Which Season is Best for Cruising?

[Star_Luna]

Hello, I'm new here and my mom and I would like to know some things(she'll be sharing this account as well).

 

We're planning on cruising on Freedom of the Seas either next year or the year after that. This will be our first cruise, so I apologize for asking questions that have probably been answered a thousand times already.

 

I would like to know what would be a good season to go on a cruise. We've already eliminated Summer(pricey and hurricane season) and Winter(cold weather and other stuff), so the remaining ones are Spring and Autumn. I'm more worried about Spring, because of the whole Spring Break thing. But I'm worried but the happenings of Fall as well.

I know that no one can predict the weather(the weatherman can't even do that!), but I would like your opinions about these seasons.

[PantherFan]

Price wise, late April and May are good when the kids are in school and no spring breaks. The other good time is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Low vacation season.

 

Both of these times have always had pretty good weather for us.

[gaiamother]

We almost always go in either September or January. Prices are great and we've never encountered any problems. The weather in the Caribbean is great in the Winter.

[cb at sea]

We LOVE cruising in spring...families and kids don't bother us...after all, I'm not the one concerned with taking care of them! The weather is stupendous, and you get a head-start on your summer tan.

I have no desire to cruise during the hurricane season....in the summer, it's way too hot and humid (I live in the arm-pit of America (Wash. DC) so humidity is something I don't relish.

Winter is the "rainy" season in the Caribbean...and you can never tell when a strong cold front might destroy your plans. Going to the beach in 50-60 degree weather isn't what I pay for on vacation!

Spring it is!

[gmacruiser418]

I love the weather at the beginning of Spring. It's beautiful, warm, not too hot.

[negc]

We LOVE cruising in spring...families and kids don't bother us...after all, I'm not the one concerned with taking care of them! The weather is stupendous, and you get a head-start on your summer tan.

I have no desire to cruise during the hurricane season....in the summer, it's way too hot and humid (I live in the arm-pit of America (Wash. DC) so humidity is something I don't relish.

Winter is the "rainy" season in the Caribbean...and you can never tell when a strong cold front might destroy your plans. Going to the beach in 50-60 degree weather isn't what I pay for on vacation!

Spring it is!

 

If you are talking about most of the Caribbean, and forgetting last winter which certainly wasn't typical in most parts of the world, you shouldn't worry about finding 50-60 degree weather in any of the islands that your cruise ship will visit in December, January or February. More likely the low temperatures will be in the 80s.

Weather that might disrupt your flights to your cruise ship might be a problem in winter months but shouldn't spoil your vacation time once you reach the Caribbean.

You need to determine your priorities as far as time of year and the prices you are willing to pay and those factors may make your decision easier. We are already more than two months into the hurricane season and so far they have been few and far between and even when we have a busy hurricane season there are still more weeks when weather isn't an issue than when it is, but hurricane season includes the fall months so you arent guaranteed that you will miss one by waiting until October or November to cruise. Research will tell you exactly those weeks when Spring Breakers may be on your cruise and with a bit of planning you can probably avoid them.

Any time of year can be a good time to cruise if you do sufficient research to find the time that works best for you. If you get hung up on possible weather problems,crowded ships or unruly fellow passengers you will quickly conclude that no time is a good time to cruise, and you already know that isn't true. :)

[ehfl]

I don't think you should eliminate any time of year. The Freedom goes to the Caribbean, which has fairly moderate temperatures throughout the year. The trade winds provide cooling breezes in the summer. The spring and fall tend to be the windiest times, meaning the seas can be rougher than during the summer.

 

I would go when it's convenient for you. Don't worry about a hurricane. So you may end up at a different island, but it's no big deal. Prices vary considerably through the year if that's a factor. You can get really good deals in Sept.

[CptSticky]

November always has some of the best prices no matter where you sail to.

[mmacdcc]

We've only cruised in the winter. Usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the first couple weeks of January.

 

The weather has been spectacular - warm, sunny, but not too hot. We've had a little rain, but out of 4 cruises I think we've only had one time when it rained more than just a sun shower, and that was only one day.

 

I've found the prices are really good then too. We've gotten upgrades and/or price drops almost every time.

 

No/few kids, because they're in school. No college kids, because it's too close to finals or the start of the semester. (I know, I work at a college)

 

Holidays and summer always have a lot of kids, so if that's an issue, anytime when school is generally in session means there won't be many kids.

 

This time we're going in October, because the price was good and it wasn't high hurricane season. Though that's no real guarantee of anything - bad weather knows no season.

[Desert Cruizers]

We have cruised mid and Late April, as well as two cruises in Oct, the Panama & Hawaii RT and soon our Oct 29, 2011 TA out of Barcelona.

[BrianAlt]

I love cruising in the Spring...

 

...and the Fall...

 

...and the Summer...

 

...and the Winter.

 

 

 

And the best day to cruise?

 

TODAY! :D

[Mango Tango]

Personally, I like to cruise in January. It's the best time to get out of the freezing Minnesota weather. We've also cruised other times of the year. We also like to go at the beginning of December when the prices are low and there are very few kids on board.

[QTMichele]

I love cruising in the Spring...

 

...and the Fall...

 

...and the Summer...

 

...and the Winter.

 

 

 

And the best day to cruise?

 

TODAY! :D

 

I can't wait to say that I have cruised each season!!! :D

[maddashin]

My travel agent told me that cruise ships don't go to the ports unless it is good weather etc. That was the perfect answer for me.

 

I am going on my first cruise to Bermuda. A short one because I was afraid to go on a ship. Have no idea why. Ships and bridges. I guess it is the height thing. I don't like to look down. But, anyway she told me if the ship is not going to a port a certain time of year it is because the weather is not nice.

 

So, now I have that one answer. Many more to go.

 

I am getting so excited. I am so excited I might book the MSC to New England right after this trip from New York. At first I was so afraid but now I think I am okay. I just want to try to find cruises that have lower single supplements. The nice thing is that I am retired and can go whenever I want to. Yeah!

 

This cruise thing is really cheap!

[willysgrandma]

Any cruise we've taken in the Spring (March and April) we've experienced the worst seas where the ride was either very rough or the waves big enough that we couldn't get into some ports, especially if you have to tender. This was the same whether we cruised the East Coast or the West Coast.

 

We try and go in the Fall - pricing is great, few kids on the ship and we've never had a problem with rough water. Buy travel insurance to cover yourself in case of bad weather and you'll be fine.

[cruisegal415]

Hurricane season in the Caribbean can be quite active in September, October and November, but that can be a good thing as prices are lower and the ship won't go near where a storm is predicted. Spring break varies depending on the school, so if you want to be sure to have less chance of having spring break kids, that's another reason to do the fall. I would book September myself, or the fall vs. spring for sure.