Last year’s hurricane season took us on a wild ride.
It was the roughest season in recent history in my city, Tampa, Florida — home to a popular cruise port where Carnival Cruise Line has sailed for many years.
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Like the rest of Florida, Tampa Bay is no stranger to storms, but last year was the first time our region was in the direct path of a major hurricane in more than 100 years. And it happened twice, back to back.
Although our resilient region bounced back, Hurricanes Helene and Milton were devastating for our community, and they had significant impacts on cruises sailing from Tampa and other Florida ports, too.
Cruises on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and other cruise lines were canceled or altered as Florida ports closed due to the storms, forcing several cruise ships to stay safely at sea until danger passed.
Hurricane Debby also impacted Florida and cruises last summer, and Come Cruise With Me’s Matt Frankel was on board the Margaritaville at Sea Islander when it got stuck at sea for two extra days as a result.
Although the 2024 hurricane season brought disappointment and inconveniences for many cruisers, no cruise line ever put its passengers or crew in harm’s way.
But if you’re planning to cruise during the 2025 hurricane season, which runs now through November, should you worry about a repeat of 2024?
So far, the season is off to a quiet start with help from a huge Saharan dust cloud, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season.
Carnival Cruise Line Weather Contributor Amy Sweezey provides clarity on what that forecast means for cruises in a new 2025 hurricane season update video.
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Carnival Cruise Line offers hurricane season outlook for cruises
Transcript:
Hi everybody, I’m meteorologist Amy Sweezey, Carnival’s weather contributor, and I wanted to give you a quick 2025 hurricane season update specifically for cruisers.
Now, the Pacific season actually got underway May 15th. That’s a little bit earlier than the Atlantic season, which started on June 1st, and that is going to run through November 30th. The peak of the season for the Atlantic is in early September, so we still have a little ways to go.
Related: New travel alert issued for Carnival, Royal Caribbean cruise port
For the Atlantic and Gulf, NOAA is predicting a 60% chance of an above normal season because of several factors, including a neutral El Nino/La Nina pattern, which is one of the things that we look for as to whether or not there will be a lot of storms or a few storms.
Now, whether or not there’s a lot or a few, keep a few things in mind when it comes to your cruise. Yes, the forecast is for 13 to 19 named storms. Up to 10 of those could reach hurricane status.
That’s the forecast from NOAA, and of those 10 hurricanes, three to five are expected to become major, which is a category three or higher.
How Carnival Cruise Line stays ahead of hurricanes and other storms
But the best thing about cruising during hurricane season is that your cruise vacation is a resort that floats. And, of course, that allows captains to sail into the safest water.
Some other things to keep in mind:
Each ship undergoes a very strict inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard and is equipped with the latest technology, along, of course, with officers and crew who undergo comprehensive emergency training just for hurricanes.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line faces first storm of hurricane season
Now, Carnival teams are working 24/7, both at the Fleet Operations Center in Miami, and also across the fleet. They’re all coordinating with each other.
And so, if an itinerary does need to change because of weather, whether it’s a hurricane or any other sort of weather event, that information would be communicated immediately to you, the guest.
I’m Carnival Weather Contributor Amy Sweezey. Have fun. Be safe.
