OMG say it isn't so. Do you trust weather forecast?

[3brothersboston]

OK. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but.

 

I just looked on weather dot com for the forecast for next week. We are headed to Labadee, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel. Each day it appears that there is "isolated thunder storms" with 30%+ chance of rain each day. WHAT does this mean and can I trust it? Does it usually blow over? Am i over-reacting or should I be wigging out that we are going to have rain all week? Someone say it isn't so.

 

What is the typical weather pattern for the first week in April? The other cruises we have gone on have been PERFECT weather this time of year and I didn't even *think* we'd have to concern ourselves with it. Am I the only one feeling like I deserve sun every day ?:cool:

 

We live in Seattle and believe me, the LAST THING I want on vacation is RAIN. :(

[sea-cruise]

:) Caribbean showers usually blow over quickly. Hope it's that way for you next week. Happy cruising.

[jules815]

I wouldn't pay any attention to that. It's common to have an afternoon shower, and then it can clear right up. We sailed western Caribbean last June, and our forecast said that same thing. We never saw a drop of rain our entire week and the seas were literally like glass the entire time.

[kingsgirl]

And just to add, 30% is nothing to worry about. If you take the belief that forcasters are wrong 50% of the time, then that is a 15% chance actually :)

[mad-dog74]

Look at it this way... there is a 50% chance of rain every day. Either it will rain, or it will not. I would not be worried. At 30%, there is still 70% chance that your day wont be ruined.

[3brothersboston]

Look at it this way... there is a 50% chance of rain every day. Either it will rain, or it will not. I would not be worried. At 30%, there is still 70% chance that your day wont be ruined.

 

Thanks everyone. I'm really not a shallow person but for heavens SAKE I have been dreaming about sunburn and aloe vera.

 

I was thinking that perhaps I was going to have to pack all my rain gear from REI our blue tarps and our umbrellas. Seattle gets entirely too much rain and right now I'm almost in tears thinking we're going from rain to rain. Keep the positive comments coming :) I appreciate your encouragement. Rain SUCKS and it sucks even MORE when you live in it 24/7.

[Padraic]

Living in South Florida, we see that forecast almost every day in Spring and Summer. It means that it may rain in the afternoon and if it does it will only last a little bit. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Padraic

[jules815]

Remember, in the Caribbean, you can even get a nasty sunburn on a cloudy day!!

[RetireeWannabee]

The chances don't sound too great, and so often they are just guesses. All day downpour is unlikely.

 

What you need to do is put yourself in a mindset where it won't matter either way. Living in gloomy Indiana, I would far rather watch rain fall into the sea than see it in my own backyard.

[vickiw0318]

We spent a week in Cozumel in August. There was rain in the forecast for every day we were to be there. The sun shone the entire trip. Hope it does for you too. The posters are correct - it's a very common forecast for the tropics.

[3brothersboston]

Living in South Florida, we see that forecast almost every day in Spring and Summer. It means that it may rain in the afternoon and if it does it will only last a little bit. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Padraic

 

You da man, Padraic.

 

Send yer good sunshine vibe all week to Liberty :) My skin is soggy and my feet are becoming webbed. I need some light! I bet I have seasonal affective disorder!

 

If anyone is on this sailing, I'll be the one in the lounger by the pool at 4am waiting for the sunrise, and the one being dragged out of the Solarium by my DH at 9pm when it's dark.

 

Thanks for the encouragement!

[Amlee]

It's LIQUID SUNSHINE!!!

 

Well it rain every day? Most likely yes. For about 15 maybe 30 minutes at a time. Followed by the sun and heat that will dry you out very quickly.

 

Don't let it ruin your day. One of the best things I have ever bought is a waterproof backpack. I put my camera and such in there, and forget about it.

[pmfan]

3brothersboston...Enjoy your cruise.:)

[3brothersboston]

We spent a week in Cozumel in August. There was rain in the forecast for every day we were to be there. The sun shone the entire trip. Hope it does for you too. The posters are correct - it's a very common forecast for the tropics.

 

You have no idea how much better I feel after reading all these posts. Really. Thank you so much everyone.

 

I'm so tired of stepping out of my car into puddles, not being able to mow the lawn, getting drenched at our kids soccer games, having our dogs drag mud into our house every day, having DEWY skin. AGH.

 

We need to retire on a cruise ship. I'm cashing in the kid's college funds today.

 

:) :) :)

[Amlee]

You da man, Padraic.

 

Send yer good sunshine vibe all week to Liberty :) My skin is soggy and my feet are becoming webbed. I need some light! I bet I have seasonal affective disorder!

 

If anyone is on this sailing, I'll be the one in the lounger by the pool at 4am waiting for the sunrise, and the one being dragged out of the Solarium by my DH at 9pm when it's dark.

 

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

 

Also, it's not like the rain you are use too. The sun can be shining and a shower will come through. Never stopping the sun from shining. it also makes for GREAT rainbows.

[3brothersboston]

Remember, in the Caribbean, you can even get a nasty sunburn on a cloudy day!!

 

 

I'll take it.

 

BRING IT :)

[3brothersboston]

Also, it's not like the rain you are use too. The sun can be shining and a shower will come through. Never stopping the sun from shining. it also makes for GREAT rainbows.

 

I KNEW if I came on here for support that I would be surrounded by eternal optomists :) !!!

 

Thanks so so much...it's what I needed today.;)

[CharmedOne]

Do NOT worry about a forecast! I don't think that website you mentioned is very accurate. I keep compulsively checking it myself before every vacation and it is NEVER right! (Meaning, it is always nicer than it says on the site!)

 

If it does rain - it will be very brief (on my honeymoon in Jamaica it rained every day for 15 min. to 1/2 hr at the most and was sunny all other times - AND - on a tour of St. Lucia a couple years ago it rained for no more than a 1/2 hr.) Keep in mind it will be WARM rain and try to relax. I envy you - as we're not going on Liberty until late Nov/early Dec. Send some of those sunshine/warm-rain vibes my way until then, please.;)

 

PS - DH and I got VERY sunburned in Jamaica in exactly 45 minutes of sunbathing (!) - to the point of sunsickness - and we spent two days of our honeymoon like two porcupines trying to be romantic - ouch-ouch-ouch. :o

[FrancescaH]

When I was young I lived in Bremerton, Washington and now I live in central Florida. While Florida/tropical spring and summer forecasts oftens have a 30-50% chance of rain, it is a very different type of rain. Usually it's short showers in the mid afternoon, not the all day rain like I remember from my childhood. You'll be fine! It's a good chance to step into a place and have a drink while in port, or go grab a shower to refresh yourself while on the ship!

[Amlee]

I took this in Feb.

 

 

 

That is what 30% chance of rain with light showers looks like. Yes it rained on us, but like I said 30 minutes at the most.

[lady_cruiser]

30% chance of scattered thunderstorms means that you will have a 70% chance that the storms will be on the other side of the island and that there is also a 70% chance you will have sunshine.

 

GO and enjoy your cruise!

[thepeacha]

As you can see I live on St. Croix, have been here for several years. I'd bet the forecast shows 30 chance of rain 99% of the time. I have only had four days that I can remember that were totally overcast. I can't remember a daytime rain lasting more than 15 minutes... longer showers at night but you'll be sailing on at that point! I don't even own an umbrella here, if that gives you an indication of how the rain goes.

 

If you applied our tropical forecast to your experience in Seattle, you'd have every cause to worry about missing out. But it is different here! The daytime temps here average 80 degrees, the humidity around 60 percent or so- usually a short warm shower cools us off and makes us ready for the sun again.

 

You will have wonderful weather and a marvelous cruise. Just pack that sunblock and use it- sun is quite strong and a sunburn can wreck your plans, especially if you aren't used to seeing much of it, being from Seattle, lol!

[socalcruising]

It's LIQUID SUNSHINE!!!

 

Well it rain every day? Most likely yes. For about 15 maybe 30 minutes at a time. Followed by the sun and heat that will dry you out very quickly.

 

Don't let it ruin your day. One of the best things I have ever bought is a waterproof backpack. I put my camera and such in there, and forget about it.

where did you find your waterproof backpack? that sounds like a wonderful idea!

[julielouhoo]

OK. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but.

 

I just looked on weather dot com for the forecast for next week. We are headed to Labadee, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel. Each day it appears that there is "isolated thunder storms" with 30%+ chance of rain each day. WHAT does this mean and can I trust it? Does it usually blow over? Am i over-reacting or should I be wigging out that we are going to have rain all week? Someone say it isn't so.

 

What is the typical weather pattern for the first week in April? The other cruises we have gone on have been PERFECT weather this time of year and I didn't even *think* we'd have to concern ourselves with it. Am I the only one feeling like I deserve sun every day ?:cool:

 

We live in Seattle and believe me, the LAST THING I want on vacation is RAIN. :(

 

I was on the Adventure last week and by the 3rd or 4th day during the captain's morning announcements he said "and the chance of rain, the usual 30%". We had a brief shower one morning at sea (early) and one that I didn't even know we had one morning in St Thomas. Don't worry about it! If you have one, it will be quick. If by some fluke it isn't quick, it's not like a land vacation where you are stuck in your hotel room ~ there's a million things to do!! Have fun!! I'm jealous!!

Terri

[Amlee]

where did you find your waterproof backpack? that sounds like a wonderful idea!

 

 

I have one of the High Sierra's ski team bags. I have the whole 3 piece set. Sadly my set isn't sold anymore. But they do have other bags. Just go to their website and type in waterproof backpack. There will be several options come up. The only I can vouch for is the ski team bags.

 

I watched my large 28 inch bag sit out in a rain storm at the Atlanta airport. My clothes were not touched by the rain at all.

 

My backpack has gone every where with me. In Scotland it poured rain on me, my day in Edinburgh. I wasn't about to let it stop me. I went in the rain. All my stuff in my pack was left dry.

 

Also if your looking for cheaper bags, do a yahoo shopping search for waterproof backpacks. There are several out there. I found one at Wal-mart a few years back. It was in their luggage area. It had a "rain coat" attached to it, that you could pull out and cover your whole bag.