Caribbean cruising

[nic2010]

My SO and I are looking at booking a Caribbean cruise on Princess. Any suggestions on the best time to cruise-- taking into consideration weather and price breaks?

 

Our last cruise to Hawaii (Sept/2013?) we had poor weather for 13 out of 15 days and we even had to skip a port due to weather----not something we are in a hurry to repeat.

[caribill]

My SO and I are looking at booking a Caribbean cruise on Princess. Any suggestions on the best time to cruise-- taking into consideration weather and price breaks?

 

 

As far as pricing, the three slowest times and thus the best pricing are

o in September after summer vacations are over,

o early December after Thanksgiving and before the Xmas holidays, and

o in January after the New Year's holiday.

[hospvol]

I agree with the above poster. Also, temperatures remain the same all year water temp low 80's and land temp 80's.

[dplusd]

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually among the lowest priced weeks of the year and are past hurricane season. There are fewer kids sailing then. Temps in the Caribbean are great...not as hot as during the summer months. We try to take a pre-holiday, December cruise every year.

[nic2010]

Any idea what the first week in March would be like on the water? The Hawaii trip had 30+ foot swells for several days. I hope it will be better than that.

We are looking forward to getting away then, even if it is a little pricier.

Edited July 27, 2014 by nic2010

[dchip]

Any idea what the first week in March would be like on the water? The Hawaii trip had 30+ foot swells for several days. I hope it will be better than that.

We are looking forward to getting away then, even if it is a little pricier.

 

March 2008 the water was very cool as far as I was concerned. Uncomfortable to snorkel for any length of time. Several cloudy, cool rainy days out of 10. I said never again in March.

 

Until March 2010 when we got such a great deal on a 14 day cruise that I once again found myself in the Caribbean. The water was heavenly and the days were perfect.

 

All in all as Pam in CA would say.......it's a crapshoot. :eek: :D

 

Cheers, Denise

[Colo Cruiser]

My SO and I are looking at booking a Caribbean cruise on Princess. Any suggestions on the best time to cruise-- taking into consideration weather and price breaks?

 

Our last cruise to Hawaii (Sept/2013?) we had poor weather for 13 out of 15 days and we even had to skip a port due to weather----not something we are in a hurry to repeat.

 

 

We like March.

[Working 2 Cruise]

As for the Hawaii cruises, some rough weather is to be expected. Those are really not considered warm weather cruises. I have done 4 of them and loved each one. I never had 13 days of rain though... Maybe a couple of quick showers on the islands and rough seas for a couple of days. Evidently, this cruise isn't for everyone.

 

It's so different from a Caribbean cruise! You will probably enjoy the Caribbean much more.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Working 2 Cruise

[lovevacadays]

I have cruised 4 times to the Caribbean. Once mid-November, once in December, once in January and once in May. The only cruise that had bad weather was my December cruise and the was just for the first two days of the cruise. You just never know for sure. In regards to pricing I've found the best pricing were my December and January cruises.

[jean s]

We usually cruise between February and April in the Caribbean. In over 10 years of cruising at this time we have only had 2 days of rain. I gues we are just lucky.

[DebJ14]

Depends what part of the Caribbean you go to. If you want Southern Caribbean (Aruba, Curacao etc) it is nice and warm in Feb and March. W. Caribbean, like Cozumel, can be cool if a late cold front drops that low, but by mid March is usually OK.

We have always had perfect weather in the Caribbean when we sailed in April.

[geoherb]

We have sailed in November, December, March, and May. The weather is variable. Most frequently, you'll get a little popup shower here and there. We've only had a couple of times where it has rained all day long. The same with the seas. They've been smooth most of the time, but we have also experienced rough ones.

[PescadoAmarillo]

The winds can be very strong from the first of December to mid-January (they're called the Christmas Winds) and seas are rougher then. Water temps do vary and are coldest in January to mid-February. On our New Years cruise last year we had lots of rain for 7 out of 10 days and missed Princess Cays.

[satxdiver]

We have sailed every month from November to March in the Caribbean to the east, west and south Caribbean and it is the luck of the draw but most always really nice. Leaving FLL is usually warmer than from Houston/Galveston and better seas particularly when crossing the Gulf. The only thing you need to be aware of is Hurricane season from June 1 to November 30 in the Caribbean. Ships though steer clear of Hurricanes and other really bad weather but may cause you to miss ports or delay sailing time or arrival time.

 

The lowest price tends to be the first two weeks of December and the highest is the December holidays in the Caribbean.