What Do Cruise Ships Do in a Hurricane?

Table Of Content

• More from CBS News
• South Padre Island Beach Rules 2023
• ABC News Live
• Dramatic video shows Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers panic during freak storm
• The Importance of Safety Culture: Embedding Safety as a Core Value
• Breathtaking video shows pregnant Disney cruise passenger dangling over the ocean in Coast Guard rescue

The ship is scheduled to return to service from a two-week dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas on Saturday, December 16, 2023, just when the worst of the weather is expected to impact South Florida. The ship departed Port Canaveral on Saturday, December 9, for an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, visiting the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and Tortola. Great Stirrup Cay was to have been the final port of call for the sailing, but now the ship is heading straight back to Port Canaveral. Carnival Cruise Line’s 133,596-gross-ton Carnival Vista, which was just involved with an at-sea rescue of stranded crew members from a capsized cargo vessel, was forced to skip the scheduled stop in Grand Turk on Thursday, December 14. Allure of the Seas arrived back at Port Canaveral on schedule on Friday morning, though it is likely her next itinerary – a 3-night weekend getaway to Nassau and CocoCay, will also be impacted by the poor weather. MSC Meraviglia’s December 16 sailing out of New York City was originally scheduled to visit Port Canaveral in Florida, Nassau in the Bahamas, and its private island of Ocean Cay, also in the Bahamas.

More from CBS News

Check with your cruise line if you have concerns and to stay up to date on any announcements made by the company. While your ship can avoid the brunt of a storm, you shouldn’t assume you won’t feel some rocking and rolling. If you are cruising in hurricane season, it’s best to be prepared with a seasickness remedy. Instead, the cruise line deployed busses to ferry guests back to Southampton and bring guests on the following cruise to Dover.

South Padre Island Beach Rules 2023

Going on a cruise ship during hurricane season means there's a chance a storm could impact your vacation, and when it does, there's all sorts of possibilities. You’ll know rough seas are expected not only based on the captain’s daily briefings but also by actions by the crew—such as dampening tablecloths so that dishes don’t fall off. If the ship’s pools and water park close, time to take some seasickness medication if you’re prone.

ABC News Live

But if necessary, the ship can accelerate to that 23.7 knots figure, which is about 27 miles per hour. Mr. Van Fleet has over 20 years of experience as a meteorologist in television, covering an array of locations from Texas to Florida. "I was luckily able to switch my Friday flight to Sunday. Because it's over a weekend, I won't really miss anything at home thankfully." Sailings can be extended or shortened, but Royal Caribbean very rarely cancels an entire sailing.

Guests were refunded the port fees and any pre-paid shore excursions for missing the popular destination. Instead, the ship added an unscheduled visit to Freeport in the Bahamas, but this did not go to plan as Carnival Pride was also unable to dock there. The vessel is sailing a cruise nowhere until arriving back home to Port Canaveral on December 18. Regular safety audits and inspections play a critical role in identifying potential weaknesses and areas of improvement within a cruise ship’s operation. These assessments should be carried out by independent third-party organizations to ensure objectivity and adherence to industry best practices. Passenger education and emergency preparedness play a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone on board.

The Importance of Safety Culture: Embedding Safety as a Core Value

RJ Whited posted a video on Facebook showing damage on the ship and the large waves hitting the vessel. "The sound of us crashing into the swells could be heard over the music playing" at the show he was at, he said. "Stage lights mounted on the ceiling began to shake, the disco ball started swinging and the LED wall on the stage… began rolling side by side on its own." While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step.

Passengers reported scenes of chaos and confusion as the ship’s crew worked tirelessly to ensure their safety. Some praised the crew for their professionalism and quick thinking, while others expressed frustration at the lack of communication and organization during the crisis. While the ship eventually made it back to port safely, the incident served as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of the open sea and the importance of robust safety measures.

Ferocious storm floods cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico: video - New York Post

Ferocious storm floods cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico: video.

Posted: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Breathtaking video shows pregnant Disney cruise passenger dangling over the ocean in Coast Guard rescue

"They offered phones for people who needed to make calls and they provided free internet for people to make changes to flights/arrangements." For Ms. Grundig, safety was the most important thing, "It wasn't unexpected so I was just glad to be safe after the initial panic of moving my flight, which was fairly easy." That isn't to say they've never done it, but time and time again, we see ships getting re-routed and extended instead.

Not only do cruise ships avoid the path of a hurricane, they will chart a course with the optimal sea conditions to avoid the worst of any rough seas. Whatever you decide, you are certainly not going to find yourself sailing right into a major storm, so deciding whether to cruise or not is a matter of comfort and convenience—not safety. And you should be prepared to be flexible in terms of any possible itinerary changes. A dream vacation became a maritime nightmare for those onboard a cruise ship caught in a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay that left 100 people injured over the weekend, according to media reports.

These late summer and fall periods are also when you are likely to find some of the best cruise deals of the year. Instead of her original schedule, the ship is instead heading to Costa Maya, Mexico. On Saturday, and Sunday will be another day at sea while the ship heads back to Florida for debarkation as planned on Monday, December 18. The vessel has cancelled its scheduled call to Princess Cays in the Bahamas on December 17. The call to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on December 19 is still expected to go ahead, a letter said to passengers.

And when it comes to cruise ships and storms, cruise lines leave nothing to chance. The rest of the year he trains cruise ship crew on how to deal with weather conditions. For those temped by the savings, it’s worth noting that most cruises are not physically impacted by hurricanes. But if you book a cruise that takes place during hurricane season, be prepared for possible last-minute itinerary changes and cancellations should there be storms.

Richard Reynolds, 60, told The Daily Mail he and his wife were passengers onboard along with his elderly parents. Reynolds said his mom was injured after being thrown to the floor when the boat rocked. Despite the challenging circumstances, many passengers also shared stories of camaraderie and support among fellow travelers, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit even in the face of adversity. “There’s always something you can do, other than just letting the guests and the travelers getting poured on, rained down on and being in the middle of a storm,” Cole told Fox 35. The Independence of the Seas was about to embark on a voyage from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas about 4 p.m.

The effects of increasingly wild winter storms on cruise ships are becoming more profound. By investing in advanced technology and collaborating with meteorological agencies, cruise lines can better anticipate and navigate through adverse weather conditions. Additionally, developing onboard systems that provide real-time weather updates to both crew and passengers can greatly enhance situational awareness. Passenger education and awareness are also crucial in promoting a culture of safety on board cruise ships. Informing passengers about safety measures, emergency procedures, and the importance of following instructions can help reduce panic and improve overall response during a crisis. While cruise ships do attempt to steer clear of bad weather, it is not always possible to completely avoid lengthy squall lines or large storm systems.

Unfortunately, no one knows the answers of what exactly will happen when you're many days before the storm is set to hit. Beyond a 48 or 72 hour window, tropical storm predictions can vary considerably with many possibilities. With Hurricane Ian, the models were rarely in agreement, and most of the time there were wide arcs of possibilities. Sailing on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas this week, I found myself unexpectedly dodging Hurricane Ian as our ship got out of Florida right before the storm was projected to hit, and safely away during the worst of the impact. Leading up to Hurricane Ian, the Florida ports of Key West, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Port Canaveral were shut down, leaving some ships at sea. The largest storms tend to hit the eastern Caribbean in August through October and the western Caribbean from September through November.

"With today's technology, you see where the storms are coming," Captain Sindre explained. On every Royal Caribbean cruise, there is an event held for guests to ask the ship's Captain questions. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience.

Guests are urged to contact the cruise line directly by phone or email for updates and to rebook their sailing. Since the cruise line is a popular option for quick getaways for drive-in travelers, it should be possible for many travelers to change their plans to a different sailing date. The ship is sailing an eight-night Bahamas itinerary, which did have a delayed departure out of New York City and ended up remaining overnight.