The last 2 years have been some of the worst hurricane seasons in U.S. history, which makes it exceedingly challenging for the cruise industry to provide a inconvenience-free vacation experience. Remember that the cruiselines first priority is the safety of its passengers and employees. If its going to be a choice between what you want to have happen on your vacation and your safety, your safety is going to win.

For the first time last week, I had a client caught in the itnerary changes caused by hurricanes. He was scheduled for a cruise departure out of Miami on Monday, Oct 24 - the day Hurricane Wilma was scheduled to make landfall in south Florida. Royal Caribbean kept information posted on their website, which was updated every few hours. For my client, they reimbursed the full value of the cruise and cost of airfare to fly him from his location to Miami. The cruise before his was extended 2 days, since it was impossible to bring the ship in for debarkation.

Remember, pay attention to any weather or local events that may affect your ships ability to get you on or off board. Be flexible and plan accordingly.