Q – 8-12.26 – My wife and I will sailing Celebrity in the Caribbean during late October which is a part of the major storm season. We are curious if there are any policies about avoiding storms or just plowing right through them on a larger ship. How does that really work and would they alter an itinerary if the seas are unusually rough? No one much talks about this but my wife is really concerned. I called Celebrity directly and got the corporate answer you might expect.
A – Cruise lines always have the right to alter any itinerary due to a perceived “Act of God” or an “Act of Disney”. The Captain of any vessel has the ultimate decision-making responsibility based on the latest weather information received. Generally speaking, ships will always try to stay 300 nautical miles away from any storm center no matter what inconvenience to an itinerary that might produce. The hurricanes in the Caribbean tend to move at an average speed of 12-15 nautical miles per hour while modern ships have speed capabilities 18-20 knots so outrunning a storm could be an option.
