When you book a cruise for your family, you'll typically consider a few things. These include the specific ship, the cruise line, the dates, the price, the length of the cruise, and the ports of call. In most cases, what you book is what you experience.
However, there are rare times when your cruise ship will miss one or more ports. This happened to me most recently when my three-night Celebrity Reflection cruise missed all our ports because of the weather.
Wondering what happens if a cruise misses all of its ports? Here's what to expect.
A Cruise to Nowhere: What Happens When Your Cruise Misses Its Ports
Before I get into why this happens, what to expect, and my own experience, I want to note that this is very rare. I've been on over 30 cruises, and this is the first time I've experienced this. We had a fantastic time and would have done it all over again, knowing the outcome. Even a cruise to nowhere is still a cruise.
Why Cruises Miss Ports
When your cruise ship misses one or more posts, it is typically due to weather. On occasion, it may be for another reason, like a current political situation. But in most cases, it's weather-related.
Cruises don't miss ports just for rain; it has to be something more substantial, such as heavy winds or other conditions that make it risky to dock. Tender ports, such as Grand Cayman, where you dock offshore and take a boat to the shore, are more likely to be missed than traditional ports.
In my experience, you won't always know about this in advance. Sometimes, the cruise ship will attempt to dock, only to realize the conditions are too rough to enter the port. Other times, the Captain will know in advance.
Do Cruise Lines Offer Anything When You Skip a Port?
When you agree to your cruise contract, you are agreeing that the ship can make itinerary changes without any compensation. So, the cruise line isn't obligated to offer anything.
That being said, they may offer something at their discretion. Below, I share my specific experience: we received some onboard credit. But it's never a guarantee. The cruise director will likely add a few activities to the schedule to keep everyone busy.
Excursions booked through the cruise line will be refunded if you miss a port. Typically, you won't need to request this - it will happen automatically. However, if you've booked something on your own, you will need to work with them to see if you are eligible for any sort of refund.
If you have travel insurance, you may be eligible for some sort of refund/compensation. It depends upon your policy - you'll need to have that specific coverage. Keep copies of any letters that are delivered to your room, which will serve as proof for the insurance company to show that you missed one or more ports.
How To Plan For This Situation
If you are someone like me, who has backup plans for your backup plans, you may be wondering how best to plan for this type of situation. While you can't control or even truly predict this situation, there are steps you can take to be prepared.
If the weather looks a little iffy, it's best to pack a little extra. For me, this means medications, contact lenses, and underwear. In general, I'd recommend packing extra prescription meds anyway, because you never know if there will be any type of delays - flight, cruise, or other.
When looking at the weather, you'll also have some idea of the temperatures you'll experience. On this particular cruise, during which I missed ports, we knew the temperatures would be unseasonably cool, so I packed accordingly.
You may also want to reconsider any excursions or experiences booked outside of the cruise line. At a minimum, check the cancellation policies and see what you'll need to do if you have to miss it.
In addition, if you expect to spend extra time on the ship, you may want to bring things to entertain you. We saw lots of large groups enjoying board games and cards.
My Experience on a Cruise That Missed Every Port
In late January, my 3-night cruise with stops in Key West and Bimini ended up becoming a cruise to nowhere. I was traveling with friends from around the country, and as we left our homes, we already knew the weather would be chilly and windy.
We left the port as expected and on time, and headed towards Key West. The Captain explained, that first evening, that because of incoming weather, we'd be leaving Key West at 2 pm, rather than later in the early evening.
The next morning, when I woke up, it was after the 7 am planned docking time, and we weren't docked yet. Shortly after, the Captain announced that the storm had arrived earlier and was expected to last about 40 hours. Therefore, we wouldn't be docking at Key West at all, and it was implied that Bimini was at risk as well.
A few hours later, the Captain told us that the Bimini port would be closed the next day, so we wouldn't stop there either. Instead, we would be at sea for the entire journey, and we'd travel to the calmest weather possible.
The cruise line offered us a stateroom credit (which varied based on the type of room booked). They also did a great job of providing lots of fun activities during the day, including archery with the crew, street curling, and a murder-mystery music trivia game. In addition, they offered complimentary champagne at numerous times, including at lunch at the buffet and right in front of the theater before the show.
The weather while we were on the ship wasn't great. It was chilly and very windy. Although there was a lot of wind on deck, I didn't feel much ship movement.
Overall, we had a great time. The crew was fantastic, and all of the guests we encountered were having a great time. We all made the best of it.
So, was it still worth it? Some people in our cruise Facebook group were considering canceling when it became clear the weather wasn't going to cooperate. But I would not have cancelled. It was still a great vacation, with delicious food I didn't have to cook and clean.
Have you been on a cruise that missed one or more ports?
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