It’s still hurricane season on the East Coast of the U.S., and those storms can definitely affect your Disney vacation.

We’ve seen hurricanes impact things in Disney World before, and they’ve even been so bad as to shut down the parks for a day or two. While Disney World is super prepared for these kinds of events, there’s another type vacation you might be worried about — Disney cruises or cruising in general. So, let’s talk about how cruises can be impacted by hurricanes.

Cruising During Hurricane Season

You might think it’s unsafe to cruise during hurricane season, but that’s not necessarily true. Hurricanes are very well tracked and researched, so they don’t just pop up out of the blue while you’re on a cruise. Meteorologists know about them well in advance and can usually predict the general path of a storm.

The good news is it’s pretty simple for cruise ships to avoid a hurricane since they know where they’re going to be. They can reroute the ship to go around the storm, wait a few days for the storm to pass, or take a completely different route that doesn’t go near the storm.

In fact, you might even notice that rates are lower for cruises during the peak of hurricane season (around mid-August to mid-October). This is probably partially due to summer vacation being over, but less people could also be choosing to cruise during this time due to the potential of hurricanes.

Cruising during hurricane season is generally safe, because your captains aren’t just going to sail you right into the eye of the storm. They have the technology and info that allows them to take any actions they need to in order to avoid a hurricane.

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Will Your Cruise Get Canceled?

It’s very rare for a cruise to be canceled due to a hurricane, and that’s for a number of reasons that we’ve already mentioned a bit. Cruise lines can simply change the itinerary, route, or departure port in order to avoid a storm instead of canceling a cruise. They can also just delay your trip so that it won’t be impacted by the hurricane in question.

So, while your trip might not be canceled, it can definitely be changed. You might have to travel to a different port in order to leave or leave a few days later in order to still go on your cruise. So, if this does happen, you will want to look at the cancelation or rescheduling policies for your airline, hotel, rental car, or any other plan you have that isn’t covered by the cruise line.

However, in rare situations, cruises can be canceled, so know that there is a small possibility that it could happen. In this situation, cruises will usually offer guests a full refund and sometimes even offer a discount on your next cruise. Disney Cruise Line will give you a refund if your cruise is canceled.

But remember, if this does happen, you will also need to check out the cancelation policies for your airfare, hotel, rental car, etc. because they can all be different. Make sure you look at these ahead of time! This is also a reason you might want to get some travel insurance for your trip.

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Cancelation Policies

If Disney Cruise Line cancels your cruise or delays your cruise for more than three calendar days (and you do not accept an alternative cruise or choose not to travel on a delayed cruise), you can request a refund or a cruise credit by emailing Disney Cruise Line at [email protected].

These requests must be made within 90 days of the original scheduled sail date and must include a copy of the cruise confirmation, proof and amount of payment, and cancellation or delay notice.

If YOU decide to cancel your cruise because you’re worried about a hurricane (meaning you do this before anything has actually changed with the cruise), the normal cancelation policies for that cruise line should apply.

You can cancel your reservation online by signing into your account and going to My Reservations, then select “Modify Reservation.” From there, you can change your sail date, edit your travel party, modify your stateroom, or cancel your reservation.

Cancellation fees can apply in certain situations. If you have already paid for your cruise in full, booked it with a Future Cruise Credit, or booked it under a restricted rate or concierge category, it’s recommended that you call the Disney Cruise Line Contact Center at (800) 951-3532 for assistance.

If you booked your cruise through a travel agency, contact your travel agent. And, if you’ve booked it through Disney Vacation Club, contact Member Services at (800) 800-9800 to make modifications.

Here’s a closer look at the cancelation policy:

So, there you have it! That’s what you need to know about cruising during hurricane season. We’d suggest keeping an eye on the weather around the are where you’ll be cruising before your cruise just to stay in the loop. And remember, your cruise itinerary can be changed or the dates could be delayed, so keep that in mind when you’re booking during hurricane season.

Want more about Disney cruises? Check out more about Disney cruises sailing to Australia and New Zealand for the first time, the name and theme for the NEW Disney Cruise Line ship, and how the COVID-19 testing policy has changed for Disney Cruise Line.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney Cruise Line news, info, and updates.

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Have you ever had your Disney cruise canceled? Tell us about it in the comments.