Cruising ‘Round the Weather

 

When storm season hits in late summer and fall, cruise ships adeptly just sail around the hot spots. So while the printed schedule says a port call at Key West, cruisers may find themselves going ashore instead at Nassau, or perhaps Cozumel in lieu of St. Thomas. Fortunately, ships are mobile. So if passengers can go with the flow and adjust their mindset to enjoy their cruise whatever the itinerary, they’ll likely have a good time. Of course, sometimes cruises do have to be cancelled or shortened. Most ships, though, simply sail out of harm’s way, with the lines rerouting passengers to alternative ports. We wish the same could be said for cities like Biloxi, Gulfport and New Orleans, hit so hard by Hurricane Katrina three years ago. We visited Biloxi and Gulfport earlier this year for the Travel South conference and were encouraged by the rebuilding progress  For example, the 19^th century Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’ former home, heavily damaged by Katrina’s wall of water, just reopened. That said, it’s the people along the coast, their spirit, and their safety we think about this week. We wish they could just sail out of harm’s way from future storms. We wish them to know our hearts and prayers are with them.