option to consider is a NewEngland/Canada cruise departing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

[CORKY_Q]

Diane's birthday is September 11th and, since 2002, we have tried to schedule a cruise to celebrate her birthday at Chops.

There were a couple of years where other factors intervened, but we do our best. :cool::cool:

[nyllrap]

Absolutely! But I think it really depends on personal situations. I am a retired educator, so used to be able to only cruise during the summer. Later I became a 12 month educator, and had more flexibility. With better prices, we booked a cruise to Bermuda, leaving from Baltimore. After boarding the ship (Enchantment of the Seas), an announcement was made. Hurricane Sandy was coming, and the cruise to Bermuda would be a cruise in open sea, but with hunkering down in a bay during the worst. They allowed people to leave the ship with a full refund. We stayed and had a great cruise to nowhere.

 

Now I am retired, and we moved to the east coast of Florida, 90 minutes north of Port Canaveral, We booked a Sept. 3 Western Caribbean cruise. Irma hit! There is no better place to be than on a cruise ship if you live in Florida and a hurricane the size of Irma comes. Luckily, I didn't have to worry about catching a plane or getting to work.

 

I plan on booking a cruise the first week of September from now on. I do buy insurance, though.

[dreadpirate3]

I am a Floridian by choice, and we usually cruise in October or December. We've never had a hurricane disrupt our cruise, and we always buy travel insurance.

[maggieq]

With the exception of our first cruise on the oasis, we have had great weather in hurricane season. Prices are great and weather is usually very hot and that's what we like.

[rp23g7]

Always cruise during hurricane season, best prices, plus due to my work anniversary date its the only time we can cruise, when there are less people on vacation.

 

Sure you get rerouted, took us 3 cruises to get to St Maarten, and a wild ride on the Carnival Valor, we were a day behind Sandy one year, and we left the day before Wilma hit Ft Lauderdale, but what ever, your on a cruise ship going somewhere even if you do get re routed.

[rp23g7]

For a good enought reason, yes I would.

 

we left Ft Lauderdale the day before Wilma hit, 85 degress and partly cloudy, you wouldn't have known there was a huge storm a few hundred miles away.

[xcell]

Been cruising the last week of August before kids go back to school -- last 7 years -- haven't been stuck on or had a shortened cruise. With that being said, I might do one week earlier next year as we just missed Irma by 1 week.

[kc320]

Another option to consider is a NewEngland/Canada cruise departing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

 

In my case that wasn't a good option...was supposed to be onboard the Anthem this week....until Irma shut down the Orlando airport for 3+ days & I couldn't get to the port...first time in all the years I've cruised in Sept/Oct/Nov that I ever missed a cruise due to a hurricane...in spite of this I would not hesitate to book durning the "season" again....but would probably try to pick a cruise leaving from Florida to improve my chances of making...

[OCruisers]

We enjoy longer cruises to the Caribbean in the Jan/Feb time frame and, maybe an extra in the spring.

No desire to book a Caribbean cruise in the "heart" of Tropical Storm season.

[hapster85]

We enjoy longer cruises to the Caribbean in the Jan/Feb time frame and, maybe an extra in the spring.

No desire to book a Caribbean cruise in the "heart" of Tropical Storm season.

While certainly more common in the fall, as those onboard Anthem in early February 2016 can attest, storms can happen any time of year. The first named storm of 2016 actually occurred in January.

 

The odds of a hurricane occurring, during any particular week, of any given year, are pretty small. As such, I have never given it a thought when deciding to book a cruise.

 

Not trying to change your mind, or course. You should cruise when it works best for you.

[juju2454]

Nope.:)

opet

 

Me either... Nope and nopeity nope

[pharaoh]

I always say "yeah duh of course I'll book cruises in hurricane season, hurricanes don't scare me!"

 

But after the way this year is shaping up......................

 

 

ETA: if I didn't live in an area prone to hurricanes I probably wouldn't worry as much about booking during hurricane season. But since I would have the double whammy of worrying if my cruise would be affected PLUS worrying about my home, it's just not worth it. I think I'm going back to cruising in May and November.

[Tapi]

It wouldn't deter me from booking. We've had plenty of itineraries changed, and although 3 were because of hurricanes, we've also had plenty of itinerary changes due to political unrest, medical emergencies, access to the port due to another ship's mechanical issues, sea conditions on a perfectly clear day, and norovirus.

 

A lot of things besides a hurricane can affect an itinerary. The only way to avoid all of them would be to stop cruising altogether and that's NOT going to happen! [emoji6]

 

 

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[yuvraj]

Interesting replies, with consensus being that nothing changes and most are not put off.

 

For me, as someone flying in from UK, disruption to travel plans (pre-cruise and post-cruise) is my biggest concern. Everything from flights to hotels. Never been a problem so far but Irma was a wake up call for me.

 

I rely on electricity to run my BIPAP so being stranded in Miami with no electricity is a scary proposition.