Today is the official start of Hurricane Season and the worst thing about that is for many parts of the continent it’s still Tornado Season. Mother Nature can sometimes be restless, can’t she?
Every year at this time, people who like to go on cruises wonder if they should. Every year, people who write about going on cruises remind the people who wonder that the chances of being affected by a hurricane are slim.
A brief history is appropriate.
Last year, experts predicted between five and eight potentially major hurricanes…higher 
than normal. In the end, there were 19 named storms, the third-most in history. A dozen were hurricanes, and five were Category 3 or 4, which would be major.
This year, it’s an above-normal prognosis again. Six to 10 hurricanes. Three to six hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
Last year, winds steered these violent storms away from making landfall. That would seem to cause concern at sea, except that storms are closely monitored on cruise ships and almost always out-run, if necessary.
However, everybody knows not to mess with Mother Nature. Ships generally travel at speeds just over 20 knots. In 1987, Hurricane Emily raced across the Atlantic at speeds as high as 59 knots (68 miles an hour).
And when can everybody relax, on shore or on water?
In six months…November 30.