Hurricane Season....

hi-I was thinking about booking during huriccane season...

are the seas choppy?

What happens if the hurricane is in the path of the storm?

Which gets hit more: western, eastern, or southern carribean?

Thanks

hi-I was thinking about booking during huriccane season...

 

are the seas choppy?

 

What happens if the hurricane is in the path of the storm?

 

Are the seas choppy? yes if after any storm

The hurricane is usually in the path of the storm since it is the storm

Hurricane season is late May to November. To the extent possible ships will alter their path or even change ports of call to avoid the hurricane. In the worst case your cruise could be shortened or even cancelled.

You can't predict IF or Where a hurricane may be during the week you pick to travel. Don't fixate on particular ports and be flexible. You can still have a good time.

Officially, hurricane season begins June 1st and ends November 30th. After last year they may have to rethink that one.

We've cruised in August and Oct./Nov. and only once had choppy seas from a tropical storm. That was the August cruise. Supposedly, the southern route is less prone to hurricanes specifically around the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), but those storms have a mind of their own. The old saying around the internet is: You book during hurricane season, you take your chances. Best bet, buy insurance and pick your date and ship!

We always travel during hurricane season and the waters are fine. We stayed just in front of Rita last year and you could never tell if you couldn't see the clouds off in the distance. smooth seas and sunny skies.

What happens if the hurricane is in the path of the storm?

The ships do well in avoiding hurricanes, they have all the resources to avoid such storms. Living in the Ft Lauderdale area for the last 30 years, I would say hurricanes are more likely in the August and September month's, but yes they can happen anytime as we found out the last couple of years. If I were cruising during those months I would be more hesitant to do a private excursion, which I prefer, because you stand a good chance of having your ports change if the ship has to go to another port to avoid a storm. If you are lucky to cruise during this time, I think its the best time to go, less kids and the weather is the best. Good luck and enjoy.

You will have to check my link to the Imagination review below. All our ports were changed and because it hit Ft. Lauderdale, we had a nine day cruise instead of 4. For most of the cruise we had great weather but did go through some outer bands at times and was a little rough.

We were lucky as we got a longer cruise but the people on the next cruise, if they could even get into Ft. Lauderdale, their cruise was shortened.

It is the gamble you take but I must say that was our best cruise! Of course it was our most exciting!

I would guess that the Bahamas or Mexican Riviera would be the safest based on where the hurricanes went last year!

MY favorite time to cruise is September. The weather is great, very few kids, and CHEAP prices.

We have been on 5 cruises in the fall and the only 1 time was the cruise changed because of weather. Princess reversed the order of the islands we were stopping at. We just saw them on a different day than we originally thought we would. We were out running Frances. It was no big deal and the weather was great.

Have also cruised in the summer and have had more rain in June than September. I'll take hurracaine season any time. There are great deals to be had. We have gotten suites for $775.00 per person.

Here's a link to the National Hurricane Center. Hopefully, you'll be able to find all the history and answers to your specific questions here. Good Luck! There's always Alaska, too :)

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Let's hope last year was an exception: I am sure it was, this doesn't mean we won't have another bad one, but it is unlikely. As for sailing during the season, that is the 64000 $ question. We have sailed as late as mid Aug and as early as mid November. We may sail the Mexican Riv in Sept this year. The captains are very good at sailing around storms, will keep you safe, but obviously if there are ocean storms or hurricanes forming the seas will be rough. As has been stated already; the hurricane season starts June 1st and ends November 30th with few storms before mid or late July or after mid Oct. (bad ones that is) NMnita

this doesn't mean we won't have another bad one, but it is unlikely.

The gurus are forecasting yet another active Atlantic season. Predictions are calling for 17 named storms, including 9 hurricanes, 5 of them "intense" hurricanes.

I heard the same thing. Already making preparations for a bad season. Already replaced old generator and stockpiling diesel, gas and food.

The gurus are forecasting yet another active Atlantic season. Predictions are calling for 17 named storms, including 9 hurricanes, 5 of them "intense" hurricanes.

Well let's hope they have no idea what they are talking about: We were suposed to have a cold winter here in NM also; instead almost record breaking heat and absolutely no rain. Now I will start my garden a few weeks early and we will get a late storm: damn mother nature!!!!!lol

Well let's hope they have no idea what they are talking about

Not likely. The professor from Colorado has been alarmingly accurate over the years.

I hate to say it but I agree with you. We have had a warm winter here in FL and I hope I am wrong but does'nt warm water increase hurricane strength? IE: early start on warm water may make for a wild season.:mad:

My very first cruise was in October 95 and the ship was following the path of Hurricane Roxanne by about 4 or 5 days. At the time we left Miami, the hurricane was still over Cozumel, but Cozumel was to be the last port of call. The seas weren't particularly rough by that time, but a couple of ports were affected. In Jamaica there were a lot of trees down, which affected the route the tour took. In Grand Cayman, shore excursions like snorkelling and glass bottom boat rides were cancelled because the water was too churned up to see anything. By the time we got to Cozumel, the hurricane was gone, but the power was still out in a lot of the shops. I recall the Captain making announcements that said basically, they were monitoring the situation and if there was any danger, the ship would alter course.

Ohh lets not forget about those infamous "cold fronts".:eek:

I was on the 7/18/04 sailing on the Legend out of NYC. Thats the sailing where the ship was slammed with a wave and we listed. Wow,,did we hit a doozy of a cold front. It might as well have been a hurricane. That was right out of NYC and had rough seas for 2 days..It got better the closer we got to Florida and the Carribean was smooth! Btw, the Captain delayed leaving port and did his best to avoid the cold front..but it swept a good portion of the east coast right out to sea.

Last year, as we were leaving Tortola, we hit the beginning of a Hurricane (geez, cant remember the name).We had rough seas for one night and half the next day.. After that cold front, this was nothing.

Im leaving 7/9/06 out of Miami to the W. Carribean on the Valor..Im keeping my fingers crossed. ;)

Our trip last July was detoured to the Bahamas due to the hurricane. We had only one really bad night with rough sees, but otherwise absolutely wonderful, calm seas.

Our first stop in Nassau was a hit due to the very high waves --some over 6 feet!!! (yellow flags) at the beach. (A hit because we had 5 boys in our group of 9) Our friends who live in Panama City Beach, FL said the waves were "scary", and that means something when people living on a beach say that!!! It was a letdown to the boys the next day in Freeport with very calm seas!

That said, we can't wait to go this July! We did, however, move the date up 2 weeks. We also follow the hurricane forcast center which predicts a cycle of 5-10 years of intense storms.:eek:

BTW--our friends in Florida are moving back to the midwest! They can't take another year of 4 evacuations!!! (If it's not the actual hurricane--it's the tornados!!)

BTW--our friends in Florida are moving back to the midwest! They can't take another year of 4 evacuations!!! (If it's not the actual hurricane--it's the tornados!!)

I hear you there! we are between Panama City and Pensacola the tornadoes are no fun:(