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New York to Barbados on the Whisper


torst
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Did any do this trip in October? We are considering it for October 2015 and interested in comments on the itinerary, ports, Caribbean at that time of year etc. Thanks in advance for any insights and opinions.

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We sailed on this voyage twice and found it a lovely itinerary. The weather in NYC is chilly at that time of the year, so you'll have a cold, brisk wind sailing out of NY harbor. But the ship moves right into the warm Gulf Stream almost immediately, and you'll enjoy warm hours at poolside before you dock in Hamilton. From then on, as you head into the Caribbean, temperatures will be tropical, very warm and humid.

 

It's wonderful to overnight in Hamilton. You're right in the middle of town, and it's a very pretty town at that. Very walkable, too. Bermuda is famous for its beautiful, easily accessible beaches. Excursions include Nelson's Dockyard. You can rent a motorbike, but please be aware that the roads aren't as safe as they used to be; traffic accidents have become a real problem.

 

Excursions in the Caribbean itself tend towards more active outdoor options, like catamaran sails, ATV or horseback rides on beaches, snorkeling, exploring tropical rain forests. There might be limited historical or cultural options, but they aren't as numerous as in, for example, Europe. If you have particular interests, you might want to check with Silversea for specifics.

 

Our NY-Bridgetown cruises were always filled with many lovely British passengers, which we greatly enjoyed. The company seems to promote this particular cruise very heavily in the UK, and it generates a lot of interest.

 

Good luck with your decision. Taking a voyage down south at this time of year is the perfect way to extend the summer and shorten the onset of winter!

Edited by Seafairer
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We did this trip a few years ago. The weather was very rough going out of New York and we couldn't dock in Hamilton Bermuda due to the rough seas. When we got further south the weather was lovely. We had a lovely trip but would hesitate to sail out of New York at this time of year again.

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Alexoneblack makes a good point about the changeable weather in the Northeast at this time. It's technically the tail end of hurricane season. Hurricanes in the Northeast are most likely from September through mid-October, and you can experience heavy winds or rough seas if lesser tropical storms are present near the East Coast.

 

In an extreme example, Hurricane Sandy's direct hit on Oct. 29, 2012 closed the Port of New York to all ships for several days. Cruise lines knew it was coming and adjusted their itineraries to avoid the hurricane and dock in safe harbors. But a major hurricane that late in the season is extremely unusual. It's more likely that lesser tropical disturbances might create wind and wave action along the East Coast.

 

That said, we've sailed this late-autumn itinerary 4 times since 2009 (on Silversea and Crystal) and didn't encounter any weather problems at all. But the maxim for cruising is that you just never know about the weather and seas, regardless of the time or place.

Edited by Seafairer
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