Who Says Hurricane Season Is the Worst for Missed Ports?

Conventional wisdom in cruising is that you should be very careful of booking in hurricane season, as you may end up with missed ports due to weather. Most experienced cruisers know that at least during the peak of the season you may have to be flexible with your plans.

Outside that traditional season, however, many people don't think much about the potential they'll be skipping ports due to adverse weather conditions - at least not ports where you actually dock rather than tender. This last week proves that you always have to take that into consideration.

Rough seas in the Caribbean this week forced some cruise ships to divert from their regularly scheduled port calls. A cold front that stirred up a choppy sea caused two Carnival ships to miss calls Thursday at Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Carnival Liberty and Carnival Imagination had to bypass the port and continue on with a day at sea. Two ships, Carnival Victory and Coral Princess, are scheduled to dock at Ocho Rios on Friday, I'm uncertain at this time if they were able to make it.

I'm a big advocate of booking excursions on your own if you're a confident traveler. However, this reminds us that when you do book outside the cruise line, be sure you know the vendor's cancellation policies if the ship is unable to make it into port.

It also reinforces the point that, while itinerary is a part of why you choose a particular cruise, you also should make sure the ship itself is one which fits your style and preferences - you might be spending more time aboard than you expected!