Tropical storm Fiona

[wolft927]

Just seen that the tropical depression has been upgraded to A named storm. It looks like by this weeekend and early next week will arrive at many eastern cruise ports. Was wondering if anyone has heard of any port changes for cruises leaving this Saturday and Sunday? We leave on the 29th and hope this storm is gone by the time we cruise 

[ggTexasGal]

Currently, according to The Weather Channel:

"It's far too soon to tell if this system will ever become a mainland U.S. threat."

[wolft927]

2 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

Currently, according to The Weather Channel:

"It's far too soon to tell if this system will ever become a mainland U.S. threat."

Was wondering about the islands, looks like it’s gonna get very close to Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands 

[ggTexasGal]

Likely, they will take a hit next week, but it really is still too early to forecast intensity of the storm very well.

[wolft927]

6 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

Likely, they will take a hit next week, but it really is still too early to forecast intensity of the storm very well.

My guess even if it stays as a depression ship heading to eastern islands leaving port today through the weekend will be diverted to western. 

[ColeThornton]

1 hour ago, wolft927 said:

We leave on the 29th and hope this storm is gone by the time we cruise 

 

 

That's two weeks away, you'll be fine.

[JoeTec]

Go to the Hurricane Zone on these boards. @Pelican Bill is a wealth of knowledge. He keeps everyone up to date.

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

Likely, they will take a hit next week, but it really is still too early to forecast intensity of the storm very well.

This is not correct.  It's about 24-36 hours from the northern most Leewards.  The British and US Virgins will be impacted this weekend.  While still only forecast to be a Tropical Storm, I suspect most cruise lines will want to avoid the areas as soon as tomorrow and certainly over the weekend.

 

[wolft927]

1 minute ago, PATRLR said:

This is not correct.  It's about 24-36 hours from the northern most Leewards.  The British and US Virgins will be impacted this weekend.  While still only forecast to be a Tropical Storm, I suspect most cruise lines will want to avoid the areas as soon as tomorrow and certainly over the weekend.

 

I agree, that was my original question, if anyone sailing out today through Sunday have had any information about itinerary changes yet. I am asusming that anyone heading to eastern Caribbean will be re routed to the western? 

[BirdTravels]

NCL never cancel cruises. You may not see the ports expected, but they will operate the cruise. 
 

There was one exception in recent memory where a hurricane parked over Florida, keeping PortMiami closed for several days. Even when there was zero chance of a cruise occurring, NCL didn’t cancel cruises until the night before departure. 

[wolft927]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL never cancel cruises. You may not see the ports expected, but they will operate the cruise. 
 

There was one exception in recent memory where a hurricane parked over Florida, keeping PortMiami closed for several days. Even when there was zero chance of a cruise occurring, NCL didn’t cancel cruises until the night before departure. 

Not thinking they will cancel, but i am sure they are not going to dock or tender anywhere in the storms path. My assumption is that eastern cruises will be diverted to the western. If anyone gets notice of this pleas update all of us. 

[ggTexasGal]

18 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

This is not correct.  It's about 24-36 hours from the northern most Leewards.  The British and US Virgins will be impacted this weekend.  While still only forecast to be a Tropical Storm, I suspect most cruise lines will want to avoid the areas as soon as tomorrow and certainly over the weekend.

That figures, since I got my information from a Weather Channel video online, several hours ago.

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

That figures, since I got my information from a Weather Channel video online, several hours ago.

I'm not going to tell this to my Weather Channel friend that posts this videos on their website. -) I give him enough you know what about meteorology in general. 

[dandelpino]

5 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

Currently, according to The Weather Channel:

"It's far too soon to tell if this system will ever become a mainland U.S. threat."

Ok but carribean cruises typically don't stay near the mainland - they sail to the islands that are under threat right now. As of right now the National Hurricane Center is predicting the storm will make landfall in the northern part of the leeward islands but tomorrow evening.

Edited September 15, 2022 by dandelpino

[ggTexasGal]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm not going to tell this to my Weather Channel friend that posts this videos on their website. -) I give him enough you know what about meteorology in general. 

What I was truly trying to state was the timing was early enough that status could easily have changed over the hours.  Tropical storms are often tricky.

Edited September 15, 2022 by ggTexasGal
added...

[pixiedust777]

We normally cruise in September and have sailed before and during hurricanes.

Before we were stuck in an Embassy Suites after landing at the airport.

Miami was flooded with no power in places.

However, we sailed on schedule and made it to all our ports of call.

While already at sea we have had cruises diverted to a different port if possible but most have usually turned into an extra day at sea.

Since we do not sail the Caribbean for the ports of call in September we are good with the ship going where it needs to in order to avoid bad weather.

 

 

 

[david_sobe]

[farjar]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL never cancel cruises. You may not see the ports expected, but they will operate the cruise. 
 

There was one exception in recent memory where a hurricane parked over Florida, keeping PortMiami closed for several days. Even when there was zero chance of a cruise occurring, NCL didn’t cancel cruises until the night before departure. 

In late October 2005 we did a NCL Dream cruise out of Galveston two days after Hurricane Wilma devastated the Yucatan Peninsula as a category 5 storm.  All our ports of call; Cozumel, Roatan, Belize City and Cancun, were cancelled because of the horrible damage she left behind.  In order to avoid the remnants of the storm we spent a week cruising in a very slow circle in the Gulf of Mexico before returning to Galveston. NCL was able to hastily arrange one stop at Vera Cruz where local school children came to sing to us and vendors set up their wares on the pier in the rain. It ranks as our least ideal cruise but it was still a cruise and we were safe.  Our inconvenience, however,  could not compare with the problems faced by those affected on shore in Wilma's aftermath.

[Diver2014]

We go thru this every year.  We don't cruise in September or October.  Why take the chance? 

 

[PATRLR]

36 minutes ago, Diver2014 said:

We go thru this every year.  We don't cruise in September or October.  Why take the chance? 

 

Why not?  What's the worst that can happen? You get some extra sea days.  No big deal to us.

[david_sobe]

9 hours ago, PATRLR said:

Why not?  What's the worst that can happen? You get some extra sea days.  No big deal to us.

I could agree with you.  However half the ship comes here to blast the cruise line because their travel agent did not answer the phone and couldn't book them on another flight home leaving them stranded.  They are all treated horribly once the captain makes that announcement.  Then the next cruise passengers all want endless OBC because the ship sailed late.  Rinse, lather, repeat.

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, Diver2014 said:

We go thru this every year.  We don't cruise in September or October.  Why take the chance? 

 

We just got off a ship on Monday that went to the Bahamas and was supposed to go to Bermuda. Bermuda was cancelled due to Hurricane Earl. No biggie for us - we just enjoyed the ship more as we did not want to get off in the newly scheduled stop of Miami. Going to Nassau was fun as we'd never been there. Enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach and saw some sites around Nassau. But, we're very lowkey, easy to please kind of people. Sea days or port sea days are relaxing and enjoyable! 

 

The cruise itself was a huge value! I don't see us affording a Haven Aft Balcony anytime in the near future. We're booked in a Haven Spa Balcony for our next cruise and aft rooms are thousands of dollars more. Yes please, but no thank you! 

 

For the value, lack of crowds, and still really great weather, I'll take hurricane season any year. I do understand we may have lucked out as it has not been an active season yet. For us, the risk was worth the reward. 

[wolft927]

6 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

We just got off a ship on Monday that went to the Bahamas and was supposed to go to Bermuda. Bermuda was cancelled due to Hurricane Earl. No biggie for us - we just enjoyed the ship more as we did not want to get off in the newly scheduled stop of Miami. Going to Nassau was fun as we'd never been there. Enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach and saw some sites around Nassau. But, we're very lowkey, easy to please kind of people. Sea days or port sea days are relaxing and enjoyable! 

 

The cruise itself was a huge value! I don't see us affording a Haven Aft Balcony anytime in the near future. We're booked in a Haven Spa Balcony for our next cruise and aft rooms are thousands of dollars more. Yes please, but no thank you! 

 

For the value, lack of crowds, and still really great weather, I'll take hurricane season any year. I do understand we may have lucked out as it has not been an active season yet. For us, the risk was worth the reward. 

I always Cruise During Hurricane Season, for several reasons. First, prices are lower as we like to stay in the Haven and always can get much better deals. Second, ships passenger count is always lower as most kids are in school so we enjoy the extra space. I have sailed many many times during hurricane season and understand that there may be an itinerary change. Only thing that I ever really worry about (which is very little worrying )is that a storm will make landfall the day of embarkation possibly canceling the cruise, ore delaying embarkation by a day. Has never happened to me in the 25 years i have been cruising. Cruising on the 29th this month 9 night eastern Cruise! 13 days left 

[gmbhardy]

On 9/15/2022 at 8:15 AM, BirdTravels said:

NCL never cancel cruises. You may not see the ports expected, but they will operate the cruise. 
 

There was one exception in recent memory where a hurricane parked over Florida, keeping PortMiami closed for several days. Even when there was zero chance of a cruise occurring, NCL didn’t cancel cruises until the night before departure. 

That’s not true. When Hurricane Irma hit a few years ago, NCL cancelled their weekend cruises on Tuesday. I was very appreciative as it gave us plenty of time to cancel our hotel and air. Some other lines didn’t cancel until Thursday stranding people in South Florida as the airports closed for the storm.