5 WAYS CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE MANAGES STORMS

What I Learned at Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center

A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit Carnival Cruise Line’s Fleet Operations Center (FOC) in Miami. I toured the state-of-the-art high-tech hub and watched as their team monitored real-time weather while communicating directly with captains in the fleet and their onboard teams.

I was impressed with their collaboration and commitment to passenger safety. The FOC Director, Piervalerio Vignola, told me, “Guests should always feel confident because there is always a team supporting them – the ships and the guests – and making sure we always go in safer waters.”

The way Carnival handles inclement weather set my mind at ease for booking my next cruise. Here’s what I learned:

WEATHER IS CONSTANTLY MONITORED

Carnival’s FOC is staffed around the clock by safety and marine professionals. The constant stream of communication between them and the ships is vital for making decisions based on changing weather. Because someone is always watching, “bad” weather isn’t a surprise. Yes, the weather constantly changes. No, the weather can’t be controlled. But weather can be monitored and forecasted, and decisions can be made based on the latest information.

Captain Gaetano Gigliotti, known as “Captain G” around the FOC, is Carnival’s Vice President of Nautical Operations. He spent many years sailing aboard various ships across Carnival’s fleet. He told me the latest forecast is constantly on the minds of captains and officers onboard. “Your concern when you arrive in the morning is the weather,” said Captain G. “You watch the weather and how it’s going to impact your voyage.”

“That’s their day-to-day job,” said Vignola. “When every officer starts their watch, the first thing they do is go through the weather forecast for the next few hours and the next few days.”

SHIPS ARE MOBILE

Unlike your home, which can’t move away from a thunderstorm or hurricane, a ship can sail around an approaching storm. Cruises want to avoid bad weather, not sail directly into it. “The ship is the best place to be,” said Captain G. “I’d rather be on a ship during hurricane season than on land. A ship can sail away from a storm.”

The average speed of a cruise ship is 18-22 knots (20-25 miles per hour). The average speed of an isolated thunderstorm is 8-13 knots (10-15 miles per hour). So storms can often be outrun. Of course, some storms move much faster, and if they can’t be outrun, they can be avoided by steering the ship in a different direction.

If a ship changes course to avoid inclement weather, it could mean a changed itinerary or a new port of call. This means you need to stay flexible when booking a cruise vacation. “The first choice is always to redirect the ship,” said Vignola. “The last option – and the one we really don’t want – is to cancel a cruise due to weather.”

SHIPS ARE BUILT TO HANDLE STORMS

“Ships have six different types of movement,” explained Captain G. “But the two which really affect the cruise are pitching and rolling. Rolling can be minimized thanks to the stabilizers.” Since the 1930s, most cruise ships have been built with stabilizers to reduce the movement caused by wind and waves. Most ships have two stabilizers, one on each side, and some larger ships have four. Not only do the stabilizers help with rough weather, but they also counteract the natural motion of the ocean on a sunny day. This can help with seasickness and improve safety onboard.

Check out this YouTube video of a stabilizer slowly emerging from a ship:

Captain G told me ship stabilizers work a bit like airplane wings. They lift the ship up over the waves like airplane wings lift a plane up over pockets of turbulence.

When a plane hits turbulence, passengers get nervous and wonder if the plane is safe. But the pilot knows from experience that a little turbulence is no big deal.

“As an old sailor, I know that 20-foot waves can be ridden quite comfortably,” he said. “But our decisions are made on the perception of the guests. To the guests who haven’t been at sea, those kinds of waves can be quite disturbing.”
The size of the ship also has an impact on its ability to withstand storm winds. “Ships like Mardi Gras and Celebration are huge and they have a lot of power,” said Captain G. “The larger ships can withstand winds up to 30 knots (35 mph).”

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Communication between Carnival’s FOC and each ship is crucial and constant. “The communication with the ships has improved a lot with Carnival Cruise Line,” Vignola assured me. “We have access to any cell phone on board using a five-digit number. We also have What’s App and other tools to reach the ships at any time.” He explained how the improvement of satellite bandwidth in recent years means ships are almost always covered by a satellite or internet to allow more effective communication.

Communication with guests onboard is important, too. Weather forecasts are shared daily in the ship announcements, and when the weather turns nasty, more announcements are made. Sometimes guests are encouraged to avoid walking on outside decks if they’re slippery from rain. Letters are also sent before and during a cruise to let guests know when a specific weather situation is being monitored.

SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY

Carnival Cruise Line has several priorities and the safety and well-being of their guests tops the list. Every ship has an emergency weather plan that they rehearse and communicate when necessary. Most guests don’t even know the crew is practicing and preparing while they’re sipping a fruity drink by the pool or enjoying a shore excursion.

“We have a team 24-7 looking at each ship and making sure we are always in the safest location possible,” Vignola assured me. “We want to be sure our decisions are the most accurate based on the information we have.”

Captain G told me, “Most of the time when we make changes due to weather, guests thank us because we give priority to their safety. Sometimes it’s not commercially advantageous for us but it’s more important to have happy guests.”

After all, Carnival Cruise Line is known for “The FUN ships.” The best way to have FUN is to be safe.

As a meteorologist, author and public speaker, Amy Sweezey provides media services for various companies worldwide. She is a weather contributor for Carnival Cruise Line.