Hurricane Dorian: What to do if the storm prevents you from getting to your cruise ship

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1. Carnival Cruise Line Best for: Value hunters
Why:Carnival is the line for “everycruiser,” appealing to a broad spectrum of vacationers who share one common trait: They all want a super-fun escape without going bankrupt. The combination of Carnival’s sizable fleet (25+ ships), emphasis on popular destinations (Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico) and dedication to accessible three- to seven-night itineraries translates to low prices and frequent deals. Cruises typically start around a reasonable $80 per person, per night, and can be nabbed for lower still with promotional fares. Carnival keeps its cabins simple, with plenty of standard insides and outsides, and does not go overboard with fee-extra venues onboard (access to specialty dining venues like Guy’s Burger Joint, Serenity adults-only areas and Punchliner Comedy Club shows, for instance, are all free of charge). For the best budget rates, avoid holiday periods (especially school vacations). Andy Newman/CCLRunner-up for foodies:Seabourn earns high points on the foodie front for its culinary partnership with lauded chef Thomas Keller, behind famed Michelin-starred eateries Per Se, Bouchon and The French Laundry. The American chef brings his unique brand of French-American fare, infused with regional flavors, to the line via a range of dishes showcased in the main restaurant, as well as through his 2016-debuted signature restaurant, The Grill by Thomas Keller. This fleetwide eatery, a classic American chophouse-inspired venue (designed by Adam D. Tihany), comes complete with savory surf-and-turf dishes and tableside preparation of passenger favorites like Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes. Plus, upscale Seabourn includes a selection of fine wines and premium drinks in its upfront rates, while its specialty dining venues carry no surcharge. Seabourn Cruise Line8. Norwegian Cruise Line Best for: Entertainment enthusiasts
Why: All Norwegian ships offer musical revues, comedy and improv shows, live music and guest performers, but the line really shines with its newest ships: Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. The line takes its inspiration from land-based hits, and cruisers can experience Broadway musicals like “Jersey Boys,” “Rock of Ages,” “After Midnight” or “Million Dollar Quartet”; sizzling dance shows like “Burn the Floor”; comedy by Second City improv or Levity Comedy; and music by dueling pianists and blues bands. The line even turns meals into theater with dinner show Cirque Dreams. Throw in plenty of bars, discos, bowling and Wii, and you will never be bored onboard. Gene Sloan/USA TODAY9. Cunard Line Best for: Enrichment seekers
Why:Cunard and its trio of Queens ooze culture like an Oxford don. The cruise line introduced the Cunard Insights enrichment program in 2007, inviting onboard such luminaries as a NASA astronaut, a polar explorer and British wit John Cleese. In 2016, the Insights program partnered with The New York Times to present a speaker series highlighting experts on journalism, climate change, politics, national security, sports and more. Passengers can also indulge in cultural pursuits with ballroom dancing, West End-style theater (in a box seat, no less), a planetarium (on Queen Mary 2 only) and string quartets that bid the sun adieu. Audience participation is encouraged; you can learn the art of acting with Royal Academy of Dramatic Art members and wax poetic in onboard book clubs. Passengers also have the opportunity to trace their family tree, too, under the tutelage of experts from Ancestry.com. Cunard LineRunner-up for enrichment: Onboard enrichment is a pillar of the high-end Crystal Cruises brand, with complimentary enrichment-minded programming featured heavily aboard every sailing. Via the Creative Learning Institute, passengers get a chance to take digital filmmaking lessons, sign up for wine-tastings (helmed by trained sommeliers), participate in wellness lectures (put on by experts and doctors from the Cleveland Clinic) or enroll in art instruction (with courses in painting, sculpture or crafts). Through the Crystal Visions program, luminaries from the world of screen and stage, comedy, sports, politics, science and more are brought onboard to present guest lectures and seminars. Plus, cruisers can sign up for techie instruction via Crystal’s Computer University@Sea program, or opt to sail on special themed voyages, focused on topics like music, golf, photography, food and wine, and fitness. Bruce Smith, AP10. Lindblad ExpeditionsBest for: Adventurers
Why: Lindblad Expeditions seeks out exotic itineraries in the Arctic, Antarctica, Galapagos, Amazon and other less-mainstream cruise destinations. On its polar voyages, passengers sail aboard an ice-class vessel that easily slips through frozen passageways populated with polar bears in the Arctic or penguins in Antarctica. Its Torres del Paine-to-Cape Horn itinerary delivers myriad land-and-sea encounters in Patagonia’s vast wilderness. On all voyages, passengers can expect to share in the expertise of a team of naturalists, including National Geographic photographers (or Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructors) and undersea specialists, providing a steady stream of eco-insights and information. For closer views, the cruise line equips its ships with Zodiacs, sea kayaks and underwater cameras. Shore excursions trade bus tours for educational and active diversions, such as naturalist-led glacier hikes and deep-water snorkeling. The company also advances sustainable practices and supports many conservation programs in the fragile destinations it visits. Lindblad ExpeditionsRunner-up for adventurers: UnCruise Adventures combines off-the-beaten-track ecotourism with small-ship cruising in Alaska, as well as the Sea of Cortez, Galapagos, Coastal Washington and British Columbia, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Panama, and the Columbia and Snake rivers. Its expedition vessels are small enough to wiggle into secret harbors and through narrow waterways, and cruisers are invited to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings with such land-and-sea excursions as whale-watching, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, hiking, kayaking and polar bear plunges. Cameron Zegers /UnCruiseRunner-up for romantics: Romance fills the sails of Windstar Cruises, a trio of multi-masted yachts plus a trio of luxury cruise ships. These intimate vessels, carrying between 148 and 312 passengers, float through such dreamy destinations as the Greek Isles, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, the Windward Islands, the South Pacific and the Far East, and seek out interesting small harbors and coves where other lines don’t go. If you want the romance of stargazing under billowing sails, choose one of the original ships (Wind Surf, Star and Spirit); for more spacious accommodations and private verandas, opt for newer acquisitions (Star Pride, Breeze and Legend). By day, doze on a padded lounger by the pool; by night, choose Candles Grill for an alfresco dinner date (though all dining venues are superb). All ships have water sports platforms for floating, kayaking, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and diving in aquamarine waters worldwide. Windstar Cruises12. Viking River Cruises Best for: River cruisers
Why: Viking River Cruises is a seasoned player that caters to first-time cruisers looking to get their feet wet in the world of river cruising. Known for its expansive portfolio of immersive, destination-centric itineraries – including iconic European offerings like the Romantic Danube, Rhine Getaway and Grand European Tour – the line has a river sailing to suit all tastes, with more than 60 vessels plying the inland waterways of Europe, Russia, Asia and Egypt. Viking’s fleet is mainly composed of its signature 190-passenger Viking Longship vessels, and passengers can expect modern Scandinavian design elements onboard with plenty of panoramic windows, oversized suites and the indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace, set at each ship’s bow. Plus, with largely inclusive pricing (rates include a shore excursion in every port and beer and wine with meals), first-time cruisers needn’t fret about racking up lots of incidentals, a common caveat encountered on mainstream oceangoing cruises. PRN

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Contact your cruise line

First thing’s first: Always contact your cruise line if you think there’s a chance you’re going to miss your cruise. Even if there’s not much they can do to help, the simple act of notifying them puts you on record has having provided a documented reason so the company won’t dismiss you as a simple no-show.

Add your cruise line’s customer service number (and the number for your travel agent if you used one) to your phone’s contact list before you leave home. This way, if you need to reach them from the road, you won’t have to rely on an internet connection to find them.

Cruise line contact information: Phone numbers and email addresses for every company, all in one place

Be aware the ship probably won’t wait for you

Delaying a cruise ship departure is not something cruise lines take lightly, as the ship can incur penalties and fines if it remains in port too long. If enough passengers are reporting delays, there is a slim chance that the ship might delay departure in order to accommodate them, but it might not be able to wait too long.

From a cruise line representative: “There are very few situations where a ship would be held. If it was a safety/security issue, those would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.”

Basically, don’t count on the ship waiting because many of its passengers are struggling with flight cancellations. It’s best to focus on your other options.

Switch your flight

If you need to fly to your departure port, but anticipate your flight will be canceled due to weather, consider changing your reservation to an earlier flight. Paying a hefty change fee is not ideal, but it might be more palatable than missing your cruise entirely.

If you can handle waiting until a few days before your flight, airlines often issue advisories in advance of major weather events. In the event of an advisory, the airline is required by the Passenger Bill of Rights to offer a move to another flight for free, but the booking window and the fine details are at the discretion of the individual airline.

Hurricane Dorian:  900+ flights canceled; Orlando airport reopening, Charleston closing

Meet the ship at the next port

Even if you aren’t able to join the cruise for sail-away, you can still join it at its first port of call and not miss out on your vacation entirely. If you didn’t purchase travel insurance, expect to pay change fees or the full price of a new ticket (depending on whether you made it to the port city late or never left home at all).

Depending on the particulars of your travel arrangements and airline and cruise line cancellation or change policies, it might end up saving you money to meet your cruise and fly back as scheduled, rather than abandon your vacation completely.

If your airfare is booked through a cruise line program like Princess Cruises’ EZAir that guarantees arrival, the cruise line’s travel department will fly you to meet the ship for no extra charge. (Check with your cruise line for air program details.)

Otherwise, if you purchased travel insurance, your policy might cover flights to the first port of call; you’ll need to check the fine print.

Also, U.S. citizens should bear in mind that if you’re now flying to a port outside the country, you will need a passport. If your flights aren’t round trip (your flight home is from a distant port), it might end up saving you money if you meet your cruise and fly back as scheduled, rather than pay cancellation fees.