I might feel as optimistic as you if we were repeat cruisers, but this is our first cruise (first on any cruise line) and so I would be really disappointed if I couldn't see
Castaway Cay or do the dolphin excursion we have planned in the Bahamas. I don't know what choice I have in the matter at this point though.
So are you saying that we would just stay on the ship for 3 days if our ports were closed? Would they not take us to a different port location, or is that not an option in such a short cruise? Sorry for all the hypotheticals, but I'm trying to decided if we should try to cancel before I loose all my money.
For short cruises I do not know. I would rather have a cruise vacation during a hurricane than a land based one. A ship can move to on the outside of the hurricane while a resort cannot.
I can relate to your apprehension tho, for a first cruise (let me relate my first cruise).
My first cruise ever (my wife had done cruises and such for many years before we were married), was the first Disney EB Panama cruise in 2005. I chose that cruise as I wanted all boat time and this cruise was 14 nights an 5 ports (one being the Panama locks so, not really a port). Growing up in Nebraska and now living in California, I have lived thru Fires, Tornadoes, Blizzards, Earthquakes (moved to SF in 1989, 6mos before that quake). The only one I hadn't been thru was a Hurricane.
Anyway, being my first cruise and hearing about all the hurricanes, I was very apprehensive about hitting a hurricane in the Caribbean. Before leaving, I checked into both pills and bands (ended up buying the wrist bands) as I know I might get sea sick (I could only do the original "Misson Space" ride only once, looked straight forward and stared at the screen or I would get sick). I wore those bands that first day and continued wearing them.
Well, turns out two days into the cruise we hit Hurricane Hillary ( in the Pacific. A good 2/3rds of both crew and guests were sick and stayed in their rooms (and this with ship cancelling out 90% of the waves). Disney had planned to weigh anchor at Cabo San Lucas for the day (they use tenders to ferry guest back/forth) but Hillary cancelled that. We had arranged to do Tequila tasting that afternoon. A few less guests showed for that tasting but it was great fun (got totally blasted) and we all joked that we would be the only guests walking straight (our weaving cancelling the ships weaving..
) and the bartender stated my favorite line "better cruisin' thru boozin".
Disney that day (besides maneuvering the ship thru the lighter parts of that hurricane) called ahead and added a new port, Manzanillo, two days later. They also arranged new excursions and such. It was a great port stop, better than what we had planned in Cabo and as such is now an actual port stop.
I don't know is if was the bands (I still wear them now and again), the extra Tequila, or a combination of the two; I did not get sea sick and I do not worry about Hurricanes again. After that cruise, we stayed at WDW (since it ended at Port Canaveral) for another week (DVC member) and I did "Mission Space" again. This time, I did the original (now there is a light version) version, 5 times in a row. While in the ride, I could look down, up, left, right, doing whatever I wanted basically; I had my sea legs and that ride was nothing now.
Since that cruise, we have done 7 others (this B2B cruise will be 9&10), we have hit some rough water during 3 others and I have never gotten sick. I have come to basically expect some rough weather and be happy when it stays clam and I have now learned to go with the flow of the ship (lean right, lean left, pause).
On both WB Transatlantic cruises, we arrived at Castaway Cay after major storms kept ships away for a weeks. Except for the lack of items in the store (the ships provide the merchandise) you would never have noticed it. Disney designed the island for hurricanes and does and excellent job of cleanup afterwards.
PS. On the Disney Inaugural Alaskan cruise this last May, we had to begin our cruise on the outside Passage (Pacific Ocean vs calm inside Passage), it was similar to a hurricane the way the ship was rocked back and forth. The pools were closed as water was either ankle deep or head deep (every 10 seconds). Yet, while some got sick, others like us (I did put on my bands, just in case but never got sick) enjoyed the hot tubs as other parts of the ship.
I think Ryan will play along once we are there. I'll have Liv make him!
