Does Weather Make or Break Your Cruise??

[nycruise]

It's funny how we all tend to plan everything about a cruise down to the last detail, cruise line, itinerary, price, cabin category, cabin location, ship, tours, etc., etc. But the one big variable we can't plan is the weather and in our opinion it can make or break a cruise.

 

This past March we cruised the Caribbean with Celebrity and had chilly dreary weather leaving Florida followed by showers on and off for a good part of the cruise. Additionally the weather back home had warmed up while we were away, so all in all it wasn't the Winter getaway we were hoping for.

 

Last week we returned home from the 9 day Princess cruise to Canada/New England. We had the most glorious weather for the entire 9 days. 1 hour of rain during the entire cruise (daylight hours). The temps were in the mid 70's for all of the ports except the last which was in the mid 80's with seas as smooth as silk, which isn't always the case in Nova Scotia. Meanwhile back home they had a heatwave hitting over 100 degrees 3 days in a row and 90 or above the remainder of the time we were away. Turned out to be the prefect Summer getaway.

 

Don't get me wrong, I always say I haven't met a cruise I haven't liked, but in my opinion weather plays probably the most important role in regard to the enjoyment of a cruise.

 

You know what they say, "Man plans and God Laughs".;)

 

Was wondering how others feel.

[paul929207]

Weather can certainly help to make a cruise better or worse. We check historical weather patterns before booking and when possible, vacation when the weather is usually good. So we have not had much bad weather.

[LisaH]

I agree that weather can detract from or enhance your cruise.

 

We just got back from Alaska and had glorious weather, the kind you dream about when you go to Alaska. Our first cruise there we did not have great weather but it did not negatively impact our cruise...noro did though.

 

We were on Oasis of the Seas in November to the Carib and it was the coolest, dreariest weather we have ever had on a Carib cruise but it did not lessen our enjoyment.

 

But I can see how it could ... so like we all know, you can't control it, just make the best of it.

[envy4u]

Weather can also impact how you feel about the destination IMHO. When we did the British Isles this spring it rained and was cool. Came back feeling "been there done that....next".

[sherryf]

I have only sailed to Alaska so far, and I have done so with the expectation of cool, wet weather. Anything better than that is just a bonus. I can see how weather is important if you are going to the Caribbean and want sunshine, but going to Alaska is different. Alaska is all about the scenery and wildlife, and you just have to accept that the weather is part of the package. Perhaps my attitude comes partly from living in the Seattle area for 20 years. It is gorgeous and green here, but only because we get so much rain. I don't always like the rain, but I try not to let it ruin my day.

 

We leave Saturday for Alaska again, and the forecast says rain/showers most of the week. I'm not too concerned. I know that "showers" often means short periods of drizzle, and often periods of sunshine too within the same day. We will have a wonderful time regardless of the weather! :cool:

[kywildcatfanone]

In my household it depends on who you are talking to. We have only cruised to the Caribbean, and part of that is an expectation of good weather.

For my wife, the weather is probably the most important variable to our cruise. If the weather is mostly good, she is very happy and content. If the weather is poor, she is less happy and less content. But then again, her goal on a cruise is to escape the cold weather from home and if that doesn't happen it's disappointing to her. She still enjoys herself, just not as much.

For me just getting away from home and not having to be at work is my top priority. I like good weather as well, it just makes the experience better, but we have been on cruises where the weather was poor the entire week and I still had a good time.

 

Mike

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

If I am on a ship I am happy

[Pam in CA]

The only times weather has affected my cruise is when we've been unable to make port. It's disappointing but out of my control so I change my plans for the day. It's not a big deal.

 

I lived in the Boston area for over 35 years and cruised in the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera many times to get away from the cold weather. It wasn't snowing, sleeting, icing up... nor did I have to cook, clean or make my bed, which meant the cruise was great. I guess it's all about your expectations.

[Putterdude]

I don't think weather makes or breaks our cruise but sunshine and warm temperatures certainly make it nicer. For instance, the weather this January was not exactly a bell-ringer in the Caribbean. Our 2 January cruises in the Caribbean were certainly impacted by this...but they were far from ruined.

[carqueen1]

You make your own fun.....

[Colorado Kat]

Our cruise in January missed two ports due to weather, but it was still the best cruise we have been on, because of the wonderful people we met!

[mrsfuzzmo]

I think it makes a big impact. We usually cruise in April or May and have had perfect weather, if not a little windy, but basically exactly what we needed after a long winter in Wisconsin. Two years ago we took a cruise with some friends who could only travel in January and the weather was downright terrible. ONE day it was sunny and hit the 80's (Cozumel) and low and behold we had a blast that day. The rest of the cruise was awfully windy and cold. We did get into Grand Cayman, but because of the high winds we tendered into Spotts and had to taxi to town. NO water excursions were going. We wandered around the town and went to Hell, but it was so windy and cold we finally just ended up eating and having a few drinks and heading back to the ship. The worst was when we sailed into Ocho Rios and just as they were going to tie us up......the ship started backing out. It was heartbreaking. We went up to the pool deck where people had brought their comforters from their beds and were trying to at least get some sun on their faces. I did try getting into the pool, but that didn't last long. No bands could play on deck because of the wind and drizzle. It was poor. The entire last day at sea we thought we'd be drinking buckets of beer and dancing to the calypso band on the pool deck, but we ended up spending 6 hours in our cabin playing a rowdy card game of spoons, only going out to refill our cocktails. We were lucky enough to have booked one suite with a huge aft deck so at least we had room for all of us in one room to hang out. It was like a rainy saturday at home all bundled into your house. Not that much fun of a cruise. We did venture out throughout the ship on the other crummy days as sea (remember we had 5 of them) so we played every trivia game and watched every comedian we could. We were just really tired of the "gloomy" weather by the end.

 

My husband will NEVER cruise in January again. We have cruised in January previously and its been nice, but this past one ruined it for us.

[Wayfairers]

I was originally going to say we have been lucky and always had good weather. But, then I remembered....

 

Sailing out of San Diego in 2008 we had cold, windy, stormy weather for 2 days (at sea days) and the decks were closed. We found a window seat in the library and read for a while, then a window seat in a bar and drank for a while then spent time talking to people. I don't remember being bored at all.

 

In Alaska we had an float plane excursion cancelled due to fog and rain after we had arrived at the airport. The van scheduled to pick us up after the excursion came back early and dropped us off at the Lumberjack Show instead - lucky that we knew the starting time for that show because other family members on the same cruise were going to the show. We bought tickets there (cheaper than the ship) and took the refund from Princess for the cancelled excursion.

 

We travel about 2/3 of the year and have learned you can't count on weather to cooperate. So, we take the weather we are given and make the best of it instead of letting it us get us down.

[jocap]

Not really, as I prefer coolish weather, so don't often go to the hot spots.....snow in Turkey on NCL Jade was different, but interesting!

The Caribbean was much too hot for me, as is the central Med in summer.

Some of my best cruising moments have been in rough, windy sea.....had a spectacular thunderstorm for hours between Spain and Greece this May, and I've seen snow storms sailing past Mt Etna.

Driving rain can be annoying if it lasts for days, but I'm happy just being on a ship.

Jo.

[STARFISH*4]

Weather certainly can "change" things on a cruise or vacation, but i dont let it BREAK it!

NOTHING you can do about weather so you just make the BEST of whatever BLOWs your way!!!!

[cb at sea]

Yes...lousy weather would "break" my cruise....just like it can ruin a land-based vacation! I vacation for the weather....and when it doesn't cooperate, I'm not a happy camper!

[sjmarante]

i like really bad weather at night so that I can have fun moving side to side

[trish1c]

Into every life & vacation a little rain must fall. A few clouds or a rough sea is no big deal but 2+ years ago the weather was so bad, the cruise really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It rained every day. It was in the 30s F when we left Miami & it was snowing when we came back. :eek: It barely broke the 70s the whole trip. Excursions were cancelled; we missed islands. We spent a lot of time in the cabin & our bar bill was huge. There just wasn't anything to do.

I'd rank it up there among our worst vacations but it was still better than working. :)

[FawnRiver]

Its just part of the adventure :cool:

 

A bad day on a cruise ship is better than a good day at work.

 

Is it just me or does time seem to move slower once you've booked a cruise? :confused:

[sail7seas]

Of course, we all take what we get and deal with it when it comes to weather.

 

 

There are few people IMO who are honestly unaffected by inclement weather.

For most of us, our enjoyment is raised when we get good weather.

It's far more pleasant to walk/tour/sightsee on a beautiful day. Many of our moods are brighter when we wake to sunshine. :)

 

We don't let it wreck our day/cruise but it's less than honest for us to say we don't care or it doesn't matter. (for DH and me)

 

We have just returned from a week in Florida having had glorious weather to enjoy walks and the pool and lunch on the patio.... weather definitely made our trip.

 

[Wayfairers]

Of course, we all take what we get and deal with it when it comes to weather.

 

 

There are few people IMO who are honestly unaffected by inclement weather.

For most of us, our enjoyment is raised when we get good weather.

It's far more pleasant to walk/tour/sightsee on a beautiful day. Many of our moods are brighter when we wake to sunshine. :)

 

We don't let it wreck our day/cruise but it's less than honest for us to say we don't care or it doesn't matter. (for DH and me)

 

We have just returned from a week in Florida having had glorious weather to enjoy walks and the pool and lunch on the patio.... weather definitely made our trip.

 

 

Agreed.... I am in a better mood when the sun is shining and it is 70something degrees. :)

 

However, I refuse to let inclement weather affect my day. Plans can be changed or I can dress differently to correct weather problems. And, I admit, that hasn't always been my attitude. Since major health issues a few years ago I now understand that each day is special and that makes a huge difference in how you approach life. :)

[beachchick]

Nope, we don't let the weather affect how much fun we have. Sure, it's disappointing after having planned for say a snorkel excursion to have it cancelled at the last minute due to weather/ocean conditions or to have to miss a port because it's unsafe to dock/anchor. But we've faced far, far worse challenges than rain, wind, cool temps/hot temps, high waves, etc. and won't let something we can't control make or break a trip of any kind.

 

beachchick

[bqkali]

Yes, the weather can have an impact on my vacation but doesn't "make it or break it".

 

I've cruised to the western Caribbean twice - the first time we had perfect weather, the second time it was lousy (50 degrees, windy, and rainy on a beach = less than ideal). I don't think it was a coincidence that I have incredible memories of the first cruise and less-than-stellar memories of the second. Don't get me wrong - I still had a good time, but it wasn't nearly as great as the first one. Unfortunately, I feel a lot of this had to do with the ship itself. Most of the planned activities were meant for nice days, and no one bothered to add additional indoor activities when the crowds were stuck inside.

 

We made the best of the situation, entertaining ourselves the best we could, but I am sure I would've had a better time if the ship thought outside the box and planned some indoor activities/entertainment during the daytime. My Alaskan cruise was better prepared for this, and even though we had some bad weather as well, I still had a blast on that cruise in part because of the great activities and onboard crew.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I often get a good price on a cruise for going in hurricane season and I've been on board when it was a little rough and we were avoiding hurricanes. I feel like that is the chance we take and I will enjoy myself on the cruise regardless.:D

[collectingcoke]

I must say it is certainly more enjoyable to be laying out by the pool in the sun with a cold drink than trying to find somewhere to sit under cover or sitting in your cabin while it is freezing and pouring rain out on those 3-4 sea days.