Cruising During Hurricane Season

[rez4jc]

I have only cruised February-March, but am taking a cruise out of San Juan in September. Is the ocean more rough and are more people prone to seasickness?

[jmf123]

Well, while September is definitely hurricane season and statistically the month that most hurricanes occur, Mother Nature does what she wants. You have one big thing in your favor- sailing from San Juan rather than the east coast, particularly Florida. You'll already be in the Caribbean when you sail and the southern waters are typically smoother. And the ships are so large now that passengers rarely get seasick any more. Try a preventative med if you are prone to it, such as over the counter Bonine. Also, book a stateroom that is midship and on a lower deck, this location has less motion than forward, aft, or on a high deck. Due to weather and other unforeseen things that can happen, I would strongly recommend a pre-night hotel in San Juan for peace of mind. You'll have no worries and be one of the first to board on sailing day. Enjoy your cruise (and likely the better rates then too!).

[DeepWaterMariner]

I have only cruised February-March, but am taking a cruise out of San Juan in September. Is the ocean more rough and are more people prone to seasickness?

 

If there isn't a hurricane around the seas should be no worse than any other time of the year. We've had more in the way of rough seas during the winter than in the spring, summer, or fall but with a hurricane all bets are off.

[bionicman97]

We have sailed in Hurricane season several times, and except for one time when there was actually a Hurricane close by, it really didn't seem any different than any other time of year.

 

The one time with the hurricane (the ship attempted to go around it and the hurricane changed direction quickly), we couldn't go out on any of the open decks for about 12 hours and the ship rocked somewhat, but still not too bad.

[awboater]

I have sailed the Caribbean in "hurricane season" several times, and I would not hesitate - and in fact our next cruise is in Oct of this year.

 

While there is always the possibility of a cruise being canceled, delayed, or itinerary changed, this is not something unique to hurricane season.

[FreeWilly88]

Cruises prices tend to take a dip in September since the kiddos are back to school and I've sailed during September to either Eastern or Western Caribbean for 7 of the last 10 years. We only had one encounter with a hurricane when we were on Navigator of the Seas. The hurricane made landfall around Miami and caused the port to shut down during the weekend we were to return back to port. We got an extra two days at sea doing donuts near Cuba... sure it was nice to be onboard for those extra days, but provisions were beginning to run low.

[Philly Steve]

Our last four cruises to Bermuda have been during hurricane season and it was not unusual to see seasickness bags deployed across the ships. But, there can be a big difference between the Atlantic and Caribbean. :)

[rez4jc]

Thank you!

[yukongold]

I think the biggest worry would be a change in itinerary. But if you are cruising the Caribbean - who cares?:)

[Joyandross]

We have done a few during hurricane season both from San Juan and Florida. Condition of the seas really depends on what is happening out there and the direction of a storm. Even a tropical wave heading through the Caribbean can cause some heavy seas. However, if there are no storms in the Atlantic basin sailing can be very smooth. Storms even quite a distance away can give you quite a ride.

[Megs867]

The 3 cruises I have been on were all during hurricane season. I am prone to sea sickness and our itinerary did change on all cruises. Even with that the cruises were great and prices were lower. This will be my first cruise during the summer and the only reason we are not doing one during hurricane season is because the family doesn't want to pull kids out of school for a week.

[dmdicato]

With being a teacher, our cruises are always confined to summer months, usually August, but we've never experienced any bad weather. Surprisingly, the one time that we cruised in February, RCCL cancelled docking at one of the ports!

[cb at sea]

The roughness of the seas really have nothing to do with the "hurricane season"....that simply means the temperatures are likely to spawn a storm....if it doesn't happen, seas are as normal as any other time. Winds can cause high seas, without a hurricane or tropical storm.

Your ship will NOT sail through a hurricane...they will re-route.