Hurricane season makes cruising tricky CNN
(CNN) -- The Caribbean doesn't seem like the ideal place for a vacation during hurricane season, yet many travelers take the gamble and book a cruise to the region anyway.
It's a trip that can can go very smoothly or offer some unpleasant surprises, anything from sudden itinerary changes to passengers being left behind when weather conditions change.
Consider Hurricane Irene, which forced many ships to change course last week. Now, here comes Tropical Storm Katia .
So what should cruise aficionados consider when booking a summer or fall Caribbean voyage?
We asked Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of CruiseCritic.com , to explain some of the realities of cruising when the big storms are most likely to form.
Why do people choose to cruise in the Caribbean during hurricane season?
There are several compelling reasons.
First, hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts a long time -- from June 1 to November 30 -- and it includes the summer, when school is out and many people are looking to get away with their kids. So it's not realistic to think vacationers will skip the beautiful region for six months, Brown said.
