Cruise ship holidays are hugely popular but even seasoned travellers will no doubt nurse a secret fear of being stuck on board in the middle of an ocean in a violent storm.
And, with our seemingly ever-changing weather systems, that could seem all to real a possibility when it comes to setting off on a far-flung voyage. But there’s good news for those feeling a slight queasiness – which has nothing to do with seasickness – at the mere thought of this, as cruise ships are well-equipped to cope in the event of a severe storm, hurricane or typhoon.
As The Express reports, ships monitor weather world-wide so they can quickly plan and prepare in the event of an approaching storm. They can simply navigate away to an area of better weather, although that can, of course, mean some changes to the itinerary.
While the Caribbean is one of the most popular cruising destinations, his area also has a hurricane season which runs from around June 1 until November 30. The eastern Caribbean tends to see more hurricanes at the start of the season’s peak, which is around mid-August, but the peak continues in the western islands until early November.
The company Celebrity Cruises says that only a very small proportion of its trips are ever affected by storms, with cancellations being extremely rare during hurricane season, although passengers may encounter slightly rougher seas at this time. Even so, the ships have stabilisers to help make the sailing as smooth as possible.
The company said: “Typically, it’s still safe for cruise ships to depart the home port while a hurricane is occurring in the Caribbean, as long as the hurricane is not impacting the embarkation – home – port.” Even if it is, departure may be delayed only by a day or two.
It added: “So what happens when you do embark on time but there’s a hurricane happening in the region? Most likely a hurricane will not impact your cruise but you might incur an itinerary change if a hurricane is in the path of a port of call on your cruise itinerary.
“Thanks to an incredible arsenal of weather equipment on-board the ship, including everything from weather maps and satellite images to computer-generated storm models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, your captain and crew are always on top of where a hurricane is headed and have the experience and means to stay out of its path.”
Another company, Royal Caribbean, said passengers embarking upon a cruise holiday should have ‘zero worries about the forecast’ as ships can easily avoid bad weather. James Van Fleet, its chief meteorologist, added: “A common misconception is that the open water is the most dangerous place to be in inclement weather.
“It’s actually the total opposite: If a storm is coming your way on land, you have fewer options.
“Your home is a potential target that can’t be moved. On a cruise ship, captains can sail out of the way – and quickly.
“Having a dedicated meteorologist working with the teams on board to look at weather patterns and make real-time decisions makes all the difference, too, because we’re able to get in front of what’s developing and immediately communicate that to our crew and guests.”
Passengers on-board can also expect to be kept informed of any looming storms or hurricanes, as well as any possible re-routing, through frequent weather announcements made by the captain.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/travel-tourism/cruise-ship-rules-storms-severe-31109801
