Uninvited guest Ernesto expected in Florida tonight

Hurricane Ernesto is headed for Florida, but with most cruise ships at sea until Friday, the storm should have a minimal impact on cruise vacationers. The storm, expected to hit the upper Florida Keys and lower Miami/Dade County Tuesday night, is currently forecasted to make landfall as a category 1 hurricane.

Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, two of the largest cruise operators in South Florida, announced precautions to insure passenger safety, their first priority. Although no sailings have been cancelled, several itineraries have been rerouted to avoid the Florida Keys and Bahamas Islands early in the week. You can read about these changes in frequent storm updates by Carnival and tropical weather updates by Royal Caribbean.

Ernesto will be the first hurricane to hit Florida this hurricane season which runs June through November. By odd coincidence, it is expected to hit Florida on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall. For more on Ernesto's progress, visit the NOAA Website.

The first Florida-bound storm of the season is a good time to reiterate our advice to prospective cruisers in regards to hurricanes. What is a cruise traveler to do? Rest assured that no cruise line will risk safety. Unlike land resorts, cruise ships can simply sail elsewhere to avoid the brunt of a storm, making itinerary changes on the fly. For those relatively uncommon situations when a storm affects the turnaround port on turnaround day, ships can be diverted or rescheduled.

All travelers, whether cruise or otherwise, are strongly recommended to procure quality travel insurance to provide financial protection, and enroute live assistance, for covered trip interruptions and delays. But as with any travel, it is up to the individual to decide his or her own tolerance for the possibility of weather-related inconveniences and time trips accordingly.