Question about grandeur and Baltimore/Bahamas weather in February

[Funbobby68]

Hey all looking to set my wife at ease, does anyone have past experience with sailing Bahamas in February, looking to book the grandeur for 2017 , and she's a bit nervous about ruff seas , personally I love a bit of chop . But happy wife happy life . My only concern is that grandeur is a smaller ship than what I have been on , just worried for the potential for disappoint , but hard to make me unhappy when on a cruise

[gjkubel]

Ummm, there was that whole Anthem thing...

 

We board this Sunday, so can't speak from personal experience. But I will say now that as a general matter, the seas in February in that area can be anything from nice to nasty and everywhere in between. Anyone who tells you that don't worry, the Atlantic will definitely be calm this time of year is blowing smoke up your aft.

 

Radio recently did a live report from Grandeur cruise to Bahamas and he noted the rough seas in many of his posts. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2300882

[Clarea]

Hey all looking to set my wife at ease, does anyone have past experience with sailing Bahamas in February, looking to book the grandeur for 2017 , and she's a bit nervous about ruff seas , personally I love a bit of chop . But happy wife happy life . My only concern is that grandeur is a smaller ship than what I have been on , just worried for the potential for disappoint , but hard to make me unhappy when on a cruise

It's unpredictable. We've been to the Bahamas in February when the seas are smooth and when they are rough.

[scooter90]

We sailed the Quantum in February 2015 down to the Bahamas. Yes there was some wicked weather around the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it was sub-freezing when we got back to NJ. The winds around the Outer Banks on the way home were in excess of 90 mph and the outer decks were closed the last two days. It didn't stop us from utilizing the interior of the ship and having a good time -- but rough weather doesn't bother us much.

 

The weather, itself, in the Bahamas was in the mid-60's. I much prefer sailing from April through November and will probably never cruise from the Northeast during the winter months again....just not worth it to me to take the chance of missing two days down and two days back to cold weather.

 

No one can tell you for sure what will happen in February 2017, but if you want smoother seas and warmer weather, I'd recommend choosing another month.

[Funbobby68]

I followed the anthem threads as much as I could till I couldn't take it anymore , way to many off topic posts to keep the threads informative

I know that the chance for ruff seas is always there , we had super smooth sailing crossing the pacific last May , but have sailed Alaska with 30 foot seas , so its always a gamble , just doing my due diligence for my wife :)

Any thoughts on grandeur

[slyster]

I sailed Carnival out of Baltimore during the big blizzard in 2010. Waves were a little choppy the first night but after that, it was fine. We found Florida and the Bahamas to be pleasant. Returning home was not a problem.

[cruisexlife]

I cruised the Enchantment of the Seas a week after Hurricane Sandy from Baltimore to the Bahamas, and let me just say that it was my least favorite cruise. It had nothing to do with the ship (in fact, I feel that I want to give RCI another chance, hopefully this one in better weather), but the weather was terrible. First off, we missed CocoCay, with no alternate port, so we had 3 days in a row at sea on the way back. I was cruising with my mother, who loves a little bit of rock, and her and I didn't leave the room once that whole trip. So many events were cancelled, alcohol was falling and breaking, and the whole exterior of the ship was closed off. Plus, it was in the fall, so it was cold half of the time, and in February, Nassau only gets to about 70-75 ish, so count out any water-related activities. If you do encounter rough seas, the Grandeur will bob like a demented cork. You're much better off cruising from Baltimore/any northeast port Late March-mid September.

 

Hope this helps.

[Funbobby68]

Oh this information is not going to help my cause , really want to book something for February or March 2017 , only real stipulation is got to be less than a 6 hrs flight from either Vancouver or Seattle . I enjoy the cruise more than the ports normally

[iheartbda]

DO NOT show this to your wife. This was the Grandeur , Feb. '14 after we left Key West on the way back to Balt. Captain said the waves were 30 ft. with some higher during the night. The GOS handled the seas very well and I never felt unsafe except for sliding out of bed. LOL

 

https://vimeo.com/155596759

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OBX-Cruisers]

I followed the anthem threads as much as I could till I couldn't take it anymore , way to many off topic posts to keep the threads informative

 

Suggest you go to the Cruise Reviews and see the 2 latest reviews from people who seem more balanced and objective about the whole event. I thought the reviews were well done

[elaine5]

I live in DC. I would never book a cruise from north of Charleston, SC from Dec-Feb. Late March has a decent chance of being OK. We just got 6 inches of snow 2 days ago--that means a storm system. We are 1 hr from Baltimore. Fly to Orlando (nonstop just under 6 hrs) and cruise out of Port Canaveral, or at least wait as late into March as you can.

Edited February 16, 2016 by elaine5

[Funbobby68]

Pardon my ignorance, but not totally hip to the east coast weather patterns Would Fort Lauderdale Easter Caribbean be a better alternative

[scurrycruise]

We just took the Enchantment of the Seas last week. It was a family group cruise, so we didn't choose the time that we were going. I wouldn't recommend it! Temps were around 68-70 and quite windy. My daughter and granddaughter had been looking forward to working on their tans, but instead they were wrapped up in towels trying to stay warm! We were lucky in that the winds stopped enough so that we could go to Coco Cay...but wouldn't intentionally pick a trip to that location in Feb!

[Clarea]

Pardon my ignorance, but not totally hip to the east coast weather patterns Would Fort Lauderdale Easter Caribbean be a better alternative

Certainly would be a better alternative for me.

[loubetti]

Pardon my ignorance, but not totally hip to the east coast weather patterns Would Fort Lauderdale Easter Caribbean be a better alternative

 

Out of FLL, very, very likely. We're starting to warm up down here in south Florida, and the Caribe will even be better at that time. I'm putting my shorts back on tomorrow!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We live in Virginia so Baltimore is very convenient to us. However, we decided a couple of years ago to stop sailing from Baltimore or Bayonne in the winter. We always ran into rough weather either going or coming back. A couple of times it was both. :eek: Our cruise next Feb leaves from Fort Lauderdale. :D

[Grannycb]

We are just off Grandeur after her 10 day Caribbean cruise. The weather wasn't all that great coming up the coast, windy and lots of rocking, not to mention cold. It snowed on the way back to Baltimore.

 

Have you checked the average weather in the Bahamas for Feb? It's a little too cool by my standards.

 

Yes, Eastern Caribbean from Florida would be more comfortable. There is no cold water to sail through. Temps in the Caribbean were in the upper 80's during our trip. It was perfect for swimming, snorkeling, etc.

[Funbobby68]

We're all good at 70 we are wearing shorts and t-shirts , being on the west coast it's what we are use too , 85+ I find a bit unbearable, especially if there is humidity to go with it last August we sailed Caribbean .....I didn't know the backs of your knees could sweat

[msmayor]

For me, the potential for choppy seas out of Baltimore is secondary. Its the cold that would keep me from doing it.

 

Even on a decent 40-45 degree day, once that ship starts moving it will be frigid on deck. For a 7 day cruise, you'd lose at least 2-3 days of anything resembling warm weather to be outside. When I cruise, that's where I want to be---outside.

 

I'd rather leave from Florida. Even though there is a chance of cooler temps in Florida during the winter, once you hit the Caribbean, its nice!!

[elaine5]

YES!! Ft Lauderdale or Miami are at the bottom of FL. Even Port Canaveral (mid-state) is fine. Plus, the weather on board from Baltimore in Feb and even March would likely not be very nice coming/going and even with perfect conditions, would be very chilly (wearing a jacket when outside). Much better to fly to Fla and start out in warmer weather. Tampa is also an option--that is on the Gulf side, mid-state.

[cruisingsince94]

Weather along the East Coast can be so unpredictable in February and March. There are the constant threats of winter storms which can wreak havoc on flights to get to the ports.

We have done cruises during that time of year and it was a bit difficult. On our last from Baltimore it was beautiful the day we left and snowing like crazy upon return.

It would be much less stressful if you left from a Florida port most likely.

[cruisexlife]

Oh this information is not going to help my cause , really want to book something for February or March 2017 , only real stipulation is got to be less than a 6 hrs flight from either Vancouver or Seattle . I enjoy the cruise more than the ports normally

 

Why don't you try an alternate line, Princess, Carnival, or NCL, from LA to the Mexican Riviera?

[marci22]

...If you do encounter rough seas, the Grandeur will bob like a demented cork. You're much better off cruising from Baltimore/any northeast port Late March-mid September.

 

 

I will always remember this advice!

[Funbobby68]

Why don't you try an alternate line, Princess, Carnival, or NCL, from LA to the Mexican Riviera?

 

 

I'm working my way to diamond , I'm very fond of royal , have really only been a bit disappointed once , yet on NCL I was ready to swim home once

[Funbobby68]

Thanks for all the input just book freedom ots for February from Fort Lauderdale