NOAA updates hurricane season to be lighter in 2009
Late last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an updated forecast for a lighter than normal hurricane season in 2009. Hurricane season for the Atlantic runs from the 1st of June to the end of November. (Although mother nature may have other ideas.) Typically for the Atlantic, hurricanes reach their peak occurrence early to mid-September.
Due to the increase in occurrences over the last few years with big names like Katrina, Frances, Dean and Gustav many vacationers are weary of heading into a possible dangerous situation in the Caribbean. Because of the decrease in demand during this time of year, you could save big bucks in what is historically the best seasonal value for a Caribbean destination. When you combine this seasonal value with the current economic climate you could be looking at a new twist on the perfect storm.
What if your vacation happens to be on a moving target? Say a cruise ship for example? Because hurricanes typically move at 8 to 10 knots, and cruise ships can move at a pace above 20 knots it means that a ship could easily outrun any threatening hurricanes it may encounter. The policy of every cruise line is to avoid rather than encounter a hurricane. With their sophisticated technology and a close, constant eye on weather patterns and hurricanes in the Caribbean they can and do keep you as a guest out of harms way.
As a couple, we've been in the Caribbean during two hurricanes over the years. The first experience 10 years ago was Hurricane Lenny which devastated a scheduled St. Croix destination. The second was Hurricane Frances which turned a short three day cruise to the Bahamas into a six day cruise to nowhere out in the Gulf of Mexico. (Video below)
Instead of heading into harms way, a cruise line will seek an alternative port for you to enjoy. While Lenny was terrorizing St. Croix on our scheduled arrival date, we were taken to an alternate destination in Nassau, Bahamas. When Frances was closing in back in 2004, we were given several options before boarding including a fully refundable cancellation and notice of a change in destination if we boarded. (Figure eights in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.)
Opting to take the second cruise based on our experience in 1999, what resulted was a six day cruise to paradise on a luxury cruise liner for the same price of our three day cruise to the Bahamas. While Carnival was protecting their asset (their ship) we were also protected as a guest. Because both Mother Nature and the U.S. Coast Guard would not allow us to return until it was safe, we enjoyed a couple extra days of paradise. In addition to the extra days at sea, we were given a $100 ship board credit and a 50% discount on another cruise of comparable length in the future.
The moral of both stories is don't let Mother Nature deter you from taking advantage of some of the best seasonal and economical savings we've seen in years for the Caribbean. A moving target such as a cruise ship may prove to be the best value combined with safety during this lighter than normal hurricane season.
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