Cruise ships are known to be a great way to explore the world, but what happens when a hurricane strikes? Cruise ships have the ability to sail faster than hurricanes, giving them the ability to overcome the changes in trajectory of any storm. In most cases, the ship will return early to the base port to arrive before the storm or it will stay at sea waiting for the storm to pass. If the hurricane reaches a port of departure, the port will be closed and cruise ships will stay away from the port until it is safe to dock. This means that passengers on the ship will stay on board longer and will generally have an additional one, two or three nights on board.
Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival usually offer refunds only in the form of credit for future cruises. If you booked your cruise directly with the cruise line, contact them to let them know how you want to proceed. If your cruise vacation is affected by a hurricane, your cruise line will give you information on what to do and send you the details of its hurricane policy. However, this means that the cruise ship is delayed for the next passengers, meaning that your cruise will be shortened in the same period of time.
First-time travelers often post on Facebook to ask if they are going to cancel their cruise, and it's clear that it's highly unlikely that a cruise will be completely canceled. If cruises are delayed or extended before departure, passengers should have the option to cancel their cruise. Even though I had to cancel my cruise due to Hurricane Dorian, it didn't stop me from choosing to sail again during hurricane season. In my case, the cancellation of my cruise meant that Royal Caribbean gave me a credit to use on a future cruise ship in the next 12 months. Before doing anything, you should wait for an email from your cruise company that tells you how your cruise is affected, what they offer and what they recommend you do.
Unlike any other cruise line, Royal Caribbean has its own chief meteorologist who not only provides each ship and the cruise line with important weather information, but also shares information with guests. There are great deals on cruises this time of year and, since it coincides with summer school holidays in the United Kingdom, it's generally a good time for families to cruise around the Caribbean.
