Time of Year to Cruise

[newcruiserbridetobe]

Hello,

I am new to cruising, going on my first cruise next May out of Baltimore. I was just wondering everyone's opinions on the best time of year to cruise? Will we be cold in May out of Baltimore? What about storms or rough seas? We are new to cruising so just trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks.

[Wennfred]

Hello,

I am new to cruising, going on my first cruise next May out of Baltimore. I was just wondering everyone's opinions on the best time of year to cruise? Will we be cold in May out of Baltimore? What about storms or rough seas? We are new to cruising so just trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks.

 

Hurricane Season starts around June 1st - Dec 31st. So for that reason we cruise during the months of March - May..... Never had any problems cruising during that period.

 

While Baltimore will be chilly, the islands will be nice and hot.

 

 

 

Fred

[*Luv2Cruz*]

We also like May-early June to avoid the hurricane season and crowds, and the prices are usually excellent!:D

[CRUISE2062]

We love Jan. or Feb. It is so great to get out of winter for a while and then when you come back spring isn't too far away!

[wentworth]

We cruise in Feb or March to get away from the Cold and SNow!!!

Also, we try for the last week of February or first couple of weeks in

March when not as many schools are out on break. Weather in the

islands is beautiful then.

[BaseballMomof4]

May can be plenty warm in Florida, usually start hitting the high 80's, low 90's by then. Down here we say for hurricane season, "June too soon, October all over" - which is obviously not completely accurate - but it is unusual (not unheard of) to have a hurricane after October. The height of hurricane season is generally in August/September, once the seas have gotten good and warm, this year has been unusually quiet for tropical systems.

[Lisichka]

My favorite time is between January and April, but I cruise a lot in September/October because of school issues with the kids and because of price.

[lynnde]

Our cruise was 2005,christmas day to new years day. That got us hooked. Its just me and my hubby, kids gone or moved away.I told my hubby instead of christmas lets go on a cruise every december, so instead of doing the whole holiday crap we choose to go on a boat. We have done both eastern and western carb and the weather has been just right. Last year our cruise under a 1000.00 for two people and that was for 7 days.

[klmorg]

We like to go during the less-popular times, kids in school, etc. We love the end of April/early May, and right before or after Christmas time when the rates are about half what they are during X-mas or New Year's. Haven't tried Hurrican season yet, but plan to in 2010. The weather is always warm & wonderful in the Carribean, no matter when you go. Actually I would cruise ANY time of the year if I could. :)

[VolzCruiser]

My DW and I like to go end of Oct first of Nov. Kids are in school, end of Hurricane Season(not too many late season hurricanes), and great rates. The temp has always be pleasant at that time of the year.

[a3593]

While Baltimore will be chilly, the islands will be nice and hot.

 

I wouldn't quite say "chilly", May is pretty moderate in Baltimore (60's-70's)

 

I would stay clear of hurricane season, but some of the best deals are to be had around then. (Go figure!) It's just hit or miss. You could get a great deal in the middle of hurricane season and the weather be perfect, or you may sail in the middle of the worse storm known to mankind. I did read someplace that the ships can outrun the hurricanes (allthough the water would probably be choppy) and unlike a resort they can change to a port that is not in the path of the storm.

[MzOhioLady]

We always cruise mid to late September! The rates are WONDERFUL! Plus the Kiddos are Back in School at that time of year. Additionally, we like to celebrate our Anniversary in September. We haven't had any bad weather yet, nor have our itineraries ever been altered, Thank God!

[Kurbanfan]

Hurricane Season starts around June 1st - Dec 31st.

 

Fred

 

LMAO!!! Hurricane season is getting longer every year:D

[Kurbanfan]

Hello,

I am new to cruising, going on my first cruise next May out of Baltimore. I was just wondering everyone's opinions on the best time of year to cruise? Will we be cold in May out of Baltimore? What about storms or rough seas? We are new to cruising so just trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks.

 

 

May is perfect IMO!!!

Enjoy!!!

[frekil]

I cruise mostly during the summer, because the kids are out of school. but anytime is a good time to cruise. :D

[grandmato4]

The best time to cruise all depends on what one wants out of their cruise. It could be said that any time is a good time!:D

 

We live in the northeast so we look for WARM weather and the enjoyment of sitting outside in the bright sunshine for all of our cruise days if possible. Therfore our preference is to sail out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale when sailing our favorite time of year in Feb. Too cold the beginning and ending days of a cruise for us to sail out of a more northern port city in February.

 

Sailing during Huricane season which can be on either ends of these times frames but are normally end of Aug through Oct can be a bit of gamble but rarely is a cruise actually cancelled by a cruiseline but rather your ports will be changed so you need to be flexible if cruising tha time of year. Many people have cruised then and never had a problem but others haven't been quite so lucky. We were lucky!:)

 

No one knows what the weather or water conditions are going to be ahead of time so no one knows if you will experience rocking and rolling on any cruise until the time comes.

 

If you've looked at Baltimore avg temps for when you are sailing that is the most likely temps you will be starting out with and coming back to but of coarse mother nature likes to send us curves sometimes so who knows for certain. Your weather should be good but hot and tropical with take some sailing time and you will loose that before you arrive back home but much much better IMHO sailing in May than say in Feb. Not sailed down the entire eastern coastline but have read that you could have smooth sailing or more likely experience a bit of movement along the way but nothing is for certain until the time comes.

 

Pricewise for Caribbbean sailings the best times tend to be between the timeframe after Thanksgiving and before Christmas and again in the beginning of January after New Years. Sept also tends to have some good prices. High prices are summer and holiday times. Also ports with fewer ships have high prices than the ports with more choices to cruise from.

 

enjoy your first cruise.:)

[DGP1111]

I've made it a strong personal rule to only consider cruising in months that contain vowels.

[DocF]

:D

I've made it a strong personal rule to only consider cruising in months that contain vowels.

:D:):D:):D

 

Yes, I think that is a very good rule.

 

Doc

[loveJake]

We cruised out of Baltimore in May 2005. I think it is hit or miss, but it was the worst weather we ever had on a cruise. It was almost too cold to be on deck for sail away. The seas were horrible down and back to Bermuda. The outside deck doors were locked, barf bags were all around the ship. Bermuda was grey and cool. We were 3 hours late getting back to Baltimore that's how bad it was, could not wait to get home. We still call it the cruise from H___. Know other people who sailed at this time and had no problem. Had a co-worker who sailed in October on a 9 day, it was so bad on his cruise that someone broke their nose carring a tray in the buffet and then they closed it. Had another friend and he had beautiful weather in October for his cruise. Just remember if you are oing south from Baltimore there is no skirting the east coast. A lot of ships from NY miss Bermuda because they cannot dock. I will pay SW to fly me to Florida rather then take that chance again. We have cruised from Florida where we have hit storms, but not the entire sailing of a cruise.

[cb at sea]

May is a great time to cruise! It may be cool in Baltimore, but maybe not....may, in our neck of the woods, is an "iffy" month! Even if it is cool, it won't be cold, and you'll hit warm weather soon enough!

[Wennfred]

LMAO!!! Hurricane season is getting longer every year:D

 

1920 – 1929

 

December 1, 1925 – Moving ashore south of Tampa later than any other United States tropical cyclone on record, a hurricane crosses the central portion of the state, dropping 14.1 inches (357 mm) of rain at Miami and heavily eroding northeastern beaches; damage is estimated at over $1.6 million (1925 USD, $19.7 million 2008 USD).

 

 

Hurricane Alice (December 1954)

 

Alice developed on December 30, 1954 from a trough of low pressure in the central Atlantic Ocean in an area of unusually favorable conditions.

 

 

Hurricane Epsilon (2005)

 

Hurricane Epsilon developed from an extratropical storm on November 29 and gradually developed into a hurricane on December 2, despite a highly hostile environment. Epsilon then held onto hurricane status for several more days, despite all predictions by the National Hurricane Center, before finally dissipating on December 8.

 

 

Hurricane Lili (1984)

 

Hurricane Lili was one of only four Atlantic tropical cyclones on record to reach hurricane status in the month of December. The final of thirteen tropical storms in the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season, Lili developed as a subtropical cyclone which originated from a frontal trough to the south of Bermuda on December 12. It tracked southeastward, then northward, slowly attaining tropical characteristics and becoming a hurricane on December 20.

[Kurbanfan]

1920 – 1929

 

December 1, 1925 – Moving ashore south of Tampa later than any other United States tropical cyclone on record, a hurricane crosses the central portion of the state, dropping 14.1 inches (357 mm) of rain at Miami and heavily eroding northeastern beaches; damage is estimated at over $1.6 million (1925 USD, $19.7 million 2008 USD).

 

 

Hurricane Alice (December 1954)

 

Alice developed on December 30, 1954 from a trough of low pressure in the central Atlantic Ocean in an area of unusually favorable conditions.

 

 

Hurricane Epsilon (2005)

 

Hurricane Epsilon developed from an extratropical storm on November 29 and gradually developed into a hurricane on December 2, despite a highly hostile environment. Epsilon then held onto hurricane status for several more days, despite all predictions by the National Hurricane Center, before finally dissipating on December 8.

 

 

Hurricane Lili (1984)

 

Hurricane Lili was one of only four Atlantic tropical cyclones on record to reach hurricane status in the month of December. The final of thirteen tropical storms in the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season, Lili developed as a subtropical cyclone which originated from a frontal trough to the south of Bermuda on December 12. It tracked southeastward, then northward, slowly attaining tropical characteristics and becoming a hurricane on December 20.

 

And I believe there was an unusual one also in December of 2007 too......it dissipated a couple days before we arrived in San Juan:D

So yes it does happen......

[notme1955]

...this year has been unusually quiet for tropical systems.

 

 

Shhhhhhh...don't say that too loudly! We want Mother Nature to continue this trend as we're sailing the a Western Caribbean itinerary in September.

 

Of course, we're flexible and don't really care where we cruise. Just hoping that if we have to change it will be for a different Caribbean itinerary and not heading north to New England--New London, Newport, Boston, etc. Although, if we did go to new London or even Newport, we could just hop on home to do some laundry before getting back onboard. :D

[hazeleyez3]

I can't really say about Baltimore...

 

There might be a day in May which you may need a light coat and an umbrella because it looks like it is going to rain. The next day you might want a pool to cool off in. This was certainly the case this year. Also remember that Baltimore can be quite humid.

[DGP1111]

And I believe there was an unusual one also in December of 2007 too......it dissipated a couple days before we arrived in San Juan:D

So yes it does happen......

 

Ah, yes . . . Tropical Storm Olga, who procrastinated her appearance on the scene. But she was definitely still on time to do a bad tap dance on my Carnival Glory itinerary. :(