Dealing with rain & cool weather while on a cruise: Any Last Minute Advice?

[Sailfish]

We're heading to Miami tonight and will soon be embarking on the Carnival Valor; looking at the long range weather forecast, it calls for rain showers all week!

 

A note from a fellow passenger and florida resident indicates a cold front approaching south Florida tonight, with the forecast calling for rain at embarkation on Sunday. As we're going to be diving in each port of call, rain won't be too much of an issue. But that's 5 hours - not the entire day. I was so looking forward to spending time out on the deck in the warm sunshine.

 

So I have to ask - how did you deal with bad weather while on a cruise? Was it a total "wash-out"? I need some words of encouragement, to say the least.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Suzi

[rt63]

There's no alternative to sunshine, but you can always go spend $ in the casino, attend the art auction or one of the daytime games in the Ivanhoe theater, or try the aft pool which has a movable cover... although it will likely get very crowded.

 

The table areas along Lido deck near the bars are covered, this is a good place to wait out some temporary rain.

[DaytonCruiser]

We're heading to Miami tonight and will soon be embarking on the Carnival Valor; looking at the long range weather forecast, it calls for rain showers all week!

 

A note from a fellow passenger and florida resident indicates a cold front approaching south Florida tonight, with the forecast calling for rain at embarkation on Sunday. As we're going to be diving in each port of call, rain won't be too much of an issue. But that's 5 hours - not the entire day. I was so looking forward to spending time out on the deck in the warm sunshine.

 

So I have to ask - how did you deal with bad weather while on a cruise? Was it a total "wash-out"? I need some words of encouragement, to say the least.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Suzi

 

I have found that the Captain is great about going around rain on sea days, also it usually never rains for extended periods of time when the ship is in port..more like liquid sunshine.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise!!

[Vyhanek]

I was on a cruise last March and it was rainy and cold and windy the entire time. Some days, with the wind chill it was in the 40's and this was the Carribean at the end of March! It was really a huge disappointment because living in New Hampshire it is just such a long brutal winter.

 

Even though the weather was terrible we still made our own fun. We had a great time but it was different than what I had planned or hoped for. I did things I wouldn't normally do like the spa and the art auction. The spa was great - I would never recommend the art auction (serious houghty toughty rip off!) to anyone though. But I experienced it and I'm glad I did.

 

Just bring appropriate clothes. I had a suitcase full of tank tops and bikinis and ended up wearing the same pair of kakis and sweater that I flew down in almost the entire week.

 

Also, who knows at this point about the weather. They never really know and like a pp said, if the captain can avoid it he will. Carnival doesn't want to take their multi million dollar ships thru storms if they can at all avoid it.

[abitaturbodog]

Before we left on our cruise last week, the forecast called for lots of rain in the places we were going too (western Carib). But....we had perfect weather in all of the ports! Don't sweat it. Just pack a rain poncho ($1.00 Store), and have a good time.

[HeidiHo]

I was on a cruise last March and it was rainy and cold and windy the entire time. Some days, with the wind chill it was in the 40's and this was the Carribean at the end of March! It was really a huge disappointment because living in New Hampshire it is just such a long brutal winter.

 

 

Gee, which side of the Caribbean did you do? We did the western route on the Miracle the last week of march and the weather was beautiful with the exception of embarkation day in Tampa. It didn't rain but it was cold. by the next day we had sailed far enough south that it was warm and stayed warm and sunny the entire cruise. Maybe you did the week before we did or went east?

[BrendaB1]

It rained every day last year when we were on Valor but we still had a great time. Only tan we can back with was a bar tan but we found plenty of ways to still have fun.

[marty30907]

It rain on most of our Glory cruise. Just ordered more foo foo drinks and played in the casino and cabin!:D

 

It was still a GREAT cruise!

[Sailfish]

Thanks, everyone!

 

I have been to the Caribbean and had days in port when it rained a little - scattered showers, some sun,some rain. etc. But now the forecast is calling for rain all week long!!

 

We have no control over the weather, and we'll make due what's dished out. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky!!

 

Suzi

[Kurbanfan]

Gee, which side of the Caribbean did you do? We did the western route on the Miracle the last week of march and the weather was beautiful with the exception of embarkation day in Tampa. It didn't rain but it was cold. by the next day we had sailed far enough south that it was warm and stayed warm and sunny the entire cruise. Maybe you did the week before we did or went east?

 

Same here, 2nd week in March 2006, western caribbean not a spot of rain.

[virginiab]

Most tropical locations have a bit of rain each day, but seldom a full day of rain, let alone a full week. I'd take the weather forecast with a grain of salt--and I'm sailing from miami this Sunday too. Relax. You'll have fun on the Valor and I'll have fun on the Victory -- rain or shine!

[DGP1111]

Departing in the morning on the Inspiration out of Tampa, and the weather is going to be quite chilled. There are some extreme winds today here in Central FL, and it's going to be much the same in the morning, so it'll feel much colder than it actually is. I made a few *minor* adjustment to my packing list, but according to the Internet weather sites, Mexico is still going to be nice. It also showed a high chance of storms on our Grand Cayman day, but my shore excursion really doesn't require great weather to happen. And even through an embarkation wearing a heavy jacket, and the possibility of having Grand Cayman becoming a non-event (if tendering became impossible), I'll just stay onboard with great food, a good book, possibly a movie, and the realization that "Yippie Yow Zowie - I'm not at work!!!"

[rt63]

Most tropical locations have a bit of rain each day, but seldom a full day of rain, let alone a full week. I'd take the weather forecast with a grain of salt--and I'm sailing from miami this Sunday too. Relax. You'll have fun on the Valor and I'll have fun on the Victory -- rain or shine!

 

Good point, we have Seattle type weather here right now, since this morning, but unlike Seattle it only stays for a day or so instead of several months.

 

Any NOAA forecast for south Florida that says "scattered showers" means you may get wet at some point, but for the most part you'll just have a mix of hot sun and moving clouds... and you'll be eager for the sun and then eager to see a cloud or breeze after a while.

 

The cold front affecting us today is not likely to affect your cruise except for the first day, and will move out in a day or so.

 

Further south, you may get warm wet downpours periodically... on port days, usually late in the day. So hit the beach early if you can. On sea days, if they can, the ship will try to steer around the worst of the weather.

[THERAPYCRUISE]

Does anybody know how humid it is the west carib this time of year?:confused: We are from AZ and used to very dry heat. Will we be cold? Or will we be soggy?LOL:D

[JudyKa]

We're heading to Miami tonight and will soon be embarking on the Carnival Valor; looking at the long range weather forecast, it calls for rain showers all week!

 

A note from a fellow passenger and florida resident indicates a cold front approaching south Florida tonight, with the forecast calling for rain at embarkation on Sunday. As we're going to be diving in each port of call, rain won't be too much of an issue. But that's 5 hours - not the entire day. I was so looking forward to spending time out on the deck in the warm sunshine.

 

So I have to ask - how did you deal with bad weather while on a cruise? Was it a total "wash-out"? I need some words of encouragement, to say the least.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Suzi

 

We just got back from a Fantasy cruise out of New Orleans....cooooold in N.O.; but you mainly stay busy looking around the boat and sitting in the sun on the Lido deck with a drink of the day and a jacket on. So, don't forget a light jacket. You will need this to begin with when going outside right at first; but it will warm up the next day closer to W. Carribean. People have told me that actually the W. Carribean this time of year is usually warmer...around 80's or so. It was about high 70's and overcast in Costa Maya with occasional rain. Didn't need jacket there or Cozumel. It was overcast about 1/2 of the time during our 5 day cruise. It definitely was time to drag out the jacket again when we approached the Miss. River....brrrrrrr.

[Caliber1]

The forecast said the same thing for our Sensation cruise this week, but we really only had a few showers. The Captain sailed around the bad stuff.

[Grits53]

Does anybody know how humid it is the west carib this time of year?:confused: We are from AZ and used to very dry heat. Will we be cold? Or will we be soggy?LOL:D

 

It was very humid last week, but being from Louisiana, that didn't bother us. ;) There were also a lot of mosquitoes on the beach in Cozumel, so you might want to pack insect repellent.

Edited to add that the temps were quite comfortable (80's) in all 3 of the Conquest's ports, but it was cool and windy on the ship while it was in the Gulf.