TRAVEL
What Happens When a Hurricane Closes a Cruise Port?
Source: NOAA
With Tropical Storm Nicole making a beeline towards Florida’s east coast, Port Everglades has closed – so what happens to the cruise ships that were meant to dock today?
According to CruiseHive, passengers onboard two Holland America ships meant to disembark on Wednesday will now enjoy a few extra days at sea thanks to Tropical Storm Nicole.
The Eurodam and the Rotterdam were scheduled to end their sailings on Wednesday at Port Everglades but will instead remain at sea and out of Nicole’s path until the port reopens, or they can disembark at an alternative port.
According to CruiseHive, when a homeport closes, cruise ships typically stay safely at sea until it reopens, especially if the delay is expected to be minimal. If the delay looks like it will take longer, or the homeport is damaged during a storm, the cruise line will find a different homeport to disembark cruise passengers.
If ships return to a different homeport, CruiseHive reports the cruise line will help guests with travel arrangements, such as finding a different flight home, or providing charter buses to transport cruise passengers back to the original home port.
