Hurricane irma....ugh

[jasong38501]

My thoughts are with everyone this weekend. Hopefully Irma surprises us all and heads North out to sea.

 

I don't think it is a waste to book during hurricane season. We have had 4 successfully October cruises and hopefully a 5th one this year. The weather has been beautiful! Afterall, hurricane season is 6 months long. That would be a large chunk of the year to block off. 50%.

Happy sailing!

 

I agree with all of this! That person has been posting non stop lecturing everyone not to book in hurricane season. Their next cruise according to their signature in in early January. If I had a cruise booked then I would be much more concerned about winter weather not allowing me to get to the airport or my flight being cancelled. Some people have no idea that there is a world out there outside of what they see everyday and everyone has different factors that come into play as to when it is best for them to take a cruise!

[grest]

we won't be cruising this month, but it looks like we'll be bugging out! We live in the Tampa Bay area, and it will effect us in some way, though not sure to what extent.

[bUU]

I agree with all of this! That person has been posting non stop lecturing everyone not to book in hurricane season. Their next cruise according to their signature in in early January. If I had a cruise booked then I would be much more concerned about winter weather not allowing me to get to the airport or my flight being cancelled. Some people have no idea that there is a world out there outside of what they see everyday and everyone has different factors that come into play as to when it is best for them to take a cruise!

While I agree with what 2paradise wrote, I think it is important for veteran Cruise Critic posters to accept an obligation to (courteously) help newer cruisers to understand that cruising during late August, September, and early October is very different in terms of weather becoming an obstacle - and yes, even as compared to cruising during winter. The point isn't to discourage new cruisers from such cruises nor to scold cruisers who book such cruises, but rather to ensure, as much as we are able, that not a single person can get through their time here on Cruise Critic without gaining the appropriate understanding about just how much risk the cruise passenger is taking onto themselves by selecting a cruise during hurricane season.

[evandbob]

Yeah, I'll be seriously ticked off if I end up in New York.

 

 

NYC is certainly not Caribbean, unless you were in town for the East Indian Parade in Brooklyn over the last weekend. But it is the largest, most frequented and safest major American city we've got in our great land, and I'll bet your diappointment won't dampen the enthusiasm of others getting this unexpected treat.

[Coopdog08]

When was the last time a cruise ship was able to disembark its passengers from its previous voyage and did not embark the passengers for its next voyage due to weather?

Never?

[oldguysandgalls]

Our thoughts and prayers are with the hundreds of thousands of people in the path of Hurricane Irma and with the passengers on all cruise ships. May they all remain safe and out of harm's way.

[LostPuppy]

Flying in to Tampa on Sunday, the 10th for a B2B2B cruise. Actually looking forward to some excitement.(i.e. Life is a journey, enjoy the ride).

[2paradise]

I don't think it's a waste to book during hurricane season either. I live in Florida, so to be honest, hurricanes are a "normal" way of life here. Someone making a ridiculous comment (who has no skin in the game) like "this is the risk you take, blah blah blah" might as well say by the way, you are also morons if you live in Florida.

ANYONE who lives in Florida or comes to Florida for vacation August through November is taking some sort of risk. But hey, it must make some people feel good to be negative Nellies. LOL

 

 

Funny!! And very true. I live in the Midwest and tornadoes are common. I guess nobody should live in the Midwest either. :)

[2paradise]

While I agree with what 2paradise wrote, I think it is important for veteran Cruise Critic posters to accept an obligation to (courteously) help newer cruisers to understand that cruising during late August, September, and early October is very different in terms of weather becoming an obstacle - and yes, even as compared to cruising during winter. The point isn't to discourage new cruisers from such cruises nor to scold cruisers who book such cruises, but rather to ensure, as much as we are able, that not a single person can get through their time here on Cruise Critic without gaining the appropriate understanding about just how much risk the cruise passenger is taking onto themselves by selecting a cruise during hurricane season.

 

I agree with you... It is an increased risk for sure. But worth taking in my mind. I guess it all depends on how much risk each of us is willing to take. I just don't like the posters who attack and place blame on those who cruise in the Fall and run into problems. Nobody has any control over the weather during any month of the year.

[missdenise]

My thoughts are with everyone this weekend. Hopefully Irma surprises us all and heads North out to sea.

 

I don't think it is a waste to book during hurricane season. We have had 4 successfully October cruises and hopefully a 5th one this year. The weather has been beautiful! Afterall, hurricane season is 6 months long. That would be a large chunk of the year to block off. 50%.

 

Happy sailing!

 

Agree 100%.

[2PinaColadas]

Our thoughts and prayers are with the hundreds of thousands of people in the path of Hurricane Irma and with the passengers on all cruise ships. May they all remain safe and out of harm's way.

 

 

Thank you!!! The people who live in the path of Irma are the ones I am concerned with. If your cruise is cancelled, that's it-- your cruise is cancelled. It will be upsetting, I know I would be very disappointed. If you are one of the locals who live on these islands being slammed by Irma you live day to day. You have little and work hard for that. What little you have will likely be destroyed. Lives could be lost. Cruise ships and other vacationers will not be able to come to your island for a while, so you will lose vital revenue. I hate that some of you will not be sipping your Pina Coladas on the beach, but it could be much worse. And--one last thought-- those criticizing others for booking during hurricane season-- maybe that's the only time they are able to go. Not everyone lives by a port or has a job they can take off from whenever they want.

Prayers for those who live in the path of Irma.

[missdenise]

I keep reading about everyone's upset comments concerning cancelling cruise, rerouting cruise, worried about homes back home if they cruise, and on and on. I feel bad for you all, but if I've said it once I'll say it again--this is the risk you take by booking during hurricane season. You can defend it all you want, but it is a total waste of money! And a whole lot of pain, worry, and stress. It's great when it works out in your favor, but do really want to risk your hard earned cruised dollars?

 

Do you actually realize hurricane season is 6 months of the year?

[missdenise]

Funny!! And very true. I live in the Midwest and tornadoes are common. I guess nobody should live in the Midwest either. :)

 

Not during tornado season, I guess.....:rolleyes:

[cruzeluver]

Hundreds of thousands cruise during the six months of hurricane season and the vast majority are not impacted.

[cstwilhoit]

Supposed to leave September 14th on the Carnival Splendor. I'm pretty sure the cruise will happen, but I'm in Charleston SC and am afraid we may get a direct hit. In the worst case scenario and Charleston ends up a disaster and I can't get to Ft. Lauderdale to leave, do they ever let you get a refund or change your date? I heard the insurance was pointless so I didn't buy it :/

[medianeh]

Yeah, I'll be seriously ticked off if I end up in New York.

 

 

You're telling me. We drove from NY down to Baltimore, and sailed up to NY. lmao. We made the best of it, and had an awesome time in Little Italy and Times Square.

 

Not to mention, we all got $250 pp onboard credit, we upgraded our cabin (free) from a 4k to an extended balcony on the 7th floor. By the time we sailed back down to Baltimore, there was only 700 people onboard. We had the ship to ourselves. In addition, we got 50% off a future cruise (which we are going on in March 2018).

 

In 2012 we were on the Pride when Hurricane Sandy hit, and the coast guard closed the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. We were literally on the ship, had lunch (and my mother was unpacked), and they canceled our cruise.

 

But I did learn my lesson. I will never ever book another cruise during hurricane season.

 

Twice bitten. lol

[rrroberts2016]

We are supposed to leave Saturday, Sept. 9 from Ft. Lauderdale (Carnival Splendor). I called Carnival last night at 10 pm and they had no news yet. The latest radar/info says Irma could make landfall early Sunday morning....Does that mean that our cruise will leave port as planned on the 9th (at 4 pm)? Thoughts? https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-irma-united-states-hurricane-warning-puerto-rico-leeward-islands-0

[mac21902]

I'm booked on Carnival Conquest with my family (about 20) and we are supposed to fly in on Friday morning 9/8 & sail out on 9/9. I'm concerned because I don't want to fly in with my family only to have the cruise cancelled and we are stuck in Fl. I called Carnival and they weren't really helpful as they just say they will text us with any updates. I'm flying in from IL and most certainly will stay my butt at home with my family if there is any chance it will be cancelled.

[dreadpirate3]

11 AM Update - 180 mph winds

 

[hsgirl73]

I am scheduled to leave out of Galveston on Carnival Breeze on Sunday the 10th. I'm keeping close eye on Irma status but am curious as to when and what kind of notice will be given if the cruise is cancelled? I'm fairly new to cruising so I don't know the ins and outs to much on protocol. Does anyone in their opinion think it will be cancelled?

Edited September 5, 2017 by hsgirl73

[rrroberts2016]

Latest from Carnival per Facebook IM:

Here is our latest update that will be on the website shortly. We are closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Irma and thus far have made itinerary changes as detailed below in order to ensure our ships maintain a safe distance from the storm. In addition we are making preparations for a potential landfall in South Florida. The safety of our guests and team members is our first priority. We will continue to make adjustments as necessary and will provide further updates as they become available.

 

CARNIVAL GLORY (SEVEN-DAY CRUISE FROM MIAMI) Revised Itinerary Original Itinerary Sept. 2 – Miami Sept. 2 – Miami Sept. 3 – At Sea Sept. 3 – Half Moon Cay Sept. 4 – Grand Cayman Sept. 4 – At Sea Sept. 5 – Mahogany Bay (Roatan) Sept. 5 – St. Thomas Sept. 6 – Belize Sept. 6 – San Juan Sept. 7 – Cozumel Sept. 7- Grand Turk Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 9 – Miami Sept. 9 – Miami

 

CARNIVAL MAGIC (SIX-DAY CRUISE FROM PORT CANAVERAL) Revised Itinerary Original Itinerary Sept. 3 – Port Canaveral Sept. 3 – Port Canaveral Sept. 4 – At Sea Sept. 4 – Nassau Sept. 5 – Cozumel Sept. 5 – At Sea Sept. 6 – Belize Sept. 6 – Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) Sept. 7 – Costa Maya Sept. 7- Grand Turk Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 9 – Port Canaveral Sept. 9 – Port Canaveral

 

CARNIVAL SPLENDOR (SIX-DAY CRUISE FROM PORT FORT LAUDERDALE ) Revised Itinerary Original Itinerary Sept. 3 – Port Everglades Sept. 3 – Port Everglades Sept. 4 – At Sea Sept. 4 – Nassau Sept. 5 – Cozumel Sept. 5 – Half Moon Cay Sept. 6 – Mahogany Bay (Roatan) Belize Sept. 6 – Grand Turk Sept. 7 – Belize Sept. 7- Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 9 – Port Everglades Sept. 9 – Port Everglades

 

CARNIVAL PRIDE (SEVEN-DAY CRUISE FROM BALTIMORE) Revised Itinerary Original Itinerary Sept. 3 – Baltimore Sept. 3 – Baltimore Sept. 4 – At Sea Sept. 4 – At Sea Sept. 5 – Charleston Sept. 5 – At Sea Sept. 6 – Freeport Sept. 6 – Grand Turk Sept. 7 – Nassau Sept. 7- Half Moon Cay Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 8 – At Sea Sept. 9 – At Sea Sept. 9 – At Sea Sept. 10 - Baltimore Sept. 10 – Baltimore

[rrroberts2016]

Ugh, I couldn't SS the convo from fb....oh well...see my previous post (I copy/pasted convo)

Edited September 5, 2017 by rrroberts2016

[Pearlironic]

I'm booked on Carnival Conquest with my family (about 20) and we are supposed to fly in on Friday morning 9/8 & sail out on 9/9. I'm concerned because I don't want to fly in with my family only to have the cruise cancelled and we are stuck in Fl. I called Carnival and they weren't really helpful as they just say they will text us with any updates. I'm flying in from IL and most certainly will stay my butt at home with my family if there is any chance it will be cancelled.

 

 

I am on the same ship and I am also coming from IL! I feel the exact same way! Just say something!!

[winddawn]

While I agree with what 2paradise wrote, I think it is important for veteran Cruise Critic posters to accept an obligation to (courteously) help newer cruisers to understand that cruising during late August, September, and early October is very different in terms of weather becoming an obstacle - and yes, even as compared to cruising during winter. The point isn't to discourage new cruisers from such cruises nor to scold cruisers who book such cruises, but rather to ensure, as much as we are able, that not a single person can get through their time here on Cruise Critic without gaining the appropriate understanding about just how much risk the cruise passenger is taking onto themselves by selecting a cruise during hurricane season.

 

This is a good point, and I agree judgment isn't helpful, but helping newer cruisers is. While it's easy to make a blanket statement about hurricane season, the reality is that while official hurricane season lasts 6 months, peak time is now. You can see in this graphic the historical likelihood of a tropical storm or hurricane by month.

 

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/images/peakofseason.gif

 

August through October is peak time, and statistically September 10th is the absolute peak over the past 100 years. So we shouldn't be surprised September is busy. And it was just last year Hurricane Alex formed in the Atlantic in January, so hurricanes can happen anytime.

 

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&q=january+hurricane+2016&oq=january+hurricane&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0j0i22i30k1l3.296.4988.0.7836.23.20.3.0.0.0.257.2375.1j14j2.17.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..3.20.2459...0i131k1.20_kby1yUos

 

It appears Carnival is preparing to post updates with this recently added to their website. Since no changes are actually stated, it appears they are getting ready.

 

"Hurricane Irma Update

September 5, 2017 – 11:30 AM (EST)

 

We are closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Irma and thus far have made itinerary changes as detailed below in order to ensure our ships maintain a safe distance from the storm. In addition we are making preparations for a potential landfall in South Florida. The safety of our guests and team members is our first priority. We will continue to make adjustments as necessary and will provide further updates as they become available."

Edited September 5, 2017 by winddawn

[bUU]

Never?

That's what I thought. So this almost surely won't happen:

My guess is it will be cancelled and the ship will leave port to protect the ship.

I agree with you... It is an increased risk for sure. But worth taking in my mind. I guess it all depends on how much risk each of us is willing to take.

Precisely. As long as everyone understands the risk, and understands that they're taking that risk onto themselves, rather than expecting the cruise line or the airlines or the state or whoever to make up for that risk, then we've served well.

 

I just don't like the posters who attack and place blame on those who cruise in the Fall and run into problems.

I see very few people actually attacking or placing blame on travelers for choosing to cruise in hurricane season. Rather, I see a lot of travelers running into problems and then trying to attack or place blame on others who aren't taking responsibly for the risk that the traveler decided to take. Sometimes some people just want to hear that their problems are going to be solved by someone else, and hearing anything other than that might seem like an attack or being blamed, but that's just not the case.

 

Do you actually realize hurricane season is 6 months of the year?

I think we can quickly come to consensus that the substantial risk comes from late August, September and early October. Someone upthread made the comparison to cruising during the winter and taking a risk that a blizzard will close your home airport (up north). That's a risk on par with hurricanes affecting your cruise in June, July and November.

 

Late August, September and early October represent a unique risk.

Edited September 5, 2017 by bUU