Would You Cruise During Hurricane Season?

77% Tell Cruise Critic They Won't Rule It Out, 32% Already Booked, 26% Hoping to Find a Hurricane Season Deal

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May 25, 2012, 08:48 ET

PENNINGTON, N.J., May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A poll announced today by Cruise Critic® (http://www.cruisecritic.com), the world's largest cruise reviews site and cruise community, reveals that 58 percent of cruisers say the threat of hurricanes won't stop them from cruising, and a further 19 percent haven't ruled it out entirely.

Cruise Critic asked cruisers if they will sail during hurricane season, and of the 2,380 cruisers who responded to the survey, 32 percent said they have already booked a cruise during hurricane season and 26 percent are hoping to find a hurricane season cruise deal. A further 19 percent responded that they were undecided. Only 23 percent said it was too risky and they would not cruise during this time.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) prediction* for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season – which starts on June 1 – is for a less active season compared to recent years with a near-normal number of named storms expected this year.

"Cruise ships operate year-round in some of the most hurricane-prone regions in the world, yet the chance of actually experiencing a hurricane during a cruise is very slim as cruise lines will re-route ships away from the path of a storm," explained Carolyn Spencer Brown, Cruise Critic editor in chief. "This means itineraries may be changed, and you might experience some rainy days and choppy seas, but hurricane season deals, which offer some of the best prices of the year, will entice cruisers to sail despite the threat of disruption and a cloudy day or two."

Cruise Critic tracks storms and provides round-the-clock updates for cruise travelers at the Cruise Critic Hurricane Zone - (http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/hurricane.cfm). The Hurricane Zone offers a resource for news on effected ports and itineraries, as well as essential information on purchasing travel insurance, preparing for hurricane season sailings and hurricane season cruise deals.

Note to Editors
The hurricane cruising attitudes poll was answered by 2,380 respondents and ran on the Cruise Critic homepage 5/22/12 to 5/23/12. Only one vote per IP address is included in the results tally. To view the poll and results, visit: http://www.cruisecritic.com/polls/dailypoll_archive.cfm?ID=2261

*NOAA Atlantic Hurricane Season statement issued May 24, 2012.

About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic® is an online cruise guide, offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travelers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 90,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest online cruise community where travelers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors*. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

Cruise Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, January 2012

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SOURCE Cruise Critic