Booked our first cruise last week of August, rethinking now! (Hurricanes)

[lynnfitz]

We were so excited to book our very first cruise on the Wish! Then…we are now second guessing the date because of hurricanes. I know nobody is going to know the weather, should we rethink this and book for beginning of august or July? I know July or beginning of august isn’t ideal, but we can only go in the summer. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[BK2014]

We were so excited to book our very first cruise on the Wish! Then…we are now second guessing the date because of hurricanes. I know nobody is going to know the weather, should we rethink this and book for beginning of august or July? I know July or beginning of august isn’t ideal, but we can only go in the summer. Thanks for your thoughts!

It obviously varies year to year, but this August was the first one in 25 years without a named storm in the Atlantic. So this year you would have been fine.

 

[Mommb]

Cruises in July and early August are typically more expensive than those in late August, so I would keep your planned cruise.

If a hurricane does form, the Captain will try to sail around it if possible, so the most likely effect would be a change in ports or port dates. In the past 10 years or so, the hurricanes that resulted in cruise cancellations (fewer than 1 a year) have typically come later in the season.

 

[lynnfitz]

Ok thanks everyone. There is a big price difference if we shifted to earlier in the summer.

 

[loislane]

Hurricane season is June 1-November 30, so any summer sailing is potentially at risk. We just sailed Aug 22-26 and had beautiful weather. Previously sailed September 15-17 in 2017 and were in between two hurricanes - Irma and I think Maria - and at least the cruise before ours was canceled. Other than really cloudy water at Castaway Cay, our cruise was wonderful and you really wouldn't have known. (Our week after in WDW however was actually more affected by Irma with some of the behind the scenes stuff we had booked canceled, trees down everywhere, etc.)
Disney does a really great job of watching the storms so that you don't have to. If they cancel, they will give you as much notice as they can and typically offer a discount on a different sailing.
I say stick with your booking - add travel insurance, which you really should do for a cruise anyway, and don't sweat it.

 

[MomOTwins]

Cruises in July and early August are typically more expensive than those in late August, so I would keep your planned cruise.

If a hurricane does form, the Captain will try to sail around it if possible, so the most likely effect would be a change in ports or port dates. In the past 10 years or so, the hurricanes that resulted in cruise cancellations (fewer than 1 a year) have typically come later in the season.

Not true. Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Dorian (2019) were both late august and both of them disrupted disney cruises. Castaway Cay took a direct hit from Dorian.

Hurricane season is June 1-November 30, so any summer sailing is potentially at risk. We just sailed Aug 22-26 and had beautiful weather. Previously sailed September 15-17 in 2017 and were in between two hurricanes - Irma and I think Maria - and at least the cruise before ours was canceled. Other than really cloudy water at Castaway Cay, our cruise was wonderful and you really wouldn't have known. (Our week after in WDW however was actually more affected by Irma with some of the behind the scenes stuff we had booked canceled, trees down everywhere, etc.)
Disney does a really great job of watching the storms so that you don't have to. If they cancel, they will give you as much notice as they can and typically offer a discount on a different sailing.
I say stick with your booking - add travel insurance, which you really should do for a cruise anyway, and don't sweat it.

Hurricane season may be all summer and fall, but late August-mid Octobrr is PEAK hurricane season.

I don’t think you should book in August if it is a big deal for you if it does get cancelled. For example, if your job won’t let you reschedule time off, that’s a wasted week you can’t get back even with insurance money.

If you want another inexpensive time of year early May is pretty good (kids are in school between spring break and summer) and so is the weather.

 

[CamColt]

We have sailed the end of August quite often as it is our preferred time to go based on work schedules. We have had 1 missed port and then another time had one port changed for another (St Maarten to San Juan), but those cruises were still wonderful. I'm looking to go August 19th next year so it clearly doesn't deter me.

 

[IamAnniM]

Don’t worry about the weather, look forward to your cruise and just watch the forecasts a few days before. I’ve always cruised in hurricane season, which is alittle hard to avoid because that’s usually when people travel. Just be aware, any weather difficulties while you’re on the ship will be handled by the Captain, so relax and be confident you’ll have a nice trip and ships avoid bad weather!

 

[Kwami]

Hurricane season is the best. The rates are much lower than they are in summer, the ships and ports aren't as crowded, and there are fewer kids running around everywhere. Plus, Halloween theming!

Sure, there's a very small chance that your cruise will be cancelled or that a port will change, but I think that the risk is worth it for all of the benefits.

 

[auntlynne]

Not true. Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Dorian (2019) were both late august and both of them disrupted disney cruises. Castaway Cay took a direct hit from Dorian.

Hurricane Irma started as a wave near the Cape Verde Islands on August 30. It intensified into a hurricane over the next week, as it moved from Africa across the Atlantic. The eyewall was over Barbuda on Sep 6 and continued on its east / northeasterly course. It was over Bahamas by Sep 8. of course, winds and rain from the outer bands could begin days before the eyeball arrives.

Sep 10 is the day most likely to have a hurricane (per NOAA - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Pretty interesting info:



This is a decision each has to make for themself. There is a risk. But they usually start on the west coast of Africa, and then build into a hurricane as they get their energy from the warm waters. Irma was not a surprise - other than just how destructive she would be.

As others stated, watch the weather before flying to port. Pretty much anytime you cruise.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We often cruise during hurricane season which is June 1-Nov 30; it's half the year. Get trip insurance and know that hurricanes don't just suddenly appear out of nowhere, like tornados do. Pay attention to the weather and if a named storm arises the week of your cruise, make decisions then. I'd much rather cruise during hurricane season than in Jan/Feb where odds are really high that it will be chilly, way too chilly to wear a bathing suit at CC.

 

[lynnfitz]

Thanks! We decided to keep our plans ( we do have the ins). It was $2000 more to move it to earlier in the summer, plus we rent dvc points which are lower in September. We’re so excited!!