While climates will vary depending on the region you're sailing in, expect temperatures to range between 80 degrees during the day and mid-60 degrees at night. Caribbean cruise weather: the best and worst months to stopBy Scott Bateman The Caribbean cruise climate has fewer risks for tourists planning a trip at sea instead of spending a week on an island for the simple reason that the ship can get away from bad weather and an island can't. Someone may someday invent detachable islands, but in the meantime, tourists should consider two main factors related to the weather when planning a cruise. First, the annual hurricane season in the Caribbean and, second, the drop in temperature during the winter, especially in seawater. The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the region has, on average, few storms in June and November.
In July there are an average of three storms, while in August, September and October there are an average of four, depending on the U.S. UU. The storms of August and October have a moderate risk of becoming hurricanes, while those in September have the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to go on a cruise.
April and May are great times to go because they are outside of hurricane season, although in some Caribbean destinations it rains more than usual in May. Families considering taking a cruise with children during summer vacation should take advantage of the month of June in particular, as the risk of storms is lower, followed by July. The Caribbean is renowned for offering year-round warmth. While that's true for the most part, there are some modest variations in temperature from month to month. Air and water temperatures are markedly cooler in northern climates during winter, making a cruise to the Bahamas less attractive from December to February.
Anyone interested in taking a Caribbean cruise in winter should consider a cruise to the south as a better option for warmer climates than a cruise to the east or west. Each of the three main destinations has conditions that vary by month. Western cruise ships, in particular, are known for their heavy rains in the interior of Central American countries along the Caribbean coast, such as Costa Rica and Belize. Humid interiors are an important factor when planning day trips to Mayan ruins, cave tubing, zip lines, etc. The same is largely the case with the Mexican island of Cozumel.
Despite heavy fall rains, cruises to the west tend to be more popular in the fall than in the east, in part because Central American destinations suffer less from hurricanes. Regardless of which cruise you take, keep in mind that the risk of bad weather increases in autumn and that if you like to swim or lie on the beach, it will be put to the test if you visit the northernmost destinations in winter. Discover Caribbean cruise vacations with tips on top destinations. Join the CruiseTipsTV Academy to download our baggage list for a day on land and more checklists and videos for packing and planning a cruise.
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