First timer to the Bahamas!

I am looking to book a cruise to the bahamas around November 6th/7th. Anyone have any tips for me? Do you think the weather will be better then, than it would be around October 23rd/24th? Will it be worth taking the risk of bad weather going in November? Please any tips and help would be great! Thanks :)

You don't know what Mother Nature will throw your way. Honestly the dates you are talking about are only a week apart. You might have storms, you might not. You might have sunshine, you might not. It's really hard to say, but that time of year, I would expect a bit cooler temps than in summer (of course) and maybe some choppy seas. Like I said, you never know.

We always try and cruise in May because the weather is usually great and the waters are warm. I've cruised twice in January and once it was gorgeous and once it was cold and terrible. So bad that we missed two of our three ports and it was too cold and nasty to sit out at the pools, so we just hung out inside the ship for 5 days. NOT that much fun.

I've cruised in November and it was gorgeous most of the time, but a bad storm blew in one afternoon and most people got stuck in the port because the tenders couldn't transport. Took a good 5 or 6 hours to get everyone back later in the day.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I wouldn't think there will be much difference in the average weather for the two dates. As to this year, you never no wither dates could be abnormally hot, abnomally cold, and/or abnomally wet.

I have cruised in Oct.-Nov.-Dec., on all those cruises, I had great weather. maybe an evening or two a little rainy but still great and one evening I remember, quite stormy, many sick but that is few and far between. Go when you can and have a great cruise.

Yeah, I figured it probably wouldn't be too much different in weather since the sailing dates are so close together I just didn't know for sure. Haven't traveled much and my bf put me in charge of planning EVERYTHING and I just want to make sure it's perfect. I know it's not the best time to go on a cruise in general (huricaine season and all) but we wanted the Bahamas and I wanted to go before the new year and November seemed like the best choice for now.

Also, he wants to do a scuba dive one of the days..what is the best way to go about purchasing one of those? Would I just search for bahama dives and go through one of them or should I go on a Carnival website and purchase through them..because I'm probably not going to purchase directly from the carnival cruise line specifically, unless they give me a better deal than I've found. Any more help would be great!

Yeah, I figured it probably wouldn't be too much different in weather since the sailing dates are so close together I just didn't know for sure. Haven't traveled much and my bf put me in charge of planning EVERYTHING and I just want to make sure it's perfect. I know it's not the best time to go on a cruise in general (huricaine season and all) but we wanted the Bahamas and I wanted to go before the new year and November seemed like the best choice for now.

 

Also, he wants to do a scuba dive one of the days..what is the best way to go about purchasing one of those? Would I just search for bahama dives and go through one of them or should I go on a Carnival website and purchase through them..because I'm probably not going to purchase directly from the carnival cruise line specifically, unless they give me a better deal than I've found. Any more help would be great!

Well, I can tell you the first thing that is going to make your trip NOT perfect is trying to make it perfect...there is no such thing. If you expect it to be you will be setting your self up for way too many disappointments...so relax and expect some thing to not go as planned and take if from there...

We have cruised in October and November and the weather is usually fine. The good thing about going before winter is the water is just starting to cool off where if you go in March or April is hasn't really warmed up all the way yet...

As far as scuba diving, is he a certified diver?

Yup! he is certified.

It will be warm , just be street smart

My wife and I cruised to Nassau on Nov. 13th, 2009. Our first night, out of Miami, we had rough seas. Luckily, we had been taking 'Ginger Root' pills and neither of us got sick. I recommend Ginger Root. You can purchase them at Wal Mart.

Other than those rough seas on the first night, the rest of the cruise was awesome!

It was our first cruise and we were hooked.

If you got up on the top deck, in the front of the boat, it was very windy. But that just made the putt-putt golf that much more fun! :-D

We used the water slides on top of the boat ALOT as well. So, the weather was great for that.

While in Nassau, we went to a private beach and just enjoyed the views. The water was great. Not too cold.

Just a few thoughts.

You never know about the weather. I have been to the Bahamas (in a hotel) in May when a tropical wave went over and the beach was closed for two days. I would not hesitate to go for either date you have picked.

Thanks!

We cruised to the Bahamas last year in October. As you're well aware of the hurricane season, just go on this cruise with an open mind and don't let the weather keep you from having a good time, even if it means missing a port. We had to skip our port stop at Half Moon Cay because the waters were too rough to tender. We were bummed but we made the best of it on the ship. The weather at Nassau last year when we went in October was beautiful. The water was warm and the beaches were one of the best I've ever been to. Like I said, go with an open mind and don't expect everything to be perfect and you guys will do fine! :)

Hurricane season is from June to November here is a chart from the National Hurricane Center showing when the most hurricanes occurr. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/

You will have a better chance of missing the hurricanes in nov. I have sailed in nov. more than any other month and i think it is the best time to cruise. Have a great cruise and you will never stop cruising. ;)

Depends on what you mean by "better". Hurricane season ends Nov. 30 but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I live in SW FL and it is usually still very warm here that time of year but definitely not like July or August. Personally, before we moved to FL, my favorite time of year to be here was in fall or late fall. Generally, too beautiful to be believed.

It should be warm But you never Know,Last year it was cold in Dec.