What Happens On A Cruise Ship During A Hurricane?

During hurricane season, cruise ships are one of the safest places to be during a storm. Cruise lines aim to avoid the hurricane by sailing out of its path, making them one of the safest places to be during such a storm. Cruise ships have stabilizer fins that help maintain optimal sea conditions and avoid the path of the storm.

Cruise ships may extend their cruises or end them if a hurricane strikes while at sea. The captain is responsible for informing passengers of new plans, and the guest services desk serves as a prime communication point. Modern cruise ships are built with stabilizer fins to help navigate rough weather.

Tropical weather can affect not only cruise ships but also airplanes, so passengers should expect missed ports and rain. Cruise lines rarely cancel for a hurricane, except when home ports are closed for days. If a hurricane is expected to hit a departure port, the port will close and cruise ships will stay away until it is safe to dock.

Cruise ships also keep an eye on weather conditions and will divert the ship to a safer area in case of dangerous weather like a hurricane. They follow the weather very carefully, changing itineraries, canceling sailings, and working hard to keep passengers and crew out. If a storm is threatening the area a ship was scheduled to sail to, cruise lines will reroute the ships if the forecast is severe enough.

When a tropical storm does appear in one part of the Caribbean or Bahamas, the standard response from cruise lines is to reroute ships in that area. However, cruise ships must be aware of the potential risks and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety and comfort during hurricane season.

What does a cruise do if a hurricane is coming?

You may experience rough seas. Cruise lines will reroute ships by hundreds of miles to avoid tropical storms and hurricanes. That doesn’t mean you can always expect smooth sailing during hurricane season.

If a big storm is present in the Caribbean or Bahamas, there’s a chance you’ll feel some motion on your vessel, even if it’s far from the center of the storm. Swells from big storms can travel thousands of miles.

If you’re particularly prone to seasickness, hurricane season might not be the best time for you to cruise. But don’t panic. Cruise ships are built with sophisticated stabilizers that tamp down the effects of waves. As ships have gotten bigger, on average, they’ve also become more stable. It takes a lot to move a giant vessel like Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas — at 236,857 tons, it’s one of the world’s largest cruise ships.

Can a wave flip a cruise ship?

Freak waves may damage a ship, smashing in windows and cause flooding – but flipping over a large ship – very unlikely.

Do cruises cancel due to hurricane?

Because cruise ships can move around bad weather, full cancellations are rare. But they can and do happen. Cruise lines are loath to cancel sailings and try to wait as long as possible before making a decision, while still trying to give passengers enough lead time to make alternate plans if necessary. If a cruise line does cancel, it will offer compensation usually a full refund of the cruise fare and possibly an additional percentage of your fare paid, given in the form of a future cruise credit.

You’re always free to cancel your cruise before the cruise line does, but in most cases, you will lose the full price you paid for the cruise (minus port fees). In instance of extremely severe storms (like hurricanes), cruise lines will typically allow passengers to cancel without penalty. Cruise Critic always recommends buying travel insurance that covers weather disruptions. This might not allow you to cancel because of impending storms, but it will cover you for travel disruptions caused by a storm or other significant weather events and natural disasters.

Cruise ships are adept at avoiding inclement weather (Photo: Shutterstock)

Can a cruise ship sink in a hurricane?

Cruise ships are designed to withstand rough ocean conditions, but the immense power of a hurricane does pose risks even to these massive vessels. While total sinkings are rare, there have been some close calls over the years.

How often do cruise ships get caught in storms?

Though your itinerary may change, cruises are rarely canceled due to storms. Ships are designed to handle rough seas and can be rerouted to avoid danger. Once you’re on board, any port updates will be announced over the ship’s intercom or detailed in a notice delivered to your stateroom.

Use a travel agent.. McDaniel said that using a travel agent to book your trip could save you a headache in the end.

“This person becomes your travel advocate,” she said. “They’re someone who has relationships with the cruise line — when something goes wrong, they can be your advocate.”

Where do cruise ships go during a hurricane?

How cruise lines handle rerouting ships during a hurricane. Hurricanes may cause ships to miss ports as they seek calmer seas, and in some cases, itineraries are changed more drastically. You may find your eastern Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten is changed to a western Caribbean cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, or the opposite.

Hurricanes can have an impact on a wide range of itineraries across numerous destinations. During Hurricane Fiona in September, for instance, some ships were rerouted away from Puerto Rico, others away from Bermuda, and still others away from Canada.

Passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Getaway out of New York thought they were heading to Bermuda, but ended up instead visiting Newport, Rhode Island; Portland, Maine; and St. John in New Brunswick, Canada, due to Hurricane Fiona.

Is it safe to go on a cruise ship during a storm?

Can cruise ships withstand storms?. Cruise ships have thick steel hulls that can withstand the ravages of a storm. The vessel might list to one side, then the other, in a motion known as rolling. Alternatively, a forward movement might pitch down into the swells before rearing up again. None of this should cause concern, as every ship has been tested in simulated storm conditions. You might notice the swimming pool is emptied and outdoor decks closed off but, inside the ship, the well-trained crew knows what measures to enact to make passengers safe and comfortable.

What are cruise ships doing to protect themselves?. As operational safety is an absolute priority, cruise lines are increasingly one step ahead in forecasting bad weather. They have the latest meteorological equipment, as well as an arsenal of weather charts, satellite images of storm activity, and even computer models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US. Royal Caribbean Group, as an example, has a “storm centre” at its Miami headquarters, where, during hurricane season, a wall of screens is monitored by the company’s chief meteorologist, James Van Fleet.

One man who’s been at the helm when nature throws a tantrum is Captain Dag Dvergastein. With five decades of experience sailing the globe with Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and now, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Dvergastein has valuable insight. “Each ship is constructed to a class standard such as Lloyds or Bureau Veritas to certify safety,” he says. “Ships of all sizes will experience movement in heavy weather, but the larger the ship, the less the movement. Stabilisers minimise the rolling motion, thus maximising comfort.

Can a cruise ship capsize in a storm?

Can wind cause a cruise ship to capsize? It would take an extraordinary storm to critically damage a modern cruise ship over 50,000 GT. The largest cruise ships >100,000 GT can take a hurricane. The risk is some failure at a junction between segments of the ship that could cause it to break up.

Will a cruise cancel due to a hurricane?

Because cruise ships can move around bad weather, full cancellations are rare. But they can and do happen. Cruise lines are loath to cancel sailings and try to wait as long as possible before making a decision, while still trying to give passengers enough lead time to make alternate plans if necessary. If a cruise line does cancel, it will offer compensation usually a full refund of the cruise fare and possibly an additional percentage of your fare paid, given in the form of a future cruise credit.

You’re always free to cancel your cruise before the cruise line does, but in most cases, you will lose the full price you paid for the cruise (minus port fees). In instance of extremely severe storms (like hurricanes), cruise lines will typically allow passengers to cancel without penalty. Cruise Critic always recommends buying travel insurance that covers weather disruptions. This might not allow you to cancel because of impending storms, but it will cover you for travel disruptions caused by a storm or other significant weather events and natural disasters.

Cruise ships are adept at avoiding inclement weather (Photo: Shutterstock)

Can a cruise ship tip over in a hurricane?

Can a hurricane capsize a cruise ship?Theoretically, a hurricane with sustained winds of at least 74 mph, with high seas, could capsize a cruise ship, but cruise ships neither wait for or steer toward hurricanes to find out if they can stay afloat in them.

Can a cruise ship actually out-run a hurricane?According to NOAA, a hurricane’s average forward speed is about 11–12 mph (9.5–10.4 knots). The average speed of a modern cruise ship is about 20 knots (23 mph). So, yes, typically a cruise ship can out-run a hurricane, but cruise ships normally never try to out-race hurricanes. By constantly monitoring weather conditions they adjust their route to steer clear of them.

Won’t cruise ships encounter rough seas while running from hurricanes?Yes, cruise ships may encounter rough seas while avoiding hurricanes; however, modern cruise ships are fully capable of handling rough seas and have highly efficient stabilizers to prevent ships from rolling.

When should you not go on a cruise?

The Caribbean is also popular with families, so going outside of the summer months can mean more availability and better fares – though ships are likely to be crowded during other school holidays like spring and winter breaks. Banks also recommended avoiding hurricane season, which runs from June through November.