Sailing to Caribbean from NY-weather?

We are considering a Caribbean cruise that leaves from New York in Feb or March. There are a few days at sea after leaving NY on the way to the Caribbean & coming back at the end of the cruise. We're concerned with the weather. We'd appreciate comments from anyone who has experienced this. How many of the days at sea were too cold to be outside on deck? What about New York in the winter-cold and windy??

Thanks!

Tom

Yes, it will be cold. May or may not be windy. The weather in Feb/March, on an average, can be as low as 20 or as high as 50. The first day is cold and the second day in the afternoon may warm up enough to go on deck with a sweatshirt.

If you want everyday to be warm, you may want to consider leaving out of Florida or go in the spring/summer

I would hate to pay for a vacation to warmer climes, and have almost 1/2 of it cold!

However,on a beautiful day,sitting on the deck in my coat with the sun beaming on my face would be wonderful in Feb after a long winter!

What didicruiser says is true. We left out of Baltimore 2 years ago in February and it was definately sweat shirt weather. We actually had quite a bit of wind and the pool area was closed, and very wet from water blowing out of the pools. But that being said , we still had a fabulous time. Our plan was to save $ by going out of a nearby port and yet still have a great cruise vacation and we did that. There is plenty of stuff do do onboard In side.

Also, depending on how far down into the Caribbean your cruise goes may effect how warm the rest of your trip will be. We only went from Baltimore down to Freeport and Nassau. Even the natives were wearing coats that week !!

Sailed out of NJ on Explorer in Oct 2009 9-day, and Jan 2011 12-day and we are going again in March 2012 10 day, so I would say that speaks for itself. First full day out and back are in days but better to be on a ship with food and entertainment than being stuck inside an airport. Our cruise out of FL in 2007 we had a noon flight home but there was plane trouble and we didn't get home until midnight so basicaaly it's a crap shoot. Although we are going to try the Oasis in Nov. 2012 to experience the ship itself, we would much prefer the no-flying cruise.

Just bundle up and you will be good.

I may be the only one but I absolutely love cruising out of a northern port in deep winter, like Dec or Jan.

With the change of temperature and scenery from north to south and back to north, there is this feel of ocean voyage, actually going somewhere far away and exotic.

But again, I might be the only one. :)

Just bundle up and you will be good.

 

I may be the only one but I absolutely love cruising out of a northern port in deep winter, like Dec or Jan.

 

With the change of temperature and scenery from north to south and back to north, there is this feel of ocean voyage, actually going somewhere far away and exotic.

 

But again, I might be the only one. :)

You're not alone. This is what I am looking forward to on our New Year's eve cruise on Explorer.

I have done two winter cruises from NYC/NJ and I have also flown to Florida to cruise. I will take cruising from New York on a 8+ day cruise over flying the Florida for a 7 day cruise any day.

I'd much rather deal with a little cold weather than miss the sailing due to the flight being canceled or delayed!

There are indoor things to do if the weather is cold or rainy. Same as true on a warm weather sailing.

Taking a plane in winter is a chancy situation at best. Airports can be shut down due to weather conditions. Being inside on a sailing is much, much better than camping out in an airport because your flight was canceled.

MARAPRINCE

If it is cold and snowy...........................snowball fights on the pool deck:D

If it is cold and snowy...........................snowball fights on the pool deck:D

Or a snowman! :D

snowball fights on the pool deck

I know I have seen some disturbing pictures in an old thread of a pool deck with snow but I could not find them. Voyager or larger ship I believe as it had the "stadium" style tiers. Truly depressing pictures. :(

Not really depressing. If you weren't on the ship sailing to warm weather, you'd be looking at that snow outside your window at home or worse yet - looking at the snow on the runway as you sit in the airport lounge.

I have cruise in & out of NY in Janaury when it was 60F & when it was 10F. I've sailed on glass & through nor'easters so severe that waves were crashing on deck 7 & you had to hold the handrails to walk. You just don't know.

Generally, the 1st & last full day are too cold to lay in the sun. At the end of the 1st full day & in the morning on the last day you may get lucky & be able to stroll outside in long pants & a sweater. The 2nd day & the 2nd to last day are generally cool sea days but you can use the pools etc.

I have also seen pictures of passangers making snowmen on deck while the crew looked on at the "crazy" passangers.

What didicruiser says is true. We left out of Baltimore 2 years ago in February and it was definately sweat shirt weather. We actually had quite a bit of wind and the pool area was closed, and very wet from water blowing out of the pools. But that being said , we still had a fabulous time. Our plan was to save $ by going out of a nearby port and yet still have a great cruise vacation and we did that. There is plenty of stuff do do onboard In side.

Also, depending on how far down into the Caribbean your cruise goes may effect how warm the rest of your trip will be. We only went from Baltimore down to Freeport and Nassau. Even the natives were wearing coats that week !!

You must have gone the same week I did.The whole cruise was very cold!Never wore my shorts even one day but still had a great time.

Laura

I did a cruise out of NYC in November and the first morning people were swimming and it was quite warm.

Departing NYC that evening was freezing though.

It really is the luck of the draw. It snowed the last time we cruised from Miami. :eek: It never got above 70F in the Western Carribbean the whole time.

Just bundle up and you will be good.

 

I may be the only one but I absolutely love cruising out of a northern port in deep winter, like Dec or Jan.

 

With the change of temperature and scenery from north to south and back to north, there is this feel of ocean voyage, actually going somewhere far away and exotic.

 

But again, I might be the only one. :)

Molole, you're not the only one who enjoys leaving from a "cold" port! I am a beach, warm weather cruiser and DH is a cold weather cruiser! We get the best of both worlds when we leave from Bayonne NJ and sail to anywhere in the Caribbean! Besides not having to fly, I love to sit on our balcony, bundled up with a cup of coffee&Bailey's and watch the stars late @ night, nothing more beautiful. DH finds plenty to do and see onboard until the weather turns warmer. Warmer weather usually begins just below NC and it gets warmer the further south you go. We will be happy with any cruise that doesn't involve flying!!

We will be leaving from NJ in mid December. cold is a given, but what can we expect as far as rough seas. An earlier post stated they had experienced both extremes, smooth and very rough. What have the rest of you experienced? Are rough seas for the first day or two the norm? I realize that waves hitting the seventh deck are probably not usual. Thanks for your input.;)

We will be leaving from NJ in mid December. cold is a given, but what can we expect as far as rough seas. An earlier post stated they had experienced both extremes, smooth and very rough. What have the rest of you experienced? Are rough seas for the first day or two the norm? I realize that waves hitting the seventh deck are probably not usual. Thanks for your input.;)

What I've highlighted from your post in red is the correct answer...very smooth to very rough, and everything in between.

We have sailed out of NY/NJ many many times in Jan/Feb. Because of the gulf stream, contrary to what a lot of people think, it is pretty nice by the afternoon of the first full day. We have been around and in the pool on that afternoon and we've been around and in the pool on the last full day at sea. One year, it was warmer that day, while we were off the coast of probably NC than it was the day prior when we were off the coast of Fla. It's not ALWAYS like this, but out of 15-20 winter cruises out of NY/NJ, this was the norm rather than the exception. As for the condition of the seas, the air temperature and roughness (or lack thereof) of the sea are not in tandem. Sometimes it can be cold and smooth as glass or warm and sunny and rough seas. Again.... as far as the gulf stream, take a look at the latitude of the UK....it's about the same as Quebec, Canada but the UK winter is more like that of VA/NC. (I lived in NC for 7 years and have been to the UK in the winter several times) And as an above poster said, I'd rather be in cooler weather on a ship for the first/last day than on a plane and in and out of airports.

here are a couple pix of EX with some snow....