It’s official – the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season has come to a quiet and smooth sailing end, which cruise passengers will be happy to hear.
The season runs from June 1 through November 30 each year and while dangerous storms can and do occur outside those calendar dates, cruisers can now breathe easier about how weather may impact their sailings over the next six months.
The occasion was noted by the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida with the calm but welcome words at 7 p.m. eastern time on Saturday, November 30, 2024:
“Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.”
The Tropical Weather Outlook is the regular forecaster notes that discuss development of tropical systems, potential impacts on land, and any special circumstances that may cause weather-related challenges.
“This is the last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2025,” the outlook from NHC Forecaster Beven read. “During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.”
The update was also posted by Craig Setzer, Royal Caribbean’s Chief Meteorologist, with a relaxing and relieved quip.
“And that’s a wrap…” Setzer wrote with a screenshot of the update on X, where he regularly keeps interested cruisers updated on different weather impacts across the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Of course, it isn’t just hurricanes that can strongly impact cruise travel and cause disruptions to itineraries, port closures, and rough waters for ships at sea.
A strong weather front – not a hurricane or tropical system – struck Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas on November 7 as the ship was enjoying her transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to Miami. The disruption was so severe that several injuries were reported, one critical enough that the ship had to turn around toward the Canary Islands for a medical evacuation.
In the UK, Storm Bert kept Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition docked for the entirety of the ship’s planned 3-night sailing that was to have departed on November 23, as the port was closed and North Sea weather too rough for safe sailing.
Strong winds and high swells are often the cause behind cancellation of different ports of call, such as private islands in the Bahamas or areas where tender boats are necessary. Thick fog can also cause delays for ships, especially returning to homeports up deep bays or rivers, such as Port Tampa Bay or the Port of Jacksonville.
This means that while hurricane season may have drawn to an official close, savvy cruisers will always stay tuned to the weather for their upcoming sailings and stay in close contact with their cruise line for any updates, adjustments, or other notifications.
2024 Hurricane Season’s Impact on Cruising
Well before the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season began, it was predicted as an unusually active season with the potential for a greater number of stronger storms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted 17-25 named storms, and in fact, the total of named storms this year was 18 – from Alberto in June through Sara in November.
Of those storms, the three most impactful were Beryl (Category 5 – June 28 through July 9), Helene (Category 4 – September 24-27), and Milton (Category 5 – October 5-10), each of which impacted multiple cruise ships from different lines and on different itineraries.
Cruise homeports were closed, ports of call were closed, routes were shifted, itineraries changed, even sailings cancelled – all impacts that cruise lines prepare for ahead of the season, though they hope never to have to make such decisions.
Ultimately, the safety of every ship and all aboard – passengers and crew members – is the top priority for every cruise line, and all itinerary changes and cancellations are made with safety in mind.
Have you set sail during hurricane season, or do you have a cruise planned during the 2025 storm season? Share your tips on the Cruise Hive boards!
