Cruising during hurricane season, the good, bad and ugly!

[Inshape]

We are chancing it too with our first hurricane season cruise oct 22 on mariner. Usually cruise in Jan but prices in oct are great and I hear the weather is nicer--as long as it is not hurricane. GL to all!

[Cruisin'40]

Okay so if I buy cruise insurance and can't get to the port am I covered? I'm trying to figure out the bottom line risk/reward.

Am looking at late July 3 nighter, when or where would be the best time to get a bargain?

 

****Thanks***

[camreesmom]

I was also supposed to be on the Rhapsody that was downgraded to a 4 day to Cozumel thanks to Rita....RCCL was very accomadating in changing us to a later sailing....although I did have to give up my GS for a balcony:(

 

Ryan

 

We were on the Rhapsody the week before you so our 7 day cruise turned into a 10 day. We never felt any more motion than usual and enjoyed our 10 days. The only problem was worrying about what was going on back at our home. Rita was originally forecast to hit either our home or closer to Galveston where our car was parked! :eek:

[brn2crz]

We have sailed in Sept/Oct 4 times,and have had problems 2 times.

First was with Ivan in 04...Ivan had all but obliterated GC as we boarded Rhapsody on Sun...Now..Being the Internet savvy :cool: consumers that we are,and having a home possibly in the line of Ivan,we had a good handle on this storm and what it was doing...We new that GC was out,and Key West most likely was as well,as we would have had to cross right through Ivan to get there..As we checked in...We inquired as to what changes were made..."Oh,there have been no changes,we are still sailing to Key West" Yeah,right....About 3 Pm,announcements were made that we would no longer go to Kw or Gc (duh) and would do Belize and Costa Maya instead...Ok..welll not our favorite ports of call...But hey,at one point they were threatening us with Vera Cruz :eek:

We were told we would steer as far away from the storm as possible,but we would encounter some rough weather...Ok,can you say UNDERSTATEMENT :D

Monday afternoon,we were sitting by the pool watching the belly-flop contest,all was well,beautiful day..smooth sailing.By the time the contest was over,maybe an hour.We were rocking so hard,the water was sloshing from one end of the pool,back to the other,and the kids in the shallow end could not stand up.

We decided to go get lunch...Got our food,not too bad..Went up front for some strange reason...And the minute we looked out those panoramic windows,and could see the horizon going all the way to the left...all the way to the middle,all the way to the right all the way to the middle all the way to the left all the way to the...Well..you get the picture I am sure..

My poor Little DS 5 at the time was panicked thinking the ship was going to tip over...We stopped at the pursers desk,by this time there were barf bags...and barf everwhere....for some meds....and about 8 of us went to one inside mid-ship cabin and slept until dinner...Did that very quickly,then back to bed.Got up about 3 am...to the most horrible shaking rocking and moaning you could ever want to hear....(the ship,not my neighbors)

bathroom door would not stay closed...It was banging all night...

We found out later we had passed Ivan,in the Yucatan channel,150 miles from center,and 30 ft waves...Got up at 7 for breakfast,back to bed till 2...then...All was fine...It was really funny at the show that night.Peter was our CD,who stated he had been sailing since 1976,and it was the first time he had ever gotten sick.He is Brittish...He said,about 4 O'Clock,his staff came to his room and woke him and said...Your gonna have to get up,these Damn Texans are ready to party....He shared with us how much fun he knew the Captain was having,and that at times like these,the Captain is completely on his own,as far as decisions go...And he had changed into his Captain Jack Sparrow costume..Also at the Captains Q&A that week (very active) the Capt told us that he had been basically in constant contact with Houston weather center,and spoke frequently with Dr Neil Frank,who is now Houston's CBS chief meteorologist,and former head of the National Hurricane Center..

The staff and crew were amazing...By first thing Monday morning,these guys had complete new Daily Compasses ready,and excursions at the new ports ready to book...everyone was friendly, helpful upbeat....I never heard one passenger complain about anything..The lady at the pursers desk said they only had about 5 people who complained to them and wanted refunds...The Rhapsody's Map of her Itinerary route from Galveston, hangs near the pursers desk in the Centrum.Next time you are on board,check out the new,penciled in coordinates of our Voyage..

 

Last Oct,Mariner...We left PC,to Bahamas,St Thomas and St Martin.We did not stop rocking until we left St Martin.The day we were in St Thomas they said it was the first day since Sat they had not had rain.Many trips to St John were canceled.It rained a lot the whole trip,but we also had lots of good weather.Found out we had sailed right through what had been TS Tammy...Sept 03 and 02...perfect sailing,smooth as glass at times...

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