Who has actually been caught in a Hurricane?

I want to hear from those of you who have been rerouted because of a hurricane. Has anyone had a bad experience? I have only heard positive things about being rerouted and getting to go somewhere cooler or still having a great time.

We have bookd on to the Navigator for the 9/24 Eastern Car. cruise and I have only cruised in EARLY September before. I am a little worried about hurricanes BUT I also know that we are good with going with the flow and adapting to whatever is thrown at us. I can have a good time anywhere - and the ship is great no matter where she sails.

I am, however, curious to hear from those who HAVE had a hurricane ruin their vacation.

My wife and I were caught in the outskirts of Hurricane Allen on NCL's Skyward back in 1980. The storm, with its 25 foot waves, made for a very bad experience! In the middle of the storm, (which was the early morning) the Stabilizer Room caught on fire. As a result of the fire, the ship's officers made the decision to order everyone on the lower decks up to the public rooms to allow the ship's crew to fight the fire. You had people in all states of dress laying around in pajamas, housecoats, etc. The ship was pitching so much that they had to tie the piano down in one of the lounges as it had already run over a small table adjacent to it. To make a very long story short, the fire was eventually put out about 5-6 hours later. No one was hurt and ship limped into San Juan about 10 hours late, but it all made for a MISERABLE day.

We also went through Tropical Storm Erin in 1995 on the Norway. However, this time it was a non-event. Again, we encountered the storm in the early hours of the morning, but with the size of the Norway, we didn't even wake up long enough to notice. We did miss the call at Great Stirrup Cay as a result though...NCL made no monetary allowances for missing the port.

Also, last year, our cruise on Carnival's Inspiration was affected by the series of hurricanes blowing through Florida. Our 7 day cruise was shortened to 5, but Carnival handled the situation very well by refunding us 25% of the cruise fare, giving us $200 onboard credit, and giving us 50% off our next cruise....which we're using in June....by the way, as an aside, I was concerned that Carnival would forget about the 50% discount when I went to book, but it went like a charm...we just made final payment last week.

We sailed last year on the EOS, September 26, 2004. First, our flight was cancelled and we spent about five hours on the phone tring to get another flight to a nearby city. Our hotel was evacuated and another one was hard to find. The ship was delayed a day. Several ports were missed so the excursioons that we had booked had to be refunded.

However, after we finally got on the ship we had a good time. Very stressfull but would do it again.

We did receive $200.00 shipboard credit and 50% off our next cruise. Make sure to have trip insurance it did pay for our extra night in the hotel and the van rental to get to the port and our extra meals.

Well this has happened to us once a few years ago with Hurricane Marilyn. We were suppose to do an Eastern Itinerary we left on a Saturday and on Sunday evening after Leaving Laberdee the Captain announced that we would have to do a western itinerary because St. Thomas was closing there

port. By the next morning there were new excursions for all our stops available and refunds on the others. Also we had three couples who were getting married in St. Thomas who on top of that had family flying there to meet the ship. The cruiseline (Social Hostess and staff) rearranged to have

the couples married in Grand Cayman and had receptions for them with cakes, flowers etc. I believe the cruiseline also helped the families with changes to their airlines etc. It was a great cruise. They did everything so flawlessly that if you didn't know that you were suppose to be going Eastern you would have thought that the Western was the itinerary that you had booked. Oh and the weather was beautiful all week.

Last year we were at sea during on of the Florida Hurricanes, can't remember which one. We were suppose to dock on a Saturday and remained at sea in the Florida straights for two days and docked on Monday morning. That was on Century (Celebrity Cruises) They kept us in beautiful sunny weather and helped everyone with changes to the airlines even if they hadn't done their airfare with the cruiseline. Also the Captain made numerous announcements from the bridge. He knew that everyone wanted to call home. He came on and said "I'm going in as close to Key West as possible and when I have a signal on my cell phone I'll come on and make another announcement" We had special Hurricane Menu's they came up with two additional shows in the evening. It was such a smooth experience that my husband and I are booked on Explorer for September 18th.

HAVE NO FEAR - THE CRUISE LINES ARE SET UP TO HANDLE THESE KIND OF THINGS. THATS THERE BUSINESS!!!! :) :)

I got caught in the tail end of hurricane Francis last year and I thought it was kinda fun. The ship stayed out to sea an extra day because the port of Miami was closed. The worst part was not knowing when we were going to dock. On Saturday, they told us on time. On Saturday night, they said Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, they said maybe Sunday night. Finally during dinner on Sunday, they said it wouldn't be that night, but the next morning. Many passengers were getting frustrated because the delayed return messed up so many flights, including mine, but there was really nothing we could do. You just needed to go with the flow.

We wre scheduled to go out of Port Canav. Sept 5th ( Sunday), last year, but we had already been hurricane hit and had no power etc. Could not make contact with RCCI , no on line capabilities to find out the status of our cruise ( Pt Canav was damaged and was closed) so day to day we were trying to contact RCCI.. they were extremely busy and when we did reach them, not real committal. They couldn't be, they didn't know when the Mariner would get back into port or where it would dock. Anyway we found out late Monday that it was leaving from Port of Miami, Tueday night at 9PM. It was stressful in that the gas stations were closed due to no power, and we havd to rent a van for 5 of us to save on the Gas situation. Stressful in that we were just going to cancel and once we made our decision to go I had to pack in the dark, and boiling hot heat and sweat, and with a flashlight. You should have seen what I ended up wearing on the cruise.. not my normal matching outfits,, I was so frustrated when we were packing and DH and I were about to kill each other from all the stress and heat. Anyway Tuesday morning we got up early ( never really went to sleep Monday night, too hot) and when we loaded up all our stuff, ran in to the house to take a cold shower, and I had the van runninng with the air on. It was like going into an Oasis. So that immediately changed the mood. We were worried all the way down to Mia, becase of the gas situation. The lines at the gas stations on the turnpike were enormous. Then as we were driving down we heard on the radio about Ivan heading to the Caribbean. When we got to the port we all relaxed, and when we saw the Marinar, we all breathed a sigh of relief. I would say it was only half full, and embarking took about 5 minutes. Our itinerary was changed and we did the Western instead of the Eastern and we only had 5 days instead of 7. We had a BLAST... never any movement on the ship, the captain was great about updating everyone. We were given 500.00 on board credit per cabin and 50% of future cruise credit which we are using May 8. We were in Grand Cayman the day before it got hit, but the water was calm and the skies were beautiful. I would say don't worry about it unless you have young children at home that you need to get back on time, and make sure you have plenty of fuel in your car ( if you are driving)

We got the tail end of Hurricane Ivan last year. We weren't able to go to Key West, we spent the day at sea instead. And we had really rough seas. That night even the crew was sick. There were bags lined up in the halls and elevators just in case people got sick. And it was formal night, so you saw a lot of green faces in all the pictures. ;)

The next day was fine we got to visit the rest of our ports, but we were upset we didn't get to see Key West.

Guess we'll just have to go on another cruise..... :D

Last August we were caught smack in the middle of Hurricane Frances.....we were totaly safe out at sea.....all the ports, airports were closed for 2 days so we got 2 extra days. We never had severe weather or seas, we almost didn't even know there was a hurricane!

Even though we missed 2 of our 4 ports, Labadee and Nassau but we didn't care! We had a chance to stay on the ship for the next cruise, we even booked the cabin, but then Hurricane Ivan was too big of a threat of not getting back again, so we changed our minds....looking back wished we stayed on!!!

***

I have experienced heavy seas with no mention of a hurricane.

Several years ago, we cruised to Bermuda in June on X's Horizon. The morning of the first full day at sea, we woke to a clear blue sky and 14' waves. Many people were sick and the restaurants were close to empty. This was when DW and I discovered that we don't get seasick (lucky us).:)

To add to the excitement, about mid-morning, the ship stopped and lowered a lifeboat. Apparently, a sailboat on the Newport to Bermuda race was in trouble. All of her crew, except the skipper, who opted to return to Newport alone, were brought on board. They were soaked and exhausted but gratified to be on luxary cruise ship. Once they recovered, they really enjoyed the amenities until we docked in Bermuda.

To give you an idea of how bad the seas were, some passengers opted to fly back from Bermuda, rather than brave the seas again. Too bad, because on the return trip, the Atlantic was as smooth as glass.

We cruised Boston to Bermuda on the Majesty in September of 1998. We hit the remnants of Hurricane Georges.

The first day, it was apparent the seas were rough. The pool was cleared out because the ship was rocking and the water would expose the bottom of the pool on one end and splash out the other. The crew told us "it wasn't bad- we hadn't seen anything yet". I started to feel queasy and was happy about the abundance of bags tucked in and around places throughout the ship. That night I was sick as a dog. I lay in bed, holding onto it for dear life, trying to make it stop rocking. The dramamine kicked in and I stopped getting sick but I still couldn't sleep because the doors and drawers in the cabin were opening and slamming shut from the motion of the ship.

My hubby went up to the bar on the top deck. He said it was frightening. As the ship went into the trough of the waves, he could only see water. He said he checked out the kids area and waves were crashing over the windows.

The next day some of the service crew even said it was some of the worst weather they had ever encountered.

We were on the Navigator last year for exactly the same Eastern Caribbean cruise the OP is booked for this year. All I can say is be prepared for anything. We were two days late leaving port. It was very stressful as we had to find hotels for Saturday and Sunday nights when we ordinarily would have been on the ship. We were at a beach hotel for Friday night (ship was supposed to leave Sat.) and didn't know until Sat. a.m. if we could stay or would need to evacuate inland. There were no vacancies at the inland hotels, so we would have ended up in a shelter. Later on the ship I spoke with many people who slept in their cars Saturday night -- the night of the hurricane. When we finally left late Monday night, we were routed to the Western Caribbean and stopped in Ocho Rios and Labadee. So much for our much anticipated Eastern Caribbean.

There are many posts from people who got two extra days aboard ship -- way out of the hurricane's way, I might add. There seem to be fewer from those like us -- two fewer days on board and two days and nights spent hanging around the hotel, including one night spent right in the hurricane.

All in all -- very stressful. So, for the OP and anyone else booked during hurricane season this year, all I can say is buyer beware!

We missed our call at Curacao on AOS last September due to Hurricane Ivan. We had a sea day the day we were supposed be in Curacao, and a call at St. Lucia (not scheduled) the next day. Captain and crew did a terrific job keeping us safe and comfortable. Just some pretty rough seas for a few hours that Wednesday morning.

1st Cruise in Sept-'87, storm was 200 miles away, seas so rough and ship pitched so much that the silver slid off the table at dinner. Did not cruise again till '90.

Daughter was on Ship Staff this past season, met some of the greatest people and most foul you could imagine. Like the cruise Line could control the weather. Hurricane season is like a box of choclates````````:D

We were on the now infamous Hurricane Ivan cruise aboard the NCL Sea last Sept. We were headed for Cozumel and would be cruising through the Yucatan Channel in the middle of the night. Hurricane Ivan was supposed to turn to the north, but instead drifted much further west than expected. At 2AM the NCL Sea and Hurricane Ivan met in the Yucatan Channel - the ship started to shake - it was like the ship climbed a mountain and then fell off the back side - everything was flying around in our cabin - glass breaking - I got out of bed to investigate and was thrown against the cabin door - I crawled back to bed on my hands and knees. In the morning - all the bottles in the booze store were smashed on the floor - the gift shops were a mess with everything on the floor or broken. We were told that we had run into 50 foot swells from 2AM to 6AM - We did stop at Cozumel - only to let the medical emergencies off the ship - then onto Roatan. Looking back this was a great experience, but not at the time it happened. I posted several reviews and comments on the NCL board after our safe return home.

After 6 years (8months of the year) at sea on a cruise ship, i can tell you that i have never been through a hurricane or rerouted. If you are it could be a sea day or another port. it can be frustrating at times but just remember the staff and crew are trying there best to alleviate the situation. Hurricanes are out of the vessels controll.

Sorry

But.We left on Sept 12th...the day after Ivan splattered the Caymans..

(Those funny reps..your sailing has not been altered,your sailing has not been altered..all the way up through check in):rolleyes:

Suppossed to do Key West,GC and Coz...As we sat around,about noon.We got word that we would not do Key West (duh) nor GC (thank God)..There were working on a new itinerary..Possibly NOWHERE.As Ivan was churning through the Yucatan channel.Possilby Merridia and VeraCruz...WHAT:p

However...Due to Captain JAck Sparrow at the helm...We crossed the Yucatan channel....150 miles from the center of Ivan..30 ft waves..(for about 2 Hours) then just 15 or so...And made it to Belize and Costa Maya and COz...Now if I would have wanted those ports,I could have taken Elation for about 400 less.:D

We were just glad to be alive:cool: And thankful our Captain got us to 3 ports..They all did a great job..

FTR...No credit of any kind...None needed..

We went right through Hurricane Claudette while on the Explorer a couple of years ago. I myself get a little seasick but I had the patch on, so I just went to bed, and got tossed around, but my family and most of the ship went up to deck 11 to watch it, the waves were hitting the ship and coming right up into the pool, it was a rough night, but not that bad. I actually thought it was a good thing because up until then I didnt want to cruise during hurricane season then after going right through one I realized it wasnt so bad although after all those hurricanes last year and those ships not being able to come back to port made me a little nervous.

Heatherernijoli, we are on the same cruise! I have cruised during hurricane season for the last 10 years and last year I did finally get caught in hurricane Frances. It was a bit stressful but I was never worried about my safety. Crew was great and we got an extra 2 days at sea. No complaints from me. The weather in Sept. is usually very nice. So as I said, I'm booked again for hurricane season but I can't wait to see NOS.

Once, 20 years ago, on a small ship, on a weekend cruise, we encountered a bad storm and very rough seas. I felt sick and so did most of the passengers. The ship pitched so much that there was almost no water left in the pool...it all spilled out onto the deck. You could see this from inside, but of course no one was allowed to go out on the decks because they were worried about losing passengers.

So why were we there?? Apparently, there was a load of boat people that had capsized in the rough seas and the Coast Guard requested we stand by as a rescue ship. To the best of my knowledge, we never actually rescued anyone, but we were required to remain in the storm for over a day.

I never want to do that again.

-Pyedog

In 2003 we were scheduled for Bermuda on the Zenith. Huricane Fabian(I think) hit Bermuda Fri before our Sat sailing. We eventually found out at 6pm Fri via this board our cruise was rerouted to Canada/Maine. So we had to switch our luggage. Some people showed up at the pier thinking we were going to Bermuda, they were not happy.

We were given $100 off future cruise. My only complaint was they should have told us sooner. We had great weather and great cruise.

Harry

wow.

i don't know if this makes me feel worse or better!

i have cruised in september, but the first week not the last. I guess either one is as much of a gamble as the other...

No hurricane--but we hit some really bad weather last November near Puerto Rico. During the first part of cruiise it was smooth sailing and I get seasick very easily. I attempted to go "patchless". The sailing was so smooth--that when the captain mentioned we would be hitting some rough water--I didn't pay enough attention. Within a few hours I was laying on the cool marble floor in the bathroom. Got to meet the doctor that trip.

The nurse told me that when in rough seas--keep eating little bits of food and water. Try to not vomit the FIRST time and it is easier to keep in check. once you get sick it is difficult to stop and you can get dehydrated.

We were in the very front of the ship---Royal Suite--near the bridge and there was a lot of motion and high seas and winds. We heard reports that the Captain was also sick. We got into port 2-3 hours late.

Linda/Ohio

On the Zenith in May 2003, my family and I sailed to Bermuda. Leaving NYC was aweome and the ship handles the seas well that afternoon. The next morning, I woke up by nearly rolling out of bed. I looked out the window and there wasn't a cloud in the sky but the seas were unbelievable rough. I managed to get showered and changed and of course wanted to head up to the pool deck and see whats going on. I nearly hurled watching the ship pitch from left to right and the feeling of sudden weightlessness as the ship would ride the waves. It was unbelievable.

Two hours later, the seas were smooth as glass and we never felt a thing for the rest of the week. I recall the Captain saying we hit really large swells but can't recall the height. I do recall seeing the water in the pool swaying back and forth so much that you could see the bottom of the pool and the spray of the ocean reaching the top deck where I was anchored down (LOL). Most passengers were sick the first day along with a majority of the crew.

After this experience, I vowed never to sail a small tonnage ship. The service was unmatched on this ship but the small size of the ship was a turn off for me.

My family and I were on the Navigator last year during Hurricane Francis. Altbough we lost 3 out of 4 of our original ports, we were rerouted and went to Antigua (not original port) and St. Thomas (original port). We also got two extra days at sea.

While we stayed clear of the weather. The logistics of rearranging flights killed an entire day for a lot of people on the cruise. However, I certainly cannot complain and in fact, have rebooked during the same time period this year so that I can go to the ports I missed last year.