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Carnival Cruise Line's Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at the company's protocols for the hurricane season.
Heald highlighted Carnival's Fleet Operations Center (FOC), which coordinates the 29 ships of the fleet from its headquarters in Miami.
The area features a 74-foot-long video wall composed of 57 LED screens that display the status of all ships, including weather, itinerary, safety, engine and environmental updates.
"These days, Carnival has all the tools needed to see where a tropical storm is developing, where it is going and what the projected track is likely to be," he continued.
The Fleet Operations Center is manned at all times by a team of experienced maritime experts, Heald added.
He said that this fact should give guests so much comfort as these experts "will always be there to help" keep them safe.
With this infrastructure, Carnival is always able to tell when hurricanes are set to affect ships sailing in the Pacific, the Atlantic or the Caribbean.
Heald said that these weather forecasts are digested by the team at the FOC in conjunction with senior executives, who look at the projected track of hurricanes, confer with the ship's captain and then decide what needs to be done.
"Although itinerary modifications happen from time to time, any decision to change an itinerary is always done in the interest of guest and crew safety," Heald said.
He added that, as hurricanes can suddenly change their tracks, Carnival waits and gathers advice to determine what needs to be done before issuing notices, often with only a day's notice.
"Above all, we want to deliver the itinerary the guest booked, which is why we want to wait and see what happens with the storm before officially announcing any changes."
Once a decision has been made to adjust the itinerary, the next step is to see where the ship can go, Heald continued.
"If a hurricane is heading through the Eastern Caribbean and the scheduled calls are in St. Thomas, San Juan and St. Maarten, we look to the Western Caribbean for an alternative itinerary," he explained.
The company's team will then contact port authorities of these alternative destinations to ask for a berth on a specific day.
"While this is sometimes possible, it is right for me to mention that there are times when an alternative port cannot be found simply because the port is full," he continued, noting that cruise lines usually make port reservations years in advance.
Once a plan is in place for a new itinerary, Carnival's shore excursions team calls the tour operators in the new ports of call to book as many spaces on tours as possible, Heald added.
The company also contacts crew members who may have been set to join the ship in the original port of call, advising of the change and rescheduling plans if necessary.
Other changes include updates to tickets for comedians and entertainers, as well as the creation of new schedules for all departments of the vessels.
The entertainment directors also prepare a new program for a ship's daily activity schedule, the Fun Times, before preparing a letter for guests to let them know what is going to happen and why.
"We also email or text guests and post the new itinerary on our social media channels. And when that new itinerary is given to guests, 99 percent will accept the decision," Heald added.
While passengers are often disappointed, they tend to understand the situation and the company's decision, he continued.
"But I also have to say that, on every ship that is affected by Mother Nature, there are people who do not and will not understand that the cruise lines make these changes for their own safety."
Heald asked these guests to avoid directing their frustration at onboard staff members, "as they have absolutely nothing to do with these decisions."
"Let's hope it's a very quiet hurricane season this year, but if we should be forced to change ports of call, then please, don't shout and swear at a staff member," he said.
As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Carnival is forecasting a weaker hurricane season in 2026 due to recent weather events.
Fuente: cruise industry news
