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Many travelers are watching the brewing storms in the Caribbean with trepidation…and they do warrant some consideration. However, if I had to choose between being at a resort with a hurricane heading my way, or on a ship, I’d choose a ship every time. It’s a lot about attitude, just as normal travel is. If you go into it realizing that there may be delays, and plans may change, you have the ability to embrace the whole experience.
You are pretty safe onboard a ship - with the technology of the cruise ships and the information they receive from head office and various weather stations, the ships are capable of avoiding the center of these threatening weather systems.
So where a good attitude comes in – it’s quite possible that you will experience delays, and a change in ports of call. With the exception of extreme cases, or short (2-3 day) sailings, cruise lines rarely cancel a sailing. Your itinerary will just be modified if any portion of it sits in the predicted path of a storm or close to it. You may find that an unexpected port takes you by surprise and becomes a highlight of your trip. You may also experience some rough seas as the ship skirts a storm, but that is a risk you take any time you cruise.
Hurricane Igor is heading for Bermuda as I write this and Royal Caribbean has announced that the Enchantment of the Seas will be rerouted to the Bahamas. MSC Cruises is heading their ship Poesia to Boston instead of Bermuda and the Norwegian Spirit is sailing to Port Canaveral and Nassau. By the time you read this blog those ships will have safely avoided the storm and passengers will have enjoyed some unplanned shore excursions in ports they may never have visited.
When I was cruising in Italy last year we had tendered into Portofino and rough seas prevented us from returning to the ship. We were re-routed to Santa Margherita Ligure, a charming seaside resort on the Italian Riviera, and then to Genoa, where the ship was re-routed to pick us up. It turned out to be a memorable day – unexpected – but we got to visit a beautiful town we would probably never have seen and were left with a great story to tell. This is the type of situation that you may encounter sailing in hurricane season in the Atlantic.
The hurricane season starts in early June and lasts until November. That’s a pretty long season to avoid if you enjoy cruising. So listen to the experts and don’t let Mother Nature ruin your plans - just make sure you have insurance in place for any delay, as that, and maybe a little rough weather, is more than likely the worst adventure you will experience.
