What happens if you are on a cruise and there is a hurricane?

In instance of extremely severe storms (like hurricanes), cruise lines will typically allow passengers to cancel without penalty. Cruise Critic always recommends buying travel insurance that covers weather disruptions.



If a hurricane develops while you are on a cruise in 2026, the primary protocol is rerouting rather than cancellation. Cruise ships are equipped with sophisticated 24/7 meteorological tracking and can outrun most storms, moving at speeds of 20+ knots to stay in calm waters. The Captain and the cruise line’s shoreside "Operations Center" will typically change the itinerary—for example, shifting an Eastern Caribbean cruise to a Western Caribbean one to avoid the storm's path. While this may mean missing a specific port, the ship will usually substitute it with a day at sea or an alternative "safe" island. In 2026, you are generally not entitled to a refund for missed ports, but you will receive a credit for the port fees and taxes (usually $15–$30 per person) on your onboard account. If a hurricane is so severe that it prevents the ship from returning to its home port, the cruise may be extended by a day or two at no extra cost to the passengers, prioritizing safety over schedule.

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At sea, cruise ships survive hurricanes by avoiding them. The seas are rough, the weather is predictably bad, but otherwise not very predictable.

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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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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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Cruise ships are designed with proactive measures in place, enabling ships to avoid the effects of going through a storm. Cruise ships are designed with measures put into place to ensure they're kept afloat. For the most part, a cruise ship should be able to handle turbulent environments. Find out more about us here.

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The only way that it could happen is if the ship were in extreme weather and positioned sideways to a 70- to 100-foot wave that would have the potential of rolling it over, Bolton said. I guarantee you're never going to be in those kinds of waves anyway, he said.

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A rogue wave is usually defined as a wave that is two times the significant wave height of the area. The significant wave height is the average of the highest one-third of waves that occur over a given period. Rogue waves can disable and sink even the largest ships and oil rigs.

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Hurricane Season Storms in August and October have a moderate risk of developing into hurricanes while September has the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise.

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Cruise ships move about twice as fast as the storms themselves, so the vessels can either outrun the storms or simply go around storm cells. If you're worried about your cruise being canceled, you can rest assured that that's highly unlikely.

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Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.

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Though your itinerary may change, cruises are rarely canceled due to storms. Ships are designed to handle rough seas and can be rerouted to avoid danger. Once you're on board, any port updates will be announced over the ship's intercom or detailed in a notice delivered to your stateroom.

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“If you're close to the coastline in shallow water, a tsunami can really toss ships around,” Heaton said. Cruise ships closer to land or at port would face an immense threat from the tsunami's tall, high-energy and potentially devastating wave.

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“The truth is that the newer, bigger ships are as safe or safer than any comparable smaller ships,” he said. The Concordia, operated by a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation , was carrying 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew when disaster struck.

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On average, a cruise ship generates 15 gallons of toxic chemicals each day. These materials come from on-board dry cleaning and photo-processing facilities, painting and other activities. Seven thousand gallons of oily bilge water are released into the oceans every time the ship empties its bilge tanks.

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Carnival is one world's largest cruise lines, but since it has existed, only one of its vessels has ever sunk, the Costa Concordia in 2012. Although Costa is an Italian cruise ship company, it is owned by Carnival Corporation.

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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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