Pride/Baltimore November Weather

[young_k92]

Assuming "normal" weather in Baltimore in November, what are embarkation/sea days like? Can anything happen onboard in the outdoor areas? What's the Sail Away Party like? Can you swim or use the hot tubs outdoors? If not, at what point in the trip south do outside activities become doable? And, if most activities are indoors at this time of year, what indoor activities are available to make up for the lack of outdoor activities? Please be as specific as possible, and TYIA.

[Homosassa]

Weather in November in Baltimore (Maryland) can be  sunny, warm and in the high 70's  one day and  snowing and cold the next.

 

I have had to shovel a foot of snow on Veteran's Day and turn on the air conditioning on Thanksgiving two weeks later.

 

In other words, roll the dice and take your chance. 

 

 

[Host Carolyn]

There are often some pretty strong storm fronts off Carolinas....bring your Dramamine!  

...

[coevan]

We had friends that sailed out of Baltimore with 6" of snow on the Lido deck. They said never again, 3 out of the 7 days, leaving and returning were cold

[young_k92]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

We had friends that sailed out of Baltimore with 6" of snow on the Lido deck. They said never again, 3 out of the 7 days, leaving and returning were cold

Was that in November?

[luckymbt]

You can expect cool temps and possibly choppy water until you get past SC. And of course the last sea day returning can be chilly. Pack a sweat shirt enjoy the inside activities and enjoy your vacation

[CoolOne56]

We sailed out of Baltimore in October of 2011.  It was chilly after the sun went down. It didn't get comfortable to me, until we were in Florida.  Never is a long time, but I doubt if I'll sail from Baltimore again.  Btw, I usually sail in October for the Halloween & while kids are in school.😊

[young_k92]

I appreciate the information. Baltimore is our closest port, and I hate to fly, and it had the 14-day Journeys itinerary I wanted at the right time of year for us. I guess I'll just be prepared for colder weather the first 2-3 days and last 2-3 days. We're cruising from Miami in January, so that should make up for it! Thanks again for all the replies and information. And, if Maryland is anything like Ohio, it could be possible for it to be super warm. But there could also be a foot of snow. I'll just be prepared for anything. It'll be an adventure! And I'm packing my motion sickness medication.

[jimbo5544]

We have sailed on Dec 26th and had it be cool for embarkation and warm (not hot) the next day, same for the return last day.  As others mention their is an element of uncertainty, that said, the snow mentioned was not in November.....

[young_k92]

5 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

We have sailed on Dec 26th and had it be cool for embarkation and warm (not hot) the next day, same for the return last day.  As others mention their is an element of uncertainty, that said, the snow mentioned was not in November.....

Thanks for that! And I figured it wasn't, but relieved you said it anyway.

[jimbo5544]

Just now, young_k92 said:

Thanks for that! And I figured it wasn't, but relieved you said it anyway.

Enjoy your cruise, the Pride is still one of most fav ships, Ken Byrne the Maite’D is a great guy and one of Carnival’s best assets.  The Pride has an amazing retention rate of repeat cruisers, there will likely be some on your sailing with over 30 trips on her.....

[purplephenom]

Baltimore weather is very unpredictable that time of year.  But, since you're on a 14 day cruise, it's probably less of an issue than a 7 day cruise.  Say a day and a half to warm up, and the last day and a half or so is chilly, you'll still have a nice long time of warm weather.  Snow in November is unlikely, a cold icky rain is more likely.

[jimbo5544]

14 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

There are often some pretty strong storm fronts off Carolinas....bring your Dramamine!  

...

They do happen...as well as the dreaded H words as well.  Have been chased inland (hugged the coast) and seen re-routes to the north as well.  Comes with the territory when sailing on the east coast, that said, I have no ifi of them being worse in November than other months.  Interestingly, when we cruise in November we have seen more “weather” than other times, but that made for some beautiful sunset pics more than disturbed us.

 

Also the areas off the Carolinas are full of sea life and it is not unusual to see many types of the sides of the ship when cruising through there.....

[bburk00]

We love sailing out of Baltimore, it is our favorite ship / port and only 90 miles away from home. Our last cruise was March 2019 and it was snowing on sail away. We loved it. Had a day and a half to get cozy then it warmed up and we had fun in the sun. We also like the rough waters, so it all depends on your attitude about the situation.

[coevan]

Why are you all saying it doesn't snow in November. My friends trip was Thanksgiving. I didn't make it up. We live in Colorado, where in January you ski or play golf. 

[pacruise804]

18 hours ago, young_k92 said:

Assuming "normal" weather in Baltimore in November, what are embarkation/sea days like? Can anything happen onboard in the outdoor areas? What's the Sail Away Party like? Can you swim or use the hot tubs outdoors? If not, at what point in the trip south do outside activities become doable? And, if most activities are indoors at this time of year, what indoor activities are available to make up for the lack of outdoor activities? Please be as specific as possible, and TYIA.

The Pride also has a retractable roof over the pool, so you might still be able to use the pool on cooler days.  A Journeys cruise should get you to warmer ports for part of your cruise.

 

I have sailed the Pride in Feb/March and September.  Both times wind was the bigger issue than the temperatures for prohibiting outdoor use.  I also live in Central PA and can enjoy being out in the fresh air at 70F as much if not more than 90F.  You might not be in the pool the first and last day, but can still enjoy the loungers or sport deck. (I'm not much of a pool person regardless.)

 

My memory of indoor activities include trivia, karaoke, fitness center, tea time, naps 🙂.  I think they now have a craft area and there is a nice quiet indoor seating area (sunset garden?) that gives good sea views if you want to curl up with a book or play a quiet game with someone.

[young_k92]

So many helpful replies. Thank you all again! And coevan thank you for clarifying exactly when in November your friends cruise was. I think, like here in Ohio, the chances of snow in Baltimore greatly increase the farther you get in November. Of course snow is possible any time in November, but I'm sure hoping not as likely on the 3rd!

[RandomUser123]

I am sailing on October 20th. Hopefully I will luck out and it will be in the 70s for embarkation day. 

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

Why are you all saying it doesn't snow in November. My friends trip was Thanksgiving. I didn't make it up. We live in Colorado, where in January you ski or play golf. 

There are no absolutes, but that said, the average weather hi’s for November in Baltimore are 62 degrees on Nov 1 and 52 degrees on Nov 30.   Which do you think has a better chance of happening?

[WMQueenie]

We were on the Pride last Thanksgiving.  We had 2 nice days out of 7.  Very rough seas and rain.  The retractable roof seemed to be stuck about half way the entire time.  This was right before she went in for dry dock.  Otherwise, loved the ship and crew and despite the bad weather we had a nice time.  Like others have said, you could have beautiful weather and calm seas....you never know!

[lottiegreen56]

isn't this more of a port question? We did the Pride the last week in October and had some of the  nicest weather we've ever experienced on a cruise ship, mid 70s and no rain the entire trip to bermuda. Only complaint was high winds and there was a ton of great sporting events that week (World Series, College football big games, NFL) and carnival showed very little of it.

Edited July 8, 2019 by lottiegreen56

[FiredogCruiser]

We have cruised out of Baltimore a number of times on both the Pride and Grandeur from September through December and have experienced all types of weather and sea conditions. The worst experience was coming out of the Chesapeake Bay and hitting the gulf stream with 30' confused seas. We were rocking and rolling that night from about 10 pm until about 4 in the morning, but pulled into San Juan right on time. Bottom line is to be prepared for any eventuality.

 

Hot or cold, calm or rough, a room steward once told me "As long as you are not crew, drink is the answer. Won't warm the weather or calm the sea, but you won't care." Works for me!

[bluehenfan01]

I actually love cruising out of Baltimore,  mainly because it is only an hour drive for me,  but i love cruising on the Pride.  My most recent cruise on the Pride was in December 2017.  Was it cold?  Sure!  I can't really say that we experienced much choppy water.  My dad mentioned something about the rocking woke him up,  but i was sound asleep....lol  The one thing that i loved was not necessarily the Sail Away party,  but about an hour or so after leaving Baltimore,  we sail underneath the Key Bridge and then the Bay Bridge which make for a pretty cool optical illusion if you're watching from the back of the ship.  I can't tell you how many times i've said that there's no way we will make it under the span!  lol  That was from the first 2 times on the Pride,  but since it will be darker in November,  it might make it a little more difficult to see.  

 

Like others have said here,  you could have nice weather or it could be storming,  but no matter what life is always much better on a cruise while others are at work.  LOL

[young_k92]

3 hours ago, bluehenfan01 said:

I actually love cruising out of Baltimore,  mainly because it is only an hour drive for me,  but i love cruising on the Pride.  My most recent cruise on the Pride was in December 2017.  Was it cold?  Sure!  I can't really say that we experienced much choppy water.  My dad mentioned something about the rocking woke him up,  but i was sound asleep....lol  The one thing that i loved was not necessarily the Sail Away party,  but about an hour or so after leaving Baltimore,  we sail underneath the Key Bridge and then the Bay Bridge which make for a pretty cool optical illusion if you're watching from the back of the ship.  I can't tell you how many times i've said that there's no way we will make it under the span!  lol  That was from the first 2 times on the Pride,  but since it will be darker in November,  it might make it a little more difficult to see.  

 

Like others have said here,  you could have nice weather or it could be storming,  but no matter what life is always much better on a cruise while others are at work.  LOL

I was hoping my husband, who spent most of his career as a bridge inspector for our small county, would get to experience going under the bridges, particularly the Bay Bridge. But, alas, I do think it will be dark. Bummer.

[SFCanuck]

6 hours ago, young_k92 said:

I was hoping my husband, who spent most of his career as a bridge inspector for our small county, would get to experience going under the bridges, particularly the Bay Bridge. But, alas, I do think it will be dark. Bummer.

 

I believe this is the Key Bridge and Fort Carroll on embarkation day, October 21, 2017, just after 6pm local time.