RCI and Eastern Carribean

[Traveler559]

When is the best time to travel to the Eastern Caribbean with RCI?

 

Which is better to leave from Miami or Canaveral?

 

When is it best to book a holiday with RCI? as early as possible? what about hurricanes and stuff? what happens to my cruise then

[Clarea]

We have found booking as early as possible has given us the best prices most of the time.

 

Please define what you mean by "best time" to visit.

[rukkian]

When is the best time to travel to the Eastern Caribbean with RCI?

 

Which is better to leave from Miami or Canaveral?

 

When is it best to book a holiday with RCI? as early as possible? what about hurricanes and stuff? what happens to my cruise then

If you are worried about storms and such, but travel insurance that covers if you have a loss.

 

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[Traveler559]

this will be my second cruise with RCI (first one was horrible) - so im going to try and give them one last chance

 

only because all the people on board my last one said their oasis cruise was absolutely fantatic - so begrudgingly i am going again - its been about 3 years...

 

 

from my research the best time to go to is outside of June - October - im thinking of a december cruise

 

im looking for a cruise where the 15 people i am inviting from around the world can come and we can enjoy each others company but still get lost..

 

im worried about storms and such - but also of crowds - i was hoping to spend a week going to universal studios and such after the cruise but i am unsure about how long it takes to get from Miami to the theme parks - that why im thinking of a canaveral would be better

[OceansOfTravels]

Hurricane season technically runs from August to December, but most storms will storm around early/mid november. So, if you want to stand clear of storms completely, January to July are your best options. April and May are amazing times to cruise, with calm seas, great weather, and good prices if you avoid Easter and Memorial Day.

 

In terms of which port is better to leave out of, it depends on many things. The MIA airport is very close to the Miami cruise port, but many people fly in and out of FLL due to cheaper flights and good transfer options, so at that point the distance from FLL to Port Miami is similar to MCO to Port Canaveral. Other factors could be itinerary, overall price, stateroom availability, or ship activities.

 

It is best to book your cruise 6+ months out for the best price, staeroom and shore excursion selection.

[Traveler559]

thank you - may have to change the time then - i wish to avoid the stormy seas completely

[Clarea]

t ... m worried about storms and such - but also of crowds - i was hoping to spend a week going to universal studios and such after the cruise but i am unsure about how long it takes to get from Miami to the theme parks - that why im thinking of a canaveral would be better

Canaveral is MUCH closer to Universal than Miami, plus less traffic in the port area and easier to navigate. You're looking at 3.5 to 4 hours from Miami, and about 1 - 1.5 hours from Canaveral.

[Traveler559]

thank you for that information....

[Misplaced Texan]

this will be my second cruise with RCI (first one was horrible) - so im going to try and give them one last chance

 

only because all the people on board my last one said their oasis cruise was absolutely fantatic - so begrudgingly i am going again - its been about 3 years...

 

 

from my research the best time to go to is outside of June - October - im thinking of a december cruise

 

im looking for a cruise where the 15 people i am inviting from around the world can come and we can enjoy each others company but still get lost..

 

im worried about storms and such - but also of crowds - i was hoping to spend a week going to universal studios and such after the cruise but i am unsure about how long it takes to get from Miami to the theme parks - that why im thinking of a canaveral would be better

 

"Best" is relative.

 

But if you're worried about storms, avoid July-September particularly.

 

There's no guarantee that a ship like Oasis will ever be lightly booked, but you'll do better avoiding school breaks. So avoid Thanksgiving week and at the least the last half of December.

 

Realistically I'd probably aim for Jan/Feb for the least crowding as you'll be past all school breaks and also avoid folks with "use or lose" vacation at the end of the year.

 

Port Canaveral is definitely more convenient to the parks (~ 1 hr) than Miami (~3.5 hours if you get lucky with traffic).

[Traveler559]

Thank you sir

 

i plan on going on "harmony of the seas"

[Tee & Chilli]

Hurricane season technically runs from August to December, but most storms will storm around early/mid november. So, if you want to stand clear of storms completely, January to July are your best options. April and May are amazing times to cruise, with calm seas, great weather, and good prices if you avoid Easter and Memorial Day.

 

In terms of which port is better to leave out of, it depends on many things. The MIA airport is very close to the Miami cruise port, but many people fly in and out of FLL due to cheaper flights and good transfer options, so at that point the distance from FLL to Port Miami is similar to MCO to Port Canaveral. Other factors could be itinerary, overall price, stateroom availability, or ship activities.

 

It is best to book your cruise 6+ months out for the best price, staeroom and shore excursion selection.

 

The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30.

[BillOh]

When is the best time to travel to the Eastern Caribbean with RCI?

 

Which is better to leave from Miami or Canaveral?

 

When is it best to book a holiday with RCI? as early as possible? what about hurricanes and stuff? what happens to my cruise then

 

 

Our favorite time is end of April/Early May, the weather is great, Spring break is over and the kids are back in school. Its the tail end of the busy season, not as hectic, but they haven't gone into hibernation yet either. Miami or Canaveral? How about Port Everglades. I've done it out of all 3.

[deliver42]

Port Everglades is minutes from the Fort Lauderdale airport. Miami port is also close to the airport. Port Canaveral is about 1 hour from Orlando airport. Easy to get there though on Route 528.

[alfaeric]

Time wise- the first two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January are normally good for crowds- December sandwiches two holidays, so it's unlikely lots of families with kids would be sailing, and right after the new year, everyone goes right back to work.

 

Both seem to have some of the lowest fares during the year, too- which is another indicator of the popularity of a cruise.

[mattpro]

Harmony of the Seas is an excellent choice for a group of 15 . The size of the ship and the way it is laid out with it's many neighborhoods addresses the problem of overcrowding and the flexibility to enjoy many different venues.

 

The larger and newer ships offer better entertainment, food and dining selection as well as a larger casino with many more options for you to enjoy your evening libations.

 

Very close to FLL airport and many hotel options located on 17th St., adjacent to the piers, if you come in before or stay after your cruise. Shopping, dining for every taste, a Publix/Walgreens to pick up last minute incidentals and a water taxi that goes up and down the inland waterway are some of the advantages of sailing out of Port Everglades.

 

The optimal time to cruise for price, weather and least amount of young uns' is either the first or second week of December.

 

Whatever you decide - have a wonderful cruise.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I would suggest Allure FLL in Mid January. Itinerary to St Thomas and St Martin with a stop in Labadee or Coco Cay.

 

January is also a great time to visit Universal or Disney. Orlando is only a 2-3 hour ride from FLL.

 

The crowds and weather are much better this time of year.

 

 

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[Traveler559]

@BILLOH

 

I did not know there was a port in the everglades sir, i will research that...

 

 

@deliver42

Thank you but I am Australian and will not be driving.

 

@alfaeric

 

yes, im hoping for "more ship for me and less ship for everyone else for the best price" - as im being about 15 friends (we are just going to meet up - no party group thing)

 

 

 

@mattpro

along with the cruise im hoping to tie up a few days at either disney world or univsersal studios - after the trip..

 

 

you mentioned first or second week in december - and that is reflected in my research on price - in the first part of the year, is there any good time? as mentioned by someone else late april,

is that cheap?

 

 

 

@milwaukee eight

 

isnt january snow season in the usa? lots of people escaping the cold?

[rukkian]

@BILLOH

 

I did not know there was a port in the everglades sir, i will research that...

 

 

@deliver42

Thank you but I am Australian and will not be driving.

 

@alfaeric

 

yes, im hoping for "more ship for me and less ship for everyone else for the best price" - as im being about 15 friends (we are just going to meet up - no party group thing)

 

 

 

@mattpro

along with the cruise im hoping to tie up a few days at either disney world or univsersal studios - after the trip..

 

 

you mentioned first or second week in december - and that is reflected in my research on price - in the first part of the year, is there any good time? as mentioned by someone else late april,

is that cheap?

 

 

 

@milwaukee eight

 

isnt january snow season in the usa? lots of people escaping the cold?

 

Normally January is fairly slow, as people are just getting over the holidays, so many will not take vacations right away. Add to that kids are just going back to school, and then some companies you do not have much vacation time saved up due to loosing at the end of the year, and you get a time somewhat like Early december.

 

Biggest times you want to avoid is mid feb - mid april (spring breaks vary greatly), June - August and immediately around holidays.

 

The first time we did Disney, when our kids were younger, we went in early may, and the parks were incredible. The weather was nice, and most kids were still in school (meaning much smaller crowds).

[Milwaukee Eight]

The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30.

 

 

 

Glad you cleared that up. Living in Florida, most MAJOR Hurricanes are September, October, and August.

 

 

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[39august]

"Port Everglades" is the name of the port in Fort Lauderdale. If you decide to go out of Port Canaveral to be nearer to the theme parks, there is shuttle service from the airport in Orlando to the port area. Look at the information on the home ports board for Florida departures. for lots more information about the 3 ports in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Port Canaveral. April will be more expensive than first 2 weeks in January and first 2 weeks in December. Those tend to be the least expensive all year except for September which is the height of hurricane season.

[LeeW]

We've been Caribbean cruising in hurricane season since 2004 and this is the first year we have been affected. First cruise in September was extended by three days and second shortened by same amount because port was closed. RCI refunded half price of second cruise as onboard credit and other half as credit for a future cruise. Insurance not involved, although folks who couldn't get on or off on 7 September had expenses that might have needed more than RCI provided. We spent a week at Disney and drove down to Ft Lauderdale for the cruises.

 

Three main ports in Florida: Cape Canaveral is about an hour and a half from the theme parks in Orlando. Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale and Miami are around five hours south. The latter two have more cruises that can go farther in a week than cruises from Canaveral. If you want to see more of the eastern Caribbean try sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Early December is usually cheaper to sail and that is also a good time for crowds at the theme parks. September/October and April/May are the slowest times (and have the most comfortable weather). Locals tend to go these months.

[Traveler559]

thank you all for your replies

 

does anyone know why the ship does not do any sailing in feb, march and april?

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com.au/cruises/?dates_maxDate=04%252F30%252F2020&dates_minDate=01%252F01%252F2020&durationCode_6to8=true&shipCode_HM=true

 

does anyone know if osais of the seas is going to be upgraded to something similar to harmony of the seas between now and then?

[Clarea]

t ... does anyone know if osais of the seas is going to be upgraded to something similar to harmony of the seas between now and then?

No plans have been publicly released regarding plans for an Oasis dry dock.

[ruatha65]

thank you all for your replies

 

does anyone know why the ship does not do any sailing in feb, march and april?

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com.au/cruises/?dates_maxDate=04%252F30%252F2020&dates_minDate=01%252F01%252F2020&durationCode_6to8=true&shipCode_HM=true

 

does anyone know if osais of the seas is going to be upgraded to something similar to harmony of the seas between now and then?

 

Which ship isn't sailing in Feb March and April?

 

I'm not sure what you are talking about with Oasis. Oasis of the Seas is the first of the Oasis Class RCI ship series, followed by Allure, Harmony and soon Symphony of the Seas. All of these ships are sister ships, and are mostly identical, with some small differences. In fact, their sizes only differ by a few feet. I've sailed on Allure and Harmony, and will sail Oasis in June. Harmony has a large dry slide and three water slides, Oasis and Allure do not. Allure has a fountain under the Rising Tides bar, Harmony doesn't. The Italian restaurants on Allure and Harmony have different menus. Otherwise, with some other small differences I may have missed, these sister ships have identical deck plans.

[Traveler559]

the reason why i ask about oasis is because when i was on quantum

 

everyone bragged out oasis - compared to how crap quantum was (and trust me - quantum was so bad)

 

 

i was hoping that MAYBE just maybe - oasis might be upgraded to something similar to harmony(harmony from what i have seen on the you tube videos)

 

 

yes i think that between jan and june will be best for the 15 people - may i ask please - which month, out of those months has the best "non kids" time of year? because i do not wish to compete with brats for the wave rider :P

 

according to RCI website - harmony of the seas isnt sailing (unless they have not updated their itinerary)