If you have a vacation planned during hurricane season there has to be a lot of worry. But if your plans are to sit back and sail away on a cruise ship from Florida, the chances your cruise will be affected by a storm in hurricane season are slim.
All eyes are on Hurricane Milton as it gets ready to make landfall near Tampa Bay and I worry for those out in the ocean. How do they safely prepare for something that could be catastrophic on land.
Recommended Videos
Click here --> Tracking Hurricane Milton
If you never been on a cruise, you have to experience it at least once in your lifetime. If you have, you know what I’m talking about. The thought of being days at sea can be anxious, but in all reality with so many things to do, you won’t even know you’re on the water.
Royal Caribbeans Chief Meteorologist, James Fleet keeps an eye on the weather for more than 25 cruise ships. Some people think being in open water is the most dangerous place to be in inclement weather, but Fleet says, “if a storm is coming your way on land, you have fewer options. Your home is a potential target that can’t be moved.” When you’re on a cruise ship, the captain can sail away quickly.
You might wonder how do ships stay smooth sailing. For example, all Royal Caribbean cruise ships have stabilizers “that act like airplane wings.” Fleet says, “when you think about it, air is water vapor, so these stabilizers essentially lift the ship over waves the same way a wing lifts a plane over rough air. This keeps the “rise and fall” from being too noticeable.”
Believe it or not, the ocean is calmer during hurricane season. Thanks to high-pressure and humid temperatures associated with hurricane season, that helps settle the seas.
Hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
Out of the 365 days a year, hurricane season can be the busiest time for forecasters in the tropics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Officials on cruise ships work around the clock tracking weather and monitoring information provided by NOAA.
Meteorologists are continuously working with teams on board and can get in front of what’s developing and communicate that to crews and guests.
One of many goals is to keep guests and staff safe and that happens by keeping everyone in the loop as much as possible. “The captain will make weather announcements, and I record forecast videos that play in every stateroom,” Fleet says. “I also rely on social media to give updates—it’s one of the fastest ways to connect with everyone.”
Much of Florida is under a hurricane warning or watch as Milton takes aim for the peninsula. Mandatory evacuations have been put in place, and ports are closed. So, what does that mean for ships? For example, a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean is skipping visits to Roatan, Honduras, and Costa Maya, Mexico. The ship sailed from Port Canaveral on Oct. 6. To make up for the changes, Royal Caribbean included a stop in Falmouth, Jamaica in the ship’s itinerary. Simply put, it’s a matter of making changes to the itinerary if necessary.
If a hurricane is brewing in the Caribbean, it’s still safe to depart the home port if the hurricane is not impacting the home port. Celebrity Cruises says, “if the home port is impacted, a cruise departure may only be delayed by a day or two rather than being canceled.”
We can agree, being on a cruise during a hurricane is not on our bucket list, but what is, a cocktail by the pool sailing away. Important to note, the captain of the ship is not confronting the hurricane, rather they’re avoiding it. If you have worries or doubts about booking a cruise during hurricane season, just do it. Depending on where the captain takes you, most likely there will be 100% sun and some relaxation even as a hurricane barrels down.