After taking over 30 cruises, I finally had a sailing impacted because of a major hurricane.
Wanting to combine a visit to New York City with a cruise vacation, my friend and I booked a short 4-night getaway on Norwegian Aqua to Bermuda. We had been looking forward to relaxing on the island's famous pink sand beaches for months, but Hurricane Erin had other plans in mind.
Although we were hopeful that the storm would change paths, we received an email from Norwegian Cruise Line the day before embarkation with the itinerary change. Instead of heading to Bermuda, our cruise would call at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Initally, we were disappointed. My friend, who lives in Queens, was looking forward to an easy escape that didn't involve crowded ferries or public transit. However, we quickly became excited about our new itinerary; it felt like a chance to visit a port that we'd be unlikely to otherwise go to.
Cruising during hurricane season is risky. Powerful storms can divert (and even cancel) cruises. Still, the latter is rare. Most of the time, cruise lines will reroute ships to safer ports.
We didn't get the vacation we necessarily booked, but we walked away with more stories and memories than we can count. I wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise during hurricane season, but I'd go into the experience with a few things in mind.
Read more: Here's What Happens If There's A Hurricane During Your Cruise
Flexibility is key when cruising during hurricane season
We knew that the likelihood of our itinerary getting changed because of Hurricane Erin was high the week before our cruise, but we didn't let that get us into a funk before our vacation.
Instead, we made the most of our two days in New York. It was the longest I had been in the city since moving away in 2023, so it was nice to have time carved out to visit my favorite spots pre-cruise (and find new ones!).
We were a little frustrated by the lack of communication from Norwegian, though. It wasn't until the day before embarkation that we were informed of the changes. The email also told us that they'd be providing a $100 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom.
Not only that, but the email indicated that we may not even be able to disembark in Canada:
"While our ability to remain alongside will depend on the conditions at the time of arrival, please know that we will make every effort to bring you ashore...Once we arrive, the Captain and Harbor Master will carefully review conditions to determine if we can remain docked or if we need to depart shortly after clearance."
It was apparent days earlier that Bermuda wasn’t going to be an option with the storm’s track. The last-minute notice made us wonder why Norwegian Cruise Line hadn't been more transparent earlier.
Thankfully, my friend was able to adjust her packing list, and her boyfriend let me borrow a sweater to wear in Canada. This eliminated the need for an impromptu shopping trip in New York (though I wasn't completely opposed to the idea...).
Boarding in Manhattan was a little chaotic because of the itinerary change
Before we were allowed on the ship, the port employees told us that we had to fill out the Canadian customs form. However, they didn't provide clear instructions on how to fill the sheet out.
After finding a spare pen, we sat down in the boarding area and took turns filling out the required paperwork. Then, we joined the long line to proceed to the gangway, just to be stopped seconds before as agents double-checked that the forms were correctly filled out.
They didn't tell us what was wrong with our paperwork, just that it wasn't right. We stood off to the side awkwardly while we tried to piece together what we did wrong.
Eventually, another port employee came over and told us that "NCL Aqua" wasn't sufficient for the ship name; it had to be spelled out in its entirety as "Norwegian Aqua." Moreover, the date in the bottom right-hand corner was supposed to be the date of the scheduled visit, not the embarkation date.
Over 45 minutes had passed by the time we had dropped our luggage off, gone through security, had our documentation checked, and fixed our forms. It wasn't the quickest embarkation experience I ever had, and it could have been expedited with better communication from the port agents.
While standing in line, we also heard a lot of passengers talking about how disappointed they were with the itinerary change as well as the minimal onboard credit.
Read more: Best hurricane lessons that cruise experts swear by
The weather was chillier than expected
We didn't get the warm-weather cruise we had been dreaming about for months because we cruised north to Canada. Still, we made the most of our onboard experience.
For example, it was too cold for us to lounge on the pool deck on our two sea days. As such, we took advantage of the Observation Lounge, a forward-facing venue with a bar, light snacks, and comfortable seating. That doesn't mean that the pool deck was empty — it was just too cold for us to enjoy it.
One afternoon, however, we braved the windy top deck to ride the Aqua Slidecoaster, a hybrid roller coaster-water slide that zips guests around the entire ship in an inflatable raft. Although it was fun, it was hard to fully enjoy it because of how chilly the water was.
After that, we decided to hold off on other outdoor activities, like the interactive mini-golf court, until we docked in Canada.
Read more: 10 Unexpected Twists On My Canada Cruise
To our surprise, the temperature in Saint John wasn't as bad as we thought
In fact, it was a welcome change after the unusually steamy weekend we had in NYC.
With over ten hours in port, we weren't in a hurry to get off, especially considering we didn't book a tour. We disembarked around 11:15am, grabbed a map from the welcome center, and began wandering around.
Almost immediately, I noted how warm it felt with the sun out and rolled up my sweater sleeves. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold, either! Honestly, it was a really comfortable temperature, which set the tone for a good day ashore.
As we walked toward the downtown area, we passed Area 506, a neat waterfront container village filled with local vendors selling clothes, trinkets, and food.
Then, we ventured up King Street to the Saint John City Market, Canada's oldest farmers' market. It was too early for lunch, so we decided to hunt for souvenirs before eating.
My friend noted how the overall vibe of Saint John was like Asheville, North Carolina, which is where she was born and raised. Many of the stores had a quirky, artisanal feel, including the Obscruity Shop and Backstage Records.
This comment really solidified how different this cruise was from the getaway we expected. Instead of sun-soaked beaches, we were exploring a walkable city with historic buildings and small shops.
In total, we spent about three hours off the ship, including a stop for lunch at the iconic Saint John City Market, where we enjoyed fresh sandwiches from Jeremiah's Deli, which had been there since 1978.
It was so nice when we got back on board that we got to enjoy a little time on the pool deck! Plus, we played the interactive Tee Time mini-golf after we freshened up.
That said, we noticed that the ship wasn't as lively after dinner. Most bars were closed due to Canadian laws and regulations that only permit one bar per deck to operate while in port. However, the atmosphere slowly picked up again once we set sail at 9:00pm.
The weather was the worst on the last day
Cruise ships will never sail guests and crew members into unsafe conditions. However, that doesn't mean that they can avoid rocky seas.
As we sailed down the East Coast, Hurricane Erin was barreling toward us. Although our path was completely safe, we definitely felt the effects of the storm. By noon, it looked like everyone had been drinking for hours; nobody could keep their balance!
We grabbed lunch at the Indulge Food Hall before deciding to go back to the room for a little bit. My friend took a Dramamine and napped for a little over an hour, while I cranked out some work from the comfort of my bed.
Around 4:30pm, we started feeling like we could navigate the ship without getting too seasick. We wandered up to the top deck to check out the swells and discovered that Norwegian had closed and drained the primary pool due to the intense rocking.
Thankfully, the conditions only got better as the night continued, and we were able to enjoy our specialty dinner at Sukhothai, Norwegian Aqua's extra-charge Thai restaurant, without feeling queasy or dizzy.
We closed out the trip with a show in the Aqua Theater and a little gambling in the casino. Although we spent the majority of the afternoon in our cabin, versus basking in the sun on the pool deck like we envisioned, we ended the sailing on a high note and didn't let the rocky seas get to us.
In the end, the cruise wasn't what we had booked, but we had a great time
Between the itinerary change, chilly weather, and rocky seas, we learned a valuable lesson about cruising during hurricane season. That said, I would not hesitate to book another cruise during hurricane season.
We chose to sail on Norwegian's newest ship, so the price wasn't cheap, costing over $2,400 for a 4-night cruise for two guests in an interior stateroom.
This breaks down to roughly $300 per person, per day. However, we elected to upgrade to NCL's "More at Sea" bundle, so the fare included unlimited alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi credits, one specialty meal, and more.
Read more: Norwegian cruise ships by size
Sailing on a cruise during its inaugural season is rarely the most affordable vacation, and by sailing during hurricane season, we saved a little money compared to traveling during the peak travel months of June and July.
Because of the itinerary change, we also got $100 in non-refundable onboard credits to spend, as well as a $95 refundable credit for Bermuda's port fees. This meant we were able to keep our onboard spending to a minimum. Combined, we spent less than $100 while on Norwegian Aqua.
Keep in mind that, while traveling during hurricane season is risky, cruise ships can change their itineraries at any time.
Random storms and high winds can cause captains to decide to cancel ports to ensure everyone's safety. Although it's always disappointing, it's a part of cruising that can either make or break your vacation — I always choose the former.
Read more: After 30 cruises, I had a port unexpectedly canceled at the last minute — here’s what happened
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
