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It’s Hurricane Season, How to Keep Bad Weather From Ruining Your Cruise Vacation

Are you planning to go on a cruise now? Since it’s hurricane season, there’s a high chance of bad weather. Instead of enjoying a sunny Caribbean cruise, you might end up experiencing cold and rainy weather, which isn’t ideal for pool and beach activities. But does this mean your cruise is ruined? Absolutely not! There are plenty of things to do on a cruise, even when the weather isn’t great. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your cruise vacation despite the bad weather.

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1. Lower Your Expectations

The first thing you need to do when cruising during hurricane season is to manage your expectations. Given the likelihood of rainy and inclement weather, don’t expect sunny beach days and leisurely poolside lounging. 

Be ready for a cruise that might be impacted by rainy weather. Instead of spending your sea days hanging out by the pool, you might end up being stuck indoors. 

If you adjust your expectations, you won’t be as let down if it happens. Who knows, you might get lucky, and the weather turns out to be perfect. At least by managing your expectations, you won’t be disappointed if the weather is really bad.

Cruise during Hurricane season

2. You Might Skip a Port

When cruising in bad weather, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility of missing a port. This is especially common during hurricane season, when cruise ships often have to change their routes and skip ports if it’s not safe to dock. 

If you have your heart set on visiting a particular cruise port but are sailing during hurricane season, it’s best to manage your expectations and understand that there’s a chance that the port may be skipped.

3. Shore Excursions Canceled

Besides the possibility of ports being skipped, there is also a chance that your shore excursions will be canceled due to weather. If there is bad weather, especially for water-based activities like kayaking or catamaran rides, there’s a chance your tour might get called off. 

It’s important to be prepared for this. Make sure to check if your shore excursion is still on. 

To avoid disappointment, it’s best not to book shore excursions from external tour operators that don’t allow cancellations. Imagine paying for a tour that you can’t cancel if your cruise skips the port! 

When it comes to shore excursions during hurricane season, I suggest you don’t plan too far in advance. I always book last-minute shore excursions or only book cancellable ones. 

Cruise during Hurricane season

4. Stay onboard the Cruise Ship

If the weather is bad outside, instead of braving the rain at the cruise port, why not stay on board the ship? It’s better than being outside in miserable weather. There are still plenty of activities to enjoy on the cruise ship, even if the weather is bad. 

You can catch a movie at the theater, attend an art auction, go to the afternoon tea, take advantage of spa discounts on port days, join a dance class, or participate in afternoon trivia. Even during port days, a quick check of your cruise planner will reveal numerous onboard activities to keep you entertained. The best part is the cruise ship will not be as crowded since many passengers are at the port.

5. Pack for Bad Weather

If you know you’re going on a cruise when the weather is expected to be bad, make sure you’re prepared. Bring an umbrella and ponchos, and pack extra sweatshirts in case it’s not as warm as you’d like. Make sure your shoes are suitable for rainy weather. Being prepared will save you from scrambling to buy things at the cruise gift shop and paying high prices.

6. Be Prepared for Seasickness

Whenever I’m cruising during hurricane season, I always make sure to be prepared for choppy waters on a cruise, especially since I’m prone to seasickness. 

To prevent seasickness from being triggered, I take anti-seasickness medication before I even start feeling sick, as it usually takes about an hour to kick in. Also, I always book a cabin in mid-ship, the most stable area on a cruise ship. If you’re interested, you can check out my article on how I manage seasickness on a cruise: Cruise without Seasickness: Genius Tricks You Need to Know

Cruise Essentials

Cruise Lanyard

Bring cruise lanyards; to make your life easier so you are not constantly looking for your cruise card!

Towel Bands

Towel bands are great in keeping your beach towels in place! So, they are slipping off the pool lounge chairs!

Power Strip

Definitely bring a cruise-approved power strip so you have more outlets for charging your devices. Cruise cabins never have enough outlets!

Packing Cubes

Make cruise packing easier by using packing cubes. These cubes will help keep your clothes organized. And unpacking is easy because you just need to take them out of your luggage and put them in the drawers and shelves- so easy! Assign a color for each person in your cabin so you are not getting your cubes mixed up.

Luggage Tags

For safety, make sure every luggage and bags are labeled with a luggage tag. I like these custom luggage tags that you can order and personalize with your information.

Magnetic Hooks

Bring magnetic hooks to organize your cabin and keep it clutter-free. These hooks are for hanging baseball caps, cruise lanyards, goggles, bathing suits and towels.

Detergent Travel Packets

These detergent travel packets are great for handwashing bathing suits in the sink.

Anti-Seasickness

This anti-seasickness medicine is a go-to to combat seasickness on a cruise. If you have kids, make sure you bring the chewable version. If you are looking for a natural solution, try these acupressure bands.

Hanging Toiletry Bag

Cruise cabin sinks are notoriously small. Get a hanging toiletry bag to make it easier!

Cruise Travel Planner Printable

Get our 25 page cruise travel planner to stay organized before and during your cruise. It includes pre-cruise and post-cruise itineraries, a cruise port planner, sea days planner, packing lists, cruise budget tracker and more!

Free Port & Sea Days Planner

Get Your Free Cruise Port and Sea Days Planner

Sign up once and you will get access to ALL exclusive content on this website. After unlocking the printable, just save the printable image and then print it. Use it to plan your shore excursions on port day and activities on sea days. I hope you like it!

Cruise Port & Sea Days Planner
Cruise Sea Days Planner

Check out these free cruise printables

Caribbean cruise packing list

Alaska cruise packing list

12 Things to Bring from Home to Save Money on Your Cruise

16 Cruise Ship Embarkation Hacks (How to Board the Ship Faster)

7 Worst Mistakes You Can Make When Going on a Cruise with Kids

8 Proven Ways to Get VIP Treatment on Your Next Cruise

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