The season’s second named hurricane, Bertha, swirls off the east coast of the United States making her way slowly north. She may strike Bermuda or simply churn up gigantic waves in the Atlantic ocean. I’m certain cruise line executives with ships sailing from northeast ports like New York and Boston are busily searching for alternate itineraries should it be necessary to move the ship out of the storm’s way.

The captain of a Princess ship once told me, “any cruise ship captain who gets caught in a hurricane would have to be pretty stupid.” The good news is that officers have access to the most advanced hurricane centers. Remember, hurricanes are slow-moving bodies; if a storm threatens an island on your Caribbean itinerary, the captain will change course and cruise to other areas instead. I’m certain you won’t mind missing a port when it’s being plummeted by 100 mph winds and driving rain.

The Atlantic Ocean is a different matter. Hurricanes that don’t go ashore typically hug the coastline which means ships bound for Bermuda or the Caribbean may have move to a Canada/New England itinerary instead.

I’m always shocked when passengers complain that a ship’s itinerary changed to avoid a hurricane. You mean you WANT to be tossed about in high seas and wind so bad even officers get seasick? Of course there are threats of lawsuits, even though storms fall into the “acts of God” category which means the cruise line isn’t legally responsible. Not to mention, the small type on your cruise ticket also says the Captain can change itinerary or cancel a port for any reason whatsoever.

The June 3, 2008 prediction of the Colorado University’s Department of Atmospheric Science is that 2008 will be a “well above-average” hurricane season with eight hurricanes, four of which four will be intense. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 65% probability of an above average season. They’ve been wrong the last two years and let’s hope that streak continues.

When a hurricane strikes, most of us would guess Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa would be most affected. But in 2004, Port Canaveral, near Orlando, bore the brunt in three major storms while next year Hurricane Katrina halted cruises from New Orleans and Mobile for a long time. I don’t recall that anyone predicted that.

The point is, the weather is too uncertain to let it affect your vacation plans. And the big advantage of a cruise is that a ship can move away from a large storm whereas in a hotel, you’re stuck. As someone who rode out Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico’s El San Juan hotel, let me tell you: It’s pure hell. Even worse than enduring that Category V hurricane, was being stuck in San Juan for three nights with no electricity or air conditioning because the airport was shut down.

Does the prospect of a hurricane keep you from cruising during the June through November season?