During hurricane season....?

DH and I want to take our kids with us on our next cruise. However, we need to go in June/July which I was told was peak season! :(

Got a queote for the 5 of us on the Triumph ( was told Triumph and Victory were the only ships to do 7 day & hold 5 people in 1 cabin)I about died at the price b/c of the month. We were told that the rate would be significantly less in August..... peak hurricane season!:eek:

SOOOOOOO........ what I want to know is how safe is that to all of you seasoned cruisers? How do the cruise lines handle that and will you get a refund?( I was told "yes" by Carnival if THEY cancel)

Please advise!!!!:confused:

We have been blessed with wonderful weather....but as we all know, mother nature is a factor.

Personally, it would not bother me in the least...because as long as the ship does not sink ... I am going to have a GREAT time (not just a good time).

And if the ship does sink and no one gets hurt and they give me enough goodies for the trouble...it can sink and I will still have a GREAT time.

But I like adventure. It does not bother me when plans are changed. We took our two boys to Israel for 2 weeks. We landed in the airport, grabbed a taxi (driven by a man who spoke NO english) and managed to take care of ourselves in Tel Aviv until our group tour started 2 days later.

Not everyone is like that. And it is OK not to be like that. But only you know if this is something that would be fun or stressful..if the worst occured.

And the thing about it is...hurricanes can happen in June and July ...just like in August. The chance is greater in August...but it can still happen any time.

Unless you do like we did and go to Alaska in July. Then you have no hurricane worries. You might get eaten by a bear....but no hurricanes.

Go and have a good time and teach the kids a life lesson at the same time to roll with the punches no matter what comes!!!

21 cruises of wonderful weather and counting.... we are truly blessed.

I am booked for a "hurricane cruise", July 31-August 5. This is my first cruise, but I am really looking forward to it. I know that the ships will stay out of the way of the storms, and if something happens it is a great story to tell my grand children some day.:D

the day that Katrina hit the coast. Carnival was in touch with us for 3 or 4 days before the cruise and we recieved a refund almost immediately. No problem. We have been on 30 cruises, probably half during hurricane season, and the only time we were affected was when we sailed out of New Orleans and a hurricane changed from the projected path and came across the gulf towards the western gulf. But remember, these ships will change course and ports if needed to avoid any dangerous weather. They will take no chances with the ship and passengers safety. Go and have a great time.

DH and I want to take our kids with us on our next cruise. However, we need to go in June/July which I was told was peak season! :(

Got a queote for the 5 of us on the Triumph ( was told Triumph and Victory were the only ships to do 7 day & hold 5 people in 1 cabin)I about died at the price b/c of the month. We were told that the rate would be significantly less in August..... peak hurricane season!:eek:

SOOOOOOO........ what I want to know is how safe is that to all of you seasoned cruisers? How do the cruise lines handle that and will you get a refund?( I was told "yes" by Carnival if THEY cancel)

Please advise!!!!:confused:

I don't know how it is where you live, but here in Tampa our weather forecasters can't get it right a week ahead most of the time. Now, here you are asking what the weather might be like in July or August....see where I'm going with this?

There is a risk. Last year was a freak year for hurricanes, hopefully not to be repeated in a very long time. They aren't scheduled....they happen.

If you want to go...book it. But, book cruise insurance that covers you if you are unable to get to the ship, because in 99% of the cruises, the ship will go, with or without you.

BTW, late August, early Sept. is the peak time, I believe.

Mark T

Safety is not a factor from the passenger point of view. The crew will take every necessary precaution. We sailed twice last year. We raced out of Mobile Bay ahead of Dennis and caught big waves. We spent part of our October cruise lingering between Bahaman islands waiting for Wilma to pass. The waves were big and the wind strong. We missed Key West but had a long stay in Nassau. I must admit to being a weather freak.

So long as you are willing to accept itinerary changes, hurricane cruising can be fun, and cheap. You didn't say your kids’ age but if they are old enough to understand, this could be their adventure of a lifetime.

I have posted this photo many times but it tells a story.

the day that Katrina hit the coast. Carnival was in touch with us for 3 or 4 days before the cruise and we recieved a refund almost immediately. No problem. We have been on 30 cruises, probably half during hurricane season, and the only time we were affected was when we sailed out of New Orleans and a hurricane changed from the projected path and came across the gulf towards the western gulf. But remember, these ships will change course and ports if needed to avoid any dangerous weather. They will take no chances with the ship and passengers safety. Go and have a great time.

Very well said !!

There is a big advantage to being on a cruise ship during hurrican season as compared to a land based hotel. The ships can move. So if the hurrican is to the left, the ship can go to the right and stay away from the hurricane. Now lets see a land based hotel do that!

Basically what you have to understand is, if you book a cruise during hurrican season, you cannot be sure the itinerary you booked is the itinerary you will actuall go on. That said, get insurance and you'll have a great time. :)

Sept 10th is the actually peak of the hurricane season. I always remember this because it is my Dad's birthday. I also agree with the fact that local newscasters ( I am in Florida) cannot predict just a week prior.

As far as it being a freak season last year, many people have said that the hurricane doors are open following a relative quiet for the last 20-30 or so years. Remember, we have had 2 years in a row of bad hurricanes.

I would bet my money on going in June since hurricane season starts June 1st; there tends to be less activity at the very beginning and end of the seasons. And definately purchase insurance.

I have booked many clients, friends, and family on August and September cruises...why? IT'S MUCH MUCH CHEAPER! Yes, it's hurricane season but like another poster said...ships can move....I'd rather be on a ship during a hurricane than any land-based house or hotel ANY DAY!!!!!

May, June and July are "peak" times, in that it is school vacation and that's when most people take their "family" vacations. The price of a cruise during these months (from what I've seen) is sometimes TRIPLE what you can get for August, September, or October.

I have travelled 3 times during Hurican season. The boats always leave, unless the hurican will hit your port of enbarkation. If the storm is not hitting that area the day you leave, then the ship goes. You may not go to any ports that were on your schedule. Once I missed all three stops, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Just received $75,00 on ship credit, $25.00 per each port missed.

Not a real problem. Just a bummer we missed our ports.

Thanks so far for all the replies... anyone else?

Thanks, you all have put my mind a little more at ease we are going in October and I have been nervous about it still being hurricane season. I live in North Florida and we have been hit the last two years with Ivan, Dennis and Katrina less than 150 miles from home Ivan and Dennis less than 40 miles. Foracasts say bad hurricanes for many years to come but you only go around once so we figure go for it!

Our kids get a fall break the first of October, and the last 2 years we have had great weather. Maybe yours have something similar? Even at that though, we were blessed as both times were in between storms. Somebody up there likes me! October , to me, is the perfect time to sail.

Thanks Airhead!:p :p

Do get insurance though if you are cruising during hurricane season...I can't stress that enough.

DH and I want to take our kids with us on our next cruise. However, we need to go in June/July which I was told was peak season! :(

Got a queote for the 5 of us on the Triumph ( was told Triumph and Victory were the only ships to do 7 day & hold 5 people in 1 cabin)I about died at the price b/c of the month. We were told that the rate would be significantly less in August..... peak hurricane season!:eek:

SOOOOOOO........ what I want to know is how safe is that to all of you seasoned cruisers? How do the cruise lines handle that and will you get a refund?( I was told "yes" by Carnival if THEY cancel)

Please advise!!!!:confused:

We have always traveled in Sept/oct we have been rerouted one time out of 8 cruises. Its a hit and miss thing. Just dont get set on your destination and you will be fine. That way your not disappointed if they change the itenery on you.

What does the insurance cover? I called Carnival last weekend and the lady told me that it pretty much covered if one of us got sick and could not make the trip. I may have misunderstood.

Well since we are leaving on SEPT. 10!!! I am just going to pray that the hurricane's are all playing nice.

As long as you're willing to be flexible and not count on particular ports, you should be fine. If you're really counting on ports, sail another time. We missed Grand Cayman and ended up returning to New Orleans a day late, thansk to Hurricane Dennis. I was sorry to miss GC, but expected it under the circumstances. My most memorable changed cruise from last year was a RCI cruise from New York that was supposed to go south (I think Bahamas), but due to bad weather was diverted to Canada! Not exactly what most cruisers had prepared for:eek:

What does the insurance cover? I called Carnival last weekend and the lady told me that it pretty much covered if one of us got sick and could not make the trip. I may have misunderstood.

go to www.travelsafe.com

That's the main insurance I sell to my clients. Read up on it...you'll see what the benefits are.

go to www.travelsafe.com

 

That's the main insurance I sell to my clients. Read up on it...you'll see what the benefits are.

Thanks !:)

I just checked prices on the Triumph on the Carnival website versus one of my favorite online sites. The prices are about $100 cheaper/person (at least for the 1st and 2nd in the cabin.) Plus, I have a TA in New York that usually matches the online price, plus he includes all port fees and taxes. Bottom line, you might just need to shop a bit to get a better price. I rarely book thru Carnival direct. You can get travel insurance no matter where you buy. Keep shopping!

What does the insurance cover? I called Carnival last weekend and the lady told me that it pretty much covered if one of us got sick and could not make the trip. I may have misunderstood.

You don't have to buy the insurance from Carnival. Insurance covers you (medical) your property (cameras with legs) missed cruise because of late personal emergency (if the cause is covered) having to leave the cruise early because of a family emergency (again, if the cause is covered) having to rebook a flight home because the ship was late.

Check out InsureMyTrips dot Com for more info.

Summer is peak season because of increased demand and reduced supply. Cruise lines send a lot of their ships to Alaska and Europe. That leaves a smaller supply of ships in the Caribbean. That also means there isn't a big selection of Caribbean itineraries in the summer.

I see you're in Indiana which means you probably need to fly. I can relate. We live in Illinois and always cruise during summer peak season when our kids are out of school.

As a general guideline, the more flexible you can be and the longer you can wait to book can mean better deals. However, you need a cabin that will hold 5 or two cabins (3 & 2). You can't wait too long if you need a cabin for more than 2 people because there are fewer of them available. Also, you might wait long enough to get a good cruise price, but have to pay more for air. And if you do want 2 cabins, you probably can't wait too long to book if you want them near each other. If you want a cabin for 5, you really shouldn't wait too long because not all ships will accomodate 5.

I recommend biting the bullet and booking very soon if you really want to go on a cruise this summer.