Jacksonville travel agent gives advice on booking cruises during hurricane season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With hurricane season going on, you may be wondering, is it really a good idea to book a cruise in that time frame? Is it going to be canceled?

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Luckily, as we know, hurricanes are easy to track, so your chances of your cruise being impacted by a storm during hurricane season are slim. Changes to your itinerary may be possible, so you need to be flexible and have a plan in place.

Family vacations — and even cruises may be on your agenda – as school is about to let out. But with hurricane season set to last through the summer, safety is always key.

Scott Lara, a travel agent, talked about safety on cruise ships during hurricane season.

“A lot of people are concerned about traveling during hurricane season because of winds and rough weather, but the good news is the cruise lines spend billions of dollars to make sure the ship, the crew, and the passengers stay safe,” Lara said.

Lara said state-of-the-art technology is in place to stay ahead of the storm and cruises are able to avoid problem weather.

“Corporate like in Miami will let cruise lines know, ‘hey there’s something in the area, turn left, turn right’ to keep passengers safe,” Lara said.

He also said one thing you should not overlook is travel insurance. When selecting a policy, make sure there’s coverage for weather-related disruptions. But also, don’t forget to read the fine print.

“There’s lots of things that can be involved. Like, what if you lose your bags, what if you miss a flight…but more importantly, what if you fall and hurt your arm or your leg? You want to be reimbursed for any kind of injuries you may have. So travel insurance is important, I advise everyone I know to purchase it,” Lara said.

Even though a ship may be outsailing a storm, that doesn’t mean you won’t run into some rougher than usual conditions. Lara says it’s a good idea to pack your sea-sickness meds before you board.

“Those products on the ship are going to be very expensive,” Lara said. “So, if it’s Dramamine or the patch behind the ear, maybe some Pepto Bismol just in case you get a little nauseous. But the technology on these ships, especially the large ones, like Icon of the Seas, Scarlet Lady, Oasis of the Seas, they have stabilizers to prevent the ship from going back and forth and up and down.”

As for having the best cruise time, Lara recommended– contrary to popular belief– try not to book your cruise at the last minute. Chances are, if you do that, all the best cabins will be booked up. And as always, just be aware of what’s happening with hurricane season and have a plan.