Cruising in Hurricane Season
Ships can move out of a storm’s way. Here is how it works, and how to plan.
Get Free Cruise QuotesHurricane season sounds alarming, but cruise ships have a big advantage over hotels: they can move. Here is how it works.
When Is Hurricane Season?
The Atlantic hurricane season — which covers the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. East Coast — officially runs from June 1 to November 30. The eastern Pacific season, which affects the Mexican Riviera, starts in mid-May. Activity is usually greatest in the late summer and early autumn. The NOAA National Hurricane Center publishes forecasts, maps and advisories for both basins, and it is the same source the professionals watch.
How Cruise Ships Handle Storms
A ship’s bridge team receives detailed weather data and routing advice continually, and cruise lines have shore-side teams that watch the tropics around the clock. When a storm threatens, the usual response is simple: the ship sails away from it. That may mean visiting different ports, reversing the order of an itinerary, spending an extra day at sea, or adjusting the time the ship leaves or returns to its homeport. Hurricanes are large and slow compared with a ship at cruising speed, and forecasts give days of warning.
What It Means for You
Expect flexibility
Your itinerary is a plan, not a promise. Cruise contracts allow the line to change ports for safety. Go in expecting a great trip, wherever the ship ends up.
Fly in a day early
Airports close before seaports do. Arriving the day before departure protects you from flight cancellations.
Insure early
Buy travel insurance soon after you book. Weather benefits generally do not apply to storms that were already named when you bought.
Stay informed
Watch your email and the line’s app in the days before sailing. If plans change, the line will contact you.
Choosing When and Where to Sail
If you would rather minimize the chance of changes, consider sailing outside the busiest months, or pick an itinerary that has natural alternatives — a western Caribbean cruise can often swap ports with the eastern Caribbean, and vice versa. Southern Caribbean ports near the South American coast are generally farther from typical storm tracks, although no region is guaranteed. Alaska, Europe and the Mediterranean are popular summer and autumn alternatives altogether.
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can explain how a particular itinerary has handled changes in the past and help you choose dates you are comfortable with.
Hurricane Season Questions
Will my cruise be cancelled if a hurricane is coming?
Outright cancellation is uncommon. More often the ship changes its route, swaps or skips ports, or adjusts its departure or return time. What you are owed depends on your cruise contract and the line’s policy at the time.
Should I avoid cruising in hurricane season?
Not necessarily. Many people sail happily in late summer and autumn. Accept that the itinerary may change, buy travel insurance, and fly in a day early.
Does travel insurance cover hurricanes?
Many policies cover some weather-related cancellation or delay, but usually only if you bought the policy before the storm was named. Read the policy wording carefully.
Sailing Between June and November?
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will help you choose the right itinerary and dates, and send free quotes.
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