Is it a gamble cruising the Caribbean?

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

We have cruised the Caribbean for years (dozens of trips) and only had trouble once - with hurricane Irene when going to Bermuda (we were delayed one day only because the airport was closed and people getting OFF couldn't go home).

As with airplane crashes and shark bites, they don't happen often, but when they do, we hear all about them. I would suppose that if you looked at the statistics of delays/cancellations to the arrivals, it would show that it doesn't happen as much as you would think.

Is it a gamble.....yes. But if it was the casino or the stock market....I'd take that bet!

We have cruised every month of the year and for the most part have good weather. Have we had some bad weather cruises-of course. But we make the best of it and just have fun no matter what.

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

 

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

There is weather everywhere, http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2510504&highlight=warnemunde.

Some tender ports do have problems with high winds/seas. Grand Cayman and HMC come to mind. Even so, outside of hurricane season I doubt the likelihood of missing ports in the Caribbean is much different than anywhere else.

In hurricane season there are always a few itineraries that have to change to avoid serious weather. But the number tends to be quite small.

Weather is unpredictable and may or may not affect any location. Like Northern Europe where cancelled ports on a British Isles cruise due to bad weather and rough seas are not unusual, Caribbean cruises may also be affected.

Possible weather condition is not a deal breaker for us in cruising the Caribbean.

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The ocean is a gamble at all times we've had good weather during supposed bad months and bad weather during good months.

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Actually, it IS hurricane season... 6-1-17 ~ 11-30-17.

I've cruised in October several times with no problem. The only 2 times we were delayed was when ship had a norovirus outbreak and we were about 36 hours late boarding and in Jacksonville a 6 (or maybe 8?) hour delay because of tides. (Ship can't go under bridge if tide is too high.)

We have only missed 3 ports in 34 cruises 2 in Europe & 1 in Indonesia. Bad weather can happen anytime anywhere.

We sailed many times in the Caribbean. There were a few occasions when we missed a port. Some were due to high winds, rough seas, and just about any time we were schedule for Roatan the ship skipped the port because of some civil disturbance. We did make it there one time and found it isn't a very good port. I have heard that some cruises lines don't even schedule a stop there any more.

Just seen that the Equinox skipped Key West because of high winds.

We were delayed getting back into Port Canaveral by one day because the winds exceeded the allowable safe port speed.

We have also left ports early to avoid bad weather.

Considering all of our cruises to the Caribbean the times that we missed a port was very rare.

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

We have only missed 3 ports in 34 cruises 2 in Europe & 1 in Indonesia. Bad weather can happen anytime anywhere.

You have been lucky. We have missed ports due to weather (rain, fog, iceberg, wind, rough seas) on a number of cruises, including one cruise where we missed four ports due to those conditions.

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

 

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

I wouldn't even consider the Caribbean in the height of our summer, to me it's a winter destination.

We were prevented from docking in Curaçao on Easter Monday 2013, due to high winds.

Like others we have had occasional changes to the itinerary on Caribbean cruises. Grand Cayman we have definitely missed and I think Jamaica another time....We have cruised several different times of the year but I think both these changes were late August.

We tend to look at the itinerary as a whole and accept on booking that things could change then you are less disappointed if you get one, better a change of itinerary than spending part on your cruise in really bad weather!

We have only done one Caribbean cruise, in March and no problems tendering. Our tending problems were in South America, the North Sea, Black Sea and Australia.

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

 

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

June is the start of hurricane season.

Personally I'd book a Caribbean trip in the winter where you have better weather and a better chance of seeing all the ports.

Depends on when and where you are cruising. A vast majority of Caribbean ports are docks, not tenders. June-nov is hurricane season. We usually cruise in dec-Jan for the weather. The summer is too hot and too high a risk of hurricanes and storms in sept/oct for us. But fingers crossed, dec/Jan cruising, haven't missed a port yet.

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We cruise the Caribbean a lot and different times of the year since we live in S Florida. We've never had a port cancelled or skipped one.

We did have a weekend Carnival cruise cancelled once because they closed the port and the ships couldn't get in.

So stuff does happen but I've never considered the weather when booking a Caribbean cruise.

enjoy

We have seldom cruised the Caribbean in the dead of summer, but in spring and in winter we have missed Grand Cayman due to high seas a few times, Coco Cay (not really the Caribbean) a few times due to high seas, Curacao once due to high seas and Labadee once due to political unrest. That's not really a lot given how many ports we have successfully visited.

Even if you do make it to port, a day of heavy rains can spoil a port call. We've had that happen twice in Jamaica.

Actually, it IS hurricane season... 6-1-17 ~ 11-30-17.

I've cruised in October several times with no problem. The only 2 times we were delayed was when ship had a norovirus outbreak and we were about 36 hours late boarding and in Jacksonville a 6 (or maybe 8?) hour delay because of tides. (Ship can't go under bridge if tide is too high.)

Yes, it is hurricane/tropical storm season.

Mid August -- Mid October is especially dicey and why cruise cost are so much lower that time of year and until the week of Thanksgiving.

We don't cruise in the Caribbean in the summer months. Not because some tender ports could be missed, because it's bloody hot there in the summer. :eek: Much nicer weather in the Winter and Spring months. And besides in the summer you can cruise the Med, the Baltic, Alaska - try that in February. BRRRR!:D

"Mother Nature" has a mind of her own. It doesn't have to be a hurricane to be bad weather! "Hurricane season" doesn't mean there will be a storm....just means the conditions are right for them to form....but it certainly doesn't mean they will! And, if they don't, the seas are as normal...which is unpredictable! You can have wonderful weather in "hurricane season"...or awful weather in the early spring or winter....or great weather!

Yes...cruising is a gamble...life is a gamble! Most of the time, it's all great!

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

 

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

That can happen at any time.

Over the past few years I have cruised exclusively during hurricane season (since I am a teacher it is that or don't go). We have only had one cruise impacted (Nassau was skipped and we took a slightly different course to avoid the storm). However the year before I started teaching I took a cruise with friends in mid-May and which has become affectionately known as "The Weather Channel Cruise" as every picture we have you expect to see a reporter in the back showing how awful the weather was. We hit the outside bands of not one, but two tropical storms. The ship rocked and rolled the whole trip, we had one day where the sun came out. I vividly remember laying in my bed and my best friend asking why I was banging drawers in the middle of the night, I was in bed and it was just the ship moving that much! It can happen anytime and you make the best of it. We had lots of drinks, played lots of cards (because we are 20 somethings that find that fun), went to all kinds of events we normally wouldn't have, and ate all together too much. It was a great trip. So basically travel when you can, pick ports you like, but don't be extremely upset if your plans change!

Just throwing this question out there as it seems cruisers are delayed with tendering because of rough seas or even ports being cancelled because of high winds and this is in June....non hurricane season.

 

Compared to Europe it seems a bit of a gamble?

We have had our share of canceled ports in Europe! Bad weather can impact cruises anywhere in the world. And in some parts of Europe, the political situation can cause canceled ports. For example, on our HAL cruise last year (May) our stop in Istanbul was canceled because of a State Department warning...and this was done with 2 days notice. Cruises have also missed ports in places like Israel, Tunesia, and even some Greek Islands because of political and safety issues. And labor strikes can also play havoc with some European ports.

Hank

In our approximate ten years of cruising to the Caribbean in early December, I can only remember one time that we missed a port (NCL's private island) due to high winds. We awoke to see the tenders rocking badly.

I also don't remember ever having bad weather for more than a few hours.

That being said, brief rainstorms are usual so we always bring a dollar store plastic poncho when we leave the ship at various ports.

We have had our share of canceled ports in Europe! Bad weather can impact cruises anywhere in the world. And in some parts of Europe, the political situation can cause canceled ports. For example, on our HAL cruise last year (May) our stop in Istanbul was canceled because of a State Department warning...and this was done with 2 days notice. Cruises have also missed ports in places like Israel, Tunesia, and even some Greek Islands because of political and safety issues. And labor strikes can also play havoc with some European ports.

 

Hank

Whilst some of this is correct, it is the exception and not the rule. Caribbean weather brings consistent challenges for cruise lines year after year and this is quite obviously what the OP is concerned about. Hence his comments. In short, you've missed his point.