Can a hurricane pick up a cruise ship?

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 – and if the home port is impacted, a cruise departure may only be delayed by a day or two rather than being canceled.



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Today's modern cruise ships are built to withstand storms, avoid them, and even outrun them. Cruise companies follow the weather very carefully, changing itineraries, canceling sailings, and working hard to keep passengers and crew out of harm's way.

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You'll be ok. The ship will change itinerary to avoid the hurricane. So you might go to different ports but you will be safe. If the return port is closed they will extend your cruise for free.

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While a cruise ship in rough seas can be unpleasant, it rarely results in a canceled voyage. However, it may make nausea-prone passengers seasick and force the ship to skip ports.

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Are cruise ships safe? Let's cut right to the chase: Yes, cruise ships are generally safe as long as you use common sense and remember that vessels are not impervious to accidents, illness or people who just don't know how to behave.

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The ship must keep its bow (the front end) pointing into the waves to plow through them safely, since a massive wave striking the ship's side could roll the vessel over and sink it. Wind and waves will try to turn the vessel, and pushing against them requires forward momentum.

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Hurricane Season For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise. April and May are excellent times to go because they are outside of the hurricane season, although some Caribbean destinations see more rainfall than normal in May.

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According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June 1 through November 30 and normally peaks in August and September. The Caribbean region is a part of the Atlantic hurricane season, which also impacts Florida and other parts of the coastal southern United States.

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Depending on the ship's location and the patient's condition, the ship will either disembark the patient at the next port or divert its course to reach the nearest port. Usually, the decision is made to disembark the patient at a location where the relevant medical facilities are available.

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Wet season and dry season are both good times to cruise the Caribbean. The worst time for a Caribbean cruise weather-wise is August to September, as it is peak hurricane season.

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If a storm is threatening the area a ship was scheduled to sail to, cruise lines will reroute the ships if the forecast is severe enough. While cruise ships can typically outrun most storms, passengers may still experience rough seas as their ship skirts the edges of a weather system.

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The 5 Most Dangerous Parts of a Ship for Passengers
  • Watertight Doors. Never try to outrun a closing watertight door. ...
  • Wet/Slippery Surfaces. ...
  • Ferries & Lifeboats. ...
  • Dining Facilities & Fast-Spreading Illnesses. ...
  • Balconies. ...
  • Talking to a Florida Cruise Ship Injury Attorney.


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79% of all crimes reported onboard cruise ships are sexual assaults, as per the US Department of Transportation. This statistic is a stark reminder of the prevalence of sexual assaults on cruise ships, and serves as a powerful reminder of the need for increased safety measures to protect passengers.

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Not only can a modern cruise ship roll to 60 degrees before it fully tips over, but it can also withstand waves that measure up to 50 feet in height! This is because cruise ships are designed to withstand the most extreme weather conditions imaginable. Worth Reading: What is the Draft of a Ship?

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