Mid-Atlantic Cruise in December

[nyc2pdx]

Thinking about doing a repositioning cruise on NCL Getaway from Barcelona to NYC from Dec 5-20, 2020.  Stops in Spain, then the Canary Islands, Azores, Bermuda before arriving in NYC.

 

While I know it will be frigid in NYC, my thoughts are that it won't be too bad other places, and it is after hurricane season.

 

How rough would the seas be, in general?  And if I had a forward cabin?

 

Thanks!

 

[CruiserBruce]

Nobody is going to be able to tell you the seas. They aren't predictable, and the Atlantic certainly has a very wide range of sea conditions.

[nyc2pdx]

Thank you. Any general comments about Atlantic sea travel in winter? Experiences?

[evandbob]

Why would NYC be frigid in December?

[wowzz]

On our last cruise, returning to the UK from the Caribbean in December,  we were literally thrown out of bed one night due to the rough seas. So expect the worst,  and if the weather happens to be kind, that's a bonus.

[DarrenM]

I wouldnt do this if they let me to do it for free and gave me the most expensive suite in the ship. Cruising in the Atlantic in December sounds like my kind of hell. And her indoors wouldnt get a tan.

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, evandbob said:

Why would NYC be frigid in December?

 

Because it is further from the equator?  That would be my guess.   🤣

[jocap]

We've crossed four times one way or the other, in Jan and Feb, and no one journey has been the same- sometimes rough, sometimes smooth... but we were on a more southerly route. Once, we left from the Azores and sailed right round  to the north of the islands, to miss a storm threatening Spain and Portugal, but it was still pretty gusty. 

You'll be warm enough out on deck for the Canaries and Madeira, but it will be chillier as you head north.

Cunard and P&O do several TA cruises from November through to March, or as part of world cruises, and they seem to be popular with my cruising friends.

 

[Markanddonna]

The western Mediterranean also has storms and more rainy days that time of year. We went through a Medicane around the Straits of Messina this fall. Not a frequent occurrence but the schools along the Med were closed. I wouldn't let this info stop me from taking that trip, but realize the Mediterranean is quite active in late fall. It isn't just the Atlantic.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I wouldnt do this if they let me to do it for free and gave me the most expensive suite in the ship. Cruising in the Atlantic in December sounds like my kind of hell. And her indoors wouldnt get a tan.

Darren - we like the fact that we can cruise the Caribbean in winter, and not have to fly.  Its normally only the first and last 2 or 3 days that can be unpleasant,  so on a 35 day cruise you are likely to get 30 or so days of good weather.

[Mich3554]

We did a trans Atlantic, Lisbon to Miami hitting the Azores and Bermuda on Viking in Dec 2018.  It was a fairly calm crossing, my only disappointment was that the Azores were socked in with fog/clouds.....something......and you couldn’t see anything.  However, you cannot predict the weather.  I thought the cruise was enjoyable, but I like sea days.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[DarrenM]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

Darren - we like the fact that we can cruise the Caribbean in winter, and not have to fly.  Its normally only the first and last 2 or 3 days that can be unpleasant,  so on a 35 day cruise you are likely to get 30 or so days of good weather.

Sounds good. Can I get off and miss those first and last couple of days?

 

I am someone that needed travel sickness tablets going from North shields to Amsterdam on the booze cruise.