All About Cruise Hurricane Season on a Disney Cruise

Sailing during hurricane season on a Disney Cruise? While your cruise will most likely not be affected, it’s important to be aware of how cruising may affect your trip. If you’re sailing during Hurricane Season, anytime from June 1- November 30, read on for what you need to know about cruising during hurricane season with Disney Cruise Line.

Sailing during hurricane season, especially the later part of the season, can actually get you a really great deal on your Disney Cruise.  But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There’s a reason September and October cruises tend to be cheaper. And it’s because that’s when your cruise is most likely to be impacted by weather. 

When is Hurricane Season on a Disney Cruise?

Hurricane Season for Cruises is June 1 through November 30. Yes, almost half of the year! And while chances of you getting caught in a hurricane are not common, they aren’t necessarily rare either! Hurricane season in Florida typically sees September being the peak month for hurricane activity. 40% of all tropical cyclones occur during September, so it’s important to keep this in mind when planning.  Hurricane season is pretty much the same for the Caribbean, with risk being just a little higher in August. That being said, most of the hurricanes that affect cruises are in the fall, and usually just for a couple of months of the year. 

Is it safe to go on a Disney Cruise during hurricane season?

Is anything ever 100% safe? Probably not. But in terms of sailing with Disney Cruise Line during a hurricane, we felt very safe. The captain made sure we avoided hurricane winds and bad weather, sailing us to sunnier parts of the Atlantic Ocean.  They also made sure we had plenty of food, onboard activities and guest services worked hard to ensure that everyone was able to make whatever arrangements they needed to for returning home. 

If you’re stuck on a Disney Cruise is Extended due to a Hurricane, are you charged extra?

No. You are not charged extra if a hurricane causes your Disney Cruise to be extended. If your Disney Cruise has to reroute itself to avoid being in the hurricane, or delay arrival at port, that’s Disney’s call for safety reasons. As a result you will not be charged extra, for staying on the boat. Where else would you go? On our sailing that involved a hurricane, we got two extra nights on the Disney Wish, and no one was charged extra.

How can a Hurricane Impact your Disney Cruise?

The idea of being on a cruise during a hurricane sounds scary. In reality, no one takes better care of you in an emergency than Disney. Disney will do what they need to do to make sure you are safe and well cared for. The seas could be a bit bumpy for a little bit of the time, but that is always a possibility at sea. There are a lot of ways a hurricane can impact your cruise, and all of them should be noted. So, let’s take a look at how a hurricane could affect your Disney Cruise. 

Activities onboard may change

Some of the outdoor activities, like water slides or pools, may be shut down for safety if the winds get too high. And obviously things like high winds and rain can impact your ability to enjoy the upper decks. But most of the activities inside will not be impacted, and you can still have a fantastic time onboard! 

Your cruise could be canceled 

Disney does everything they can to avoid this, so just know if your cruise is canceled, chances are it was the only option. Stay updated through your email, or through your travel agent, and make sure you know what the cancellation policies are for your other travel plans like flights, transportation, and hotels.  If you’re staying at a Disney hotel before or after your trip, they are usually very understanding and modify their cancellation policies during hurricanes. 

Your cruise could be delayed

Usually when it’s delayed, it’s delayed by a matter of hours. Sometimes, it’s a little more than that.  Again, make sure you keep up to date by checking your Disney emails, or through your travel agent.  The biggest issue here is that this changes the time you are able to arrive at Port Canaveral. So it’s important to stay updated!

Your cruise could be extended

This is also a rare scenario, but if you are on a Disney Cruise and unable to make it back to port, Disney will extend your cruise. When we recently sailed on the Disney Wish, our trip was extended by two whole days, because we had to move away from the hurricane, and then had to wait for clearance to dock back at Port Canaveral.  After talking to others onboard, this had happened to them on previous cruises during hurricane season. So it’s just good to keep in mind that it’s a possibility. 

Your itinerary could be changed

Many times, this is the most common action that takes place. The captain will usually make the call to change itineraries to move away from the hurricane, which could bring you somewhere you didn’t expect.  Headed to the Bahamas? You may be rerouted to Mexico.  The same goes for Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises as well. It’s also possible that your port days can be canceled as well. Disney will usually only make this decision when it’s not possible, or not safe to dock. 

Tips for Sailing During Cruise Hurricane Season

Since our 4 night cruise on the Disney Wish turned into a 6 night cruise due to a hurricane, we thought we’d share our tips for how we got through it. Mind you, being onboard in complete uncertainty is a little scary. Luckily, the ocean is very big, and our ship was able to sail away from the hurricane so everyone stayed safe. Know that these are not last minute decisions, as there is ample warnings for hurricanes, cruise ships typically have enough time to get out of harms way. However, being prepared is key. Here are some critical tips that can help you feel a bit more in control, during uncertain times.

Be Flexible

This is the biggest tip we can give you. Be flexible! And keep your expectations grounded. It’s very possible your Disney Cruise will go completely as planned. But in the event that hurricane activity affects your cruise, it’s important to be flexible. Disney Cruise Line doesn’t want you to miss a port, be delayed boarding, or have to cancel your trip. But they have to do what they have to do to keep the crew and passengers safe. And if that means changing your itinerary at the last minute, then that’s what they will do. If you can’t be flexible with your travel plans, we highly recommend scheduling your cruise during a different time of year, when the risk of hurricanes is much lower. 

Ward off Motion Sickness

Be sure to have something on hand for motion sickness. We pretty always recommend this anyway, but it’s especially important during hurricane season. The waters will be a bit rougher if you do encounter bad weather, and even if you’re not prone to motion sickness, rough seas can get the best of us! If Dramamine makes you drowsy, we like sea bands and motion sickness patches as a great alternative. 

Pack Smart

Accept the fact that you may have to end up doing laundry onboard if it’s extended. Make sure you have a waterproof layer in case you need it for a rainy port day. If you know you’ll be traveling during a potentially rainier time, be sure to add a light rain jacket to your Disney Cruise packing list. Shameless plug, but we love these rain jackets from our shop! They are light, package and really keep you dry.

Be Prepared

And be sure be mentally prepared for the fact that your cruise may be a little different than you expected. Disney Cruises are not cheap, and no one likes to see their plans changed at the last minute. But if you’re planning a cruise during hurricane season, especially September-early November, just know that this is a possibility. 

Know what your insurance covers

Did you get travel insurance? Know what it covers. Not all insurances cover the same thing, and some definitely don’t cover hurricanes. If you’re traveling during hurricane season, we highly recommend having travel insurance that covers things like hurricanes in case you have to cancel your trip. Or worse, in case Disney cancels your trip. You’ll want to make sure you can recoup the cost of additional travel services like flights and hotels that may have been booked along with your cruise. 

Know how to stay in touch 

Did you know you can use iMessage for free onboard a Disney Cruise Ship? If you have an iPhone, just make sure your iMessages are turned on and you can send and receive them using Disney Cruise Line’s free internet. If you have one of the larger carriers for your cell phone, like Verizon or AT&T, you can sign up for service at sea before your cruise begins. But if your cell phone carrier doesn’t offer that, downloading an app like Snapchat or WhatsApp on your phone before boarding can be helpful. You can use the ship’s paid Wi-fi with both of these apps. So if you need to contact someone on land, just make sure they have that same app, and staying in touch will be easy. 

On a Disney Cruise during Hurricane Season

Hopefully, this post has helped you learn a little more about sailing during hurricane season. The likelihood of your Disney Cruise being impacted by a hurricane is generally pretty low. It’s, however, always good to be prepared and know whether or not you’re willing to deal with these potential scenarios for your cruise. Have you sailed on a cruise during a hurricane? How was your experience?