Cruising During Hurricane Season: What to Expect and How to Protect Your Trip

Cruising can be one of the best ways to see new foreign and domestic destinations, with accommodations and transportation included in your cruise package. Designed to be floating cities, cruise ships offer activities designed for travelers of all ages, and provide a great opportunity for you and your family to make new friends and create memorable moments.

Because of lower prices and less demand, many travelers choose to cruise during hurricane season, even with many popular destinations, like the Caribbean, being prone to these storms. Cruise lines take steps to ensure the safety of their passengers, but purchasing hurricane travel insurance can protect your investment in the trip and reimburse you for disruptions when cruising during hurricane season.

When is Hurricane Season and What Does it Mean for Cruisers?

Hurricane season is the period of time each year when hurricanes are most likely to develop. The hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 to November 30. The Pacific Ocean hurricane season starts a little earlier, May 15, but also ends on November 30.

Cruises are offered year-round, so travelers can still plan a trip during the months that fall within the hurricane season.

Is It Safe to Cruise During Hurricane Season?

Cruise lines have good safety records and must comply with U.S. and international safety standards. This includes safety and security requirements outlined in the U.S. Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA), the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and other international regulations. The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for investigating U.S. marine casualties and reported only two recent loss-of-life incidents related to cruise ships, both occurring in November 2022. Neither was a result of a hurricane.

While you can plan a trip during cruise hurricane season, you need to be prepared for possible changes to the cruise route and port stops. A cruise ship captain will alter the cruise route to avoid sailing directly into a hurricane to avoid putting passengers in danger.

While altering a cruise route can keep you safe, it doesn’t mean your overall cruise experience won’t be affected. There are still risks of severe weather, delays and cancellations, which can impact your cruise experience overall. Rough seas can bring on seasickness. Also, there may be port cancellations, suspension of onboard events and substitute activities that don’t live up to your expectations.

How Do Cruise Ships Protect You During Storms?

Cruise ships don’t sail directly into known storms. Instead, real-time weather tracking equipment and computer modeling from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, is used to navigate around bad weather or simply outrun a storm, if necessary. Some major cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, have dedicated meteorologists who watch weather patterns and advise ship captains when to alter course to avoid the huge waves, strong winds and rain typical of hurricanes.

Cruise ships are fitted with stabilizers, such as anti-roll tanks and stabiliser fins. Anti-roll tanks located in the hull transfer water from one side of the ship to the other to reduce roll. Fin stabilisers are located on the sides of a ship and can be extended to combat the rolling motion of the vessel and contribute to a smoother cruising experience.

Cruise ship officers and crew have regular safety and emergency training. When sailing in bad weather, onboard safety protocols are enacted. This may include the closure of certain decks, cancellation of outdoor activities, netting of pools to prevent passenger use, suspended access to gift shops and other hotel departments and the distribution of seasick bags to passengers.

You can expect regular updates from the captain and crew regarding weather conditions and route changes if conditions are severe. Safety drills and the opening of secure shelter areas may occur in extreme weather situations.

Travel Insurance for Cruising During Hurricane Season

While cruise lines keep you safe during hurricane season, bad weather that results in route changes and port cancellations can significantly alter your cruise experience. That’s why it’s highly recommended that cruise travel insurance be purchased for all cruises, especially those during hurricane season.

Most cruise insurance plans offer trip protection for severe weather, like a hurricane, as well as an extensive range of other unforeseen travel issues. First, let’s look at the benefits that can help you if a hurricane disrupts your cruise.

Trip Cancellation Benefits

If you must cancel your cruise due to a sudden, unforeseen event, Trip Cancellation can cover related airfare and hotel expenses that are prepaid and non-refundable. Common covered events include severe weather, illness, terrorist attack, unexpected job loss, jury duty and travel supplier default.

Most policies have sub-benefits you can select from. In addition to having to cancel your cruise due to hurricanes, you might also want to include medical or work reasons for cancelling your cruise.

Hurricane & Weather Benefits

If you are forced to cancel all or a portion of your trip due to a hurricane or other severe weather event, the Hurricane and Weather can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.

For hurricane and weather benefits, one of the following must occur:

• Your common carrier is delayed for a specified amount of time due to weather
• Your destination or home is made uninhabitable
• A hurricane warning is issued
• A mandatory evacuation is ordered at your destination

Trip Interruption Coverage

Trip Interruption can offer reimbursement for your unused trip costs that are non-refundable if an unexpected event causes you to start your cruise late or end it early.

Along with your cruise booking, other expenses such as airline, hotel, rental cars and event tickets are covered.

Travel Delay Benefits

When you encounter a significant delay, Travel Delay can reimburse you for unexpected meal expenses and hotel charges while you wait for a new departure time.

Tropical storms, as well as other things that could delay your cruise, like mechanical failures, pilot strikes, traffic accidents and road closures, can be covered by this insurance.

Missed Connection Benefits

If you should miss a cruise departure, Missed Connection can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs and other reasonable expenses.

To qualify for this coverage, you must experience a covered common carrier delay, such as inclement weather. This is not exclusive to a hurricane, but can also include heavy rain, snow, fog and other severe weather conditions that cause a delay.

Cancel For Any Reason Coverage

With the most flexibility related to cancelling a cruise, look for Cancel For Any Reason coverage. It allows you to cancel or change your cruise plans for any reason without losing your entire investment.

Typically, you must purchase this coverage 14-21 days after your trip deposit day. You must also cancel your cruise at least 2-3 days before your departure date.

Emergency Medical Coverage

When you sustain an accidental injury or unexpected sickness during your cruise, Emergency Medical can cover doctor visits, hospital stays, tests, medication and other medical services you may need.

Cruise ships have medical personnel onboard, but they are not hospitals. If you have a serious injury or unexpected illness, emergency medical benefits can provide reimbursement for covered medical expenses. Squaremouth recommends a minimum amount of $100,000 for emergency medical coverage.

Medical Evacuation Coverage

If you become critically ill or injured during your cruise, Medical Evacuation coverage can pay for your transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

This benefit covers your transport by air ambulance, commercial airline, rescue boat or other type of vehicle and can be valuable when visiting remote destinations or areas with subpar medical facilities. Medical evacuation coverage of at least $250,000 is recommended by Squaremouth.

When Should I Buy Cruise Insurance?

The best time to buy a cruise insurance policy is right after booking your trip or at the time you make your first non-refundable payment. If you prefer to wait longer, keep in mind that you must purchase the policy before a storm is named. Once a storm is named, it becomes a “known event,” and a policy won’t cover claims related to the hurricane.

How Much Does Cruise Insurance Cost?

A comprehensive cruise insurance policy will typically cost between 4%-10% of your total insured travel expenses.

Based on data gathered over the past year by Squaremouth, cruisers spent between $300 and $850 for cruise insurance policies. The cost of plans that protect cruise and flight costs average $564, while medical-only plans averages $108.

The following factors can impact the cost of cruise insurance:

• Coverage type
• Trip cost
• Traveler age
• Destination
• Length of trip

Options for Cancelling or Rebooking Your Cruise

The options offered by cruise lines for cancelling or rebooking your cruise are rigid and won’t cover all your expenses related to severe weather. In contrast, cruise travel insurance for hurricane season can expand your cruise rebooking options and allow you to customize your coverage benefits to your needs. Let’s explore what options both have to offer.

Refund or Credits Offered by the Cruise Line

A cruise can be fully cancelled by the cruise line due to a hurricane. However, this rarely happens. Typically, an alternative route will be selected by the cruise line that avoids the storm.

If your cruise is fully cancelled due to a hurricane, the cruise line will typically offer you a full refund of the cruise fare or a future cruise credit or voucher.

Reimbursements Available Through Travel Insurance

Cruise travel insurance for hurricane season offers coverage that expands your options for compensation when you are forced to cancel or rebook your cruise due to severe weather, like a hurricane. Reimbursements are not limited to only the cruise fare.

If you must cancel your cruise for a covered reason — a hurricane warning under Hurricane & Weather coverage or being unable to reach the departure port due to weather under Trip Cancellation coverage — travel insurance can offer reimbursement of your trip expenses.

In addition, Cancel For Any Reason insurance offers partial reimbursement if you cancel for a reason not covered under Trip Cancellation. CFAR offers the most flexibility when it comes to trip cancellation coverage. It covers cancellations due to bad weather forecasts, medical conditions, scheduling conflicts, fear of travel and many other reasons.

Tips for Smooth Sailing During Hurricane Season

There’s no way to guarantee a perfect cruise during hurricane season, but you can stack the deck in your favor by doing the following hurricane season cruise tips:

• Choose a newer, larger ship which will typically offer the latest stabilizing equipment to counteract rough seas.
• Look for cruises that offer flexible itineraries and multiple port stops.
• Select a room in the middle of the ship on a lower deck with a window to minimize seasickness symptoms.
• Bring seasickness medication with you for quick access if you should need it.
• Stay up-to-date on communications from your cruise line on weather conditions.
• Purchase travel insurance that offers coverage for hurricanes.

Bottom Line: Should You Cruise During Hurricane Season?

Cruising during hurricane season can be fun and cost-effective. Cruise lines closely monitor weather conditions and alter routes to keep passengers out of danger. The modern cruise ship is equipped with advanced technology to minimize the rolling motion of rough seas.

However, seasickness, delays and interruptions to your planned activities are still possible when cruising during hurricane season. Travel insurance can protect you from a less-than-ideal experience when a hurricane disrupts your carefully planned cruise trip.