Will a hurricane jeopardize our October cruise?

[cruisinqt]

I have heard that hurricane season is from June until November and now I am worried. We have booked the Conquest for October 31st and I worry about bad weather. I am especially worried about us not being able to visit our ports due to bad weather. We could not dock in the Cayman islands due to rough seas on our last cruise on the Rhapsody Of The Seas. Now I worry that our cruise will be cancelled due to bad weather, or even worse, we will go on the cruise and miss swimming with the stingrays in the cayman islands again. Anyone know anything about hurricane season or have cruised around Ocotober? I really want this cruise to be nice, we are so excited about it.

[CEV426]

Anything can happen, and usually does when I cruise. I also missed out on Grand Caymen due to rough seas in January. I have also been re-route out of Bermuda for a hurricane 500 miles away in June. (we went to Martha Vineyard for a day). We had a close call another time in Bermuda in Sept., but didnt have to leave. Another time, enroute to Aruba...we had to turn around to go back to San Juan since someone had a heart attack. We did get to Aruba, but we were about 6 hours late and missed the excursion we had planned. We made the best of it. That's all you can do. But as far as hurricanes, historically I think Sept tends to be worse than October.


Zenith 09/97
Rhapsody of the Seas 2/98
Zenith 6/99
Sea Princess 7/01
Mercury 01/03

[JanetMarie]

Yes, that is hurricane season. We were in Hurricane Andrew on a ship and we simply diverted our course. The seas were a bit high, but we were, overall, okay with it.

But since that hurricane, we have tried to avoid sailing from August to November. There is a "cusp" [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] period around the end of November, beginning of December, wherein the rates are low before they change to prime travel season. We try to book that time period.

Enjoy your upcoming cruise! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=FFA000&cdt=2005;04;02;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
OUR NEXT ONWARD JOURNEY!

[Guest]

The chances of your cruise being cancelled are slim to none. The worst that you will deal with is a change of itineray. For example, if you are doing Western Caribbean, they may switch to East depending on where the storm comes. There are so many variables, you can't set anything in stone.

Don

[spongerob]

Weather can interrupt a cruise itinerary at any time of the year. We were on a cruise in April that missed two ports entirely, and although we got into Grand Cayman all sea-based excursions (i.e. Stingrays) were cancelled due to high winds. We did get an unexpected overnight stay in Cozumel, which was very nice and a real treat for the crew.

There is no certainty. We've sailed in September and had no problems with our itinerary. The next week, the ship cancelled the Eastern Caribbean entirely and went on a Western Caribbean cruise instead. No matter the time of year, you have to be realistic in the sense that no one can predict the weather at long range, and be prepared for changes. All you can do is make the best of it and hope for better luck next time.

Completed:
Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Grand Princess (3X), Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess

[Guest]

On the positive side, the chances are slim, 10/31 is on the very backside of Hurricane Season, and you'll be in the Gulf of Mexico. At that time of year, the chances favor hurricanes to form more to your northeast.

On the negative side, it can happen.......... Plus, a hurricane 500 or even 1000 miles away doesn't mean you won't feel it, as waves and swells carry over great distances until they hit land.

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2005;1;22;22;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Serenade of the Seas

[mirrajay]

Hmm...I am trying to think if I have ever heard of hurricanes as far north as New England? Its too cold for it to be very possible isnt it? I never even thought of this issue when I booked our cruise, but the constant worrier in me just has to ask [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Carnival Victory, here I come!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=9400d3&cdt=2004;10;02;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[Nitemare]

We've definitely had hurricanes in New England. Certainly not as many as in the Caribbean or Florida, but every 2-3 years we get hit by one but good.

[mirrajay]

Oh great, and I suppose the area is probably just about due for their next catastrophic hurricane around the first week of October? [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Where would they redirect a ship headed to this area? Go south and make all of us hang out in Bermuda in our jackets and scarves?? [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Carnival Victory, here I come!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=9400d3&cdt=2004;10;02;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[cpayne]

We sail every year the first week of Nov for our wedding anniversary. EVERY year we have hit some effect of either a hurricane or tropical storm. It has never caused a cruise to cancel and we've never missed a port, though. There have been some ROUGH waters, but we've always trudged forward. Even though you'll be traveling the first week of Nov which is the last month of the hurricane season it can and does happen. Don't mean to scare you, but want you to be prepared. You'll have fun regardless!

Cheri

[cruisinqt]

Thanks so much for all of the information. Even though there is a possibility of bad weather, I gather from what you're saying that cruises just don't cancel. As long as we get to go on our cruise and have fun, that is all that matters to me. If the itinerary changes, well, we will just make the best of it! And, even though our previous cruise canceled the cayman islands, we got to Cozumel a day earlier and got to go in the evening and check out the nightlife which was a blast. I still want to swim with the stingrays. Everyone says it is fantastic. Oh well, we will just have to keep cruising until we get our stingray excursion. All of that cruising, I just don't know if I can handle it! He-he-he!

[imsulin]

Guess I'm one of the really lucky ones! Have cruised to Grand Cayman in mid-December, September, over Christmas, March, May, and August. Never once missed GC, and the weather was always great. Please don't sneak into my house at night and beat me up!!

PS....LOVE Stingray City!!

[bravemom]

if my family is not booked on the cruise your chances are alot better for good sailing.

Hurricane Andrew immediatly preceded our first Disney Cruise and changed our entire itinerary (although it proved so popular that Disney made it a permanant route) including no stop at Disney's private island.

Hurricane Michelle was our companion during our second Disney Cruise (the ship's staff kept referring to it as a "small tropical storm"-the internet cafe, the weather channel and a number of green passengers told a different story)-our route was again diverted with no Disney Island.

So...be glad, we're doing Alaska this year. If you hear anything about freak ice storms in August say a prayer for us.

[momofmeg]

Six out of my eight cruises were in huricane season. Never has any of my cruises been canceled and only one was rerouted. On sovereign in 2001 because Coco Cay was messy after a storm(down tree limbs and debris) we went to Freeport instead. Did not bother me.

There is also a plus to cruising this time of year-kids are in school so there are less kids.

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean
RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas
Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean
HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska
RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas
Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda
Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean
Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas