Official Hurricane Thread - post info and concerns here - Please read first post

[Curtis McCrea]

******We have had just too many hurricane threads in the last few days so we have merged them. Please post any info, discussion and concerns on this one thread.

If any info comes out that DCL has changed any itineraries due to a hurricane we can start an info only thread about that so people can find info quickly....but in the meantime let's keep the general hurricane discussion in one thread. Thanks...the Mods******



I'm cruising the new Dream in September (of course 2011) and I'm very worried about encountering a hurricane.

I certainly don't want to miss Castaway Cay and the chance to try Aqua Duck.

Should I be worried?

 

[Mommb]

Hurricanes are always possible, but it's rare that they significantly affect the ship. If there is a storm near Castaway Cay, then that stop may be skipped. The ship itself, though, can and will alter its course to avoid the storm, so your ride on the Aqua Duck should be safe. Even if you do encounter rain, it almost certainly won't last the entire trip. So, Hakuna Matata, no worries. There's nothing you can do about the weather anyhow.

 

[KS929]

I'm cruising the new Dream in September (of course 2011) and I'm very worried about encountering a hurricane.

I certainly don't want to miss Castaway Cay and the chance to try Aqua Duck.

Should I be worried?

YUP YUP!! During our cruise last 2008, Hurricane Ike (i think) was going on, or at least was expected to form during our cruise. Days before, we kept checking the DCL website, but there were no news about it. The day before our cruise, we checked again, and a banner on the homepage popped up saying that the August 31 cruise itinerary was changed to improve the cruising experience. When we checked it at port, they notified us that the itinerary change was that we were going to Castaway Cay first then Nassau, instead of the other way around, to avoid the hurricane… DON'T WORRY, Cruise Lines do a great job in maximizing the experience during these things, this will also not affect your trip in any way. Even though there was a hurricane during out trip, we didn't get any rain at all, only a bit of a bumpy seas, but not too much…

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

 

[Curtis McCrea]

I should be careful with booking Atlantis in Nassau then. Doesn't trip insurance cover that, though?

 

[KS929]

I should be careful with booking Atlantis in Nassau then. Doesn't trip insurance cover that, though?

not sure… but you can ask DCL!

 

[over50visits]

I'm cruising the new Dream in September (of course 2011) and I'm very worried about encountering a hurricane.

I certainly don't want to miss Castaway Cay and the chance to try Aqua Duck.

Should I be worried?

If a hurricane comes near Castaway Cay, the ship will go nowhere near there. Unlikely, but has happened. That's why fares are lower in September, and why we often book during that month (to save money). You might miss it, but that's the chance you take. Slim chance of that happening, though. Spend your time anticipating a fun trip, don't worry about something you cannot do anything about (the weather!).

Since the ship itinerary is flexible to avoid bad storms, your trip should be calm and pleasant regardless of hurricanes out there. We don't fret over weather reports, because we're going to have a great time no matter what. The only bad thing that might happen is Port Canaveral is closed, which it has been, and the cruise is canceled. Odds of that happening are pretty slim. And even though it's not Disney's fault that there is a hurricane (duh), everyone seems to expect them to make up for something like that, and they do step up and do a pretty good job of helping us all out.

Seems like I remember a spokesperson for the National Weather Service once saying the safest place to be during a hurricane was on a cruise ship, since they just move out of the way, something coastal cities can't do!

 

[mmouse37]

What can happen and did a few times....is that a hurricane was headed to come in right at Port Canaveral area so the port was closed. DCL had to reroute the ships to come into Ft. Lauderdale instead. Thus the next cruise had to leave from Ft. Lauderdale. DCL was pretty good at getting everyone down there....they used buses and comped the transfers.

MJ

 

[NancyIL]

Hurricane season is June 1-November 30, and you can't put travel on hold for 6 months because of what might happen. I'd be more concerned about being able to fly to Orlando if there is a hurricane than about cruising around one. However, you're far more likely to have a delayed or cancelled flight due to a thunderstorm. Make sure you arrive at least one day before your sail. That's one good reason to go to WDW before the cruise.

Trip insurance will cover privately booked excursions if you buy enough coverage to include them. I doubt DCL's insurance would cover excursions unless booked through DCL.

 

[ducky_love]

Only reason to worry is if you LIVE down here like us! I always fear that I will have to choose between getting onboard or staying home for a storm. If you're a tourist know that DCL will always take care of you and give you the best experience possible. I have sailed during a hurricane and they just changed the order of the ports.

Remember - the seas can get too rough to dock at Castaway during just about any month of the year! It all depends on faith, trust, and pixie dust!

 

[noladave]

Late August and the first part of September are PRIME times for large Hurricanes. Katrina hit at that time, and if you look out into the Atlantic right now, you have 2 named storms...

A risk, yes. As others have said, that's why the cruises are cheaper. Just realize that this is one factor in determining how much you will enjoy your cruise. It might, or might not, happen.

One last note - the cruise will route around the storm, but you can feel rough seas hundreds of miles away from the storm. If you are sensitive to sea sickness, it is something to think about.

 

[Gigi22]

Agreed with NancyIL. The issue is getting to your cruise if there is a hurricane, particularly if you are flying--those airports shut down if there is a nearby storm, or lightening. And, of course, that is exactly what you would want them to do! Ships are remarkably flexible--they are all equipped with the most amazing weather information and navigational resources imaginable. A ship can reroute and sail around bad weather, or just dock away from the bad weather, very easily.

 

[MagicMe]

I'm cruising the new Dream in September (of course 2011) and I'm very worried about encountering a hurricane.

I certainly don't want to miss Castaway Cay and the chance to try Aqua Duck.

Should I be worried?

Additionally, if you book a four day as opposed to a three day, it gives them an extra day to play to get into CC (they can often swap the sea day for the CC day).

 

[Mackie Mouse]

Hurricane Bill mildly affected our cruise last summer. It didn't affect any of our time in ports, but our first night at sea the ship took a slightly different route to Key West in order to avoid the storm. We still received some rain/thunderstorms out at sea, and the waters were a bit rough. (I am not at all motion-sickness prone, and even I found it a bit annoying!) Skies were clear by morning, though, and if anything it made our first night a bit of an adventure. The worst we encountered was that the juggler performing during the first night's entertainment had trouble keeping his balance on the rocking boat

 

[Mommb]

I should be careful with booking Atlantis in Nassau then. Doesn't trip insurance cover that, though?

I don't know if trip insurance covers excursions. I do know that if you have booked an excursion through Disney and the ship skips that port, you will not be charged for the excursion. That won't help if you book the excursion on your own, though.

 

[trekkie518]

We went between Ivan and Jeannie. The only complication we had is we didn't know until the morning of the cruise whether we would be docking in Port Canaveral or driving to Miami.

Aside from that it was a great trip. Port Canaveral opened, we had a few minor changes, but Captain Tom kept us out of the rain on the ship. We were supposed to be on Western, but Cozumel was hit hard, so we went to San Juan, We did have to leave early because Jeanie was coming in with a vengeance. We called it a mystery cruise. We never knew where the ship would end up the next morning, many free drinks, and treats later, nobody really cared. We got to go to Cast Away Cay, we were the first ship after (I can't remember the first one, and the last one before they were hit again. We were pulling beach chairs out of the ocean.

It was never scary on board, never choppy or anything, the captain did a great job.

 

[truck1]

I should be careful with booking Atlantis in Nassau then. Doesn't trip insurance cover that, though?

If you book something thru DCL, and for whatever reason, the ship doesnt make the port,or the tour gets canceled you get reimbursed thru onboard credit or you get offered a comparable tour at what ever stop they make.When you book on your own, you may have to eat the cost. The tours dont get charged to your room, until after you board. Youre just holding a spot on a given tour at the moment. If Im not mistaken, you dont actually pay for a tour/excursion, until the ship comes home, and they charge your credit card.

 

[nenner1]

I'm cruising the new Dream in September (of course 2011) and I'm very worried about encountering a hurricane.

I certainly don't want to miss Castaway Cay and the chance to try Aqua Duck.

Should I be worried?

We prefer to cruise in hurricane season, the prices are low, the weather (in our past experience) is great.

As the ship will stay away from any tropical storm or hurricane, it should not impede your chance to try the Aqua Duck. The captain will do the best they can to keep the ship in the best conditions possible, so I wouldn't worry about that one.

As far as missing Castaway Cay, that is a possiblity on any cruise. I have read so many stories on here of many cruises not docking on CC (usually sea conditions and tides, inclement weather of some sort or mechanical problems). I remember reading one fellow cruiser had been on three cruises and never made CC for one reason or another. So it does happen..but..

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Its just one of those things, and chances are your cruise will go off without a hitch.

Enjoy!

 

[Grandma4ever]

I prefer to cruise this time of year. Just get trip insurance just in case. I also highly recommend that you fly in the day before to avoid any problems due to last miniute delays. You can stay at the MCO Hyatt and take the DCL transport the next morning. Or rent a car and drive out to the port and stay there. Either way go for it and try not to worry too much. I have done it for 7 years now without any issues. I hope this year is not going to be the one that gets me!

 

[Curtis McCrea]

I always fly in a day before, so no worries about that!

 

[Jey12]

We are booked this Sept. and the worry of hurricanes came into our mind for a second. Not much you can do. It seems Disney is more than accomodating in these situations. If you're really worried I'd say get the trip insurance all around that way you're covered if some weather act causes a disruption in your trip. We're from the midwest so we're not used to knowing days ahead of time of the possibility of a strong storm. Normally we get a 5 minute warning if we're lucky. We'd be the ones out trying to walk around on the deck with 60 plus mile an hour winds thinking it was just a normal day back home. That said we also don't have to worry about waves and the other things that go along with a hurricane. I'm not trying to downplay the severity of these storms at all. I'm just a bit hesitant to worry over weather when it changes drastically every 12 hours or so where I live.