Caribbean cruises: what you need to know after devastating hurricanes

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People who have booked cruises in the Caribbean for the next few months are probably worried about the hurricane season that is too active, causing damage to large areas and leading to the cancellation or change of schedules for dozens of cruises. However, the situation is not as bad as it may seem. Most countries in the Caribbean did not suffer from storms, so most of the cruises this fall will take place on time and on the same routes as previously planned. Some cruises will be slightly adjusted.

Edition USA Today prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions about cruises after devastating hurricanes.

Is my Caribbean cruise valid for departure from Florida?

In most cases, yes. Cruise lines have canceled more than a dozen flights to the Caribbean and the Bahamas from Florida on the eve of Irma, but almost all cruises after the hurricane leave on schedule. Exception: cruises to the Bahamas on a ship Grand celebration by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. This 1900 passenger airliner was booked by FEMA until the end of December to serve as a floating hotel for emergency relief personnel, so all its tours until December 23 were canceled.

What if I have a cruise from San Juan booked?

Cruises from San Juan are still in limbo. Puerto Rico suffered widespread devastation from Hurricane Maria, from which the island is just beginning to recover. Two cruise lines are based in San Juan: Carnival and Royal Caribbeanwhich canceled all planned cruises for the first week of October. In company Carnival stated that their pier in San Juan was badly damaged, and it will take several weeks to repair it.

At the time of writing material flight Carnival scheduled for October 15 from San Juan is still on the scheduled cruise list, and Royal Caribbean did not cancel your cruise planned from San Juan on October 7. However, changes in the company's plans for these outlets are still may occur.

On your website Carnival stated that he is revising the schedule of cruises previously planned for October 15, 22 and 29 from San Juan. Royal Caribbean uses his ship in san juan Adventure of the Seas, in order to evacuate thousands of people from Puerto Rico and St. Thomas to the mainland of the United States, so the flights of this ship have also been canceled, although it is not yet clear for how long.

Even if the cruise takes place, are many scheduled ports to visit in the Caribbean closed after hurricanes?

No. Most were not affected by Irma and Maria. The storms knocked the region's two busiest cruise ports, Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas and Philipsburg in St. Maarten, off cruise schedules for weeks and possibly months. Several other less-visited cruise ports, including Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, are also closed to ships. But as strong and large as Irma and Maria were, they only affected a small part of the vast Caribbean Sea. They brought destruction to a number of eastern islands, but the hurricanes did not affect the Western Caribbean, where more than a dozen cruise ports are located, including Cozumel, Mexico, Harvest Caye and Belize. They also did not affect southern ports such as Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. The large ports of the Bahamas, which are one of the most popular destinations for cruise ships leaving Florida, were also only partially affected and are now welcoming ships again.

When will the affected islands reopen for cruise ships?

Earlier than many people think. Officials on stricken islands such as St. Thomas have made the return of cruise ships and port repairs a priority because cruises will bring funds to the island and the economic boost needed to further rebuild the islands. The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands has set a goal of returning cruise ships to St. Thomas and St. Croix by the end of October. The worst-hit island, St. Maarten, plans to reopen cruise ports before the end of 2017.

I have booked a cruise on a ship that was scheduled to visit St. Thomas in the coming weeks. If St. Thomas is still closed to cruise ships, where will he go?

Over the coming weeks, cruise ships that are planning to visit the islands that have been badly affected by the hurricanes are diverted to other places. Some ships that planned to visit St. Thomas and St. Maarten, instead, go to St. Kitts and Antigua. Others go to ports in the western Caribbean.

But I just wanted to see St. Thomas. If my ship doesn't go there, can I cancel my trip?

You can cancel the cruise, but this can lead to the loss of part of the money paid for the trip. Most cruise lines' contracts allow them to change ports at their discretion if, in their opinion, there is a reason for this. If your trip is scheduled in a few months, then, most likely, it can be canceled with a full refund (in some cases you will lose a non-refundable deposit). But if you cancel the cruise that is coming out in the coming days, you will get back only a part of your money.

The trip cancellation deadline, at which penalties can be avoided, varies depending on the cruise line. For example, in Carnival this is 75 days before the ship leaves for a cruise on 7 nights. If you cancel the seven-day cruise for 75-56 days before the release, you will lose the non-refundable deposit. After that, the penalty will be 50% of the total cost of the trip, and will constantly increase as the date of the ship’s departure to the sea approaches.

If my ship goes to one of the hard-hit islands, will everything be revealed?

After the hurricanes in the Caribbean, shops and restaurants in the port area are often among the first to reopen, long before residential areas are reconstructed. Officials in St. Thomas say that merchants in Charlotte Amalie, where cruise ships are arriving, are ready for the return of tourists. The island is also working on clearing and restoring the main attractions.

Read also on ForumDaily:

What documents are needed if you are going on a cruise

What you need to know before you go on a cruise

7 tips for those who go on a cruise for the first time

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