leaving from ny in the winter

[nycruiser1975]

my husband and i just had a lost and we need to get away asap. but due to work we cannot leave until the winter. how is it cruising from NYC in the winter? How is the caribbean during the winter? any suggestions this would be our second cruise

[dwaterhouse]

Sorry for your loss.

 

I personally did not like leaving from NY.... Did a 10 day....

Had to pack winter and summer clothes

First 2 days are cold going down and the last 2 days coming back.. So not much going on on deck.... But I did get a lot of reading accomplished!

 

The weather in the caribbean was beautiful !

 

And the Atlantic coming and going was pretty rough

[CRUISE4JANE]

I would like to know too. I am cruising in February out of New Orleans and I have always cruised in mid summer. Now I am wondering what I have to pack for the Caribbean. :confused:

[PCHENG]

I sailed out of Baltimore to the Bahamas in January of 2011. The first day out and the last day back were both too cold for swimming, and you need to put on jackets if you are going out onto an open deck. Temperature starts to warm up once you pass the Carolinas.

 

As for weather in the Bahamas. The air temperature stayed in the high 70s/low 80s, which is ideal walking weather to me. The water temperature is a little too cold for my taste, but others seem to have no problem with it.

[e150club]

If we have a winter like last year it shouldn't be bad. Even if its cold we would be in warmer weather by day two. This will be our first time sailing in fall/winter. A sweatshirt and a jacket for a day if need be, then nice weather down south not too hot. Not too many kids and better prices. Go for it and sorry for your loss. {edit] Not that I don't like kids but the ship will be less crowded due to fewer cabins with four people in them.

[golfadj]

We cruise in the winter t oget rid of cold weather and do not see the point of cruising out of NY with colder weather first two and last two days.

 

We prefer to start in Florida. Caribbean will run 75-80 most days and to us it is perfect.

[wentworth]

We cruise in the winter t oget rid of cold weather and do not see the point of cruising out of NY with colder weather first two and last two days.

 

We prefer to start in Florida. Caribbean will run 75-80 most days and to us it is perfect.

 

 

Agree, we live in the northeast and to us, it makes no sense to cruise

out of NY. Leave from a southern state or San Juan. The weather

down there is beautiful............and go a day ahead of time to make

sure you have no winter weather delays.

 

Sorry for your loss and hope your cruise will help get you thru this

rough time.

[golfadj]

Agree, we live in the northeast and to us, it makes no sense to cruise

out of NY. Leave from a southern state or San Juan. The weather

down there is beautiful............and go a day ahead of time to make

sure you have no winter weather delays.

 

Sorry for your loss and hope your cruise will help get you thru this

rough time.

 

There was a blizzard in Baltimore a year or so ago and the Pride had about a foot and a half snow on here. Very nice picture but not sure it made for a great cruise.

[e150club]

There was a blizzard in Baltimore a year or so ago and the Pride had about a foot and a half snow on here. Very nice picture but not sure it made for a great cruise.

I live about an hour or so from Manhattan in good weather thats why I cruise from NY. Flying or driving to Fla. costs too much or takes too much time for the four of us and vacation days. If it snows we have family in queens NY to go to before a storm. I will get to the port even tho I would prefer to park on the pier. I could bring my snow blower and help clear the deck [joke]. I drove to Fla three times and my collage age kids don't want to drive there anymore. I could deal with a couple of days w/ a jacket on. A little rough water is OK too.

[CRUISE4JANE]

Well I am going to the Caribbean the last week of February and I sure hope I don't have to wear a jacket for 2 days. :mad: If so, that will be the last time I cruise because of a good price. :rolleyes: I will just resign myself to the fact that if I want to cruise in warm weather, I will have to pay the price. Going to try it once. :p

[CapeCodCruiser]

As long as I could take a 10 nighter or so cruising from NYC in the winter would be fine. The first couple & last couple of days would be great for REALLY relaxing - curling up with a good book, napping. I wouldn't feel like I had to be out on deck soakin up those rays! Then 6 days of fun in the sun - go like hell - then two more days to recover from my cruise!

 

It all depends on how you look at it!

[Bunkie103]

We were in the Bahamas end of January on a Disney Cruise and I thought the water was a little colder than I like it. Have a wonderful time.

[Simplertimes]

We left out of Baltimore in January headed to the Bahamas. There was snow on the ground in Boston when we left and in Baltimore. Wore a light jacket the first night of the cruise. First stop Port Canaveral where it was in the 90's. We walked around and were sweating! Went to Nassau and swam in the water there. Got a little cool the last night of the cruise.

 

On another cruise, left New Orleans in January. Didn't pull out the jacket once the entire cruise. Did Western Caribbean and the water was beautiful at all spots (Jamaica, Cayman & Cozumel). I usually don't swim in the ocean up here in Massachusetts because it's cold, but down in the Caribbean, it was so warm!

[bluehenfan]

There was a blizzard in Baltimore a year or so ago and the Pride had about a foot and a half snow on here. Very nice picture but not sure it made for a great cruise.

 

I was on that cruise. When we returned in the early morning, I looked out and was surprised to see no parking lot full of cars. Then I noticed the big mounds of snow and realized the cars were covered with snow. Driving home, I-95 was one lane each way and it was like driving through a canyon of snow as it was piled 6 ft high on each side of the car.

 

It was very cold when we left Baltimore and even when we were at Pt. Canaveral it was not very warm. In Bahamas it was a little better, but only in the low 70's. By the time we warmed up, it was time to head north again. Because I live so close, if I got a great deal I'd do it again in winter from Baltimore, but wouldn't bother spending the extra $$ for a balcony cabin.

 

Sailed out of NY once 7 yrs. ago on NCL. It was mid Feb. Deck hands were chopping ice on lido deck while cook was flipping burgers out on deck on outdoor grill for a barbcue sail away party. People standing around shivering and eating burgers!

Was cold 6 of the 8 days we were on board. Never again.

[UD1Hens]

I live in Baltimore and I decided against taking the 7 day Bahamas cruise in January. I instead booked a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami for the same days. With airfare and transportation it added a couple hundred dollars more but I like knowing that as soon as I land in Miami the trip will be warm weather. The choppiness of the Atlantic in the winter and the cool waters down south made me want to spend a little more. It was a tough pill to swallow...not taking a cruise that I could drive 15-20 minutes to port. Either way the ships have a ton of things to do so no matter what it'll be a blast. It was just my preference to go warmer in the Western Caribbean.

[DevilDogCruiser]

All I can say is make sure you purchase travel insurance. We took our children on a Christmas cruise during the first week of December. We flew to Florida out of Buffalo with a layover in Philadelphia and almost missed the boat due to malfunctioning de-icers. The only thing that saved us was the fact that 95% of the people on our plane were all going on various cruise ships. The airline called ahead and all of the cruise lines stepped up! Carnival had a person waiting for use, they took our luggage tags, put us in a cab and got us to the ship on time. We even had our luggage by 9pm!

 

I don't tell you this to scare you away from December travel, just make sure you CYA! I was so thankful that we had the insurance even though we didn't need to use it.

[AnitaVacation]

I'll be taking my first 'winter' cruise from NYC this January.

 

Balcony cabin, 8 nights...for less than $500pp

 

My son wanted to go on a cruise, but he wanted to wait until he was 21 (Nov '12)....and he will be on winter break from school in January...so this fit our schedule...(and my bank account ;) )

 

I am going on this cruise fully aware that it is going to be alot cooler than our usual fall sailings...(maybe even some snow on the deck)...we will just have to find things to do inside....(we are not pool people anyway)

[jakesnana]

I'll be taking my first 'winter' cruise from NYC this January.

 

Balcony cabin, 8 nights...for less than $500pp

 

My son wanted to go on a cruise, but he wanted to wait until he was 21 (Nov '12)....and he will be on winter break from school in January...so this fit our schedule...(and my bank account ;) )

 

I am going on this cruise fully aware that it is going to be alot cooler than our usual fall sailings...(maybe even some snow on the deck)...we will just have to find things to do inside....(we are not pool people anyway)

 

Which ship/sail date was this deal for? I know several people who live in the northeast that would be all over a price like that, regardless of the weather.

[serene56]

we cruised out of Baltimore for Valentines day last year.

 

Arrived in Baltimore with a balmy 54 degrees.

 

so you see, weather is hit or miss.

 

we were prepared to spend 4 days of our cruise indoors but the weather cooperated and we did good.

 

we spent the day at sea world and it was HOT.

[cruisenanny]

We have chosen to sail out of NYC in the winter. For a longer cruise we think the trade off is fair to save the travel time & airfare.

The weather in the Bahamas can be a bit cooler in the winter, but it can also be perfect This brings to mind our fantastic day at HMC last Jan, it couldn't have been any more perfect weather wise.

The Caribbean weather is gorgeous in the winter, summer is too hot for me.

[PapaJoe71]

Who else finds it funny that any time a popular question comes up like this one, the same naysayers post basically the same response.

I would spend the extras money because I don’t like the cold.

Some people just want to spend time with there loved ones without the normal day to day surroundings, and can’t afford the extras in life. If people are looking for advice on how to get the most out of their vacation remember it is just that, THEIR VACATION, and most likely they are not stupid and they already know that FLA is wormer then NY in the winter. Well I will get off my soap box now, but I love reading most of the comments and reviews but can’t stand hearing all these people comment about what really comes down to are other people finances and desires. If we are looking to sail out of a northern port in the winter we are doing it for a reason not because we have no grasp on the obvious.

[wentworth]

Who else finds it funny that any time a popular question comes up like this one, the same naysayers post basically the same response.

I would spend the extras money because I don’t like the cold.

Some people just want to spend time with there loved ones without the normal day to day surroundings, and can’t afford the extras in life. If people are looking for advice on how to get the most out of their vacation remember it is just that, THEIR VACATION, and most likely they are not stupid and they already know that FLA is wormer then NY in the winter. Well I will get off my soap box now, but I love reading most of the comments and reviews but can’t stand hearing all these people comment about what really comes down to are other people finances and desires. If we are looking to sail out of a northern port in the winter we are doing it for a reason not because we have no grasp on the obvious.

 

 

Wow, take it easy there. The OP ask how it was to cruise out of NY

in the winter. No mention was made of finances. They needed to get

away because of a recent loss.

 

You sound very angry and I don't understand your negativity towards

posters answering the OP questions with THEIR opinions. By the way,

it is WARMER in Florida:p

[sarahleebones]

We are cruising out of NY next March. I have no problem with a bit of snow, it's the freezing rain that I hope will be avoided.

 

If it's cold and cranky, don't worry about it, it will just keep getting warmer. It really is a crap shoot. If we have a winter like last year, we will be laughing. I live in Canada and we got hardly a flake of snow this past winter. Worst case scenario sailaway sucks. It will make waking up on your first sea day that much more enjoyable! By day 2, you will hardly remember what cold felt like ;)

[CruiserBren]

There was a blizzard in Baltimore a year or so ago and the Pride had about a foot and a half snow on here. Very nice picture but not sure it made for a great cruise.

 

When Snowmegedden hit, with one blizzard on the ground and a second one due in 48 hours, we called Carnival on Saturday to see if there was anything available for leaving on the Pride on Sunday. There were 2 balconies available, we took one of them. By day 2 there were activities on deck, with the roof closed. It was 75* in Port Canaveral and 80* in the Bahamas.

 

I enjoy cruising in cooler weather. I cruise out of Baltimore in winter and NYC or Boston to Canada in summer! In fact, my DD is getting married on the Pride in January!

[CruiserBren]

Pride in the snow